Natural Herbal Beauty

Yellow dock Rumex crispus

Description: a biennial growing to around I 50 cm in height with a robust tap root and long-stalked ovate leaves up to 50 cm in length.The flowers are purple and thistle-like, appearing from early summer to mid- autumn and followed by hooked fruits.

Part used: root

Actions: alterative, bitter tonic, bile stimulant, laxative

Yellow dock is generally found growing in wild, grassy places, waste land and along the road side.The plant is able to concentrate iron from the soil in its roots thus making a valuable iron tonic in anaemia: in the past herbalists sprinkled iron filings around their yellow dock plants to produce iron-enriched specimens. (more…)

The skin is always contaminated by a large number of micro-organisms which generally cause us few problems. Stress, exhaustion or a weak immune system usually gives them the opportunity they need.

Athlete’s foot (Tinea pedis) is a very common fungal infection affecting the space between the toes and toenails. Depending on the infecting fungus it can either involve inflammation and itching or may simply result in scaling skin and general discomfort. Like all their species, the yeasts causing athlete’s foot thrive in warm, damp places, so good, sensible foot care — making sure the toes are well dried after bathing and that shoes are comfortable — is important. Using creams based on anti-fungal herbs, such as tea tree, marigold and echinacea, can help. (more…)

The story of herbs is as old as history. In the early pages of Genesis we read ‘Even as the green herb have I given you all things’, a statement once again placed early in civilization by the discoveries of ancient writing at Ur of the Chaldees. In the Psalms, considerably later, there is the pleasant comment ‘God who maketh the grass to grow upon the mountains, and herb for the use of man’.

These quotations imply that in earlier times all green plants were considered herbs, and it is as the practical use declines that the number of plants regarded as herbs is reduced also. (more…)

Ginkgo powerfully stimulates the vast network of blood vessels that deliver blood and oxygen throughout the body. Because it even increases blood flow to the brain, it is one of the best natural medicinals for age-related disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, senility, and memory loss, as well as depression. Ginkgo has long been used to rev up a sluggish circulatory system, as well as to treat heart and kidney disorders. Gingko is even considered helpful against asthma and tinnitus (ringing in the ears).

DESCRIPTION AND PARTS USED

The ginkgo tree grows to a height of 100 to 125 feet and its trunk can be as large as 3 or 4 feet in diameter. Ginkgo trees can live as long as 1,000 years and have short, horizontal branches that put forth short shoots. Each shoot bears fan-shaped leaves, in which the medicinal properties are stored. This odd tree bears a nasty- smelling inedible fruit with a tasty almond-shaped inner seed. The seeds are edible and are sold in marketplaces all over Asia. (more…)

Sassafras can no longer be recommended as a safe botanical. It is included here only for its historical interest. This uniquely American herb was once considered an important ingredient in traditional spring tonics and, like sarsaparilla, it was considered valuable as a treatment for syphilis. This flavorful and aromatic herb has also been used to mask the taste of less palatable botanicals. The oil was used as a rubefacient in the treatment of arthritis and rheumatism.

DESCRIPTION AND PARTS USED

The sassafras tree is indigenous to the Americas, where it is found all along the eastern coastline. It can attain a great height in the south, where the tree may grow as tall as 100 feet. Northern climes are not as hospitable, however. In chilly climates, this herb-develops into nothing more than a straggly shrub. (more…)