Herbal remedies for face and body. Recipes to maintain natural beauty and rejuvenation

Herbal medicines used to improve skin conditions on the face and body have a rich history of use in the cosmetic field. Today they are also actively used for preventive and therapeutic purposes. If you choose the right herbal remedy for a specific problem and specific skin type, the results can go beyond even the most modest expectations. Do you want to look younger than your peers and radiate health? Then this article is for you.

Main facial skin types

If you understand your skin type, it will be easier to achieve rejuvenating and healing results with the help of herbs. Let’s do a dermatology education program.

• normalThe skin requires no serious care beyond standard cleansing and moisturizing. This type is characterized by the absence of blackheads, shine, and a dry and tight feeling. But you can never have too much prevention.
• drySkin is the most fragile and sensitive to temperature fluctuations. The consequences of cold winters and hot summers are truly reflected on the owner's face. Many times, a network of capillaries is clearly present in it, causing physical and aesthetic discomfort.
• fat. If you have skin like this in winter, you don’t need to wrap your face with a scarf. However, all imperfections such as enlarged pores and characteristic shine are visible to the naked eye. Additionally, it has a real appeal against all kinds of rashes and inflammations.
• combinationType is common to most people. It is characterized by oily skin in the T zone (forehead, nose, chin) and neutral skin in other parts.
• SensitiveThe skin, like dry skin, cannot tolerate the vagaries of weather and is characterized by irritability and intolerance to most cosmetics. Itching, peeling, tightness - that's it. Herbal medicines with softening and calming properties are the best remedies to eliminate these problems.

Herbal benefits for skin

Using medicinal plants for beauty, you can get the following results:

• The skin is filled with all the necessary nutrients.
• Deep cleans and tightens pores.
• Normalizes sebaceous gland function, helping to eliminate shine in the long term.
• Eliminate and prevent inflammation, disinfect.
• Moisturizes, smoothes and whitens skin.
• Has refreshing and conditioning properties.

What skin conditions can be treated with herbal medicine?

The above-mentioned properties of phytotherapeutics can help combat the following skin diseases, injuries and age-related changes:

• acne;
• Dryness, irritation, peeling;
• greasy sheen;
• Blackheads and enlarged pores;
• Sagging skin and wrinkles;
• dark circles under the eyes;
• Age spots (including freckles).

Complete list of herbs for the care of different skin types

Since determining your facial skin type may not be difficult for you, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with herbs suitable for their effects.

skin type	suitable herbs
normal	Nettle leaves, mint leaves, herbal bunches, chamomile flowers, linden flowers, plantain leaves
dry	Nettle leaves, hop berries, yarrow, marigolds, sage leaves, chamomile flowers, oregano herb, creeping thyme herb
fat	Wormwood, chicory, yarrow, calendula, coltsfoot leaves, St. John's wort, aloe vera leaf juice, birch leaves and buds, oak bark, linden flowers, plantain leaves, burdock root, nettle leaves, coltsfoot root, peppermintleaf
combination	Mint leaves, St. John's wort, sage leaves, horsetail
Sensitive	Calendula, sage leaves, chamomile flowers, mint leaves, tripartite bunch, lavender herb, flax seeds, pansy herb, bearberry leaves

Best herbs for skin

As you can see, in the table above, some medicinal plants are mentioned multiple times, which shows their versatility. These herbs should be discussed in more detail.

nettle

This stimulating plant has long been used for cosmetic purposes in skin and hair care. Its unique properties are due to its rich chemical composition. Thus, the stinging "cocktail" of nettle juice consists of silicon salts, histamine, choline (vitamin B₄) and formic acid, stimulate blood microcirculation and improve skin nutrition. Vitamin A has antiseptic properties and helps get rid of pimples, pimples and irritations quickly. Vitamin C improves skin elasticity and strengthens the tone of the capillaries that nourish the skin. Vitamin K has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties and combines with natural "bleaching agents" to help eliminate freckles and other age spots. This plant is also rich in carotene, which can refresh the skin and give it a healthy glow. The synergistic effect of flavonoids, tannins and organic acids helps smooth wrinkles and provide a visible rejuvenating effect. Finally, the bioavailable potassium contained in nettles provides natural hydration to the skin.

medicinal chamomile

The remarkable thing about this plant is that it is suitable for any skin type and has softening, anti-allergic, antiseptic, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory and regenerative properties. Chamomile bioactives stimulate blood circulation and relax facial muscles, thereby helping to reduce wrinkles. Lotion made from the flower infusion of this plant helps with sunburn, allergies and acne, eliminates bags and dark circles under the eyes, accelerates the healing of wounds and micro-cracks, and forms an invisible protective film on the skin.This herb is also great for cleansing facial skin. In addition, it can be used both externally and internally. In the second option, it promotes the removal of toxic and ballast substances from the body that cause skin diseases.However, there is an important nuance: not every type of chamomile is a medicine. True essential oils are supposed to be bitter, which indicates the presence of a valuable essential oil component in their composition, matriculene, which is responsible for most of its beneficial properties. record!

marigold

When it comes to which herbs are most useful for facial care, it’s impossible not to mention this wonderful plant, better known to many as marigold. Due to its unique composition, it is suitable for oily, dry and sensitive skin simultaneously. The oleanolic acid in calendula improves blood supply to cells and tissues, the glycosides provide anti-inflammatory properties, and the flavonoid complex provides the plant’s antioxidant properties. Among other things, the last group of substances mentioned promotes the accumulation of hyaluronic acid in the body, which is key to the natural moisturization of the skin. Carotenoids give the blooms of marigolds their rich orange color and are precursors to vitamin A, whose important properties we have discussed above.The combination of these and many other bioactive substances moisturizes, soothes, softens, cleanses, protects and conditions the skin, restores structure at the cellular level, has brightening and anti-aging effects, improves skin tone and imparts a healthy glow.To maintain the natural beauty and elasticity of your body's skin, a warm medicated bath with a decoction of calendula and sea salt is perfect. Hot water herbal therapy soothes itchy skin, has antiseptic and wound healing properties and helps treat any skin condition. At the same time, the essential oils released during bathing have beneficial effects on the entire body, stimulating the immune system and improving mood.Looking for truly healthy and eco-friendly skin care products? Then we recommend that you focus on the Kalta variety of marigolds, which are grown without the use of chemicals, away from big cities and industrial enterprises. And, no less important, it is significantly superior to wild or cultivated analogues in terms of content of useful substances (especially flavonoids and carotenoids).

Mint

Another herb that is great for any skin type. And everyone can easily name at least one of its attributes. A complex of flavonoids, ascorbic acid and peppermint essential oil, rich in menthol, has refreshing and nourishing properties that reduce puffiness and dark circles. Ramnose stimulates collagen production, which helps eliminate wrinkles and prevent the appearance of new wrinkles. The plant also contains arginine, which enhances the rejuvenating effects. Mint's tannins are also great for fighting age-related skin changes, while the resinous substance speeds the healing of wounds and micro-cracks.Peppermint steam baths are great for deep cleansing of the skin, removing blackheads and rosacea (microvascular) networks, and improving skin tone. In addition, based on this plant, you can also prepare a wonderful moisturizing, softening and whitening mask, with obvious results after the first use.As for the most valuable mint varieties from a biological point of view, it is better to give priority to the "Kip" variety, since it leads in terms of flavonoid and tannin content.

Salvia

This plant deserves special mention as it is a source of phytoestrogens. It is well known that female sex hormone deficiencies, most evident during menopause, can have a negative impact on a woman's health, particularly her skin condition. Sage, taken alone or in combination with other herbs with similar properties, can help lower prolactin while raising estrogen levels to optimal values, which can actually have a rejuvenating effect, restoring a woman's health and radiance. appearance. Taking sage orally has been scientifically proven to inhibit the activity of enzymes associated with aging by 50%. For those who think about age too early, drinking sage can help prevent it. As a topical product, it's ideal for combination skin, tightening pores and permanently eliminating sebum shine in the T-zone. Decoctions, masks, scrubs and other herbal cosmetics based on this plant have anti-inflammatory, soothing, antiseptic and wound-healing properties that help eliminate any skin disease and its causative factors.Since one of the main values of sage is its unique essential oil, for medicinal purposes it is best to choose products with the highest concentration of this ingredient.

Yarrow

If we talk about which herbs are best for scalp care, then yarrow will be at least in the top three. Of particular interest in this case are its anti-seborrhea properties or, more simply, dandruff removal. This is due to the presence of essential oils in the plant, whose ingredients work together to provide antibacterial, cleansing, moisturizing and soothing benefits.At the same time, a complex of tannins, organic acids and natural vitamin K provides yarrow's anti-inflammatory, astringent, wound-healing effects, relieving scalp skin itching and flaking, reducing the intensity of acne on the face and body.Masks containing yarrow perfectly cleanse, nourish and soothe the skin, leaving it fresher, smoother and softer. And this effect is achieved after several processes. After washing, you can rinse your hair with decoction to restore its structure.For many people this will be a discovery, but yarrow has also been selected and cultivated so that its concentration of bioactive substances is significantly increased. Thus, one of the varieties is characterized by a high content of flavonoids, saponins, tannins and essential oils.

tripartite sequence

It's hard to name at least one disease or condition where skin integrity has been compromised that this amazing plant doesn't help. Herbal decoctions used externally as lotions or baths are effective in treating dermatitis, allergic and acne rashes, psoriatic lesions, purulent wounds, urticaria, scrofula and seborrhea. Many reviews suggest that this type of surgery can even help reduce warts.This skin herb in drink form improves gastrointestinal function, normalizes metabolism and helps eliminate the root causes of skin problems. The range’s unique properties are due to a suite of bioactive substances, including flavonoids, tannins, carotenoids, essential oils and vitamin C.The plant is equally suitable for clean skin and sensitive skin. It is a constant ingredient in various herbal preparations.

Best herbal based recipes for beauty and healthy skin

We draw your attention to proven formulas based on the above-mentioned herbs for the care of various skin types.

Herbal face mask for normal skin

A quick note: Apply the mask thinly to previously cleansed skin. Wash with warm water. If they are made based on oil/fat, the temperature will be elevated, but not hot. To achieve a uniform consistency, it is recommended to grind the plant material with a coffee grinder before brewing.

Recipe No. 1

Mix 1 tablespoon of crushed dried nettle leaves with an equal amount of warm milk and half a raw egg yolk. Blend until smooth and spread for 15-20 minutes.

Recipe No. 2

1 tablespoon each of chopped dried herbs and mint leaves. Pour 1 cup (150 ml) boiling water over the herb mixture, cover and simmer for about half an hour. Once cooled, add 1 teaspoon of starch or any flour to thicken it. mix. Leave the mask on for 30 minutes.

Herbal face masks for oily skin

Recipe No. 1

Take 1 tablespoon each of crushed dry plantain and mint leaves and brew it with 1 cup of boiling water. Once cool, drain off excess liquid and add 1 dessert spoon of liquid honey. Leave the mask on for 20 minutes.

Recipe No. 2

Take 1 tablespoon of chopped dry herbs St. John's wort and chamomile flowers, pour 1 cup of boiling water and simmer for 10 minutes. Cool to comfortable temperature, add a teaspoon of wheat flour or rice flour and stir until smooth. Leave the mask on your face until completely dry.

Recipe No. 3

Boil 1 tablespoon crushed dried coltsfoot leaves over low heat for 10 minutes. Following the previous recipe, reduce the cooled broth by teaspoonfuls until reduced to a thick flour consistency. Leave the warm mixture on the skin for 20-25 minutes. For long-term results, the procedure should be performed at least 2 times per week.

Herbal face mask for dry and sensitive skin

Recipe No. 1

Add 1 tablespoon crushed dried chamomile flowers to ½ cup boiling water, cover and let sit for 25-30 minutes. Cool, drain off excess liquid, add 1 teaspoon honey, and stir until smooth. Leave the mask on for 15 minutes.

Recipe No. 2

Take 1 tablespoon each of crushed dried chamomile, calendula, and hops. Use 1 cup of boiling water to brew the herb mixture. Once cool, drain off excess liquid, add 1 teaspoon full-fat sour cream, and mix well until smooth. Leave the mask on for 20 minutes.

Recipe No. 3

Stir 2 tablespoons chopped dried sage into 1 cup boiling water. Cool to +40 °C, drain off excess liquid, add ½ tsp olive or sesame oil and stir until smooth. After applying such a mask, a warm, moist cotton towel must be applied to the face. Leave the mixture on for 25 minutes, rinse with warm water, then rinse with cold water.

Herbal face mask for combination skin

Recipe No. 1

Add 3 tablespoons of crushed dried chamomile flowers to 200ml of boiling water and brew. After the infusion has cooled to a comfortable temperature, moisten a layer of absorbent cotton in it and spread the resulting mixture for 25 minutes, covering it with a napkin. After taking off the mask, wash it off with warm water and apply nourishing cream on your face.

Recipe No. 2

Add 2 tablespoons chopped dried herbs to 1 cup boiling water. Leave for 1 hour and filter. Soak the gauze with the prepared infusion and apply it on your face as a mask. Leave on for about 20 minutes. The first week, do this program 2-3 times, then 1 time.

Herbal face mask improves skin elasticity and smoothes wrinkles

Recipe No. 1

Mix 4 teaspoons of crushed dried chamomile flowers with an equal amount of full-fat kefir and 1 raw egg. Apply the resulting mass on your face for 20-25 minutes and rinse with warm water.

Recipe No. 2

1 tablespoon each of crushed dried chamomile, mint, St. John's wort, coltsfoot, and sage. Stir the resulting mixture with boiling water, cover the container tightly and let it sit for 30 minutes. Then drain off excess liquid and add 1 teaspoon olive oil (for oily skin types, use low-fat sour cream instead of oil). Apply the mixture evenly on your face and cover it with a cotton cloth. Keep the mask on for 20 minutes.

Recipe No. 3

Take 1 teaspoon each of crushed dry mint leaves and green tea and add 1 tablespoon of fatty acid cream. Blend until smooth. Apply the mixture on your face for 40 minutes and then wash it off with warm water and soap.

Healthy and beautiful skin starts from within

The herbs listed for cleansing, moisturizing or smoothing the skin can be your faithful assistants in maintaining youthfulness and beauty for many years. However, if it doesn't help the body from within, botanical cosmetic surgery is only a half-measure.In this case, the first thing that comes to mind is taking vitamins. This is absolutely fair, as it's simply impossible to get all the nutrients you need to stay in good shape and in great shape from food. It seems that the question is not worth asking at all - everything our bodies lack can be easily found in pharmacies. It's just that all of this vitamin and mineral wealth is absorbed in synthetic form with the utmost reluctance. Additionally, many other important issues remain unresolved, leading to skin deterioration and premature aging.Taking into account all the nuances expressed, the best option is to go with natural complexes. The first thing you should pay attention to when researching the ingredients of this drug is the antioxidant trio of flavonoids + vitamins C and E from the quercetin group. The fact is that any negative process that occurs in the human body is related in some way. and free radical activity. It is scientifically proven that 90% of the signs of premature aging and more than 50 serious diseases are related to these damaging particles. Antioxidants are designed to neutralize their violent activity, the strongest of which in the plant kingdom are the flavonoids of Siberian larch. Combined with vitamins C and E, this substance acts even more confidently and effectively. In addition to this, it is an excellent vascular tonic and capillary protector, ensuring uninterrupted nutrition of connective tissue - the basis of our body's organs and systems. Ascorbic acid is also a catalyst for many biochemical processes. Therefore, it promotes the formation of collagen fibers, which is also important for strengthening the skin and increasing its elasticity.The multivitamin portion of this complex consists of only two ingredients. But what! The royal jelly in the preparation contains about 250 useful substances, and bee pollen (pollen) contains more than 100 useful substances. The list includes 20 amino acids (including essential amino acids), about 30 macro and micronutrients, dozens of vitamins, free fatty acids, and enzymes that help all of the above to be as absorbed as possible. The icing on this nutritional cake are the hormone-like substances in royal jelly, specifically its ability to naturally increase estrogen levels. And the latter, as we know, is extremely important for preserving a woman’s natural beauty and eternal youth.However, men should not ignore this complex. The combination of bee products in the drug boosts your own production of testosterone, the hormone of strength, confidence, and sexual activity. So everyone will definitely win. Stay healthy and the rest will follow!