Chamomile is a native plant to Europe and Asia, it is a wild flowering plant known for its many benefits. The plant has small white flowers with a bright yellow center. It was originally grown wildly throughout Asia and Europe, but has now been cultivated in North American and Europe.
Due to its variety of health and beauty benefits, Chamomile is very commonly used in Cosmetic making and Soapmaking. Soapmakers and Cosmetic makers generally work with the essential oil of chamomile for their products and formulas. The essential oil is made by steam distilling the flowers to product Chamomile Essential oil, or just chamomile oil. This oil is a highly concentrated form of the plant, containing Chamomile’s essence.
Chamomile has a numerous amount of benefits, but most commonly it is used to help relax, and soothe the body and mind. Chamomile can also relieve discomfort from aches and pains, due to its anti-inflammatory properties. To use to relieve comfort you can apply chamomile topically.. To apply topically you can add a few drops of Chamomile essential oil to any lotion, balm or salve. When using the essential oil of chamomile, it is very important to obey all usage a safety guidelines. I have seen Chamomile being used up to 4% for Soaps and other wash away products, but generally I like to keep the usage rate down to, or below about 2% since lotions, balms and salves will be staying on my skin. Another important thing to remember when dealing with Chamomile oil is that heating can destroy the chemical makeup of the oil, depleating its benefits, so its best to only add Chamomile at the cool down phase.
Chamomile can also be ingested, and it widely done so in teas. Ingesting chamomile can help ease gas and stomach pains, as well as calming the digestive tract to ease discomfort. When ingested it is commonly taken in the form of a tea. Due to its popular demand as a tea, you can find a variety of chamomile teas at any grocery store. In addition to the digestive benefits of ingesting the tea, chamomile is also a great sleep agent, and it helps people who suffer from insomnia.
Chamomile is also great for your hair and skin. It is commonly added to shampoos and conditioners to restore damaged or dry hair, and help get rid of dandruff. For skin, it is commonly added to soaps and acne creams to help clear up skin.
On a cautionary note, Chamomile has been known to cause allergic reaction in some, due to its relation to ragweed. If you have ragweed allergies please consult a doctor before using chamomile. Additionally, Chamomile should not be used while pregnant.
To learn about all the properties associated with Chamomile please refer to each respective ingredient profile, German Chamomile Oil Profile, and Roman Chamomile Oil Profile. These two plants are slightly different, and the unique properties of each can be found on these pages.
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