There is an old and wise adage which states that beauty is only skin deep. We all know that, and yet the overwhelming majority is deeply concerned about the way we look, our appearance, hairstyle, makeup, clothes etc., all accordingly to the new fashion, the wildest craze and so on. What most of us don’t take into consideration is that usually, natural beauty is very much appreciated, even if many don’t say it out loud. Good news is that nature has solutions to that, too. Of course, plants and herbs won’t give you a glamorous and flashy appearance; they will give you instead, all the calm, health and energy that nature has to offer. The next paragraphs will introduce you to some of the herbal remedies available to every one of us.

Acne

There are various ‘recipes’ for this widely spread skin disorder, especially among teenagers:

1.The nettle leaves are known for their ability to purify the blood and to stimulate the production of red blood cells. To treat acne, drink 1l of nettle tea per day (a teaspoonful of dried plant per cup; pour boiling water on it and wait half a minute to infuse until it colors dark green).

2.Soak 1 teaspoon of dandelion root (chopped) in 1/4l of cold water for about 12 hours. Warm the liquid, then separate the root, and drink half of this tea 30 minutes before breakfast and the other half 30 minutes afterwards.

3.Soak one teaspoonful of walnut leaves in 1/4l of cold water for 12 hours. Warm this liquid, separate the leaves and wash the face with it.

Aged skin

You can refresh your prematurely aged complexion (with fine wrinkles) by using bedstraw tea. Soak a teaspoonful of dried and chopped bedstraw flowers in a cup of boiling water and let it infuse or about a minute. Separate the liquid from the flowers and wash the face several times a day.

Rough skin

You can treat this type of complexion very successfully by using all-saints-wrote plant, also called St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) oil. Take the yellow golden flowers from a plant, put them in a light colored bottle and soak them in sunflower oil. Keep the bottle in a sunny and warm place for at least 3 weeks, until the oil colors reddish. Separate the plant from the liquid by using a clean cloth (preferably linen). Put the liquid in small dark colored bottles and apply to the face daily.

Dry skin

Cut some aloe leaves into long strips and put them on a plate to leave their pith. Put the liquid in a plastic bag and place it in the refrigerator. Before going to bed, apply this liquid to the face in a very thin layer and leave it like this throughout the night.

Oily skin

Wash the face with salvia infusion (mildly warm) after you have previously cleared your face.

Hair remedies

1.This recipe has long lasting effects particularly on the blonde hair (or chestnut hair), but all types of hair can benefit from chamomile infusions. It makes the hair shiny, smooth and it gives it a pleasant smell. Soak a handful of chamomile flowers in 1l of boiling water. Infuse for half a minute and rinse the hair thoroughly with this liquid. Do not rinse with fresh water afterwards.

2.Braided hair needs special treatment, too, and a herbal recipe for this is the ‘birch tree water’: soak a spoonful of young birch tree bark in 1l of water and macerate it for 12 hours. Comb the hair after wetting it with this water.