Yarrow for Beautiful, Healthy Skin

[Guest guest]

Yarrow for Beautiful, Healthy Skin

(Achillea millefolium)

Yarrow is a truly remarkable herb with many uses. In this issue, we will

talk about growing yarrow and using it to make simple cosmetics. We will cover

the medicinal use of yarrow in a future issue.

 

Yarrow for Oily Skin and Hair

Yarrow is a wonderful choice when making cosmetics and cleansers for oily

skin. Here are some of my favorite recipes.

Facial Steam

Place a tablespoon of yarrow in a bowl and fill the bowl half full with

boiling water. Lean over the bowl, and cover your head with a towel so that no

steam escapes. You should be 12-18 inches from the water. After steaming,

splash your face with cool water and pat dry.

For added benefit, add one or more of the following herbs: Stimulating

Herbs

Rosemary

Sage

Mint Healing Herbs

Comfrey

Thyme Soothing Herbs

Lavender

Chamomile

Yarrow and Chamomile Compress

You will need:

1 teaspoon of dried yarrow flowers

1 teaspoon of dried chamomile flowers

1 cup of boiling water

 

* Pour the boiling water over the herbs and steep for 20 minutes.

Strain out the herbs and discard. Cool the liquid to a comfortable temperature.

* Dip a tea towel into the liquid and squeeze out the excess.

* Rinse your face in lukewarm water. Place the towel over your face

and relax for 15-20 minutes.

* Pat your face dry. If you want to apply a moisturizer afterwards,

choose one that doesn't contain alcohol.

 

 

Tip: You can also use this compress to soothe rough, red, or cracked hands.

If you hands are dry, coat with almond oil before applying compress.

Simple Yarrow and Chamomile Lotion

Place 1 tbs. dried yarrow flowers and foliage, and 1 tbs. dried chamomile

flowers in a bowl. Add 2 cups boiling water. Leave in a warm place for 30

minutes. Stir again then strain off the liquid. Pour into glass bottles and

store

in the refrigerator.

Yarrow treatment for oily hair

You will need:

1 tablespoon of almond oil

1 tablespoon of jojoba oil

1 tablespoon of dried yarrow

Conditioner

*Note: Jojoba oil is wonderful for hair, but if you can't find it, use 2

tablespoons of almond oil.

Bring water to boil in a double boiler. Add oils and yarrow to the top of

the double boiler. Simmer gently, stirring frequently for 1 hour. Cool and

strain. Repeat with fresh herb if you'd like a stronger oil.

Mix half and half with conditioner, and massage into hair and scalp. Cover

hair with plastic wrap and and top with a warm towel. Sit in a warm, sunny

place for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Shampoo, and repeat the treatment once or twice a week as necessary

 

Yarrow skin treatment for itchy skin

You will need:

- 1 pint jar with tight fitting lid

- 1/4 cup dried, coarsely ground yarrow

- a half and half mixture of grain alcohol (Everclear) and spring water.

* Place the herbs in the jar, and fill the jar to the shoulder with

grain alcohol - spring water mixture. Cover tightly.

* Store at room temperature, protected from light and heat, for 4-6

weeks. Shake vigorously every few days.

* After 4-6 weeks strain the mixture through a clean cotton cloth in a

colander or strainer. Squeeze to remove as much liquid as possible.

* Discard the plant material and store the liquid in a dark glass

bottle. This preparation will keep at room temperature indefinitely.

* Apply to itchy areas with a cotton ball.

 

Yarrow is more than just another pretty face in the flower garden!

* Grow yarrow to attract beneficial Syrphid flies (also called flower

flies or hover flies) to your garden. Syrphid flies are bright yellow or

black and orange flies that might resemble yellowjackets or wasps. They are

harmless to humans, but in the larval stage they consume huge quantities of

harmful insects, particularly aphids, in the garden. Syrphid flies are

important

to the garden because they feed early in the season when it may be too cool

for other beneficial insects.

 

* Yarrow acts as an activator to speed the decomposition of compost.

Use as much as you like, but you only need one finely chopped leaf per

wheelbarrow load of compost material to see results.

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Great post, I will have to go visit

the wild yarrow patch on the land!

 

Here is some more Yarrow lore:

the botanical name, Achillea Millefolia,

refers to its traditional use on wounds.

Supposedly the sulky Achilles (he of the

vulnerable heel) used it.

 

My son, 10 at the time, proudly told me

that he stopped the bleeding of a small

cut by applying yarrow.

 

Darcy Williamson's delightful book

" Healing Plants of the Rocky Mountains "

mentions another use for yarrow:

 

Use it on insect stings the same way you

can use plantain: chew up a few leaves and

apply the pulp to the sting. The most profound

relief was by people who also swallowed

the juice.

 

Of course Yarrow is not always around when

you want it.

Which is why I keep a one-ounce first aid kit:

in my purse: a squeeze bottle of Sangre

de Drago. Awesome stuff. Used for stomach

ulcers too. Ask me about it.

 

Ien in the Kootenays

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You ought to be Thankful,

a Whole Heaping Lot

for the Places and People

You're Lucky you're Not!

~Dr Seuss

http://www.freegreenliving.com

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