Summer Skin Care with Herbs

Sunny beach

The dog days of summer are upon us. That hot sun not only dries out our skin causing premature wrinkles, but is can also increase the risk for skin cancer. Herbs can help skin in a number of ways, including cleansing, cooling, and protecting. 

Make an infusion or strong tea from herbs that can be applied to the skin or put in the bath. Also try herbs as a steam facial by putting them in a bowl and pouring boiling water over them. Lower your face into the steam being careful not to burn yourself. Feel your pores open and your worries drift away. Yet another way to use herbs for your skin is to make a tall glass of iced herbal tea to relax with.  These are some common plants for summer skin care:

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) – Some call it a weed, but it is a very good source of vitamin A which is important for maintenance of the skin’s epithelial layer. Vitamin A is also found in stinging nettles, parsley and violets.

Rose Hips (Rosa spp.)– After the rose flower fades you still have the hips, which are high in vitamin C. This vitamin is essential for making collagen, the foundation upon which the skin rests. Rose flowers also make a good face cleanser and are considered hydrating for the skin. Parsley and strawberry leaves are also high in vitamin C.

Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) –The phytoestrogens in red clover can help diminish wrinkles, giving your skin that plump youthful look. It has also been used to treat several skin conditions including eczema. Since it is a legume, it can also feed your soil!

Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)– It's anti-inflammatory properties can be soothing to the skin, especially after a sunburn. It is also antiseptic which can help prevent infection of minor scrapes.

Mint (Mentha spp) – The cooling properties of the mint family are refreshing on a hot afternoon. Make a tea to drink as well as to apply to the skin in a mister or with a cotton swab. Mint can also help relieve dry cracked skin.

Green Tea (Camillia sinensis) – Although you probably don’t have this one in your garden it is an important one for summer skin care. Many animal studies have shown that green tea can prevent skin cancers when applied topically. Try making a strong infusion to put in the bathtub, or apply it directly to moles on the skin. It also provides beneficial properties as a drink. Better safe than sorry.

Calendula (Calendual officinalis) – This orange flower is great for dry skin and can hasten the healing of cracked hands or abrasions of the skin. It is also antiseptic and anti-inflammatory and has been used to treat eczema.

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) – This herb can bring relief from sunburn and has also been used as an insect repellent and to treat skin allergies and rashes.

Recipe

Rose water toner

2 c rose petals

1 cup water

2/3 cup witch hazel

2 tsp honey

Bring water to a boil and add rose petals. Remove from the heat and steep for one hour. Strain out the petals. Add the second cup of rose petals to the water and again heat to just boiling, steep for one hour and strain. Mix in witch hazel and honey. Keep this refrigerated and use within three days.

You can find a good green tea herbal bath mix from Colorado Aromatics to use after exposure to sun here.

Brewers Herbs

Beer is an ancient drink (and food) that I happen to be quite fond of. I especially like beer with lots of floral hops. Hops were not always used in beer though, and may not have been used until the 9th century. Before that, a mixture of herbs referred to as gruit was used to flavor beer. Although I don't brew beer, I do grow hops and other herbs so am interested in what herbs are used in beer. I recently read "The Homebrewer's Garden" by Joe and Dennis Fisher to learn more about herbs in brewing, a very interesting book by the way.

Here are some of the herbs from this book that grow in my gardens.

Anise Hyssop - provides a licorice flavor to beer.
Basil - adds a slightly bitter, spicy flavor.
Bee Balm - often used as a tea, bee  balm provides a bitter, minty flavor.
Borage - gives a spicy, cucumber like flavor to beer. This herb can also be steeped in wine.
Chamomile (Roman) - is said to be one of the 'secret' herbs in Celis White beer. It gives an apple-like flavoring.
Clary Sage - provides a balsamlike aroma to beer.
Coriander - this is a flavoring in one of my favorite beers; Belgian Whites.
Dandelion - yet another use for this common weed. Use the tender spring leaves in your salad and the larger leaves later in the season to bitter your beer.
Elder - the berries are best know for making wine, but they can also be used to flavor beer. The flowers can be used for 'dry hopping' as well.
Oregano - adds a distinctive flavor to beer.

Horehound - this herb can add a warm, menthol flavor. I wonder if horehound beer can be used to control coughs?
Hyssop officinalis - this herb is used in Benedictine and Chartreuse. Using it in beer provides a minty, medicinal scent.
Juniper - commonly used in gin, juniper can contribute this taste to beer as well.
Lavender - oh, the many uses of sweet lavender. I would love to try a pale ale flavored with lavender. Let me know if you know of one.
Lemon Balm - this is used in many liquours and can add a lemon scent/flavor to beer.
Mint - there are many types of  mint, and although I love a mint tea, I don't know how this would be in beer.
Rhubarb - great in a fruit crisp, this is one fruit that would be interesting in beer.
Rose hips - apparently rose hips are used in some beers from Poland and impart a citrus flavor and red color to beer.
Rosemary - before the use of hops in beer, rosemary was quite popular.
Sage - was used in fifteenth century English beer recipes and adds bitterness and camphorlike scent.
Savory, Summer - provide a peppery, oregano-like flavor and aroma.
Spruce - was popular during the American Revolution spruce adds distinct, woods taste that is popular in winter beers.
Sweet Woodruff - this herb is what makes May wine what it is but can also be used to add a mild, sweet aroma to beer.
Thyme - used to give beer a spicy aroma.
Valerian root - is commonly used as a sedative so what better place to use it than beer?
Yarrow - both the leaves and flowers can be used to bitter beer.

I'd love to see more 'herbal' beers so I hope that if you are a brewer this gives you some ideas - and don't hesitate to share with me! I'd love to write reviews!