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Camomile has anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties and is used to treat eczema, rashes, and windburn. The properties of camomile are also great for indigestion, diarrhea, cramps, colic and flatulence, as well as for coughs, colds, muscular pains and gout. It also relieves stress and anxiety.
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Please note that we are not advocating that people stop using their normal medication, but would like to make people aware that some alternative therapies can be very effective to help treat problems and create a healthier, younger and more vital you. For more information on our range of products, please click here.
Although we believe in the therapeutic and healing properties of herbs, care must be taken in the use thereof, as they are powerful compounds.
Family |
Asteraceae |
Genus and specie |
Matricaria recutita (synonym M. chamomilla and Chamomilla recutita) |
It is also known as German chamomile and scented mayweed.
Family |
Asteraceae |
Genus and specie |
Chamaemelum nobile (synonym Anthemis nobile) |
This specie is also known as Chamomile or Roman Camomile.
German camomile is a sweetly-scented annual with branched stems and finely divided leaves with daisy like flowers.
Roman camomile is a mat-forming, evergreen perennial with aromatic leaves, bearing solitary flowers with yellow disks and creamy-white ray florets.
For both the German and Roman camomile, the flowers and essential oil are used.
German
German camomile is a bitter aromatic sedative herb that relaxes spasms, reduce inflammations, relieves pain and promotes healing. It also benefits the digestion and stimulates the immune system.
It contains essential oil (45% trans-B-farnesene), flavonoids (apigenin, luteolin and patuletin-7 glycosides), coumarins (umbelliferone and herniarin), as well as polyacetylene and polysaccharides. The essential oil contains cyclic sesquiterpenoids, mainly a-bisabolol (up to 50%) and chamazulene (15%). Chamazulene is an artifact formed from the matricin during steam distillation, which gives the oil its deep blue color.
Roman
Roman camomile is a bitter aromatic and anti-inflammatory herb with relaxant properties and acts on the digestive system.
It contains sesquiterpenoids of the germacranolide type, as well as triterpenes, flavone glycosides, esters of caffeic and ferulic acid, polyacetylenes, as well as an essential oil. The oil is rich in ester of angelic, tiglic, methacrylic and isobuturic acids, alcohols and azulenic compounds.
- Internal use
- German
- German camomile is used internally for nervous digestive upsets, irritable bowel syndrome, insomnia, motion sickness and colic.
- It is also good for diarrhea and mild anxiety.
- Roman
- Roman camomile is used for digestive problems such as colic, morning-sickness and stress-induced dyspepsia, as well as for painful menstruation and insomnia.
- It is also useful for feverish illnesses, hyperactivity and temper tantrums in children.
- A mouthwash made from Roman camomile is also very effective for mucosal inflammations of the mouth.
- It is often used as a herbal tea to help soothe nerves and to help with sleep.
- External use
- German chamomile is used for wounds, sunburn, burns, hemorrhoids, mastitis and skin ulcers. It is a good "cure-all" for skin complaints and ailments.
- Roman chamomile can be used on irritated skin and diaper rash. When infused in water, it makes a good final rinse when washing your hair as it has a brightening and lightening effect.
- When comparing the two types, it is normally the German camomile that is best to treat any skin ailments and problems.
- Use of essential oil
- The therapeutic properties of German camomile oil are analgesic, anti-allergenic, anti-spasmodic, antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, antiphlogistic, bactericidal, carminative, cicatrisant, cholagogue, emmenagogue, hepatic, digestive, sedative, stomachic, vermifuge, vasoconstrictor and vulnerary.
- This essential oil has a calming effect on the mind and body and is excellent in treating any type of inflammation - be that internal or external. It is very effective on urinary stones (bladder gravel) as well. It furthermore stimulates the liver and gall bladder, thereby improving digestion and is valuable in treating menstrual and menopausal problems.
- On the skin, it is a miracle worker, and calms red, dry and irritated skin, as well as calming allergies, eczema, psoriasis and all other flaky skin problems. It is high in -(-a)-bisabolol, which promotes granulation (healing) and is also a great tissue regenerator.
- The therapeutic properties of Roman camomile oil are analgesic, anti-spasmodic, antiseptic, antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-infectious, anti-depressant, anti-neuralgic, antiphlogistic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, bactericidal, carminative, cholagogue, cicatrisant, emmenagogue, febrifuge, hepatic, sedative, nervine, digestive, tonic, sudorific, stomachic, vermifuge and vulnerary.
- This essential oil can be used with great effect on children when they feel irritable, impatient, teething or colicky. When used for women, it is great to relieve PMS and in general for abdominal pain, gall bladder, as well as throat infections. it furthermore helps to relieve allergies, hay fever and asthma.
- For the skin, it can be used to calm acne, eczema, rashes, wounds, dermatitis, dry and itchy skin and other allergic conditions in general.
- For babies it can be used in a very diluted form to soothe an irritated and teething baby. It helps for colic, diarrhea and gastric spasms.
German camomile should not be taken internally when pregnant, or by lactating mothers, or when taking anti-coagulant medication or when a known allergy or sensitivity exists to any plant in the daisy family.
Roman camomile can be a uterine stimulant and should be avoided in pregnancy.
Both essential oils are considered non-toxic and non-irritant, yet since they do have emmenagogue properties when used in high concentrations, they should be avoided during pregnancy.
To promote the interest and use of herbs and natural complementary health alternatives, we have included information on the following herbs.
Please note - although we discuss a wide variety of herbs, not all of them are used or sold by us.
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