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OUR WEEDS, GARDEN PLANTS, TREES
AND THEIR USES
commonly reported *notes Chinese Five Element Theory of Medicine
Burdock: Infused tea of roots and seeds. *Bitter, sweet, cool specific to lungs, liver. Alterative, diuretic, diaphoretic, blood purifier, leaves and seeds strong surface purifier and used to treat skin disorders. Volatile oil is diaphoretic.
Chickweed: Infused tea of leaves, sweet, cool energy anti-inflammatory, demulcent, emollient, alterative, vulnerary. Internally treats blood toxicity, nutritive, good as salad. Used externally in salves for skin inflammations.
Plaintain: Infused tea of leaves, or oil for salve. *Bitter, cool, gall bladder (with liver). Has mucilage, tannins, flavonoids, diuretic, alterative, anti inflammatory, astringent. External as poultice or salve for stings, bites.
Nettles: Infused tea of leaves, or added dry to soap. *Bitter, cool, lungs. Has chlorophyll, vitamins C,A, silicon, diuretic, astringent, tonic, nutritive Internal: A lung and kidney deep immune system tonic. External: stimulates hair growth, restores skin, good for hot skin conditions, itchy, drying.
Violet: Infused tea of leaves and flowers.*Cool, sweet, lungs, liver , demulcent, alterative, antiseptic, vulnerary. Internal: good for upper respiratory, coughs, hard lumps, moistens skin cells. External: softens lumps and tumors, cools and soothes dry skin.
Yarrow: *Flowers added to soaps. *Cooling, astringent. Diaphoretic, anti-inflammatory.
Yellow Dock: *Decocted tea of roots. *Bitter, cool for liver, alterative, blood tonic, laxative, specific for chronic skin diseases. Similar properties as ho shou wu (foti). Cooling soothing.
Sassafras: *EO from root, bark also tea. *Spicy, warm, lungs, alterative, diasphoretic, anti-rheumatic, alterative. �Specific for skin diseases, acne, skin eruptions.
Horsetail: *Infused tea of leaves. *Bitter, neutral, kidney, astringent, diuretic, vulnerary. High in silica for hair. Must come from clean soil, as it may accumulate heavy metals and pollutants.
Elder: Infused tea from flowers or in oil. *Bitter, cool, lungs, liver, diaphoretic, alterative, stimulant, mucilagant. External in salves for burns, rashes. Clears the skin.
Cranesbill (wild geranium): Root infuse in water. *Bitter, neutral, liver, astringent, vulnerary. External use promotes healing of burns and cuts, stops bleeding. | |
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Herbal Actions Specific to the Skin (As commonly reported)
Adaptogen: Works as a tonic, has a normalizing effect, brings extremes back to normal. Examples are goat milk for the skin, all bitters for the liver, oats for nervous system.
Alterative: Deep immune system tonic, a blood purifier, eliminates waste products, helps skin eruptions. Taken internally as tea: burdock, nettles, red clover, Echinacea. Surface immune system: includes comfrey, elder, plantain, aloe vera, marshmallow, nettles, burdock, Echinacea, red clover.
Antibiotics: Help fight infections. Surface immune system Includes most essential oils.
Astringent: Tones dull or oily skin. Witch hazel, rosemary, horsetail, lemon, blueberry, tomato.
Demulcent: Soothes and moistens from the inside and outside.
Internal: violet, chickweed, comfrey, licorice, burdock, aloe Vera.
External: Violet, chickweed, comfrey, marshmallow, slippery elm, Irish moss, aloe Vera.
Diaphoretic: Induces sweating, remove toxins from skin, warming, stimulating. Internal and external: cayenne, cinnamon, ginger, elder flowers, yarrow, hyssop, peppermint.
Emoillient: Softening, soothing and protective. Includes oils such as almond, wheat germ, sesame, olive, flax. Herbs include marshmallow, comfrey root, slippery elm, chickweed.
Nervine: Calms tension and nourishes the nervous system. Good for both deep and surface immune systems. Oats, wild lettuce, St. John�s wort, clary sage, lavender, chamomile.
Rubefacient: increases blood flow at skin surface, draws inflammation and congestion from deeper areas. Good for arthritis, joint problems, sprains. External: mustard seed oil, cayenne, black pepper, pine oil, thyme oil, eucalyptus, cinnamon.
Sedatives: Strongly quiets nervous system, includes anti-spasmodics and nervines. Commonly used internally as teas or tincture. Valerian, hops, chamomile, passion flower, catnip, skullcap. External: chamomile.
Stimulants: Increases the energy of the body, drives circulation, breaks up lymphatic obstruction, warms the body. Anise, cayenne, cinnamon, Echinacea, sarsaparilla, dandelion, ginger, yarrow, rosemary, juniper, sage.
Tonics: Improves the deep immune system. Commonly taken internally as a tea to heal skin from inside out: nettles, burdock, red clover, dandelion.
Vulneraries: Encourages healing of wounds by promoting cell growth and repair. Internal and external: aloe, comfrey, calendula, rosemary, marshmallow.
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