Awesome Herbs for a Beautiful, Glowing Skin

The flavor-enhancing abilities of herbs and spices have been used and celebrated for centuries. Lesser known is their incredible power to improve skin texture and appearance. They have the ability to soothe redness, combat wrinkles, and make skin glow

These abilities, along with their inexpensiveness, widespread availability and the absence of harmful chemicals found in most commercially available skin products make herbs ideal for your everyday skincare routine. Here are some examples of common skin-enhancing herbs and how they can be used to obtain beautiful, glowing skin

1. Chamomile

Chamomile is a natural anti-inflammatory, antifungal and antibacterial agent. It promotes skin healing and reduces redness and inflammation. It’s gentle nature makes it perfect for sensitive and acne prone skin. Chamomile is also rich in antioxidants which enhance glow and slow the skin aging process.

Everyday Health recommends steeping a chamomile teabag in boiling water for a few minutes, allowing the tea bag to cool and then applying the wet tea bag to your face.

2. Cilantro (Dhaniya)

Cilantro is also rich in antioxidants– making it great at eliminating free radicals, dirt and other impurities from the skin and at combating wrinkles. Like chamomile it contains antiseptic and anti-inflammatory agents, making it an effective treatment for burns, scars, swelling and allergic reactions. It also reduces pigmentation.

There are many different ways to apply cilantro to skin.

The two simplest methods are extracting the juice from cilantro or grinding it with water to make a paste.
The paste or juice can be applied directly to the skin and allowed to sit for 15 minutes to half an hour before washing it off.

3. Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is famous for its miraculous medicinal qualities. Aloe contains the plant growth hormones auxin and gibberellin which accelerate healing by stimulating the growth of new cells. It’s antimicrobial and anti inflammatory properties and its richness in nutrients and antioxidants make it an effective sunburn, minor burn, and irritation remedy, acne treatment, anti-aging solution, and moisturizer.

The clear gel inside the leaves of the aloe vera plant can be applied topically to skin.

4. Turmeric (Haldi)

The bioactive component of turmeric, curcumin, has potent anti inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Like the herbs listed above, turmeric has anti-aging and healing effects. It is also known for its ability to treat oily skin. According to Everyday Health, turmeric has been proven to reduce the risk of melanoma (skin cancer) and inhibit the growth of blood vessels.

The best way to reap these benefits is by incorporating turmeric in your diet. Topical applications–if done without caution–run the risk of temporarily dyeing the skin yellow.

5. Rose

Rosewater too has astringent, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties–conferring all the benefits of the herbs mentioned above. It is known to rejuvenate skin, control excess oil and maintain the pH balance of the skin. The scent of roses is a powerful mood enhancer–lending a glowing smile to a radiant complexion.

Simply purchase 100 percent pure, fresh rosewater and fill it in a spritz bottle. Use this to replace your daily toner.

6. Neem

Neem has been used as a medicinal herb for almost 5000 years. The carotenoid antioxidant (yellow-orange pigment) content of neem gives it protective qualities–shielding the skin against sun damage and aging. Fatty acids in neem oil make it an effective moisturizer. Neem also possesses antibacterial, anti inflammatory and antifungal properties. Neem paste is known to reduce under-eye puffiness and dark circles.

There are numerous ways to use neem.

The easiest one is to grind neem leaves with water to create a paste which can be applied topically .
Neem water and neem oil are also readily available and can be used as substitutes for toner and moisturizer respectively.