At Amiya we use herbs extensively in our natural hair and skin care products. In this two-part article, you can find out about 10 of our favourite herbs for beauty.

In part one we’ll cover rose, chamomile, horsetail, calendula and rosemary – looking at the properties for which they are best known, how they can be used, and the Amiya products that contain them.

1. Rose (rosa damascena and centifolia)

It will come as no surprise that rose is on this list as it is among the best known natural beauty ingredients. It has been used since antiquity for its heavenly fragrance, and its skin enhancing properties. Huge amounts of rose petals are needed to produce the essential, adding to its reputation as a highly precious ingredient. In natural beauty the petals are used to make essential oil and rose water, and as a herbal infusion. It is soothing and balancing for the skin, and of course adds a lovely, delicate aroma.

At Amiya we use rose water for all of our natural face creams – aefene and aering – and our herbal toner. It is also a key ingredient in our Rose & Chamomile Shampoo, the colour of which comes from a strong infusion of the petals.

2. German Chamomile (matricaria recutita)

Another favourite, chamomile is often found in creams or salves to soothe the skin and massage oils to help relax the muscles. It is a strongly aromatic herb, its scent sometimes likened to apples (in fact its Greek and Spanish names mean “ground apple” and “little apple” respectively. As an essential oil it may be used in small quantities in products for young children or those with sensitive skin.

At Amiya we use chamomile in our Chickweed Salve for itchy skin and in our Ultra Heal and Peach Baby massage oils. You can also find a recipe for a Chamomile hair rinse on our website.

3. Calendula (calendula officinalis)

The beautiful, vibrant orange calendula flowers grace many gardens throughout the summer months. It is highly valued as a healing herb to calm irritated or inflamed skin, and in treatments for eczema, acne and rosacea. Calendula is added to natural beauty products as a herbal infusion, extract, tincture or macerated oil (not an essential oil).

At Amiya we use calendula in our Mild Calendula Shampoo and our Peachy Baby Daytime oil – both these products get their colour from the calendula.

4. Horsetail (equisetum arvense)
Although it doesn’t have quite the romance of rose or popularity of chamomile or calendula, horsetail is a wonderful herb for natural beauty due to its high silica content. This makes it particularly suited to products for adding strength and condition to the hair and nails. It is also used in the treatment of dandruff and psoriasis.

If you’re joining the Christmas beauty gifts making workshop, you’ll learn more about horsetail as it is one of the ingredients in the luxurious hand and nail oil that we’ll be making! To get started using horsetail, you could replace some or all of the rosemary in the Rosemary hair oil recipe on our website.

5. Rosemary (rosemarinus officinalis)

Not only do we get to enjoy rosemary in cooking, it is also an important herb in natural hair and skin care products. Historically it is known for its leading role in the first Western perfume, Queen of Hungary Water, dating from the early 13^th century. It is valued for its ability to stimulate the circulation, and is often used to invigorate the skin and help revive lifeless hair. It is also widely used to help counteract dandruff.

At Amiya we use Rosemary in our Nettle & Rosemary Shampoo and in our warming Activate massage oil. You can also find a recipe for a Rosemary hair oil on our website.

Find out about the other herbs that made our top ten list in the second part of this article. To get a monthly update on Amiya products, events, new articles and to receive subscriber discounts sign up to our mailing list.