photo courtesy of gandeste-verde.blogspot.comAt AYRES Beauty, we take a very holistic approach to skin and body care, and we only use natural ingredients that have long been known to exhibit a number of benefits to the body. One of these key, natural ingredients is chamomile extract which comes directly from the chamomile plant - a daisy-like plant that belongs to the Asteraceae family.
What most people don't know is that there are more than a handful of different species of chamomile, the two most common types being German chamomile and Roman chamomile. These two, in particular, have been used for centuries for their anti-inflammatory and soothing properties; each also offering their own additional health benefits.
In addition, chamomile oil - an essential oil extracted from the chamomile flower - is another element of the chamomile flower that is loaded with benefits.
The essential oil is extracted directly from the flowers of the plant. Normally, this process is performed using steam distillation - the flowers are placed in a still and hot steam is then applied which forces the essential oil out of the plant without burning it. The amount of oil that can be produced by each plant varies - fresh Roman chamomile flowers yield roughly 1.7% essential oil, while German chamomile flowers yield only about 0.2–0.4% essential oil.
The oil itself has many medicinal applications, but perhaps the best-documented is its ability to induce relaxation. Chamomile extract has a calming effect and can be used to help you sleep, ease your frayed nerves, and promote a general sense of calmness and well-being. If you suffer from anxiety or chronic nervousness, this awesome (and natural) oil might just be the answer you've been looking for.
Chamomile extract is also great at relaxing sore muscles and tight joints - listen up, all you hard workers! It can alleviate the pain and discomfort associated with cramps, aches, and even relax the digestive system to ease stomach aches and indigestion.
When its applied topically, chamomile has been proven to soothe redness and irritation. For this reason, it's a fairly common ingredient in skin and body care products. It's natural analgesic properties offers relief from itchiness and allergic reactions, as well.
Lastly, chamomile oil also has anti-bacterial properties that can help clean and protect your skin from any pesky, microscopic intruders that may cause irritation or infection.
The benefits of chamomile extract are aplenty, in fact, even the scent of the essential oil can be used (inhaled) as a form of aromatherapy. This is an excellent way to soothe nerves and alleviate headaches. It can also be blended with other natural oils such as olive, mineral or sesame to use as a topical treatment for massaging aching muscles and joints.
We've focused mainly on the benefits of chamomile extract in this post, however there are a number of other benefits that the chamomile plant, itself, can offer to people looking for natural and holistic remedies to everyday afflictions. So when your body is not feeling up to par, or when you're feeling slightly under the weather, be sure to include chamomile extract into your routine for a few days and you'll notice the difference, immediately.
