When you’re feeling restless or having trouble sleeping, a warm mug of chamomile tea might help relax your mind. This herbal remedy dates back centuries, all the way to ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Not only does chamomile have a long history of use in traditional medicine for anxiety relief, but it has also been used to soothe digestive upset, relieve skin conditions, and even speed healing.
When it comes to herbal remedies, the dried flowers of the chamomile plant are used often but there is another application to consider. Chamomile essential oil can be used topically or internally, but the most effective use is inhalation through various modes of aromatherapy.
What is Chamomile?
When you hear the word chamomile, you probably picture a steaming mug of tea with a wedge of lemon. Chamomile is a daisy-like plant belonging to the Asteraceae family often used in traditional medicine and herbal infusions. The two most popular species are Matricaria chamomilla or German chamomile and Chamaemelum nobile or Roman chamomile.
Both Roman and German chamomile grow wild in various regions throughout the world. Roman chamomile is an evergreen perennial plant often used as ground cover because it grows low to the ground. German chamomile is not perennial, and it has a sweet, straw-like fragrance while Roman chamomile as a light, apple-like fragrance.
Chamomile tea is an herbal infusion made using the dried flowers, widely used in traditional medicine for fever, inflammation, insomnia, and gastrointestinal disorders. Chamomile essential oil is extracted from the flowers as well, more commonly used in cosmetics and aromatherapy. The medicinal properties of chamomile are related to a number of natural chemical compounds.
The Health Benefits of Chamomile
Medicinally speaking, both chamomile varieties are used to treat fever, inflammation, and digestive issues – they are also used to soothe and calm the skin. Chamomile contains natural analgesic, antibiotic, antibacterial, and sedative properties. When it comes to the specific chemical properties, however, the two varieties have some differences.
German chamomile essential oil offers the following benefits:
- Calms dry, flaky, and irritated skin conditions
- Promotes healing and regeneration of damaged skin
- Stimulates the liver, kidneys, and gall bladder to remove toxins
- Supports improved and regulated digestion
- Calms the mind and body from menstrual and menopausal issues
Both Roman and German chamomile contain terpenoids which offer antibacterial and benefits. One of the primary chemical differences between Roman and German chamomile is their chamazulene content. Chamazulene is an anti-inflammatory compound closely associated with skin benefits. German chamomile has higher concentrations of chamazulene and, as a result, the oil often takes a blue tinge. Roman chamomile oil has high levels of esters and a pale yellowish blue color.
Here are some of the benefits of Roman chamomile essential oil:
- Provides relief from sore muscles, headaches, and migraines
- Improves quality of sleep, relief from insomnia
- Calms mood swings, may relieve colic in children
- Relieves mucus congestion and seasonal allergy symptoms
- Supports digestive health like gas, reflux, and indigestion
If you were going to boil down the benefits of chamomile into a single word, that word would be “calming” or “relaxing.” Chamomile has mild sedative qualities – it relieves anxiety and depression by promoting relaxation. It may help reduce symptoms of insomnia as well.
Ways to Enjoy Chamomile at Home
Chamomile is a versatile herb. You can enjoy the benefits at home by ingesting the dried flowers in tea and other herbal concoctions. For enhanced benefits, chamomile essential oil can be diffused, taken internally, or applied topically to the skin. Perhaps the best way to enjoy the relaxing benefits of chamomile is through aromatherapy using LAFCO fragranced products.
Experience the relaxing fragrance of chamomile with the following LAFCO products:
- Chamomile Lavender 3-Wick Candle – This 30-ounce, 3-wick candle features the crisp scent of bergamot paired with warm chamomile, all melting into a calming undertone of lavender, sage, eucalyptus, and patchouli. It is hand poured in a handblown art glass vessel.
- Chamomile Lavender Bar Soap – Cleanse and hydrate your skin with this luxuriously fragranced bar soap. The soothing sent of chamomile and lavender will fill the room as your skin soaks in the superior moisture of extra-virgin olive oil and almond oil.
- Chamomile Lavender Reed Diffuser – Fill your home with the fragrance of chamomile and lavender with this artful glass reed diffuser. Hand-cut reeds spread fragrance from premium quality fragrance oil – customize the strength by changing the number of reeds you use.
- Chamomile Lavender Room Mist – If you’re looking for a quick solution to anxiety or stress, a spritz of this soothing room mist will do the trick. Crafted with premium quality fragrances in an elegant glass vessel, this room mist instantly transforms the ambiance of any room.
- Chamomile Lavender Liquid Soap – Regenerate, protect, and moisturize your skin while gently cleansing using this luxurious liquid soap. Suitable for use as hand soap or shower gel, this soap features cold-pressed olive oil enriched with wheat proteins for all-day moisture retention.
- Chamomile Lavender Hand Cream – Repair and rehydrate dry skin with the moisturizing power of cottonseed and jojoba oils. This fragranced hand cream is hypoallergenic and free from synthetic additives, formulated to soothe and regenerate dry, damaged skin.
Chamomile is a calming fragrance used to relieve anxiety, improve sleep, and promote feelings of calm. When you’re feeling stressed, light a LAFCO Chamomile Lavender candle or fill your home with fragrance using a spritz of room spray. This soothing scent is available in a wide variety of LAFCO products – try it in the Herbal Spring Gift Set, paired with invigorating Rosemary Eucalyptus.