10 Natural Remedies Using the Power of Chamomile

If there is one tea every household should ensure they are carrying in their tea assortment (or their pharmacy cabinet!), it has to be chamomile.

Traditionally, chamomile has been used for centuries as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, mild astringent and healing medicine. 

From calming nerves and inducing sleep to soothing tummies and irritated skin, this little super herb is one of the oldest, most widely used and well documented medicinal plants in the world, and has been recommended for a variety of healing applications.  

The two varieties frequently used in herbal medicine are German Chamomile (Chamomilla recutita) and Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile). Their dried flowers contain many terpenoids and flavonoids contributing to their medicinal properties. 

Listed below are 10 amazing benefits and natural remedies to try using chamomile.

1. Promote sleep, relaxation and treat insomnia

Try sipping on a cup of warm chamomile tea 45 minutes before bedtime.

This golden elixir helps you to unwind and promotes sleep by relaxing nerves and soothing your nervous system.  So if you are someone who finds it difficult to ‘wind down’ at the end of the day, or suffer from temporary or chronic insomnia, a soothing cup of this liquid gold will assist in softening your edges and preparing you for a good night’s rest.

It is also important to review your evening routines if you suffer from stress or sleep disorders.  Turning off stimulating electronics (including all TV, internet and media devices) a good hour before bedtime and creating a quiet and calming space is super important, along with ensuring your evening lighting is soft and low.

Creating a night time breathwork routine is also one of the easiest and most effective ways to change your state, shifting you from your sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight state) to your parasympathetic nervous system (your rest and digest state). 

2. Boost your immunity and help to treat a cold

Chamomile is a powerful antibacterial capable of fighting off harmful bacteria, but it also has the ability to boost your immune system, making it a great preventative measure too.

3. Reduce muscle spasms and period pain

According to a study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Chemistry, Chamomile tea has pain-relieving and antispasmodic properties. It relaxes the uterus and decreases the production of prostaglandins (hormone-like substances that cause inflammation and pain)

It has also been used as an emmenagogue (stimulates menstruation) and a uterine tonic in women.

4. Soothe a stomach ache

Chamomile has been valued for thousands of years as a digestive relaxant and has been used to treat various gastrointestinal disturbances including flatulence, indigestion, diarrhea, motion sickness, nausea, and vomiting.

5. Treat cuts, wounds and other skin conditions

Chamomile tea was used by the Romans, Greeks and Egyptians to treat wounds and promote healing.

 As a traditional medicine, chamomile is used to treat all sorts of wounds, ulcers, eczema, gout, skin irritations, bruises, burns, canker sores, neuralgia, sciatica, rheumatic pain, hemorrhoids, mastitis along with many other ailments. 

Externally, chamomile has also been used to treat diaper rash, cracked nipples, chicken pox, ear and eye infections, disorders of the eyes including blocked tear ducts, conjunctivitis, nasal inflammation and reactions from poison ivy. 

6. Reduce and calm acne

Thanks to the anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiseptic properties of chamomile, applying it to your skin in a brewed and cooled tea form helps to combat frequent acne breakouts, fade spots and even eliminate acne scars.  

Try either dabbing on the chilled solution directly with the teabag or clean compress, or keep a spritzer bottle in the fridge and spray on as toner after cleansing your skin morning and night.

7. Anti-aging gold

Another reason to apply this magical herb in cooled tea form to your face is that it is a powerhouse of antioxidants, and protects the skin from free radical damage.  It has been credited with accelerating cell and tissue regeneration, helping tighten pores and slowing down the aging process.

8. Treat sunburn

If you have ever had the misfortune of burning to a crisp under New Zealand’s harsh sun, you’ll be familiar with the red hot stinging pain that it inflicts.  Try applying chamomile again in it’s cooled tea form to the skin, either by soaking a towel in the solution and draping over the area, or gently dabbing directly with the tea bag.  

9. Reduce under-eye dark circles

Rather than throwing away your chamomile tea bags after making a brew, pop them in the fridge ready to use as a cooling and ‘de-puffing’ eye pack.

Placing chilled tea bags over your eyes will help to lighten the area dramatically and reduce puffiness.  “You will find an instant difference to the way your eyes look and feel”, according to India’s leading beauty expert Suparna Trikha,

10. Get rid of dandruff!

Dandruff can be a persistent and frustrating, sometimes embarrassing affliction (is it snowing in here??)  Believe it or not drinking a cup of chamomile tea daily actually helps to both eliminate and prevent dandruff, soothe scalp irritation and promote healthy hair!   You can also use it as a final rinse after washing your hair. 

And of course it is a powerful household cleaner thanks to its antibacterial and antifungal properties.  Not only will leave your home sparkling clean and germ-free when used in natural soap-based cleaning solutions, it will do so without assaulting and irritating your skin and your senses.

Let us know what your favourite uses for chamomile are in the comments below!