Herbs Glossary

W

Wheatgerm Flour: It is used as body massage when mixed with double cream. It is useful for cleansing and softening.

Wheatgerm Oil: It is rich unsaturated oil, rich in vitamin E. It has healing properties.

Witch Hazel: It is made from alder bushes. It is widely used in skin tonics for its astringent properties.

Y

Yeast: Brewer’s yeast is rich source of Vitamin B and Protein. When taken internally, helps acne and dryness of skin scalp. Powdered Brewer’s yeast is used I cleansing facemasks.

Yarrow: Yarrow has grayish, feathery, ethereal–looking leaves and small daisy–like flowers. Yarrow has been used for headaches, fever and influenza. It also cures diarrhea and excessive menstruation.

Yoghurt: It is fermented liquor made from milk; natural yoghurt contains enzymes. It is used as base for cleansing and cleansing facemasks.

Z

Zinc Oxide: It is a heavy white powder. It has mild astringent and antiseptic properties. It is used as dusting powder with benzoated lard to make soothing ointment. Calamine lotion contains a small quantity of zinc oxide.

Herbs Glossary

S

Salt: Salt mixed in equal quantity with bicarbonate of soda is an excellent tooth powder. Salt also makes a good scrub for the body to tone the skin and improves blood circulation.

Sesame Oil: It is polyunsaturated oil. Used in all cosmetics. It is very useful to prevent sun tanning as it absorbs ultra violet rays.

Soap Flakes: Soap Solutions used as emulsifying agent.

Stearic Acid: Stearic acid is a natural fatty acid. It is a crystalline white substance in wax form. It is useful in making creams and body lotions.

Strawberry: Strawberry has lots of medicinal value. In fever and excessive perspiration strawberry leaves work as good medicine. The plant is also helpful in curing diarrhea, over - copious menstruation, threatened abortion, risk of hemorrhage and digestive system. Strawberry contains maximum iron contents and cures anemia. Strawberry juice can be used to treat serious skin ailments. Strawberry juice is useful to treat discolored teeth by cleaning teeth with juice.

Sugar: Sugar is a very good face scrub. Lather skin with soap, then take handful of sugar and scrub, rinse off and apply lemon juice. This thoroughly cleanses and stimulates the skin.

Sulphur: Sulphur is a yellow powder used in acne preparations. It slows down the activity of the oil producing glands. Some people are allergic to sulphur so give a patch test on skin before using it fully.

Sunflower Oil: Sunflower oil is rich in Un – polysaturates. Widely used in creams.

T

Tea: Tea contains tannin that has soothing and healing effect. Tannin is used in sun creams as it absorbs ultra violet rays it prevents sun burning. Tea bags are soothing eye pads.

Thyme: Thyme grows wild on dry banks. Thyme has heavily scented flowers. Thyme has great cleansing properties. Thyme is a good digestive and a liver tonic too. It cures various illnesses like psychological disorders, headaches, hysteria, halitosis and various female ailments.

Tomato: Tomato is slightly acidic vegetable, containing potassium and vitamin C. Useful to treat blackheads, open pores and greasy skin.

Turnips: Turnip can be used raw, grated or boiled in cleansing skin care masks.

Turtle oil: Turtle oil is rich in vitamins. It is used in rich nourishing creams. It is effective oil but it smells very bad.

V

Vaseline: It is just like petroleum jelly.

Vinegar: Vinegar is acid. Dilute vinegars with eight times of water in it. Use this solution for softening of the skin.

Vitamins: Vitamins are valuable for skin and hairs. Vitamin A is useful for dry skin and acne. It also has soothing property. Vitamin B improves health of skin and hairs. Vitamin C heals acne. Vitamin D absorbs in skin and gives healing effect. Vitamin C has healing effects. Vitamin F cures dry and chapped skin. It is often used in face and skin creams.

Herbs and Herbal Beauty Tips

Some of the essential herbs for making herbal products at home are here.

A

Alcohol: Alcohol is an antiseptic. It is used in astringents and act as a solvent in oils.

Almond: Almonds are used in making face packs. It is a good cleanser and it nourishes skin. Almond is also used as almond oil. Almond oil is used widely to prepare homemade herbal products. Almond oil is good for skin beauty care.

Apple: Apple is a fruit and it is acidic in nature. Apple nourishes and keeps the skin glowing.

Apricot: Apricot is a fruit, rich in vitamin A. Apricot’s pulp is used as face masks. Apricot oil is used in nourishing creams for skin beauty care.

Avocado: Avocado is rich in vitamin. Pulp of avocado is used as Face masks and oil in nourishing creams.

B

Banana: Banana is used as face masks; it is very good skin tightening masks.

Barley: Barley is a wild herb. Barley has great nutritional value, as it is rich in Vitamin B and Iron. In addition, barley has lots of medicinal value. It cools body and strengthened the nerves.

Basil: Basil is popularly known as Tulsi. Basil has strong medicinal value.

Beer: It is used to wash face also, it prevents skin rashes. Beer is used to wash hairs and to set hairs.
Bicarbonate Soda: it is an acid salt of carbonic acid used for cosmetics and it is used to clean teeth.

Blackberry: Blackberries are good for anemic people. It is used in lotion for skin beauty care. These berries are rich in Vitamin C.

Borax: It is commonly known as Suhaga. It is a Colorless transparent crystal with detergent and antiseptic properties.

Bran: Bran is choker, used in bath softening. Bran is used in preparing masks for face.

Buttermilk: It is used as cleanser bleaching agent. It is good for oily skin.

C

Cabbage: Cabbage is rich in Vitamins and Minerals.

Calamine Lotion: Calamine lotion is an alkaline lotion to soothe irritated skin. It contains lime water, glycerin, zinc oxide and calamine.

Camphor: Camphor is white crystalline substance and is used as antiseptic. It can be used in two ways either camphor cake or camphor spirit.

Camphor oil: It is used in aching muscles and in massage cremes.

Carrot: Carrot is rich in Vitamin A. Pulp of carrot can be used in making face-cleansing mask. Carrot oil is used in nourishing eye creme and its juice is used in face masks.

Castor Oil: Castor oil is used in various hair products.

Clove: Clove is commonly known as Laung. Clove is aromatic spice used in making skin tonics and face masks.

Cocoa Butter: Cocoa Butter is solidified oil from roasted cocoa beans. It is used in massage creams for dry skins.

Corn Oil: Corn Oil is also known as Gram seed oil. It is a heavy vegetable oil, used to make body and face creams.

Corn Milk: Corn milk is rich in Vitamin A and magnesium. It is used on dry skins.

Cucumber: Cucumber is commonly known as Kheera. It is slightly astringent, cool, refreshing, and used in lotions, creams and masks.

Dried Milk: It nourishes skin and used in thickening face masks.

Eggs: Egg is very useful aid to beauty. Yolk of egg is used to nourish and white is for drying and tightening. It is used in face masks and as hair conditioner.

Emulsifying wax B.P: It is extremely useful for stabilizing creams. It is made from Ceto Stearyl alcohol and sodium lauryl sulphate.