For centuries, herbs have been used for their medicinal, culinary and aromatic properties. Herbs add flavor to your favorite dish, garnish chic cocktails, and they’re often essential ingredients in many over-the-counter medications.

When it comes to skin care, these healing herbs also serve a powerful purpose — adding scent, function and healing elements to many of the skin care products we use in our facial treatments. Since herbs are such an important part of day to day life in both health and beauty, we’ve picked a few varieties to explore in greater detail.

YELLOW SWEET CLOVER

Yellow sweet clover was used by Henry VIII, which led to the common name King’s Clover. This herb reduces the appearance of red, dry skin, leaving your skin looking radiant, youthful and even in skin tone.

LAVENDER 

There’s a reason you can find lavender in a variety of tea and night care products. In addition to its relaxing, sleep-inducing characteristics, lavender also has natural antiseptic properties, plus it assists in stimulating circulation to support your body’s natural healing functions.

CHAMOMILE 

Lavender isn’t the only popular herb that will help you ease into a comfortable state of calm – chamomile is another go-to if you’re looking to relax. In addition to its calming properties, chamomile has regenerative, soothing and repairing qualities that make this daisy-like herb an extremely effective skin care ingredient.

ECHINACEA 

Most commonly known as a favorite cold and flu remedy, echinacea has many other healing benefits that are worth taking advantage of. According to Best Health: “Many studies support echinacea as an aid to enhance the immune system, reduce inflammation and provide antiviral benefits. It’s also particularly useful for lessening the symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections, sore throats and congestion.” 

This floral healing herb also has the ability to enhance the skin’s natural immunity and protects against environmental stressors.

COMFREY

The root and leaves of the comfrey plant have been used in traditional medicine in many parts of the world. In Japan, the plant has been harvested and used as a traditional treatment for over 2,000 years.

THYME

The thyme herb offers more use than acting as a food seasoning. Thyme has antifungal, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. It’s commonly used as a preservative in foods, cosmetics, and toiletries. As Healthline states, there’s some evidence from a U.K. study that thyme preparation fights pimples better than many popular anti-acne products. 

PEPPERMINT

Peppermint is an antioxidant that relaxes the mind, body and skin, thanks to its cooling and refreshing scent. The mint herb is one of oldest medicinal herbs used in European, Chinese and Japanese folk medicine and ointment.

ROSEMARY

Last, but definitely not least, rosemary is another must-have herb for your health and well-being. From easing digestive issues, to lowering blood pressure, this nettle-like herb is a powerful healer. It also holds anti-inflammatory and natural astringent properties that help slow the skin’s aging process by eliminating free radical damage. 

Healthy skin is a reflection of what you feed your body from the inside. Healing herbs like lavender, chamomile, echinacea and rosemary are just a few of the many natural ingredients that you can incorporate into your diet (and skin care routine) for a healthy body and beautiful skin.

An organic facial is excellent for your skin, no matter the type. Natural ingredients are a raw food diet for the skin and are beneficial to even the most sensitive skin. Touch to Heal Spa uses Eminence Organics Skin Care products which are handmade in small batches in Hungary using organic herbs, fruits and vegetables.