The verbena flowering plant has an incredibly rich history of healing and well-being properties. Verbena has historically been used in folk medicine to treat everything from headache to heart failure. It helps firm and tone skin and is an excellent anti-age agent. PHYTO5 makes organic verbena essential oil a unique ingredient in many products of PHYTO5’s Earth element and Ageless lines of skincare.
Origins of verbena’s distinctly lemony fragrance
Lemon verbena (Lippia citriodora) starts with a refreshing, pronounced lemon-like scent that gradually transforms into a sweet, fruit aroma. It smells so lemony it would remind you of lemon sherbet.
Verbena gets its fragrance from the terpenes(1) geraniol, neral and limonene.
Geraniol is an anti-age free radical fighter, an anti-inflammatory and an acne fighting antibacterial. It’s also quite mentally relaxing.
Limonene is also antioxidant and anti-inflammatory with the added benefit of reparative action.
Neral aids in acne prevention. It helps purify, soothe and tone skin.
Researchers believe the terpene content of the plant helps calm people suffering from anxiety.
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Verbena essential oil and the flower’s extract offer very many health benefits.
“Behind the sunny, uplifting scent of lemon verbena lies some serious healing properties. It has a toning and strengthening effect on the nervous, digestive, respiratory, and immune items. Its antiseptic action aids healing, while anti-inflammatory properties restore tired postworkout muscles.” —Susan Curtis et al in Essential Oils: All-Natural Remedies and Recipes for Your Mind, Body, and Home
For the skin
helps soften and tone the skin
reduces skin puffiness and inflammation
tightens the skin because of astringent properties
cleansing to the skin; very beneficial for acne prone skin
slows aging of skin because of antioxidant richness
helps heal eczema and other skin disorders because of antiseptic properties
speeds wound and sore healing
PHYTO5 products containing verbena essential oil and/or flower water are anti-age products in the Ageless line: Cleansing Foam, Perfection Cream, soothing pink Clay Mask, and Nourishing Cream.
Earth element Day and Night Creams provide toxic skin with verbena’s healing and cleansing properties.
For the body
supports immunity
soothes irregular digestion
promotes good liver function
helps relieve fever by encouraging perspiration
fights colds and flu
loosens congestion in sinuses and lungs
eases irritating coughs
tones muscles and relieves buildup of lactic acid
lowers abnormally high breathing and heart rates
encourages repair of weak connective tissue
speeds healing of joint-related injuries
lessens pain of arthritis
increases mobility
relieves upset stomach and nausea
alleviates menstrual cramps
For the mind and psyche
alleviates lethargy and apathy
stimulates creativity and concentration
improves study retention
grounds the receiver to the present moment
eases feelings of panic and calms nerves
offers pleasant aphrodisiacal properties
bolsters the spirit when dealing with stressful situations
assists with insomnia
Verbena’s centuries long history demonstrates how powerful a healing cleansing agent the flower is.
Very interchangeably called vervain, verbena goes by many other names.(2). The name verbena comes from the Celtic term ferfaen. Fer means to drive away and faen means stone. The Celts gave the flower this name because they found the flower effective for treating kidney stones.
Vervain was historically also named Tears of Isis. As legend has it, wherever Isis’ tears fell as she grieved over the murder of Osiris, vervain grew.
Historical lore recounts places verbena growing at the foot of the cross where Jesus was crucified. Many believe verbena flowers were pressed into Jesus’ wounds to stop the bleeding. This is why verbena is also called Herb of the Cross.
Hippocrates himself applied verbena flower to wounds and prescribed it for fevers and nervous disorders.
The ancient Egyptians and Chinese believed vervain to have hidden powers.
The magi, the mystic sages of Persia, used verbena as an herb to help them see the future and the unseen.
Cleansing detoxifying verbena has long been used in purification rituals. King Solomon cleansed the temple with verbena and the Romans placed it on altars to honor Venus and Diana.
The Druids’ highly revered verbena. They utilized it in divination practices, consecrations, and ritual cleansing of sacred spaces.
Priests and heralds carried verbena with them everywhere. Heros and poets wore head wreaths and garlands made of the flower.
Roman soldiers carried verbena with them into battle for good luck and protection. They sprinkled their homes and temples with verbena petals to keep out evil. They buried verbena in their gardens to bring them prosperity.
The polymath and herbal healer Hildegard von Bingen (1098–1179) prescribed a decoction(3) of vervain and vermouth for toxic blood infections and toothache.
In the Middle Ages, the people used vervain as a treatment for acne. They found it so effective they began to use vervain to treat other skin problems.
The 17th century herbalist Nicholas Culpeper found many medicinal purposes for verbena. He prescribed to cleanse toxic skin cleanser and to lessen dandruff by mixing with vinegar. Culpeper used verbena to treat many serious conditions: jaundice, gout, cough, bleeding gums, shortness of breath, fever, kidney stones, congestive heart failure and even the plague.
The Aztecs used mashed verbena roots as a diuretic.
In 18th century Spain, the Jesuits prescribed vervain as remedy for headache, jaundice, and other ailments.
During the Revolutionary War, military physicians used vervain for pain relief and to induce vomiting.
Many Native American tribes found all sorts of medical treatment and curative uses for verbena. They used verbena for fever, gastrointestinal problems, stagnant circulation, headaches, insomnia and hepatitis.
Many modern day people of Mexico use verbena tea to treat bad colds and flu.
“Contemporary herbalists recommend vervain as a tranquilizer, expectorant, menstruation promoter, and treatment for headache, fever, depression, seizures, wounds, dental cavities, and gum disease.” –Michael Castleman in The New Healing Herbs: The Essential Guide to More than 125 of Nature’s Most Potent Herbal Remedies.
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Endnotes:
Terpenes are vibrantly fragrant molecules that occur naturally in plant life, especially in conifers, bearing pigment, scent and flavor.
Other names for verbena include Dragon’s Claw, Tears of Isis, Herba Veneris (herb of Venus), Persephonion, Demetria, Pigeon Grass, Simpler's Joy, Altar Plant, Herbe Sacrée, Holy Plant, Herb of the Cross and Herb of Grace.
A decoction is the liquor resulting from concentrating the essence of a substance by heating or boiling, especially a medicinal preparation made from a plant.
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Sources:
Curtis, Susan, Pat Thomas, and Fran Johnson. Essential Oils: All-Natural Remedies and Recipes for Your Mind, Body, and Home. New York, New York: DK, 2016. Print.
Castleman, Michael. The New Healing Herbs: The Essential Guide to More than 125 of Nature's Most Potent Herbal Remedies. Emmaus, PA: Rodale, 2009. Print.
Bonyani, Atousa et al. “Anxiolytic effects of Lippia citriodora in a mouce model of anxiety.” Research in pharmaceutical sciences vol. 13,3 (2018): 205-212. doi:10.4103/1735-5362.228941