Chamomile Roman - English grown pure essential oil - Now in stock

Anthemis nobilis

A perennial of creeping habit - the herb growing to a height of 30cm with flower spikes during the flowering season (July, August) to 45cm.

Both the flower and upper parts of the green herb contain an essential oil which gives the plant its characteristic odour. The foliage is of a dark green sometimes greyish colour with a much branched 'feathery' appearance. The flowers are characterised by their flattened corolla which is easily distinguished from the dome shaped corrolla of Matricaria.

Origins
The herb itself has a history of use stretching back to the Ancient Egyptian and Moorish Civilisations and it has certainly been grown in England for over a thousand years, being one of the Saxons' nine sacred herbs - known as "Maythen". It is ideally suited to our climate and soils.

Harvesting
The flower heads are harvested when they are in full bloom in July and August and the Essential Oil is extracted by Steam distillation. The Oil is a sky blue colour when first distilled with a clean, almost medicinal but floral aroma. The sky blue is caused by the presence of traces of chamazulene, a powerful anti-inflammatory agent.

Uses
The Oil is widely used in Aromatherapy for its soothing properties and its ability to blend happily with other oils, and more generally in cosmetic and skincare preparations.

Hydrolat
During the distillation process, the 'water' fraction of the distillate, containing many of the water soluable fractions of the essential oil (known as the Hydrolat or Floral Water) is collected. This Hydrolat has many of the 'virtues' of the herb and essential oil in a water soluable form, and finds many uses in water-based cosmetic products from skin toners and conditioners to soaps and shampoos. On its own, as a pure hydrolat it has a surprising warm honey-like aroma and can be used as a skin cleanser and toner in its own right.