The Science of Chamomile Deciphered
Summer is about to begin in Europe and the billowing meadows of chamomile are starting to bloom. These daisy-like flowers will soon be harvested and will find their way into our Hydra Re-New Lip Care balm.
Dr Bianca Piscioneri
Not all Chamomile extracts are created equal so it's important to know exactly what type of extract best benefits your skin. Discover our superior and optimised chamomile extract, traceable all the way to the very fields the flowers are grown.
How my ancestral knowledge about Chamomile distilled into deciphering the science deep within these delightful daisy flowers
Everyone I knew in my formative years drank chamomile tea. It seemed that centuries of ancestral knowledge gave chamomile an unwavering reputation which, over time, was taken as universal truth that this herb is medicinal and always good for you. People simply knew that this delicious tea would calm their upset stomachs as a digestive relaxant. The chamomile could soothe and comfort their nerves, help with insomnia, heal wounds, sooth skin irritation, brighten and clarify skin and kill germs.
My personal encounter with chamomile was very regular and started in the early summer when the wild chamomile florets, with their sunshine yellow discs and pure white daisy-like petals, appeared in the verges of our front farm gate. I enjoyed brushing against its apple-scented, fine green foliage and bending down to experience the very pleasant floral yet distinctly herbal scent that I instinctively knew must be good for me. Chamomile has always been (and still is) part of our family tradition, from ritual making of chamomile tea with my grandmother to my children drinking the tea in the evenings and weekend afternoons at home.
Chamomile tea is one of the worlds most popular teas and over one million cups are consumed every day.
Today’s busy world leaves us feeling increasingly anxious and stressed, and herbs like Chamomile can help as a gentle relaxant, a ritual calming tea without any caffeine. Overall, it is a therapeutic and aromatherapy agent, helpful in promoting human health with essential oils being used extensively in cosmetics and food products.
Bioactive constituents of Chamomile: The Science of Chamomile Deciphered
It is not surprising that herbs in general have been integral to both traditional and scientific forms of medicine for 5000 years. They tend to work slowly with continued use over time and with minimal toxicity.
Chamomile is one of the most ancient medicinal herbs known to mankind. It is one of the oldest and most widely used and well documented plants in the world and has been recommended for a variety of healing applications. It was used by Romans Greeks and Egyptians to help with wound healing and inflammation.
We now know that the dried flowers have many terpenoids and flavonoids contributing to its medicinal properties.
Bioactive constituents of chamomile have been isolated in great detail and used as medicinal preparations. Approximately 120 bioactive metabolites have been identified, including 36 flavonoids. The principal component is alpha-bisabolol and its oxide: azulines, including chamazulene and acetylene derivatives. Other constituents of the flowers include phenolic compounds, primarily apigenin, which is one of the most effective bioactive agents.
Through the scientific evaluation of chamomile, it was discovered the flowers of chamomile contain volatile oils, including alpha-bisabolol, alpha bisabolol oxides A and B, and matricin (usually converted to chamazulene and other flavonoids which possess anti inflammatory and antiphlogistic properties).
Studies in human volunteers demonstrated that chamomile flavonoids and essential oils penetrate below the skin surface into deeper skin layers. This is important for topical anti-inflammatory agents. One of chamomiles anti-inflammatory activities involves the inhibition of LPS-induced prostaglandin E release and attenuation of cyclooxygenase(COX-2)enzyme activity without affecting the constitutive form COX-1.
Where does the GGDS Chamomile come from?
GGDS is all about sustainability, traceability and protecting the environment. We believe it is very important to ask questions and know where the extracts used in your skincare come from.
At GGDS, we proudly support small scale producers of highly valuable ingredients and medicinal plants all over the world. The Chamomile Extract used in GGDS products come from chamomile grown in the meadow fields of Austria, Germany and Serbia by methods of integrated farming with sustainability and long term planning at its core.
"...for superior and optimum anti-inflammatory, healing and soothing effects for skin and lips."
Integrated farming is a European agricultural organic standard of whole farm management system which aims to deliver sustainable agriculture in decades to come and for the long term.
The Chamomile grown in these meadows are then extracted into our GGDS Chamomile Extract using CO2 extraction under strict manufacturing standards. This extract is then used as a key ingredient in our Hydra Re-New Lip Care lip balm for superior and optimum anti-inflammatory, healing and soothing effects for skin and lips.
