Adding products with nettle leaves as an ingredient to your beauty routine. Picture: iStock
Often ruled out because of its tendency to cause itching or even stinging, nettle is still a plant with a multitude of virtues.
The fashion industry has recently taken an interest in it in order to extend its range of natural, ecological fibers, but it could also soon have a key presence in our bathrooms thanks to its purifying, anti-inflammatory, and fortifying properties.
Nettles are not the first plant we turn to when we want to add a green touch to our interiors. Nor is it the one we pick up when we go for a walk in nature.
And for good reason, this plant, which some people even consider a weed, is equipped with a multitude of hairs that secrete a liquid that is an irritant. It’s a property that may lead one to assume that nettle only has harmful effects on health, as it does on skin.
But on the contrary, this leafy plant can in fact fit perfectly into many of our beauty routines.
Naturally rich in vitamins A, B, and C, and in minerals, nettle is a choice ingredient for the skin, and more specifically for problem skin.
Stinging nettle powder is highly appreciated by the cosmetics industry, used in the composition of a wide range of products, from masks to lotions and even vinegars, but those with problem skin may also benefit from dietary supplements such as gummies and herbal teas that use the plant’s leaves.
If we look at the benefits associated with nettle, and even more so with stinging nettle, we see that it is particularly valued for its anti-inflammatory properties.
Which is quite surprising considering that the plant is well known for being an irritant.
However, it is effective in eliminating toxins, fighting against pollution-induced issues such as dull, tired skin, and helping to fight blemishes. Even more surprisingly, nettle can also soothe irritated or itchy skin. Incredible, but true.
Nettle is not only beneficial for the skin; it also has many properties that are essential for healthy hair. There are already a host of shampoos, conditioners, masks and other hair care products formulated with nettle powder or leaves.
These include strengthening properties, essential for giving a boost to the dullest hair, as well as purifying properties that help in the fight against oily hair and dandruff.
Some cosmetic brands are also incorporating it into shampoos and treatments designed to fight hair loss — DIY recipes including nettle are legion on the subject — while others include it in formulas dedicated to nail beauty.
Brands like Unbottled, Fleurance Nature, Typology, Klorane, and WAAM Cosmetics have already made nettle a new beauty essential.
The brand Talika has gone even further by offering a treatment, Lipocils Expert, formulated to boost eyelash growth.
Shunned for decades, nettle has seen its image change in recent years. And it’s not only in our bathrooms that it’s getting attention; it’s also making its way into our closets.
Nettle fibre is now one of the many natural alternatives to other more polluting materials or less environmentally friendly ones.
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