If you think we’re about to suggest applying marshmallows to your irritated skin, you’re right.
Marshmallow
We’re not talking about the marshmallows you buy in today’s grocery stores. Quite frankly, there are little natural ingredients left in this gooey candy.
The marshmallow I am referring to is the marshmallow plant (or Althaea officinalis). It was originally found in Europe and western Asia, but can now be found anywhere in the world that has wet, marshy like conditions.
The French included ground marshmallow root into an egg white meringue called pate de guimauve. The end result, served at many a royal dinner, was also known as marsh-mellow. This is the closest recipe to today’s contemporary available in stores.
The leaves of the marshmallow plant, flowers and root have been used medicinally for centuries. Though we no longer use marshmallow root in candy making, herbalists have employed the healing qualities of the root and continue to use marshmallow to sooth irritated tissue and treat fresh wounds that refused to heal. In Greece, marshmallow root was known as “the official healer” and the same is true today.
Research is revealing that marshmallow root is both an anti-inflammatory agent and a stimulant to the healing process that makes it an appropriate herbal medicine in a variety of situations. So, if you have a wound that won’t heal, or one that you want to heal quickly, or a patch of chapped skin that’s giving you grief, apply some marshmallow root to it and get the healing process going.
As you’ve gathered, we’re not suggestion to you run out and buy a package of candy as a skin care solution. We do however suggest that you indulge in the wonders of the healing powers and aroma of the marshmallow root.
Have you had any experience with marshmallow root as a healing agent? Please tell us your stories.
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