This week celebrates the diverse range of benefits and positive impacts nettles can have on everyday life and is wonderfully titled “Be Nice to Nettles” week. We couldn’t resist extolling the virtues of the tiny but mighty, punchy packhorse of the weed world - Urtica Dioica, or to you and I, the stinging nettle!
At this time of the year nettles pop up everywhere, voraciously growing on roadsides, flower beds, riverbanks and field edges. Despite their somewhat tetchy reputation, the plant is actually good for humans in a number of ways. Therapeutic use of nettles is recorded as far back as the bronze age and this ancient knowledge is still valued and relevant today.
Aside from their presence in herbal supplements, nettles can be used in a plethora of other forms such as food, clothing, medicine and (to our delight) skincare!
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY
Acting as a potent astringent ingredient, nettle is renowned for its natural ability to soothe inflamed skin and calm irritation.
Rich in minerals such as magnesium and potassium, Omega 3 and Amino Acids plus vitamins A, K1, C and D gives the nettle it's healing properties considerably reducing redness, dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis and rashes.
REJUVENATING
Boasting a high concentration of phenols, nettle acts as a powerful antioxidant ensuring an optimal amount of free radicals when used in skincare. Besides a firming effect, it also keeps fine lines at bay working as a great agent for rejuvenation.
ANTIBACTERIAL
Since it kills off bacteria, nettle is truly effective against microorganisms that may lead to inflammation and acne. It fights infections, such as pimples, eradicating and preventing them from recurring.
GLOW BOOSTER
A great source of vitamins A, C, D and B complex, nettle boosts skin radiance, giving complexions a fresh glow.
ASTRINGENT
Oily skin highly benefits from the astringent properties of nettle. Milder than alcohol, vinegar or citrus, this wonderful herb can be used to keep oily skin in check and free from unwanted outbursts.
THE NETTLE IN FOLKLORE
Nettles feature widely in mythical folklore around the world and have long since been recognised for their bounty of nutrition as well as their sting. Our forebears were a suspicious lot and nettle has lots of interesting myths and lore surrounding it!
In Norse mythology, nettle is often associated with Thor, the god of thunder. During thunderstorms people threw nettle into the fireplace to appease Thor and keep their home from being struck by lightening. Another legend claimed that if someone is sick with a fever, a family member should pull nettle up by the roots while chanting the sick person’s name to aid in the recovery.
Some people believed that nettle found growing in a circular pattern marks the entrance to an elves’ dwelling. A patch (not necessarily circular) was sometimes thought to mark the place elves and other little folk were buried; best to avoid the area. In parts of Ireland there was even a day dedicated to the nippy nettle. The last day of April was traditionally called “Nettlemas” and children were said to run around swiping one another on the legs with branches of nettle!