Chamomile and Anxiety
Most of us know by now that chamomile is a great herb to make as a tea for relaxation before going to bed. It is a relatively inexpensive herb as well, and easily accessed, so it is widely used as a casual relaxant.
It also has a pleasant, earthy and herbacious scent to it, which tends to relax the mind just by the sheer act of inhalation (at least that goes for me, not sure how everyone else feels about that statement). There are actually several different types of chamomile, which I never knew until I started to study aromatherapy and essential oils.
There is roman chamomile, which is used primarily for anti anxiety and stress measures, as well as a nerve relaxant. However, this is one of the more expensive types of chamomiles, and it is especially expensive as an EO (Essential Oil).
Other types of chamomile can be useful for relaxation and anxiety release, and they are also less expensive. However, they may have lower concentrations of a component of chamomile which is the primary reason behind its ability to soothe frayed nerves.
There is another component to chamomiles, “true chamomiles” that gives them a distinctly pleasant fruity fragrance. It is blue in color, and is possessed in higher volumes by “Cape Chamomile” which gets its name from the African region where it is found.
This chamomile is a bit more cost effective than Roman chamomile, and may be even better for actual aromatherapy uses since it has that fruity fragrance. It is still useful for stress and anxiety as well, although it may be to a lesser degree than the Roman variety.
Cape chamomile, or Eriocephalus Punctulatus which is its plant name, is pressed from an African daisy. It produces the dark blue color when distilled, and contains a ton of naturally occurring anti inflammatories, which is characteristic of the blue colored compounds in it.
It is also called wild rosemary. This chamomile can be used as part of a natural massage oil, and has excellent anti inflammatory properties as well as anxiety reducing capabilities. It can also aid in digestion and is an excellent nerve tonic for many.
More to come on the various kinds of chamomile, especially as I experiment more and more with them in my own personal collection, for both therapeutic applications and aromatherapy uses (simply for the delight of smelling).