Our Ingredients
The following list shows the main ingredients used in our products to give delightful skin and hair. Many herbal ingredients are thought to be useful in herbal topical products (that is, products applied to the body externally), and as opinions vary between experts, we advise that the following should be used only as a guide.
Calendula - Calendula has been grown as a garden plant for many years throughout North America and Europe. The flowers of the plant have been used as medicine for centuries, and the herbal remedies based upon calendula have been known for generations. It has also long been used to soften and cleanse the skin. It has great anti-inflammatory and vulnerary properties, making it excellent for help with stubborn rashes, eczema, nappy rash etc. and for soothing sore, inflamed and itchy skin conditions. It is also used to assist those prone to thread and spider veins as well as varicose veins.
Calendula has great healing, soothing and softening qualities. Traditionally, Calendula has been used to treat conjunctivitis, eczema, gastritis, minor burns including sunburns, warts, and minor injuries such as sprains and wounds. It has also been used to treat cramps, coughs, and snake bites. Research continues into its healing properties. Calendula flowers have been considered beneficial in reducing inflammation, promoting wound healing, and useful as an antiseptic. It has been used to treat a variety of skin diseases, and has been effective in treatment of skin ulcerations.
Rose - Rosewater is a natural product that has been found to be very useful as a skin tonic and it is therefore used cosmetically as a facial cleanser and toner. Its benefits come from its ability to stimulate the flow in the minute blood vessels under the skin. Scars, minor infections, sunburn, ageing skin and thread veins all benefit from this action. It rehabilitates capillaries helping reduce thread veins. Being a natural mild antiseptic, it is often used to help relieve nappy rash. It can be applied to insect bites and sunburn. It is believed that one of the secrets of Cleopatra's beauty was that she bathed her face in rose water.
The Romans first categorised the medicinal property of rosewater and claimed that it had curative value in 32 different ailments. Queen Elizabeth the First insisted that Rose Oil be added to the Holy Oil used at her coronation and it has been used in the anointment of English Kings and Queens ever since. Rosewater is there adjudged to be good for dry and mature skins, wrinkles and broken capillaries.
Geranium - Useful for treating bruises, broken capillaries, cuts, oily hair and oily skin. Used in skin care, its astringent, tonic and antiseptic properties help to balance the production of sebum and clear sluggish congested pores. It stems the flow of blood and enhances healing. Some sources say that Geranium can revitalise and energise women, especially during menopause.
It may also help to relieve oedema. Warming and purifying, according to some aromatherapists Geranium has excellent regenerative properties for the liver and spleen and enhances circulation, inspires natural beauty and enjoyment and gives an instant "lift", mobilising hidden creative and emotional reserves.
Lemon - Lemon oil can be very beneficial to the circulatory system and aids with blood flow, reducing blood pressure and helping with nosebleeds. It can help bring down fever and relieve throat infections, bronchitis, asthma and flu. It is an excellent oil for assistance with oily hair, cleansing and adding sheen to dull hair. Its astringent qualities are good for greasy skin. Refreshing and cooling, the rind of the lemon is made into an aromatherapy oil which is beneficial in skincare preparations for its cleansing properties. It has a clean and tangy fragrance.
Lemon oil may be used in the treatment of athlete's foot, chilblains, colds, corns, dull skin, flu, oily skin, spots, varicose veins, and warts. It boosts the immune system and cleanses the body, improves the functions of the digestive system, and it is helpful with constipation, dyspepsia and cellulite.
Lemon oil soothes and relieves headaches and migraines and is helpful for rheumatism and arthritis. It is also used for clearing acne, cleaning greasy skin and hair, as well as removing dead skin cells, easing painful cold sores, mouth ulcers, herpes and insect bites. Lemon oil helps to fight against infections, aids the digestive system and soothes headaches, migraines and muscular problems.
Chamomile - Anthemis nobilis is used widely in cosmetic preparations. It has a soothing and softening effect on the skin, helping with acne, cuts and dermatitis. For centuries it has been used in hair preparations (shampoos and rinses) particularly for blond hair which it is said to condition and lighten, improving both natural and artificial highlights. The oil is distilled from the flowers and has a sweet and fruity aroma. Chamomile was a sacred herb of the Saxons and over the years traditional uses have been developed for relief of muscular pain, as a sedative, to ease anxiety and nervous tension and to help with sleeplessness.
It helps relieve anger, hysteria, fear, grief and worry. The hydrolat, containing the water soluble fractions of the essential oil dissolved in the condensed steam from the distillation process, can be utilised directly in cosmetic preparations that involve a water base, such as soaps, shampoos, and creams. This is known sometimes as 'Floral Water' or 'Distillation Water' of Chamomile. The Oil is a natural product, and will change with time and with the precise location and details of distillation and the cicumstances of testing. Chamomile should be avoided during early pregnancy.
St. John's Wort - In ancient folklore, St. John's Wort, hypericum perforatum, was heralded as the "herbe of protection." People revered it as a magical talisman capable of protecting them from evil spirits and their homes from lightning storms. These mystical qualities are reflected in its name. In addition to its use as an "herbe of protection" St. John's Wort applied as a topical treatment seems to have therapeutic benefits against injuries to the skin.
St. John's Wort enjoys a long historical tradition of use for wounds where the skin is perforated and blood is present and. It is also suggested as an effective topical treatment for burns and may help to alleviate many skin problems.
Its Latin name hypericum is derived from a Greek word that means "over an apparition." At Dr Bells we use St Johns Wort to assist with skin protection, wound healing and even bruises. It is used locally for its antiseptic and analgesic effect on burns, bruises, sores and deep wounds with nerve damage, as well as sprains, tennis elbow and cramps. A great all round help for the skin!
Comfrey - Used externally for skin softening and for psoriasis, eczema, sores, varicose veins and ulcers, arthritis, sprains, bunions, haemorrhoids, sore breasts during lactation, and injuries, including fractures. It is particularly effective in slow healing wounds and to help repair tissue damage. Comfrey contains an excellent cell proliferant and is used to stimulate growth of new skin cells.
Common Comfrey has long had a medicinal use, primarily for treating wounds and fractures. This traditional use of the plant is reflected in the name Comfrey, which comes from the Latin word confervere (= to join together). The roots and leaves are used medicinally. Their constituents include tannins, abundant mucilage, allantoin, starch, traces of pyrrolizidine alkaloids and an essential oil.
These substances give Common Comfrey astringent, scar-healing, vulnerary, anti-inflammatory, emollient and mild sedative properties. Internally it is used in an infusion or in powder form for chronic respiratory infections, stomach and duodenal ulcers, and diarrhoea. Mostly, however, Comfrey is used externally in compresses, plasters, liniments, ointments and bath preparations. Comfrey is also used in homeopathy and it is contained in many proprietary preparations.
Witch Hazel - According to folk medicine, witch hazel has been used as a nutritional aid for haemorrhoids, inflammation of the mouth and pharynx, inflammation of the skin, venous conditions, wounds and burns. If taken internally, it may cause digestive problems and rarely liver damage. In cosmetic terms this natural extract from the witch hazel plant gently but effectively cleanses pores deeply to remove the last traces of dirt, oil and makeup, leaving skin feeling soft, moisturised and refreshed.
Honey - Honey has been known for its healing properties for thousands of years - the Ancient Greeks used it, and so have many other peoples through the ages. Even up to the second world war, honey was being used for its antibacterial properties in treating wounds, but with the advent of penicillin and other antibiotic drugs in the twentieth century, honey's medicinal qualities have taken a back seat.
Treatment with honey is called apitherapy, which includes replenishing energy, enhancing physical stamina and improving immune systems. Honey also is considered to have a calming effect on the mind and promotes sleep. Honey also helps indigestion and has sometimes been used to treat cardiovascular disease and respiratory complaints. A thin coat of honey can be applied on the skin to disinfect and heal minor skin wounds and chapped lips. At Dr Bells we believe that honey has healing and antiseptic qualities as well as assisting the skin with the retention of moisture.
Rosemary - Rosemary is a small, fragrant shrub which grows wild or cultivated and prefers chalky soil. The sweet-smelling leaves are rich in essential oils and are much used today to flavour food. There is a legend that in the 16th century, Isabelle of Hungary prepared a rosemary cordial which is supposed to have restored her to health and youth at the age of 70.
Essential oils of rosemary are used for their aromatic powers as well as their revitalising, moisturising action. Ursolic acid, a component of rosemary, has strong anti-irritation and repairing properties which were recently discovered. Rosemary is a tonic, astringent, restorative herb that relaxes spasm and increases the rate of perspiration, while stimulating the liver and gall bladder. It improves digestion and circulation and controls pathogenic organisms.
It has antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, spasmolytic, antioxidant, smooth muscle modulating, analgesic, venotonic, as well as anti-inflammatory properties. It also contains phenolic acids (rosmarinic acid), bitter diterpenes (carnosol, rosmanol) triterpenes (oleanic and ursolic acid), triterpene alcohols and flavonoids, the oil containing 1,8-cineole, a-pinene, camphor, b-pinene, borneol, iso-bornyl acetate, limonene, linalool, 3-octanone, terpineol and verbinol. Rosemary can be used externally to increase circulation and is very often used in hair care products and lotions as it stimulates the hair follicles to renewed activity and prevent premature baldness. It has two important properties - it is an outstanding free radical scavenger and therefore has amazing antioxidant properties, and secondly has a remarkable stimulating effect on the skin.
Apart from this, it has good antiseptic properties and is traditionally used for hair and scalp stimulation, as well as anti-aging products. It has rubefacient properties and therefore is most useful when an increase of blood flow is required or when below-par circulation needs to be rectified. Rosemary is an effective treatment against scurf and dandruff. and can be used in mouth rinses and gargles; it is applied topically to stimulate circulation having analgesic as well as antibacterial, antifungal and anti-parasitic properties.
Nettle -People have exploited the medicinal properties of the stinging nettle for cleansing and toning as well as the nutritional value. Culpeper recommended the use of nettles to "...consume the phlegmatic superfluities in the body of man, that the coldness and moisture of winter has left behind". He also prescribed the juice of the leaves as a treatment for gangrene and scabies.
Native Americans used the fresh leaves to treat aches and pains. European herbalists used the leaves in a similar fashion to treat gout and arthritis. Surprisingly, although the nettle sting is highly irritant, once dried to neutralise the acid the leaves are a natural anti-histamine and also have anti-asthmatic properties.
The dried powdered leaves can also be used to staunch the flow of blood from small cuts. Urtica (nettle) is rich in iron and vitamin C, making it a useful remedy in anaemia and other debilitated states, the presence of the vitamin C ensuring that the iron is properly absorbed. The herb has an important effect on the kidney and on fluid and uric acid excretion, so is of benefit in gout and other arthritic conditions, particularly if there is an element of anaemia.
The painful, irritant effect of the sting is lost on drying or heating with water, but if preserved in cold alcoholic tincture the irritant action is preserved. A tincture of the fresh leaf applied locally to an inflamed joint will induce counter-irritation and produce reddening over the joint. Blood is thus flushed through the area and out to the surface of the skin, where the toxins may even be taken off in the fluid of a burst blister. Urtica may also be of benefit in chronic skin conditions such as eczema, helping to cleanse the body of accumulated toxins. An infusion of the dried leaf is effective in helping to control dandruff and hair loss on the scalp.
As a haemostatic and astringent, Urtica helps check wound bleeding and to treat menorrhagia; it is also used for haemorrhoids and can be taken internally to treat gastric and intestinal problems. The powdered leaves were traditionally used as a snuff to arrest nosebleeds.
Cedarwood - The calming, soothing, harmonising and comforting action of Cedarwood makes it a valuable aid to deepen meditation and strengthen focus. It is of great benefit to nervous tension, anxiety and stress-related problems. Believed to dispel gloomy thoughts, clear obsession, diffuse fear, dispel anger and aggression, and give the heart courage, its subtle properties may balance your energies and help you find clarity of mind. As a massage oil it is reputed to increase sexual response, and its tonic and stimulating effect on the body, combined with the stress-reducing properties, may give some foundation to this belief. It may prove beneficial with acne, dandruff and oily skin.
Sweet Fennel - Fennel is a sweet, aromatic, diuretic herb that relieves digestive problems, increases lactation, relaxes spasms and reduces inflammation with expectorant, carminative and aromatic properties. The essential oil is high in phenylpropanoids, and "sweet" fennel oil, extracted from the crushed seeds, differs from "bitter" fennel oil, which is extracted from the crushed seeds and/or the whole herb from the Foeniculum vulgare var. amara plant.
It is the sweet fennel oil that is used in aromatherapy. It contains anethole, fenchon, limonene and a-pinene, while the fruit (seeds) also contains various flavonoids and furanocoumarins. When you are feeling timid and in need of courage and strength, fennel essential oil may do the trick. It detoxifies the body and is useful when suffering from a hangover.
. It has a cleansing and tonic action on the skin and also helps keep wrinkles at bay and has antiseptic, anti-spasmodic, aperitif, carminative, detoxicant, diuretic, emmenagogue, expectorant, insecticide, laxative, stimulant, stomachic and tonic properties. It can be used for dull oily skin and hair.
Juniper berry - Juniper oil is a very valuable oil and can be used in cases of nervous tension and anxiety, for the urinary tract, for over-eating and obesity, for eliminating uric acid and for skin care. The affinity to the urino-genital tract was further shown when studies revealed that it enhances glomerular filtration, thereby causing the excretion of greater amounts of potassium, sodium and chlorine - especially helpful when the prostate gland is enlarged.
Juniper oil can help calm the nerves, relieves anxiety, nervous tension and mental exhaustion. It is helpful when the prostate gland is enlarged and is used to help with the inability to pass urine, in cases of cystitis and kidney stones. It is also helpful for cellulite and fluid retention. Juniper oil generally helps with the digestive system, particularly in cases of obesity, over-indulgence of food and premenstrual bloating. Juniper oil may also be very effective for acne, eczema, oily skin, weeping eczema, psoriasis and dandruff and alleviates inflammation. It is thought to assist with hair loss and oily complexions.
Spearmint - Spearmint is edible and medicinal, the leaves and flowers are edible raw or cooked. A medicinal herb tea made from the fresh or dried leaves has a very pleasant and refreshing taste, leaving the mouth and digestive system feeling clean. The medicinal constituents in spearmint are 1,8-cineole, acetic-acid, acetophenone, alpha-pinene, alpha-terpineol, apigenin, arginine, benzaldehyde, benzyl-alcohol, beta-carotene, beta-sitosterol, borneol, calcium, carvacrol, carvone, caryophyllene, diosmin, ethanol, eugenol, farnesol, geraniol, hesperidin, limonene, luteolin, menthol, methionine, niacin, oleanolic-acid, perillyl-alcohol, pulegone, rosmarinic-acid, terpinen-4-ol, thiamin, thymol, tryptophan, ursolic-acid, and many vitamins and minerals.
An essential oil from the leaves and flowers is used as a flavouring. Spearmint has been used as an alternative medicine for centuries on many different continents. It is anti-emetic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, carminative, diuretic, restorative, stimulant, stomachic and tonic. The medicinal herb tea made from the leaves is used in the treatment of fevers, bronchitis, chills, cramps, chronic gastritis, common cold, headaches, indigestion, morning sickness, motion sickness, nasal congestion, nausea, halitosis, painful menstruation, and various minor ailments.
Externally the crushed stems are used as a medicinal poultice on bruises. The essential oil in the leaves is a great rub for stiffness, muscle soreness and rheumatism. The oil is also a powerful antiseptic and should not be taken in large doses. In folklore, both the essential oil and the stems are used in remedies for cancer so that, for example, a poultice prepared from the leaves is said to remedy tumours. At Dr Bells we use spearmint to assist with skin health.
Rosehip oil - Has been used for centuries in South America for its effective moisturising qualities. This essential oil replenishes dry and damaged skin and naturally promotes elasticity and firmness. Pure Rosehip oil contains around three-quarters essential fatty acids: oleic, linoleic, and linolenic, which help maintain healthy skin.
Rosehip oil also contains natural Tretinoin, a derivative of Retinol (Vitamin A), which replenishes and helps rebuild skin tissue. The oil has a naturally occurring preservative in the form of anti-oxidant tocopherols (Vitamin E), helping to maintain shelf-life. Eve magazine said "This is a wee miracle. Two volunteers (one with fine lines, another with a childhood scar) used three to four drops (of rosehip oil) twice daily for a month, and both found it worked on their problem."
Disclaimer: This information is in no way intended to be a substitute for modern medical care. Do not self-treat any medical complaint without the guidance of a licensed health care provider.
