Content
Nettle has a rich chemical composition, due to which preparations made from it are widely used in cosmetology, official and folk medicine. Nettle oil is especially popular. You can purchase it at a pharmacy or make it yourself.
Any cosmetic product with nettle makes hair perfectly clean and shiny.
Composition and value
Nettle contains a huge number of components that have a beneficial effect on the body:
- vitamins (A, K, E, B);
- macroelements (calcium, iron, copper, magnesium);
- tannins;
- flavonoids;
- chlorophyll;
- glycosides;
- tannins;
- phytoncides;
- organic acids.
The ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates in the plant is 1:0:1.3.
Benefits of nettle oil
The healing properties of nettle are preserved for a long time if medicinal oil is prepared from it. By regularly rubbing it into the scalp, you achieve elasticity, softness, and rapid hair growth. In its pure form, it helps fight dandruff and gray hair at the initial stage. By adding it to creams and ointments, masks are prepared. When mixed with shampoo, a cosmetic product is obtained that has a healing effect.
Thanks to folk recipes, nettle oil is used not only for hair, but also for skin. Purpose of its use:
- Relieving itching and accelerating wound healing in the treatment of eczema.
- Preventing post-burn scars.
- Normalization of metabolic processes.
- Reduced irritation.
- Increased blood circulation in small vessels and capillaries.
- Suppression of allergic reactions.
- Reducing skin oiliness.
- Cleansing pores from acne.
Massage with nettle oil helps with arthritis, as it not only has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, but also can penetrate deep into the skin.
Do not collect medicinal plants during periods of high humidity.
How to make at home
To get a guaranteed natural product, you should prepare it yourself. Nettles are harvested for oil from May to July, before they bloom. Choose clean leaves, without damage or cobwebs, with a uniform, rich green color. The collection is carried out in sunny, dry weather. You will need gloves to protect plants from burns, scissors and containers for raw materials. The place where nettles are harvested should not be located near highways and railways, landfills, cemeteries, cattle burial grounds and mineral fertilizer warehouses. To prepare the oil, perform a series of sequential steps:
- Wash the collected raw materials under running water.
- Dry it a little, spreading it out in the shade.
- Grind the leaves using a knife or meat grinder.
- Prepare glass containers.
- Fill it 2/3 full with nettles.
- Fill to the brim with olive or sunflower oil.
- Place the container in a dark place.
- Shake periodically.
The first sign that the oil extract is ready is the darkening of the green mass. This takes at least two weeks.
In the case when seeds are needed for the medicine, the tops of the plant are cut off at the time of its flowering, dried for a week, after which they are threshed and the seeds are collected.
If the drug is needed urgently, you can use the hot cooking method. The crushed raw materials with oil are placed in a heat-resistant container and placed in a water bath for 30 minutes. The maximum heating temperature of the mixture is 50 ⁰C. The operation is repeated on the next two days. On the third day you can use the oil.
You can use almond oil to prepare the extract.
Uses of nettle oil
The prepared product is used to heal the scalp. After some time, the effect will be visible if you regularly use nettle oil for your hair, adding it to a balm or making special masks. It helps remove cellulite and stretch marks, make the skin smooth and healthy, adding it to massage cream. Applications allow you to get rid of boils, pimples, and soothe itchy skin during an exacerbation of eczema.
Using nettle oil for hair care
Wraps, head massages or hair masks with nettle oil are carried out taking into account what is needed at the moment - to give them moisture, strengthen, dry or improve their health.To avoid mistakes, take into account the hair type when using a specific procedure.
For oily hair
A simple mask applied to clean hair can reduce oiliness, add shine and volume. Nettle oil is added to the balm or conditioner (in a 1:1 ratio) and applied to the entire length of the strands. Leave the product on for five minutes and then rinse off.
A mask of 1 tbsp allows you to strengthen your hair and restore its appearance. l. nettle oil and a pinch of sea salt. The ingredients are mixed, applied, massaging, to the scalp and washed off after a quarter of an hour.
Nettle extract can be used in children's cosmetics
For fine hair
To improve the quality of hair and give it additional volume, make a mask of three components - 3 tsp. nettle oil, 100 g kefir and 1 tbsp. l. dry crushed mint leaves. Mix, apply to the entire length of the strands, wrap the head with cling film and a towel and leave for 30 minutes. Then wash off using shampoo.
Nettle oil can be used either in its pure form or in a mixture with other ingredients.
For dry hair
To prepare a mask for dry hair, you need to dilute 3 tsp. colorless henna in a small amount of hot water until mushy, then add 1 tbsp. l. nettle oil and one beaten egg yolk. Apply the mixture to the entire length of the hair, leave for 20 minutes and rinse with shampoo.
In its pure form, the oil extract can be applied to the scalp an hour before washing.
How to use nettle oil for hair removal
Nettle oil is often used to remove unwanted hair, the growth of which first stops and later stops altogether.The product is prepared not from leaves, but from seeds, which act on the hair follicle. They are collected in August from stinging nettle, which is about 160 cm high, the leaves are small, and the seeds are located in catkins.
To prepare, you need to pour 50 g of dried raw materials with 10 ml of vegetable oil. They insist for two weeks. To get rid of hair, apply nettle oil twice a day for several months.
The advantage of this method is that the plant is harmless, lacks toxins, is accessible and easy to prepare.
Most often, nettle seed oil for hair removal is hypoallergenic, but before using it you need to test for a reaction.
For bruises, the product is applied as a compress.
Using nettle oil for the face
Due to the presence of vitamins and other nutrients in nettle oil, the benefits of its use for facial skin can hardly be overestimated. Among the advantages:
- Vitamin A rejuvenates the skin.
- Vitamin C helps maintain its tone.
- Vitamin K prevents inflammation.
- Potassium moisturizes and nourishes the face at the cellular level.
Nettle oil is suitable for all skin types. Regular use gives a lifting effect, wrinkles smooth out and disappear.
To get rid of acne, they are treated spot-on for two weeks. As an alternative, it is possible to use a lotion, for the preparation of which nettle oil and vodka are mixed in equal proportions. They wipe their face twice a day - morning and evening.
Taking nettle and burdock oil in equal proportions, you get a liquid to activate eyelash growth.It is applied to the very ends using a cosmetic brush. Do this carefully, regularly, for two weeks. For one procedure, use 2 drops of the product. After completing the course, the effect cannot be ignored. Nettle oil for eyelashes makes them long and thick, and the look is very expressive.
Nettle oil helps with excessive sweating of the palms and feet
Using natural nettle oil for lower back pain
Judging by the reviews, nettle oil is beneficial not only for hair and skin, but also for the cartilage tissue of the joints. The acids that make up the plant are able to dissolve salts formed in intervertebral tissues, protecting them from degeneration. Vitamins PP and B activate the work of nerve fibers to conduct impulses and improve the sensitivity of their endings. Nettle has a pronounced analgesic effect. All these features make it possible to use the oil for lower back pain. Rubbing and light massage are carried out in the evening, before bed, after which the lower back is wrapped in a warm scarf for the night.
Nettle leaves, stems and roots are suitable for making oil. The latter are harvested in the fall, after flowering has ended. They are dug up, washed, dried, crushed and mixed with vegetable oil.
Baths with nettle oil provide a general strengthening and disinfecting effect.
Restrictions and contraindications
In most cases, oil extract is safe, but in order to minimize the risk of allergies, you should apply a drop of the remedy to your wrist. If there is no redness, itching or other reactions, then it is harmless. If at least one of the symptoms is present, we can conclude that there is an individual intolerance to the drug and the impossibility of its use.
Despite the beneficial properties and safety of the oil, pregnant women should refrain from using it, since nettle can cause an increase in uterine tone and provoke premature birth.
Those who suffer from varicose veins, thrombophlebitis and other vascular problems should be careful when using preparations from the plant. Nettle can thicken the blood and impede its circulation.
You cannot use the dosage form if the raw materials are collected in contaminated areas - nettle, like a sponge, absorbs all harmful substances from the environment. The use will not only have no therapeutic effect, but can lead to complete intoxication of the body.
Storage rules
To prevent the oil from oxidizing during infusion, you need to fill the jar with it up to the lid, leaving a minimum free volume for air. For storage until ready, choose a cool, dark place. Shaking the mixture periodically, monitor the condition of the components. Darkening of the liquid and transparency of the nettle particles signal the readiness of the dosage form. After this, the oil is filtered, poured into a clean glass container, tightly closed and placed in a dark place where the air temperature does not exceed +25 ⁰C. The shelf life of a closed container is 1 year, open – no more than 7 months.
Conclusion
Nettle oil is a source of vitamins, amino acids and minerals. It is excellent for skin and hair care, and is used as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of lumbar pain.You can purchase an oil extract at a pharmacy or prepare it yourself by collecting the necessary raw materials.
Reviews about the use of nettle oil
