Stinging nettle, Urtica Dioica, is a powerful medicinal herb in all its parts, from the roots to the flowers and seeds. Its use is multifaceted. Nettle is a real natural treasure that we can use not only in the form of infusions, but also in a unique hydrolate or flower water. The entire aerial parts of the plant, including the flowers, are distilled. The result is an aromatic hydrolate with a pleasant smell and interesting effects, which are the subject of enriching scientific studies.
The famous Maria Treben writes in her book Health from God's Pharmacy that "if people knew how healing it is, they would only grow nettle." The leaves of this medicinal plant contain vitamins K, B2, a large amount of chlorophyll, carotenoids, flavonoids, tannins, amino acids, formic acid, oxalic acid, pantothenic acid (B6), histamine, minerals such as magnesium, potassium and calcium.
Nettle flower water SoZoLe Rose comes from gentle hand-harvesting from untouched nature near the Bulgarian Striama River. It brings you easy use for your hair and skin care.
Hair care
Nettle flower water is the first and fundamental stone in hair care. Include it when you need to support hair growth and volume. Especially when hair falls out after pregnancy, high stress levels or hormonal changes. It also helps with balancing oily scalp or dandruff. You will definitely remember nettle shampoos from your childhood and the times of our grandmothers. So don't be afraid to add it to your homemade shampoos and especially hair rinses. You can use this hydrolate as a leave-in in the last phase of washing, alone or in combination with another hydrolate.
How to rinse:
Prepare 2 bowls. Pour the mixture from the mug into one and leave the other empty. Rinse while leaning forward. Rinse your hair with the bowl containing the mixture. Place the second, empty bowl under your hair and catch the liquid. After the first rinse, replace the bowls. You can do this 3-5 times during one wash.
Tip for a strengthening hair rinse for blonde hair:
10% apple cider vinegar
For long hair you will need about 1 cup of this mixture. For short hair 0,5 cup is enough. Use the rinse on wet hair in the last stage of washing. Do not rinse your hair afterwards.
Skin care
Nettle as such is anti-inflammatory and antibacterial. The antibacterial power of nettle hydrosol is also proven by a study by Turkish scientists, who have shown that nettle (Urtica dioica) has a strong antibacterial activity even against Staph. Aureus (Antibacterial Activity of Some Turkish Plant Hydrosols -Nebahat ORAL, Leyla VATANSEVER, Abamüslüm GÜVEN, Murat GÜLMEZ, 2008). Its beneficial powers are traditionally used for acne, wounds, eczema, lichen and rashes. In Bulgarian folk medicine, a mixture is applied to treat rashes elderberry and nettle decoction, which is poured over the affected areas (Вида Буковива – Билколечение, Знаци, 2019, p.23). Why not try the hydrolate variant?! Furthermore, nettle water balances combination to oily skin. Do not hesitate to cleanse your skin with it morning and evening or incorporate it into face masks.
Face mask for oily, acne-prone skin
1-2 teaspoons green clay
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon plain yogurt
1 teaspoon nettle flower water
1-2 drops lavender essential oil
Lavender flower water for humidification
Make a paste from these ingredients and apply it to clean skin, leave it on for about 10-15 minutes. Be careful – the green clay must not dry out. You can additionally moisturize the mixture on your face by spraying lavender water. Then wash your face with lukewarm water and spray lavender water. Your skin will have tighter pores and will glow!
Body care
Maria Treben mentions the positive effects of nettle infusion in baths for chronic sciatica (Мария Требен – Здраве от артеката на господ, Бонкомерс, 1993, p.15).
Nettle water as a subject of study
Nettle is generally not a plant that produces essential oil. According to the latest research on the analysis of its hydrolate, it was found that it contains essential oil with components such as carvacrol, carvone and phytol. (Determining the Parameters of the Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica L.) Hydrolate Distillation Process, Agniezska Krajewska, Katarzyna Mietlinska, 2022).
Nettle hydrolate is a traditional Iranian medicine used in diabetic patients (Urtica Dioica Distillate Regenerates Pancreatic Beta Cells in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats Ali Gohari, MS, Ali Noorafshan, PhD, Masoumeh Akmali, PhD, Fahimeh Zamani-Garmsiri, MS, Atefeh Seghatoleslam, PhD., 2018).
Another scientific study is also associated with diabetes, which investigated the antibacterial potential of nettle and lavender extracts in the treatment of Golden Staphylococcus (Antibacterial potential of Urtica dioica and Lavandula angustifolia extracts against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureusisolated from diabetic foot ulcers, 2015)
Information taken from:
Susanne Catty - Hydrosols the Next Aromatherapy, 2001.
Lydia Bosson - Hydrosol Therapy, 2019.
Мария Требен – Здраве от артеката на господ, Бонкомерс, 1993.
Вида Буковива – Билколечение, Знаци, 2019.
Antibacterial potential of Urtica dioica and Lavandula angustifolia extracts against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from diabetic foot ulcers, 2015.
Urtica Dioica Distillate Regenerates Pancreatic Beta Cells in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats Ali Gohari, MS, Ali Noorafshan, PhD, Masoumeh Akmali, PhD, Fahimeh Zamani-Garmsiri, MS, Atefeh Seghatoleslam, PhD., 2018.
Determining the Parameters of the Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica L.) Hydrolate Distillation Process, Agniezska Krajewska, Katarzyna Mietlinska, 2022.
