My herbarium Chamomile is gold for you!

It's a staple in our grandmothers' cupboards, a mid-afternoon comfort. German chamomile is one of the most well-known medicinal plants with some of the best documented properties. From digestion to blond highlights, it knows how to take care of us. Eva Dumaine, botanist, tells us about plants in her own words. And exceptional naturally derived active ingredients.

My first encounter with chamomile led to a punishment I still remember! I had mistaken my grandmother's field of chamomile for a field of daisies and used them to make the most beautiful bracelets and necklaces for my whole family. Suffice it to say, my grandmother made it perfectly clear that was not allowed and I never confused the two again! Especially as my grandmother was quite fond of her camomile plants. The ritual of brewing chamomile was sacred. We weren’t even allowed to approach the large table in the barn used to dry the flowers.

If chamomile is part of our childhood and has never left our cups, it is because it has been passed down through the millennia, distilling its benefits from generation to generation. From the Asteraceae family, there are in fact several types of chamomile, but it is most often matricaria (or "German” chamomile) that is used. Its small flowers with sunny yellow centres and white petals brighten up sandy fields and its smell is reminiscent of apples. From Europe to Asia and North Africa, it has conquered the continents, but it is in the land of the pharaohs, one of its original areas of growth, that we cultivate our own.

A small wonder with a thousand virtues

Renown since ancient times among the Egyptians, it can be found in ancestral beauty rituals and medicinal manuals from the Middle Ages. Why? Because chamomile infusions help relieve digestive problems. It is also known for its relaxing and healing properties. Grand mum is always right!

At Klorane, we love chamomile for another one of its secret properties. For over 50 years, and for our very first shampoo, we have chosen chamomile for its lightening and light-revealing properties, especially on blonde hair. Rich in apigenin, a yellow pigment contained in its petals, it gently lightens and brightens all shades of hair for an ultra-natural look and cares for the hair fibre.