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Horsetail.

Submitted by Blog - Henriette on 2 April, 2007 - 10:00
Blog categories: 
Single herbs
Botanical name: 
Equisetum arvense

for skin problems?

Okay, has any of you used horsetail tea (Equisetum arvense) as a wash for red and itchy skin (of unknown origin - possibly fungal)?

One of the attendants at one of my lectures told me that it's excellent for that, and that it works very fast, too.
So I'll give it a twirl on inflamed, red (and possibly fungal) skin, but I'd like your input, too - if you have any.

Thanks!

Comments

Submitted by persimmon (not verified) on 2 April, 2007 - 10:26.

I just happen to have a big swath of leg that looks mildly eczematous/possibly fungal, and a kilo of cut and sifted horsetail.

Submitted by Henriette on 2 April, 2007 - 11:12.

Nice. Go for it!

Submitted by persimmon (not verified) on 3 April, 2007 - 21:05.

Ok, I did a Susun Weed-style infusion (~30g cut/sifted horsetail to 1L boiling water, steeped 4h) and dabbed it on/rubbed it in last night.

Like everything else I've ever put on this rash, it stings and itches like crazy while it's drying, but the milder portions of the rash do look less inflamed today.

Rest is in the fridge; I'll give it a week's go.

Submitted by christine (not verified) on 5 April, 2007 - 18:12.

I get red bumps on my face, a rosceacea type thing, they don't itch. I use horsetail infusion regularly as a wash with a few drops of olibanum oil added. Coarse horsetail from an ancient paper bag seems to work better than the finer stuff I picked myself, calms the inflammation down a bit over night. Used too often it makes my skin rough and dry, so I stop for a few days, it doesn't cure the redness but it helps.

Submitted by Nelle (not verified) on 6 April, 2007 - 19:47.

"Coarse horsetail from an ancient paper bag seems"

What does that mean? from an ancient paper bag?
Please enlighten me,
Much Thanks,
Nelle

Submitted by christine (not verified) on 7 April, 2007 - 09:28.

ancient paper bag, ie. an old bag of herb that inspite of being old worked better than the new stuff

Submitted by persimmon (not verified) on 18 April, 2007 - 23:21.

I ended up going for seven days or so, dabbing the stuff on twice daily (and yes, I made a fresh batch halfway through). Granted this rash is older than some children I know, but all I got was a little clearing around the edges, and major itchies while drying.

My actupuncturist thinks my skin stuffs are due to blood deficiency rather than heat, so maybe this'd work better on heaty rashes.

Submitted by Henriette on 19 April, 2007 - 08:16.

Thanks for that, persimmon!