Flowers for Wellness: Explore the Blossoming Healing Benefits
Written by Lila Mabanta
As spring has finally begun to sprung, flowers are everywhere. Blossoming in Central Park, sold at Union Square, fragranced on peoples’ bodies, and used as decor (at least in my apartment and bedroom all year long). Personally, as an April Taurus, spring is my favorite season, and I largely identify with flowers as my personal symbol (I think I’d belong in the Spring Court...if you know you know). So, to combine the joys of flowers and wellness, how about we dive into the wellness benefits flowers can bring into your life? Because, even though they are pretty little things, they are so much more.
Rose
Arguably the most iconic flower, roses supply lots of benefits to humans as well. Roses, which could be in the form of rose oil, rosehip oil (made through pressing the fruit and seeds of a rose plant), or rose petals (which, if not sprayed with toxins, is edible–think of your rose latte), can be great for heart health and inflammation (Jay). They’re also high in vitamin C and antioxidants, which can be helpful when combating colds. On the anti-inflammatory side, they can help with cuts and burns, as well as stomach or body aches (“11 Flowers”).
Rosehip oil, specifically, is great for your skin as well. I’ve bought a good amount of The Ordinary’s 100% Organic Cold-Pressed RoseHip Seed Oil bottles, to help soothe my skin. It’s very hydrating in the winter when my skin skews on the dry side. It additionally helps boost collagen formation on the skin, which helps maintain skin elasticity and firmness, reduces hyperpigmentation, and is anti-inflammatory as well. If you want to read about more of its benefits, check out Healthline’s article here.
Lavender
Lavender, which I consider my favorite flower (other than Lilac, because, well duh), is shockingly a stimulant of relaxation. Lavender oil, lavender petals, lavender tea, etc., helps soothe our busy minds into relaxation, anxiety relief, and stress relief, which can also trigger better sleep (“11 Flowers”). That’s why so many nighttime self-care products have lavender in them, such as sleeping eye masks that are filled with lavender.
If you’re coming from the city, take a trip on the LIRR to Long Island’s Lavender by the Bay out east, usually in full bloom by mid-summer. Their lavender fields are my favorite thing in the world, and they sell the best lavender products. My favorite is their lavender soy wax candle, which I often find at the Union Square markets as well.
Jasmine
Jasmine–the flower, not Disney Princess–can help as a natural pain reliever. Jasmine, in essential oils, food ingredients (or jasmine tea), and medicine ingredients, can help liver diseases like hepatitis, and abdominal pain (“Jasmine”).
Jasmine tea, specifically, has a wide range of health benefits. It can help boost immunity, enable weight loss, reduce arthritis pain, reduce stress, prevent cancer, control diabetes, prevent gastrointestinal disorders, and contains antioxidant and antibacterial properties (Firdous). And, it’s delicious.
Marigold
Marigold, made into a salve (so medieval medicinal, right?), is great for skin ailments. It’s moisturizing for eczema, psoriasis, and dry spots; and healing for cuts, burns, scrapes, and abrasions (“11 Flowers”). To make a marigold salve at home, you can infuse a neutral oil (think of oils we cook with: sunflower oil, vegetable oil, avocado oil, or canola oil) with marigold petals, and then melt it down with beeswax (“How To”). To learn about the process more in-depth, check out A Little Blue Home’s article here.
Gardenia
Gardenias have been a popular ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine. Its extracts have been used to treat headaches, fevers, inflammation, hypertension, and hepatic disorders (“Gardenia”). It additionally contains a chemical, genipin, that is hypothesized to reduce insulin resistance and prevent high blood sugar for diabetes patients (Biello; “Gardenia - Uses”).
Tulips
Tulips, another fan favorite, has many skin benefits as well when found in serums and creams. It can help increase collagen production in the skin, hydration, and protect your skin, due to a high value in antioxidants and fatty acids (Tang). So, now I’m a little bummed I didn’t buy skincare when I spent a weekend in Amsterdam last year, especially with my day trip to their beautifully surreal tulip garden, Keukenhof.
Cherry Blossom
Lastly, the flower tree that’s blooming all over Central Park right now–cherry blossoms. As well, sakura cherry blossoms are anti-inflammatory and can help reduce puffiness in your skin when in skincare. They, as well, are full of antioxidants, and can even improve your hair quality through preventing scalp inflammation (“Sakura”). This is great to learn, as I’m currently sipping on a cherry blossom iced matcha latte from Urban Backyard.
On another note, flowers in general are great for mental health, as simply having flowers in your living space can boost your mood–I know it does for me. Visual pleasure is an important thing too! So, this spring, make sure to incorporate more flowers into your life, go on walks in the park, and dress florally (that’s just for fun). If flowers trigger your seasonal allergies, grab some Claritin D as well! Happy Spring!
Be well,
Lila
Sources:
11 Flowers for Healing: Types & Uses | Bouqs Blog, bouqs.com/blog/flowers-with-healing-powers/. Accessed 12 Apr. 2024.
Biello, David. “Chemical in Gardenia Fruit Raises Hopes for Type 2 Diabetes Treatment.” Scientific American, 20 Feb. 2024, www.scientificamerican.com/article/chemical-in-gardenia-frui/. Accessed 12 Apr. 2024.
Firdous, Hina. “Benefits of Jasmine Tea and Its Side Effects.” Lybrate, 31 Aug. 2020, www.lybrate.com/topic/benefits-of-jasmine-tea-and-its-side-effects. Accessed 12 Apr. 2024.
“Gardenia.” Gardenia - an Overview | ScienceDirect Topics, www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/gardenia#:~:text=The%20fruit%20of%20gardenia%2C%20Gardenia,%2C%20hepatic%20disorders%2C%20and%20hypertension. Accessed 12 Apr. 2024.
“Gardenia: Overview, Uses, Side Effects, Precautions, Interactions, Dosing and Reviews.” WebMD, www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-1488/gardenia. Accessed 12 Apr. 2024.
“Gardenia: Overview, Uses, Side Effects, Precautions, Interactions, Dosing and Reviews.” WebMD, www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-1488/gardenia. Accessed 12 Apr. 2024.
“Gardenia: Overview, Uses, Side Effects, Precautions, Interactions, Dosing and Reviews.” WebMD, www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-1488/gardenia. Accessed 12 Apr. 2024.
“Jasmine: Health Benefits, Side Effects, Uses, Dose & Precautions.” RxList, 11 June 2021, www.rxlist.com/supplements/jasmine.htm. Accessed 12 Apr. 2024.
Jay, Kitty. “Rosehip Oil for Face: Anti-Aging, Acne, Dark Circles, and More.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 5 May 2023, www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/rosehip-oil-for-face#immune-boosting. Accessed 12 Apr. 2024.
“Sakura Cherry Blossoms Are Good for Your Body, Too! Here’s Why.” BeautyHub.PH, 1 Aug. 2022, www.beautyhub.ph/lifestyle/fitness-well-being/sakura-cherry-blossoms-benefits/. Accessed 12 Apr. 2024.
Tang, Alyssa. “More than Just a Pretty Flower: The Not-so-Talked-about Benefits of Tulips.” Medium, Think Dirty, 17 Apr. 2023, medium.com/think-dirty/more-than-just-a-pretty-flower-the-not-so-talked-about-benefits-of-tulips-5824430a99c0#:~:text=Tulips%20can%20promote%20hydration&text=These%20springtime%20flowers%20are%20considered,fortify%20your%20skin%27s%20moisture%20barrier. Accessed 12 Apr. 2024.
W, Kandace. “How to Make a Marigold Salve.” A Little Blue Home, 20 June 2022, alittlebluehome.com/how-to-make-a-marigold-salve/. Accessed 12 Apr. 2024.
