Do you know one chamomile from another ? If you are an amateur aromatherapist then who cares but if you worry about this sort of thing then here's a handy guide so you can impress your friends at parties.
Chamaemelum nobile a.k.a. Sweet chamomile, Garden chamomile, English chamomile, Anthemis nobilis
A herb with a strong, medical reputation and a history of use going back 2000 years in Europe. There are four species native to the British Isles, but the only one used therapeutically is Chamaemelum nobile.
In 1656, John Parkinson wrote,
'Camomill is put to divers and sundry uses, both for pleasure and profit, both for the sick and the sound, in bathing to comfort and strengthen the sound and to ease pains in the diseased'
Egyptian priests dedicated the flower to their sun god Ra.
Ayurvedic physicians in India used chamomile for the treatment of digestive upsets, cramps and fever.
Family : Asteraceae compositae
Plant : Perennial herb up to 25cm high. Bright green, feathery leaves and daisy-like white flowers. Hairy stem, half-spreading or creeping. The plants smell apple-like when crushed.
Essential Oil : Steam distillation of flowers
Colour : Pale blue, yellow on ageing
Scent : Warm, sweet, fruity, herbaceous
Native to : Southern & western Europe
Cultivated in : England, Belgium, Hungary, Italy, France and U.S.A
Herbal : dyspepsia, nausea, anorexia, vomiting, cramps, fever, toothache, inflammation, burns
Aromatherapy : skin care, muscle relaxant, digestive problems, nervous complaints
Actions : antiseptic, carminative, antispasmodic, nerve sedative
Toxicology : Non-toxic, non-irritant. Occasional dermatitis in some people.
Matricaria recutica a.k.a. Blue chamomile, Hungarian chamomile, Sweet false chamomile, Single chamomile
A different species to Roman chamomile, German chamomile shares many of the same therapeutic properties. The higher percentage of chamazuleneis produced during distillation improves the anti-inflammatory properties.
Family : Asteraceae compositae
Plant : Annual herb up to 60cm high. Bright green, feathery leaves and daisy-like white flowers. Hairless, erect, branching stems. Strongly aromatic unlike corn chamomile ( anthemis arvensis ) which is scentless.
Essential Oil : Steam distillation of flowers. 2% yield.
Colour : Inky blue ( viscous )
Scent : Warm, sweet, fruity, herbaceous
Native to : Europe, north and west Asia
Cultivated in : Hungary and eastern Europe. Not Germany, despite name.
Herbal : Similar to Roman chamomile but better anti-inflammatory properties.
Aromatherapy : Excellent skin care treatment, digestive problems, insomnia
Actions : antiseptic, carminative, antispasmodic, nerve sedative
Toxicology : Non-toxic, non-irritant. Occasional dermatitis in some people.
Ormenis multicaulis a.k.a. Maroc chamomile, Anthemis mixta, Ormensis oil
A relatively 'new' oil, it is unrelated to Roman and German chamomile and has no published track record of therapeutic use. It is fine if you just require the scent but not recommended for standard aromatherapy treatments.
Family : Asteraceae compositae
Plant : Herb up to 125cm high. Very hairy leaves and tubular yellow flowers surrounded by white ligulets.
Essential Oil : Steam distillation of flowers.
Colour : Pale yellow to brownish
Scent : Herbaceous with sweet balsamic undertone
Native to : North-west Africa and southern Spain
Cultivated in : Morocco
Herbal : -
Aromatherapy : Skin care, insomnia
Actions : nerve sedative
Toxicology : Non-toxic, non-irritant. Occasional dermatitis in some people. Not too much known about this one.