Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme Soap
I have always been tempted to make a soap with these herbs! Simon and Garfunkel made the song famous with this herb blend in their song Scarborough Fair back in the late 60’s but the original ballad predates them by hundreds of years. Numerous versions of lyrics apart from the version we know still exist and there is some great theories surrounding the songs lyrics and the symbology associated with these ancient herbs.
Some say Parsley was for comfort, Sage was strength, Rosemary was love and Thyme was courage. Another source mentions the four herbs are ingredients for a love potion used by witches in medieval times!
As far as soap is concerned, the the topical properties for these herbs referenced from my herb books list the following:
Parsley offers soothing relief from irritated skin. It was a protective herb eaten freely during the plagues of the Middle Ages and high in Vitamin C. A natural astringent, it is used in facials to help balance skin oil production.
Sage has been used throughout history for skin calming and soothing properties. Roman soldiers used it for tired, aching feet, after all that marching in the heat. For slow-healing wounds, a sage infusion can relieve the pain almost immediately, it fights infection, and brings more blood to the area to speed healing. It is also used as a herbal rinse for your scalp to combat dandruff and encourage hair growth.
Rosemary has natural antiseptic properties that can help ease skin breakouts and improve your skin’s ability to resist infection by also bringing blood flow to the surface. It is also known to relax your nervous system - to ease anxiety, depression, and tension headaches. As a hair tonic, it stimulates the scalp to help with hair growth.
Thyme is a four-star antiseptic for all skin infections, including parasitic skin problems and those that resist synthetic antibiotic treatment. When it is applied topically, thyme also increases the blood flow to the area to purge infection.
As always with our soap making - we have infused these herbs in oilve oil to form the basis of this soap. Adding them dried also adds to the skin healing properties and helps with exfoliating dead skin cells. Rounding off the soap with an essential oil blend that includes Mandarin as the star player gives this soap a refreshing upbeat scent. This soap can help people with oily or acne prone skin and trust me - it definately doesn't smell like chicken stuffing!
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AND FOR THE TEA DRINKERS OUT THERE...
Scarborough Fair Tea—for recovery, clear thinking, and feelings of well-being. It’s an uplifting blend that literally sings. Equal parts of parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Add one teaspoon of the blend to one cup of boiling water. Steep for 3 minutes.
