Horsetail, it is said, has been around for 3 50 million years. To put that in perspective, cockroaches have only been around for 300 million years.

In prehistoric times, horsetail grew as high as trees. Native Americans used bundles of horsetail stems to scour their cooking pots. Later, cabinetmakers used horsetail for polishing wood finishes. This is how it received its nickname: “shavegrass.”

Silica

A large quantity of silica is deposited in the stems of horsetail, especially in the epidermis or outer skin of the plant. Silica in the human body is said to benefit the hair, the skin, and is in the skin’s connective tissue. Horsetail has long been used to increase connective tissue tone and resistance in organic skin care products and treatments.

Nature provides silica in high amounts in horsetail, coltsfoot, and rosehip seeds. These herbs are said to make a vegetable collagen. Collagen is the dermal protein that holds your skin together. Young collagen is flexible and its molecules are displaced in relation to each other. This means it can absorb water and swell slightly. In the aging process, collagen becomes cross-linked, inflexible, and insoluble, like tanned leather. The cells in the dermis lose water and the skin becomes dry and then inelastic.

Plant-derived silica is believed to encourage the formation of new fibers. Experiments have shown that a deficiency in vitamin C suppresses the formation of collagen in the fiber growth called fibroblast. It is believed that vegetable silica has regenerative powers, contributing biologically catalyzing elements to start up the fibroblast again, permitting tissues to regain their tone and elasticity.

Distilled water infused with horsetail is used on the face to clear up pimply breakouts. Horsetail tea is good for broken nails and lifeless hair. It is also useful for white spotting on the nails, a symptom said to indicate a calcium imbalance in the body. Silica encourages the absorption and use of calcium by the body and also helps guard against fatty deposits in the arteries. Horsetail’s astringent action makes it perfect for reducing pores.

In Russia, horsetail has been used experimentally to cleanse the system of lead poisoning. Studies have shown fractured bones heal much faster when horsetail is taken. Applied externally it will help stop bleeding and speed healing. It has been found to be very beneficial in reducing the swelling of the eyelids. It has also been used as a diuretic and astringent for bleeding and wounds.

According to Silica, the Forgotten Nutrient by Klaus Kaufman, silica is the “ultimate remedy that has the power to transform our aging years into golden years.” [Klaus Kaufman, Silica, The Forgotten Nutrient, Burnaby, B. C.: Alive Books, 1990.]

For many reasons, horsetail is a beneficial ingredient in any organic moisturizing or organic astringent product for your skin or hair. Distilled water infused with horsetail can be used on the face to clear up acne. Just apply a tea or tincture of horsetail to the skin and leave it there for several minutes.

I use horsetail in many of my organic skin care products. It is beneficial in most cosmetic products: organic astringents, organic toners, organic creams, organic lotions, steam herbs, organic face masks, shampoos, and conditioners.

Importance of ingredients

What makes horsetail so wonderful is that it can be used instead of animal collagen, which is an ingredient in many commercial skin care products. Personally, there is no way I am going to put any part of a dead animal on my skin. I cannot buy into the idea that this is a good thing. It is not only the moral issue; I just don’t think it could be good for me or for my skin.

Worse, there is a multi-level skin care company that uses human placenta as an ingredient. I find that disgusting and most unhealthy. I do not want to apply that to my skin under any circumstances, or to even think for a moment of how it is obtained, preserved, stored, and processed. I do not want to even discuss it further, but this is a good time to make my case on how important it is for you to carefully look at your cosmetics’ ingredients. You just might be horrified to what extent some companies go to come up with some new, trendy, hyped ingredient.

Cosmetic astrology

Herbalists interested in astrology place horsetail under the influence of Saturn, and Saturn rules over all aging and chronic processes: bone structure, teeth, spine, minerals in the blood, and the bladder.

Beware: Excessive use of horsetail may cause irritation to kidneys and to intestines; it is recommended a person not take horsetail for more than two and a half weeks at a time. Do not take it if you are pregnant or nursing.

Organic Skin Care Products

Organic skin care products soothe the skin and help maintain a sustainable health planet. We all know fresh fruits and vegetables nurture a healthy body. But the same rules apply to our skin care. Essential plants and oils nurture and feed your skin what it needs to be healthy