Common Hops: Use In Medicine And Cosmetics

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

Pillow for undisturbed sleep

Ancient recipes of traditional medicine from different countries recommend a simple sedative for insomnia, which many people suffer from. It consists in filling the pillow with fresh ordinary hop cones, and sleep will not hesitate to come. What is this plant?

The common hop (Humulus lupulus) of the mulberry family is a perennial liana native to North America and Canada with a roughly pubescent faceted stem that winds clockwise around the supports and dies off for the winter. Leaves 3-5-lobed, also coarsely pubescent, prickly-toothed, oppositely arranged. The plant is dioecious: male flowers in panicles, female flowers (from 20 to 60) - in false ears, they are found on different plants.

During fruit ripening, female specimens form yellowish-green "bumps", which are harvested in dry weather a few days before they are fully ripe, while the bracts still tightly cover the bump and lupulin. Covering leaves of female inflorescences have short glands at the base.

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These glands contain the active substance lupulin, which contains essential oils containing more than 200 detectable substances; organic acids. Lupulin is poured out of ripe dried "cones" in the form of a golden powder, slightly sticky, aromatic and bitter. He has a sedative, as well as anti-inflammatory, diuretic, appetite stimulating effect.

Internal use of infusions of hop cones must be agreed with the attending physician. The plant is considered poisonous, the collection of cones must be done carefully, preferably with gloves, since some people may have allergic reactions. Cones are dried immediately after harvesting in a well-ventilated area, stored in a sealed container in the dark for 1-2 years.

Before placing a pillow of hop cones under your head, make sure you are not allergic to the plant. Let the bag of hops hang in the room, it will flavor the air and purify it, at the same time it will become clear if you have a negative reaction to such a neighborhood. Individual body responses to different plants are often unpredictable, so you need to be careful.

Hops have long been cultivated for brewing, perfumery purposes, as an ornamental plant. Prefers light sandy loam and loamy soils, rich in humus, non-acidic, deeply cultivated. It transfers the close occurrence of groundwater. Hops are propagated by annual rhizome cuttings 12-15 cm long with 2-3 pairs of buds in spring or autumn. The harvested cuttings are immediately planted obliquely to a depth of 10 cm and a distance of 20-30 cm. An adult plant grows well due to root suckers.

Given the dioeciousness of hops, to get cones, you need to have several bushes so that some of them turn out to be female specimens. Most often, hops are used as a hedge along a fence, as a liana for gazebos, arches, pergolas, and balconies. Baskets are woven from flexible strong hop stalks, low grades of paper are made, light brown strong fiber is obtained for coarse yarn in the production of ropes, burlap, and is used as a garter in horticulture.

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Hop cosmetic recipes

Due to its high biological activity, hops have been used since ancient times as an excellent cosmetic product for skin and hair care.

• Hop lotion for normal skin. A handful of dry hop cones are crushed, poured in 200 ml of boiling water and kept in a steam bath for 20 minutes, cooled and filtered. Add 0.5 cups of dry grape wine to the broth. Lotion is used to wipe the skin of the face and neck 2-3 times a day.

• Lotion of hops and parsley for problem skin. 20 g chopped hop cones and 2 tbsp. l. 200 ml of boiling water is poured over parsley greens, infused for 30 minutes and filtered. The infusion is used for rubbing, lotions, compresses for purulent acne. Store in the refrigerator.

• Lotion from hops for oily skin. 2 tbsp. l. chopped hop cones are poured with 200 ml of boiling water and insisted until cooled, filtered. Lotion is used instead of washing to relieve irritation and tighten pores. The same lotion is used to wipe the body after a shower with oily and sensitive skin.

• Infusion of hops to strengthen hair. 15 g of hop cones, 10 g of calendula flowers and 20 g of its crushed roots are brewed with three glasses of boiling water and insisted for 30-40 minutes. Rinse the hair with a strained infusion or rub it into the hair roots 2-3 times a week for 1-2 months.

• Decoction for washing hair. A mixture of dry plants is prepared: hop cones - 4 parts, burdock rhizomes and roots - 1 part, calamus rhizome - 1 part. Take 6 tbsp. l. mixture, boiled in 1 liter of water for 15 minutes, cooled to a comfortable temperature and filtered. The broth is washed three times a week. Herbs strengthen the roots and improve hair growth.

• Infusion of hops for hair treatment. 100 g of hop cones are poured into 1 liter of boiling water and kept in a water bath for 30 minutes, cooled and filtered. They wash their hair with infusion 2-3 times a week for a month, if necessary, repeat the course in 1-2 months. The extract from hop cones activates blood circulation, cell regeneration, as well as skin elasticity, and normalizes its fat metabolism.

Read the next part. Culinary recipes with ordinary hops →