Today we talk about beauty cosmetics that take us back in time, on the spice trade. Large ships that sailed the seas, passing through the Moluccas, circumnavigating India until reaching Europe with their precious cargo of spices, especially black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg and, finally, cloves. And it is precisely with these images in the eyes and exotic scents in the nostrils that today we retrace the path of spices. We will make wonderful, and beneficial, beauty cosmetics at home using cloves! Let's see what cloves can do for skin and hair and how we can use them to combat acne, irritation but also wrinkles, premature aging and hair loss.
Cloves, allies of beauty
Cloves, thanks to the essential oils they contain, especially eugenol, show antimicrobial, antiseptic, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties (Han et al, Pharm Biol, 2017). Therefore, cloves can be useful in case of irritations and disorders affecting the skin, such as acne and pimples, but also itching (Ibrahim et al, J Cosmet Dermatol, 2017). But cloves are also antioxidants and anti-aging, useful in case of mature skin and wrinkles (Han et al, Pharm Biol, 2017). Not only that, cloves are also able to protect the skin from damage caused by the sun's rays, helping to prevent premature aging and dark skin spots (Hwang et al, Food Funct, 2018). You can add a drop of clove essential oil to a tablespoon of jojoba oil, in the case of young acne-prone skin, or argan oil, in the case of mature skin, or sweet almond oil for the body. Apply to damp skin, for example after spraying a hydrosol or after a shower. What if you don't have clove essential oil at home? Don't worry, here's how you can make a fantastic face mask against blemishes but also premature aging. Crush two cloves. Mix the cloves with two tablespoons of clay, add a little water to create a cream and apply on the face. For mature skin you can also add a teaspoon of argan oil and replace the water with rose water.
Cloves for the hair
Cloves, thanks to their eugenol content, soothe irritation and itching, including on the scalp. Not only that, thanks to eugenol, cloves also show a protective action for the hair, counteracting its fall and improving its nourishment. In this way the hair appears healthier and brighter (Shahtale et al, Journal of Herbmed Pharmacology, 2016). You can quickly heat 2 tablespoons of coconut oil with a tablespoon of jojoba oil in a water bath. Remove from heat immediately, add a drop of clove essential oil, mix and apply to damp scalp with a massage. Then apply on all lengths. Leave on for ten minutes then rinse with your shampoo. Finally, do not forget the usefulness of cloves in combating hair lice. Indeed, among all essential oils, clove has shown the most powerful activity against lice, inhibiting more than 90% of lice after 30 minutes of application (Candy et al, Parasitol Res, 2018). In the experiment that tested its validity against lice, clove oil was mixed with coconut oil, so you can use the same mask we have just seen to prevent hair loss.
Cloves, warnings
In predisposed people it is possible that cloves applied topically can cause allergies or irritation. So, if this is your first time using this remedy, the advice is to do a test on a small portion of skin.
