Legend says that Filira, a nymph daughter of Oceanus and Tethys, lived on an island in the Black Sea where she led a quiet life between dives in the sea and walks in the woods. One day, however, Filira was noticed by Cronus, the Titan husband of Rhea and father of Zeus, who fell madly in love with her. But the two lovers were discovered by Rhea and Cronus, to escape the wrath of his wife, turned into a horse and galloped off the island. Due to this transformation, the son that Filira had from Cronus was only half human, the other half was a horse, a centaur, the centaur Chiron, the wisest of all. However, Filira, frightened by what had happened and afraid that Rhea might take revenge, turned to Zeus asking him to make her disappear. Zeus did not listen to her and decided to give her another chance and another life by transforming her into a linden, which has been considered since that time a symbol of rebirth. However, the linden is also a sacred plant to Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and love. In fact, it is not for nothing that it is possible to prepare fantastic, simple and beneficial cosmetics with linden, both in summer, as the linden is soothing in case of sunburns, and in winter when the cold can irritate or dry the skin. The linden, in fact, thanks to the mucilage contained in it, protects the skin and makes it elastic and hydrated (Rodriguez Fragoso et al, Toxicol Appl Pharmacol, 2008). Not only that, the linden, given its anti-inflammatory and emollient action, is also an aid in case of acne (Messegue, my herbarium).
Linden masks
Bring a cup of water to a boil, remove from heat and add a tablespoon of linden flowers and leaves. Leave to infuse for fifteen minutes, then filter and let it cool down. Linden herbal tea is so beneficial that it can be used alone. Soak a cotton pad in the tea and apply on your face, either in the morning when you wake up with dull skin or in the evening when the skin appears stressed. Leave on for a quarter of an hour then rinse. Alternatively, the linden tea can be an ingredient in soothing and moisturizing masks, like this one. In a small bowl, mix two tablespoons of white clay, useful to promote collagen synthesis, to improve skin hydration and elasticity and with a powerful beneficial action in case of irritation and dermatitis (Moosavi et al, Iran J Public Health, 2017 - Valenti et al, Clin Exp Dermatol, 2012), and as much linden tea as it is needed to obtain a creamy mixture. Add a spoonful of yogurt, which improves the brightness and hydration of the skin (Yeom et al, J Cosmet Sci, 2011) and in which you have dissolved half a teaspoon of brewer's yeast, an excellent moisturizer for the tissues and also capable of counteracting small wrinkles and signs of fatigue (Gaspar et al, Food and Chemical Toxicology, 2008). Apply the mask on the face and leave it on for ten minutes, then rinse, spray a floral water, excellent in case of skin irritations is lavender water, and complete with a drop of serum oil and your usual face cream.
