Prunella, scientific name prunella vulgaris, also known as common self-heal or woundwort, is a plant of the Lamiaceae family, which is characterized by anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiseptic, astringent, healing and purifying properties. For internal use, the remedy can bring relief in case of migraine, high blood pressure, seasonal illnesses, since it acts by supporting the immune system, and diarrhea, while for external use the prunella is useful to accelerate the healing of wounds, inflammations of the oral cavity and sunburn but also to treat and prevent cold sores. Some of these properties are not just based on tradition but have also scientific basis. In particular, the ability to decrease blood pressure by dilating blood vessels emerges after years of research, as reported in the 2016 article published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Pharmacology. Another interesting property of the self-heal plant is the ability to protect the skin from damages caused by UVA rays, the sun's rays that cause the production of free radicals and cell damage at the origin of skin aging, irritations and tumors, as can be seen by reading the article published in 2006 in the Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B. This results pave the way for the use of the plant in skin protection preparations. You can use prunella in the form of herbal tea or mother tincture.
Mother tincture for internal use
You can take 30 drops of prunella tincture 2-3 times a day.
Herbal tea for internal and external use
To support the immune system and to regulate the pressure, you can prepare the prunella herbal tea by boiling a cup of water with a teaspoon of dried plant, boil for a few minutes then filter and drink. In case of pressure problems, it is important to always ask your doctor for advice. You can use a concentrated decoction prepared by boiling a tablespoon of herbal tea and a cup of water for five minutes to gargle in case of inflammation of the oral cavity or to clean wounds and ulcers.
