The use of plants and herbs in skin care is well known and you may be interested to learn that cardamom, widely used in Indian cooking, possesses actions that may make it useful in skin care as well.
Cardamom is used widely as a spice to flavor sweets, coffee and curries. Medicinally, cardamom has been used to improve digestion and relieve flatulence. It is widely used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat bronchitis, colds, and cough and recommended as an appetite stimulant in anorexic patients. However, there are no studies to support its use for any of these conditions.
Cardamom oil is one of the oldest essential oils known. It was used by the Egyptians in perfumes and incense and its warming properties make it useful for massage.When used in skin care recipes it is included for its antioxidant, antiseptic and cleansing properties. It is better tolerated on oilier skin types and should be avoided in sensitive or allergic skin.
I have to confess that I’m a sucker for the scent of cardamom, which is known to be uplifting and refreshing. However, claims for it benefitting skin don’t come with any science to back it up.
