By Angela Clifton, founder of Edenwild
quick answer: Chamomile is one of the gentlest botanicals in skincare. Traditional herbalism has relied on it for centuries to comfort red, dry and reactive skin. German chamomile contains chamazulene and bisabolol, the two compounds that most research on chamomile focuses on. At Edenwild we slow-infuse organic German chamomile into jojoba oil and blend it into our balms and serums.
jump to: what is chamomile · what chamomile does for skin · what the research looks at · german vs roman chamomile · how to use chamomile · how we make it · Edenwild products with chamomile · a note from our founder
Long before there was a skincare aisle, mothers reached for chamomile. It went into the washes and salves they made for the whole family. It has stayed in the herbal tradition for a simple reason: people kept finding it gentle enough to trust.
That quiet reliability matters most for skin that's sensitive or reactive. It also matters for skin that's worn out by products that promised relief and left it more irritated.
Here's what chamomile is, what traditional use and research say about it, and why it's in nearly every balm and serum we make.
what is chamomile?
Chamomile is a small, daisy-like flowering herb with deep roots in European herbal tradition. It has also been used in Ayurvedic practice. Herbalists have applied it to dry, rough and irritated skin for hundreds of years.
Two varieties show up in skincare. German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) is richer in chamazulene and bisabolol. Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) is milder and more aromatic and is often chosen for its scent.
At Edenwild we use German chamomile because it carries more of the compounds chamomile is known for.
what does chamomile do for skin?
Chamomile's place in skincare isn't a trend. It rests on centuries of traditional use and a growing body of research on its key compounds.
soothes the look of redness and irritation
Chamazulene gives German chamomile its deep blue color. Together with bisabolol it is the compound most associated with chamomile's soothing reputation. Herbalists have used chamomile for flushed, irritated skin for generations.
helps skin hold onto moisture
Chamomile is a gentle partner for skin that feels dry or compromised. When it's paired with a rich base like grass-fed and finished tallow from suet, skin feels softer and stays comfortable longer.
comforts stressed skin
Wind, cold, sun and harsh products all take a toll. Chamomile has a long history in salves for skin that feels rough, tight or worn down.
antioxidant support
Chamomile contains flavonoids and polyphenols, which are plant compounds valued for their antioxidant properties. Antioxidants help skin stand up to everyday environmental stress.
a gentle choice for breakout-prone skin
Herbal tradition has long valued chamomile as a purifying herb. That makes it a good fit for oily or congested skin, which needs calm rather than stripping.
gentle enough for the whole family
Chamomile has been part of baby care for generations. It is one of the herbs mothers have trusted on their littles' skin for centuries. That same gentleness is why it works so well for sensitive grown-up skin.
what the research looks at
Chamomile is one of the more studied botanicals in skincare. Most research centers on a few compounds:
- Bisabolol has been studied for its soothing properties. It is now used widely in sensitive-skin formulas.
- Chamazulene gives German chamomile its blue color and much of its soothing reputation.
- Apigenin and chamomile's other flavonoids have been studied for their antioxidant activity.
The research is still growing. What it adds is a closer look at why generations of herbalists kept reaching for this flower.
german vs roman chamomile: which is better for skin?
Both have real value, but they aren't the same.
German chamomile has much higher levels of chamazulene and bisabolol. It's the stronger choice for skin that runs red, reactive or dry.
Roman chamomile is softer and more aromatic. It's lovely for general calming and for scent.
We use German chamomile in our balms and serums. When skin is struggling we want the variety with the most to offer.
how to use chamomile for skin
Chamomile isn't something you save for emergencies. It does its best work as part of your everyday routine. Here's how to make it work for you.
- When skin feels dry and itchy: Smooth a chamomile balm over rough patches morning and night. A thin layer every day does more than a thick one once a week.
- When your skin reacts to everything: Let chamomile be the steady base of your routine. Fewer products. Gentler ones. Used every day.
- When your cheeks flush easily: Be patient with it. Chamomile works quietly, so think in weeks rather than overnight.
- For your littles: Try a little balm on wind-chapped cheeks before a cold walk, or on dry hands after bath time. Use it wherever their skin needs comfort.
- After a long day outside: Sun and wind are hard on skin. Chamomile is a soothing finish when your face feels warm and tight.
- When skin is oily but stressed: Oily skin still needs comfort. Chamomile calms without stripping, so your skin stays balanced.
how we make it
The name chamomile comes from the Greek for "earth apple." Open a jar of the dried flowers and you'll understand why. They smell sweet and a little like apples and hay.
Our chamomile doesn't come from a bottle of extract. It starts as those dried organic German chamomile flowers. We steep them in jojoba oil with calendula and marshmallow root over low heat. We call this trio our baby blend. Then we wait.
That slow infusion gives the flowers time to release everything they have into the oil. What comes out is a rich golden oil that goes into our balms and serums.
It's slow and old-fashioned. It's also how herbalists have done it for centuries, and we haven't found a better way.
Curious about the rest of what goes into our jars? Our ingredient glossary tells the story of every botanical we use. Our Never List covers what will never go in.
Edenwild products with chamomile
Chamomile is the quiet thread that runs through our line. Here's where you'll find it.
Balms: Grass-fed and finished tallow from suet blended with our chamomile, calendula and marshmallow root infusion.
- Happy Baby Balm: A customer favorite and our simplest formula. Chamomile and colloidal oatmeal in a tallow base. Gentle enough for little ones and the grown-ups who hold them.
- Golden Root Antioxidant Balm: For skin that's been through some seasons. Frankincense resin, sea buckthorn and baobab bring the richness. Chamomile keeps it gentle.
- Morning Dew Balm: Your everyday face balm. Camellia, argan, myrrh resin and black cumin seed oil make it light enough for mornings and kind to every skin type.
Serums: A jojoba oil base with no tallow.
- Alpenglow Serum: Sea buckthorn gives this serum its sunset glow. Yarrow and myrrh resin join chamomile in the infusion, and there are no essential oils at all.
- Nectar Serum: A favorite in our shop. Bakuchiol, vitamin C, frankincense resin and helichrysum, softened with chamomile.
You'll also find chamomile in our Creamsicle Tallow Lip Balm and our Bare Shampoo Bar.
skincare rooted in transparency
Ancestral Formulas, Made for Modern Families
Every Edenwild formula starts with a question: would we put this on our daughters' skin? If the answer is no, it doesn't make the cut. Formulated near Yellowstone.
If our philosophy resonates with you, you'll want to join the Collective, where we dive deep into ingredients and offer exclusive surprises and discounts.
a note from our founder
Here's something you might not expect. I don't keep a bottle of chamomile oil by the bathtub. When my girls' skin gets red and dry, what I reach for is Happy Baby balm.
Chamomile is in there, though. It's one of three herbs in what we call our baby blend: chamomile, calendula and marshmallow root, slow-infused together in jojoba oil. I built that blend for my oldest daughter's sensitive skin. It worked so well that it became the base of nearly everything we make.
So chamomile rarely works alone at Edenwild. It's part of a trio, and each herb does its own quiet job. Chamomile is the one that brings the calm.
Every ingredient we use has to clear the same bar. Would we put it on our daughters' skin? Chamomile cleared it a long time ago. Everything else has to earn its place the same way.
Ancestral skincare for you, your mothers and your littles. That's what we're making here.
read next
- why tallow? the case for skincare's oldest ingredient
- what is holistic skincare? a simple, ancestral approach
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