The word herb maybe a bit confusing sometimes for it has several different meanings depending on the perspective. To the botanist, an herb is simply a plant without woody stems, thus it is not a tree or shrub. In horticulture, an herb often refers to any plant that has culinary or medicinal uses. It maybe sometimes wild or sometimes cultivated, used either in the cooking of food as a flavoring, an infusion or as a medicine. The entire plant, the root, or just the leaves, are either dried before use, or used fresh. In the context of Skincare, we will use the "herbal" word to designate only those plants with culinary or medicinal properties no matter whether the stems are stiffened with wood or not.

Popular Herbal Skincare Regimens
Among some of the common herbs used for skincare is green tea for its natural antiseptic properties. Unrefined Shea Butter is used also on skin for softening, especially on cracked heels and improving the appearance of stretch marks. Basil, on the other hand, is most effective against scars and black spots on the body and as an antiseptic on the face. On the same note, another one of the most powerful blood purifiers and detoxifiers for maintaining healthy skin is Neem. The antibacterial, antifungal, and blood purifying properties of Neem are used as a cure for skin disorders, as a skin cleanser, odor remover, against acne, psoriasis and eczema and even to treat common hair problems like dandruff. Neem powder, neem oil and neem pills are the common forms of neem that is available in the market.

For natural and healthy skin, another powerful herb is the Turmeric, which is mainly used for glowing, bright skin. Turmeric facemasks are very popular in beauty parlors especially because of their skin-friendly treatment that prevents bacterial infection, cure pigmentation, and maintain the pH factor. It is constantly applied on the neck, face and even the entire body to enhance the complexion and brightness of skin. The Turmeric powder is obtained from turmeric root, much like ginger, making it a great antibiotic. For using it as a face pack at home, you can mix turmeric powder with rose water, lemon, and milk and leave it on face until dry. Rinse this off with cold water. This is especially helpful for acne prone and oily skin.

How to Preserve Herbs
Herbs are best for skincare when they are picked as needed for fresh use. For maximum oil and flavor, it is suggested that they be picked early in the morning just after the dew dries of, since as the day becomes hot, flavor is decreased. Rainy evenings are also a good bet. Herbs picked under these conditions will retain their flavor longer and are less prone to mildew problems. However, living at our time and location, the use of fresh herbs is not always an option to many of us. There are several ways of preserving your herbs and the most popular of this is drying. It is said that dried herbs have a much stronger flavor than fresh herbs because its oils are being much more concentrated. When your beauty recipes for skincare call for fresh herbs, you can substitute with dried herbs instead, but use only at half the recommended rate.

Other methods of preserving herbs are by freezing or submerging in oil. There are selected herbs that work for the freezing method, not all. Usually this method works best for soft-leaf herbs like basil. You can also preserve herbs for skincare by steeping it in oil. With this, you have the benefit of both the herb and the oil as well. It is wiser to choose olive oil for this, although any other beauty oils that you like are generally fine. While pampering your skin with preserved herbs, you can take your regimen further by capturing the fragrance of your herbs to scent clothing, woolen blankets, and freshen the air. Dried herbs in a piece of silk are the easiest types of fragrance sachet to make. Some of the best herbs to use for fragrance sachets are rosemary, lemon balm, mint, summer savory, chamomile, thyme, lavender, marjoram, basil, as well as the seeds of coriander, fennel, and dill.