Hops are associated - and rightly so - with beer. It gives the drink its aroma and characteristic bitterness. Few, however, know that this plant is valued in the cosmetics industry and natural medicine. I want to write about these less known properties of hops.
Hops - a climber for many years
This perennial climber grows up to several meters. I have been growing them on a city plot for six years. Hops bloom from June to August. Female inflorescences, i.e. I collect cones when they are not yet fully ripe. I recognize it by their yellow-green color. When tearing them off, I always leave a short stem so that they do not come apart while drying.
Natural remedy
I prepare infusions and teas from dried cones, I also make mixtures with other herbs, e.g. valerian root. Hop cones contain a special resin - lupulin, volatile oil, tannins and fatty and waxy substances. Thanks to these ingredients, this plant has many uses. First of all, hops stimulate the work of female hormones, which is why extracts from cones are used to produce drugs that alleviate symptoms related to menopause. Cosmetic manufacturers add hops extracts to their creams because this plant stops the aging process of the skin.
Home cosmetics
At home, I prepare my own hop medicines and cosmetics. Every now and then I have a problem with athlete's foot. Then I soak my feet in a warm infusion of a few handfuls of cones. Two or three times a month I also take a bath with the addition of this plant's infusion. This treatment strengthens the body.
I also drink hop teas.They have a calming effect and regulate digestion. To improve the taste, I add a little honey to them. For people who do not have an appetite, I recommend a mixture of hops with wormwood - before eating, drink a glass of tea prepared from a spoonful of hops and a spoonful of wormwood (brew the herbs for 10 minutes).
On the other hand, the hop-valerian tea drunk with dinner (1 teaspoon of herbs per glass of boiling water) will make it easy for us to fall asleep, and fatigue will disappear immediately. For painful menstruation, I also recommend an infusion of hop cones and a few mallow petals to all ladies.
I regularly use a hop-based decoction as a hair rinse. Thanks to this treatment, they are strong, have a beautiful shine and do not fall out. Sometimes - instead of such an infusion for hair care - I also use regular beer. I could use this rinse over and over again, but it has one tiny downside - it lightens my hair. For this reason, I take breaks in using this cosmetic.
I read that in southern Europe you eat young spring hop shoots like asparagus - raw or cooked in soup. I have also heard that young May leaves and fleshy roots are also edible. The new season is ahead of me, so this year maybe I will discover new culinary flavors …
Olga Krzyżanowska
