You’ll never look at ecz-easy (or your salad) in the same way again!

Chickweed

The latin name for this beautiful plant is Stellaria media: stella means star in latin, and in this instance refers to the tiny white flowers that the plant produces. The flowers open when the sun shines, but close at night, or when the sky is overcast.

I love this little plant, which is a common weed in much of Europe and North America. Although it thrives in wasteland, farmland and gardens, one of the places I notice it most often is at the base of roadside trees in urban areas.

I strongly recommend chickweed as a salad base (when picked from an unpolluted source!) as it is delicious and highly nutritious: it is rich in Vitamin C, Beta carotene (Vitamin A precursor), Vitamins B (B1, B2, B3), Bioflavonoids (rutin), Omega-6 Essential Fatty Acid, Calcium, Copper, Magnesium, Potassium, Iron, Manganese, Zinc, Phosphorus and Selenium. It also contains triterpene saponins,
phytosteroles, and mucilage.

You can also take chickweed internally as a herbal infusion or tincture: these can help treat rheumatism, constipation, or urinary infections, and can cleanse your blood by expelling toxins. Of course, I recommend you see a professional herbalist before starting any course of treatment.

Traditionally, chickweed has been used to treat a variety of skin complaints such eczema, psoriasis, erysipelas, ulcers, nappy rash, contact dermatitis and minor skin wounds. I have chosen to use chickweed in Inlight products, such as Ecz-easy, is for its demulcent (soothing) quality, due to the presence of mucilage, and also its ability to reduce itchiness and speed up the healing process, due to its high saponin content.

Ecz-easy, like all Inlight products, is the result of traditional wisdom combined with the latest production techniques to create the perfect diet for your skin. Chickweed (so called as it is a favourite food of chickens) is an essential part of what makes Ecz-easy so effective, so I for one think that this wonderful plant deserves a more worthy name!

Dr Mariano Spiezia
Inlight Organic Skincare

Rose - The Multi-Tasker

The rose is one of the most popular flowers in the world and the symbol of love, passion, and tenderness. The word rose comes from Greek rodon (red) and its colour is said to have come from the blood of Adonis, the god of beauty in the Greek mythology.

Ornamental roses have been cultivated for millennia (there is evidence from 500 BC) and the birthplace of cultivated Roses was probably Northern Persia. From here they spread across Mesopotamia and Palestine to Greece and then to Southern Italy. According to Horace and Pliny, the Romans used rose blossoms lavishly during nuptial events, banquets and royal ceremonies. Roses were scattered at feasts in the paths of victors, or beneath their chariot-wheels, and adorned the prows of war-vessels.

Rose contains tannins (tonic and astringents), flavonoids (quercitrin), anthocyanins, plus a volatile and very special essential oil: to make 1 gram of it you need 2000 rose flowers.

In the past, rose infusions have been used externally to treat ulcers (vulnerary), as mouthwashes or as eye drops and internally to clear catarrh and enteritis. By infusing rose petals with honey you create “mel rosatum” (honey with rose) which can be used to treat inflamed gums in babies during teething or as a boost for the immune-system.

Rosehips contain high levels of Vitamin C, and the British Government encouraged people to make Rosehip syrup during World War II, when other sources of Vitamin C were scarce.

The fragrance of roses can help depression, insomnia, nervous tension, stress, frigidity, and headache. Applied externally, rose extract/oil is excellent for treating wrinkles, broken capillaries, mature and sensitive complexions, and for dry skin.

Finally, I believe that rose opens the heart allowing love to flow, and helps to dissolve fears, allowing you to face life with courage and positivity.

Source: Dr Mariano Spiezia

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Power of Plantain - by Dr Mariano Spezia

Working from a lab in the remote Cornish countryside, is a constant source of inspiration for me. The Lizard is a wild and beautiful place, and my lunchtime strolls always bring a smile to my face, (especially when the sun shines!).

People are often surprised at how many natural ingredients used in my products grow wild, often within metres of the Inlight front door. Even during the colder months, spear like leaves of Plantain thrusting skyward through the pasture: It is usually considered a weed, as it often grows on lawns and driveways, but it is actually very special.

Historically, Greater Plantain (Plantago Major) was referred to as “Soldier’s Herb” and used on the battlefield as a dressing for wounds. As well as being an effective natural healer, Plantain is often used to reduce swelling and itching from bee stings, insect bites, burns and nettle stings. I have also heard of people lining their socks with Plantain leaves on a hike to prevent blisters developing.

The juice from Plantain leaves is anti-bacterial, and is soothing when applied to burnt or damaged skin. It promotes new cell growth (through cytophylactic action) and contains Silica, which promotes the skin healing process: It is for this reason that I decided to use Plantain, together with other plant extracts, in the Inlight Organic Line Softener. The synergic properties between all these plant extracts, will stimulate skin regeneration, slowing down the ageing process and improving your skin’s health.

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Source: Dr Mariano Spiezia