Dandelion plant - a miracle not a pest!
*I am not a certified advisor of health or cosmetics, but I am the progeny of a mother whose mother was an Appalachian Midwife and Healer during the Depression Era. My mother grew up picking botanicals for remedies and the teas were passed down to me. I then took items from outside of Appalachia to add to the lineup of beauty and healing items. I highly suggest that you educate yourself too and be sure to talk to your doctor about any botanicals you are thinking of using if you have health conditions or medication regimen that might conflict. These dandelions I planted from seeds purchased that were non GMO and organic. They were never sprayed or treated with anything other than sunshine and rain.
From the root to flower - the dandelion plant is a miracle!
Leaf Greens
The greens can be eaten raw or cooked. Full of B vitamins, folate, and vitamin E. A very good source of vitamin A, K, and C. You can also dry the leaves for tea. The greens are super high in antioxidants. It helps fight inflammation. Can aid blood sugar control. May reduce cholesterol. Promotes healthy liver. Lowers blood pressure. Can help weight loss.
Dandelion LEAF tea
Boil 1 cup of water in the saucepan.
Wash and dry six dandelion leaves, then chop them finely and put them into your cup.
Cover with boiling water and let steep for 10 minutes.
Roots
The roots can be cleaned and roasted until dried and used for tea. The tea has been shown to be helpful against cancer. Great for digestive issues.
Dandelion ROOT tea
Dig your dandelion fresh, ensuring you use gardening tools to get the taproot - the powerhouse.
Boil 1 quart of water in the saucepan.
Wash, dry, and dice the taproot and add 2 tsp of root to the boiling water. Cover the pot and reduce the heat.
Allow the steeping process to take place on the burner for approximately one minute.
Remove your pan from the heat and continue to steep for 40 minutes.
Strain the roots and serve.
Flowers
The flowers can be made into tea and is an excellent source of potassium which can have a diuretic effect and lower blood pressure. It helps kidneys, liver, and helps produce bile for digestion.
Flowers can also used concentrated in heated coconut oil and strained for skin care - very good for skin! The flowers can be used in skin products that help with acne, detoxifying the skin, unclogging pores, the high vitamin C content helps skin heal faster.
Dandelion FLOWER tea
Boil 1 cup of water in the saucepan.
Place petals of 10 dandelion flowers in a tea strainer or directly into your cup.
Cover with boiling water and let steep for 20 minutes.
Dandelion FLOWER lotion or tincture
My lotion is pretty straightforward. I use one part coconut oil and 2 parts shea butter (this one I'm using as a foot lotion). I heat these up until melted and keep warm while I soak the flowers in it. I do this for about 20 minutes, reheating if it starts to get cool. I strain the flowers out. Then, I scoop out the gel inside one long aloe vera leaf and add, as well as about 15 drops of spearmint essential oil. I put it in a mason jar and use it nightly on my feet.
If acne and pores are an issue, 1 c. witch hazel in a jar with about 10-15 flowers and lid it, shake daily and strain after about a week. This makes a great toner for the face, apply with cottonball.
If you use clay masks, you can add dried and ground flowers to the clay mix.
*Because some people have sensitive skin, I suggest you do a little test of rubbing the flower on your wrist and see what happens over the next 24 hours.*
If you aren't going to collect clean dandelions to make tea or beauty products, here's a shortcut -
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