Stinging Nettle

Stinging nettle is a leafy perennial familiar for the fine hairs that sting when brushed against skin. Less obvious is its long history as a spring food, fiber plant and herb. Its young leaves have traditionally been cooked as greens or dried for herbal infusions. Nettle also has an established place in traditional hair rinses and skin washes.

Herbal uses and constituents

Herbalists describe nettle leaf as nutritive, reflecting its mineral-rich character, and mildly astringent, a term used for herbs associated with a tightening or toning effect on tissues. Nettle leaf has been used in herbal scalp rinses and other external preparations, particularly within European herbal traditions.[2]

The leaves contain minerals such as calcium, magnesium and iron, as well as chlorophyll, carotenoids, flavonoids and phenolic acids, including rutin and chlorogenic acid. These constituents make nettle interesting beyond its nutritional reputation. Research on nettle extracts has examined their antioxidant properties and interactions with inflammation-related biological processes.[1]

The plant and its habitat

Nettles flourish in moist, nutrient-rich soils along streams, woodland edges and disturbed ground. In Washington, stinging nettle can refer to the native Urtica gracilis and introduced European U. dioica. The native plant was formerly classified as U. dioica subsp. gracilis; the current Washington flora recognizes it as a separate species.[3]

At Deschampsia

We work with nettle leaf in Harmony Serum and Hair & Scalp Elixir, and use powdered nettle in our Nettle & Green Tea Clay Face Mask. It also appears in our Active Botanical Hair Wash Bar.

These different preparations allow us to incorporate nettle into facial, hair and scalp care while retaining a connection to its long history as a cultivated, gathered and prepared herb.