The Field Horsetail

The field horsetail is one of the most powerful cleansing plants (also called “common horsetail” or equisetum arvense in Latin), the most potent vegetable diuretic, increasing urination for 30 % or more.

This plant is known in the botanical field as a live fossil, for its 30 m tall ancestor formed a part of the forest undergrowth in paleozoic forests. That makes its family approximately 542 million years old and having survived “the big death” – the biggest extinction of numerous species, after which it took the Earth 30 million years to fully recover. Nowadays, this small, charming plant grows only from 20 to 40 cm and whispers a song of a age long ago and reminds us of a long history of our home, the inevitability of change, and the responsibility we have towards ourselves and our planet.

Its name (equisetum) originates from the Latin root Equus (meaning “horse”) and set (=bristle), both probably an answer to its appearance, for the trunk and leaves remind us somewhat of a horse’s tail.

Ancient Greeks and Romans first started using it as a healing herb to stop bleeding, heal ulcers, wounds, tuberculosis and kidney difficulties. Since the Galen’s (Roman doctor) recommendation, it has been adopted by many other cultures that started using it as a folk medicine to cure kidney and bladder difficulties, arthritis, bleeding ulcers, tuberculosis, and others. The Chinese used it to cool down fever, ease ocular infections, dysentery, flu, swelling and haemorrhoids.

The field horsetail is a unique substance in cosmetics for its higher content of silicon dioxide and silicon acids than in any other plant, in a form easily absorbed into the body. Silicon is a mineral, essential to people’s health and the second most common element in Earth’s crust (first is oxygen). It affects the strength of blood vessels, organs, skin, hair, and bones, and contributes to the form, resistance and flexibility of connective tissue. Once the connective tissue is strengthened, our skin is able to maintain its youthful form. Research has shown that silicon improves skin’s texture and resistance, reducing wrinkles and their depth.

The field horsetail, therefore, stimulates the forming of collagen, which is mostly made of silicon, the astringent qualities help constrict pores, improve skin’s structure, while providing hydration and flexibility. Its healing substances soothe cuts and other wounds and improve the state of eczema.

In addition, the field horsetail is a source of numerous nourishment substances, such as calcium, magnesium, zinc, manganese, phosphor, potassium, selenium, thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin C, and others. It also contains numerous bioflavonoids, while its active antioxidants protect us from free radicals.

Its content of silicon dioxide makes the horsetail a powerful herbal tool to repair bone tissue, helping calcium store bigger amounts of the mineral and then use it to repair bones, collagen and other bodily tissues. Properties, which are excellent for fighting osteoporosis. It is also recommended for anaemia and general exhaustion, to heal deeply rooted lung damage (as the mentioned tuberculosis and emphysema). In relation to the urinary tract, it offers a soothing effect to haemorrhages, cystic sores, bladder and other infections, especially in case of the benign prostate enlargement or infection, quicker removal of kidney stones, and others.

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