What is Heartsease?

Heartsease is a small wild pansy, Viola tricolor. The dried flowering plant is used as a tea, a skin wash and a cream. In German it is called Stiefmütterchen, the "little stepmother".

It grows across Europe in fields, banks and gardens. The whole plant above ground is picked in flower and dried. The flowers are purple, yellow and cream, which is where "tricolor" comes from.

Folk healers used it mainly for the skin. Washes and compresses went on itchy rashes, mild eczema and cradle cap in babies. The tea was also drunk for coughs and as a spring "cleansing" drink.

Here is the honest verdict. Human evidence is very thin, and no good modern trial shows that heartsease treats any disease. German herbal practice still lists it for mild flaky skin, but that listing rests on long use and plausibility.

Long traditional use is not proof that a remedy works, and it is not proof that it is safe. Read the rest of this page with that in mind. Heartsease looks low-risk for most adults, but low-risk is not the same as useful.

How does Heartsease work?

Nobody has shown in people how heartsease works. The proposed routes come from lab dishes and from old reasoning, not from trials.

The plant holds saponins, which are soap-like compounds. In test tubes they thin mucus and help other plant substances dissolve. Whether that happens in your chest after a cup of tea is unknown.

It also holds small amounts of salicylates, the chemical family that includes aspirin. In theory these could calm mild skin irritation. That idea has not been tested properly in people.

In cell studies, flavonoids from the plant appear to damp down inflammation signals. A dish of cells is not human skin. Treat this as an idea, not a proven effect.

Laboratory tests show that cyclotides (ring-shaped plant proteins) from Viola species slow some bacteria and fungi. Whether that happens on skin or in the gut is not established.

Mucilage is a slimy fibre that swells in water. It can coat a sore throat while you drink. That is a physical effect you feel, not a cure for the cause.

So the fair summary is simple. There are several plausible ideas and almost no human proof for any of them.

What forms does Heartsease come in?

The dried flowering herb is the usual form. It is sold loose, in tea bags, and sometimes in capsules.

Liquid extracts in alcohol, called tinctures, are also common. So are creams, ointments and bath additives sold for flaky or itchy skin.

Folk practice used a strong cooled tea as a wash or compress. German pharmacies and herb shops still sell the dried herb for this.

Labels differ widely in strength, so products are hard to compare. Check that the label names Viola tricolor. "Pansy", "violet" and "wild pansy" are used loosely and cover several different plants.

Some cough and skin tea blends include heartsease with other herbs. If you react badly to a blend, you will not know which plant caused it.

Where it comes from:

Heartsease has a long record in European folk use, running back to the Middle Ages. Writers of the time linked the flower to love charms, which is where the English name came from.

Country healers used it for skin trouble above all. Washes and compresses were applied to itchy rashes, crusty scalps in babies and spotty skin.

It was also drunk as a tea for coughs and chesty colds. In German-speaking areas it was part of spring "blood cleansing" cures, a folk idea with no modern basis.

German herbal medicine kept it in the pharmacy. The Commission E monograph of the 1980s listed the herb for external use on mild greasy, flaky skin and on cradle cap. That listing drew on tradition and safety records more than on trials.

What does Heartsease help with?

• Mild eczema and itchy skin: Folk healers washed itchy, flaky skin with cooled heartsease tea. This is the plant's best-known use. The human evidence is weak. There are no good controlled trials in people with eczema. Lab work shows anti-inflammatory activity in cells, which is a long way from a result on skin. Do not drop a prescribed eczema treatment for it.
• Cradle cap in babies: German herbal practice lists heartsease washes for cradle cap, the yellow crust on a baby's scalp. That listing rests on tradition and a long safety record, not on trials. No study has compared it with plain emollients. Cradle cap usually clears on its own. Ask your doctor, midwife or health visitor before putting any herb on a baby.
• Spots and acne-prone skin: Tradition treated spots with heartsease tea, taken by mouth or dabbed on. In laboratory tests, some violet compounds slow bacteria. Whether that happens on human skin is not established. No trial shows that heartsease clears acne. Standard acne treatments have real evidence behind them.
• Dry or tickly cough: The tea was a folk cough remedy, often mixed with other herbs. Mucilage can coat a sore throat while you drink, and warm fluid itself soothes. Saponins are said to loosen mucus, which is shown mainly in test tubes. There are no useful human trials. A cough lasting over three weeks needs a doctor, not a tea.
• Spring "cleansing" courses: Heartsease was drunk in spring to "purify the blood". It was also used as a mild water-losing tea. The body has no mechanism that matches this idea. Your liver and kidneys do that work already. There is no evidence of benefit. This use is history, not health advice.

What are the side effects of Heartsease?

• Nausea or stomach upset from strong teas or large amounts
• Loose stools
• Skin rash or itching where a cream or wash was applied
• Allergic reaction, including hives and swelling (rare)
• Worsening of a rash that was not what you thought it was

Good to know:

Most reports describe heartsease as well tolerated in normal food-like amounts. Serious reactions appear to be rare.

The main problems are stomach upset from strong teas and contact allergy on the skin. A patch of skin that stings, reddens or blisters after use means stop.

Safety in pregnancy, in breastfeeding and in long-term use has not been studied. Absence of reports is not the same as proof of safety.

How much Heartsease should you take?

• Recommended daily: Labels on dried heartsease tea usually suggest about 1 to 3 grams of the herb per cup, up to three cups a day. Skin products are applied thinly to the affected patch. These figures describe what packets carry. They are not a plan for you, and no dose has been tested in proper trials. Product strengths differ, so follow the label of the product in front of you. Ask a pharmacist before using it on a baby or child.
• Best time of day: Time of day does not matter much. There is no evidence that morning or evening works better. Some people drink the tea in the evening for a tickly cough. Skin washes are often used after a bath, on clean skin.
• With or without food: Food does not change how it is used on the skin. Taken as a tea, it is gentler on a full stomach. Saponins can cause nausea when strong preparations are drunk on an empty stomach.
• Time to effect: If a wash or tea helps at all, most people would notice in a few days. It may also do nothing. That is a real and common outcome with this herb, since the effect is unproven. Do not wait weeks hoping for a change while a rash or cough gets worse.
• How long to take it: Traditional use was short, over days to a few weeks for a passing rash or cough. No one has studied long-term use. Taking it for months has no evidence behind it and no safety record. If a skin problem or cough has not improved in about two weeks, stop and see your doctor.