Educational information, not medical advice — ask your doctor or midwife.
Yarrow is a wild meadow plant with feathery leaves and flat white flower heads. In Nordic homes the dried herb was steeped in hot water. The cooled brew was dabbed on cuts, or poured into a bath.
Its botanical name is Achillea millefolium. It is called siankärsämö in Finland, rölleka in Sweden, ryllik in Norway and vallhumall in Iceland. The parts used are the flowering tops and leaves.
Here is the honest verdict up front. Human evidence for yarrow as a wound wash or bath herb is thin and weak. Long use in tradition is not proof that it works, and not proof that it is safe.
No one has shown clearly what yarrow does on human skin.
In test tubes, yarrow extracts slow the growth of some bacteria. They also soak up free radicals, which are reactive molecules. Whether that happens on a washed graze is not established.
In animal studies, yarrow creams closed small wounds a little faster than plain cream. Animal skin is not human skin. Good human trials have not confirmed this.
Folk accounts say yarrow stops small bleeds fast. Lab work suggests it can act on steps in blood clotting. That has not been tested properly in people with real cuts.
In a warm bath, much of what people feel comes from the heat and the scent. That part is real, but it is not special to yarrow.
Dried herb is the usual form for a wash or a bath.
Common forms: - Loose dried flowers and leaves, for steeping - Tea bags of cut herb - Tincture, the herb soaked in alcohol
Also sold: - Creams and salves that list yarrow extract - Essential oil, for scent and strongly diluted use - Fresh plant, picked in summer
The essential oil is the risky form. It is not for swallowing. It is also not for putting on skin neat.
A wash made at home is not sterile. That matters for any break in the skin.
Yarrow was one of the best known wound herbs of northern Europe. Nordic folk healers used it on cuts, grazes and nosebleeds for centuries. The plant's Latin name points to Achilles, who was said to treat soldiers with it.
In Scandinavian homes the dried herb was also thrown into bath water. People used it for aching limbs, tired skin and after childbirth. It was a common bitter in old beer-brewing too.
These records tell us what people did. They do not tell us whether it helped.
Stop using yarrow and see a doctor if the rash spreads, blisters or weeps.
Get medical care the same day for signs of wound infection: - Spreading redness or red streaks - Heat, swelling or pus - Fever or feeling unwell - A wound that will not close
Call emergency services for swelling of the face, lips or tongue, a tight throat, or trouble breathing.
In the EU, UK and the Nordic countries, yarrow is sold as a herbal tea and as a cosmetic or bath ingredient. It is not an approved medicine for wounds. In the United States it is sold as a dietary supplement, and thujone-containing yarrow is restricted in food and drink.
Evidence grades and traditional-use labels are explained in our methodology. Nothing here is medical advice.
What it is typically used for, usual dose, cautions, and the study behind it where real trial data exists.
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