Red Clover for Health and Beauty

I love red clover. I have since I was a small child. I would often wait for those little purple blossoms to make their appearance, then rush to pluck them, chewing on them until all the sweetness was gone, then spitting out the remains and doing it all again.

It would be decades before I understood that I was also calling on ancestral memories to seek out what my body needed to cleanse it from the toxins and excess garbage that the body tends to accumulate during the cold winter months spend indoors. I only knew that I loved those sweet little clover blossoms and they were yummy! I didn’t know that I was boosting my immune system and easing the sensitive skin issues that plagued me as a child.

It would be a couple more decades before I discovered hydrosols, and all of the amazing benefits they embody. I quickly became addicted to the process, and figured why not combine my addictions to create something beautiful like red clover hydrosol. How could this be anything other than ingeniously, fantastically brilliant?

I do love being right.

If you aren’t sure what Tamara’s Herbes Hydrosols are, check out my post on hydrosols and elder flowers to catch up. Then, let me tell you about the magnificent red clover and what it is capable of.

Red clover is an excellent blood purifier, liver cleanser, digestive cleanser, and it helps correct deficiencies in the circulatory system. These characteristics, as well as red clover’s ability to increase urine production, explain why it is often found in herbal blends for those with any type of blood disease, or detoxification blends. This also explains it ability to help flush the joints, easing rheumatism and arthritis pain, and its ability to help clear up chronic skin issues.

The only warning we have for red clover is that, if you have thin blood or are on any type of blood thinning medications you should avoid red clover.

Red clover blossoms are also excellent for respiratory issues of the lungs. Whooping cough, bronchitis, sore throats, and coughs respond very quickly to the use of red clover.  Add a spoonful of honey to the mix and you have a delicious tea that will help clear up lung issues in a short amount of time.

Red clover is a very mild sedative for the nervous system, so it will often be added to sleep or relaxation blends, especially when itching or fever is involved.

Red clover is full of phytoestrogens, which means that it is able to help balance estrogen levels, making it an excellent choice for those suffering from many types of female issues like menopause, PCOS, and PMS.

Red clover is a good source of many necessary things like isoflavones, calcium, chromium, magnesium, niacin, phosphorous, potassium, and Vitamin C, making it a powerful immune system booster.

So, remember the hydrosols I keep chattering on about? One of the most beautiful things about the hydrosols is that they contain so many more healing components than a simple tea, and offer a wider variety of methods to use it.  For example, mix a spoonful of red clover hydrosol, a spoonful of raw honey, and a cup of warm water for a quick tonic that doesn’t require you to spend time gathering red clover blossoms and steeping them into a medicinal tea. This is a useful application for any of the conditions above.

To use it topically, you can use it full strength, or add 1/4 cup hydrosol to 3/4 cup distilled water and place it in a spray bottle. Mist it on your skin, or apply a bit with a cotton ball. Add in any of your favorite essential oils to create you own custom body spritz that is full of healing properties!

Red clover blossom hydrosol is safe for your furry friends, too! Dogs, especially, respond well to the use of herbal hydrosols. Add a teaspoon to their water or food to help boost their immune system, or use it as a spritzer to help soothe issues like mange and hot spots.

On a spiritual level, red clover is believed to be used to attract good fortune (think four-leaf clovers), prosperity, protection and love, and to chase away unwanted spirits. It has an affinity for air, and the planet Mercury.

The ancient Greeks and Romans associated the clover with the triple Goddess.

However you choose to use it, red clover blossom is a powerhouse of healing that everyone should keep on hand!