Dandelion

A natural history

Dandelion grows just about everywhere people do, a hardy native of Eurasia that has since spread to nearly every corner of the world. Far from a simple weed, it has been food and folk medicine for thousands of years, turning up in Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Arabic, and Chinese traditions alike. Herbalists prized the bitter plant as a spring tonic and a remedy for clear, healthy looking skin.

Its name is a small piece of zoology hiding in plain sight. Dandelion comes from the old French dent de lion, lion's tooth, for the row of jagged teeth along the edge of every leaf. The whole plant is usable too: young leaves go into salads, unopened buds are pickled like capers, the bright flowers are turned into wine, and the roasted roots brew into a coffee substitute. In Western herbal practice the bitter root and leaf were a classic part of regimens for congested, troubled skin.

What it does for your skin

Dandelion leaf and flower are rich in antioxidant polyphenols. In laboratory studies on human skin cells, dandelion extract helped protect the cells from ultraviolet related oxidative stress and supported their own antioxidant defenses, with leaf and flower more active than root.^[1] Species matched analysis confirms the leaves and flowers are concentrated in flavonoids and phenolic acids with measurable free radical scavenging activity.^[2] In a formula it works as a botanical antioxidant that helps skin look fresh and defended. The skin evidence so far is early and laboratory based.

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