Ingredient Spotlight: Comfrey

Get to know Comfrey

The comfrey plant has been used for medicinal purposes for over 2000 years. The earliest recorded use of comfrey as a traditional, herbal remedy can be traced back to the ancient Greeks in 400BC.

Comfrey was traditionally used to help mend broken bones. In fact, the name comfrey comes from the Latin word Confervere which means ‘to join together, to mend or to heal’.

The regenerative compounds found in comfrey, such as allantoin, tannis and rosmarinic acid, help to speed up the natural replacement of cells and encourage new tissue growth.

Comfrey is a shrub that grows in parts of Europe, Asia, and North America. It can grow up to 5 feet tall. It produces clusters of purple, blue, and white flowers, and it’s famous for its long, slender leaves and black-skinned roots.

The root and leaves of the comfrey plant have been used in traditional medicine in many parts of the world. In Japan, the plant has been harvested and used as a traditional treatment for over 2,000 years. It was originally called “knitbone” and people used it to treat:

muscle sprains
bruises
burns
joint inflammation

Europeans have also used comfrey to treat inflammatory conditions, such as arthritis and gout. Some traditional healers have also used it to treat diarrhea and other stomach ailments.

The roots of leaves of the comfrey plant contain chemical substances called allantoin and rosmarinic acid. Allantoin boosts the growth of new skin cells, while rosmarinic acid helps relieve pain and inflammation. Extracts are still made from the roots and leaves and turned into ointments, creams, or salves. These solutions typically have a comfrey content of 5 to 20 percent.

The secret inside comfrey that benefits your skin

Allantoin is the key to beautiful, younger looking skin due to its ability to perform skincare wonders….

Reduces inflammation: the compound allantoin is viewed in the medicinal world as valuable. It is already used in many creams to help treat painful skin conditions, such as nappy rash, wind burn, scrapes and cuts; this is due to its anti-inflammatory properties.

Softens: allantoin also acts as an emollient. This is a moisturising treatment that helps to develop a protective film over the skin cells, reducing water loss.

Acts as a keratinolytic: in skin care products, allantoin helps to moisturise and soften skin and acts as a keratinolytic.

Keratinolytics soften keratin, a tough, inflexible protein found in the outer layer of the skin. By softening keratin, allantoin allows the skin to hold onto water better. This makes it moister, softer, and better hydrated. Keratinolytics also allow the outermost layer of skin cells to shed more easily, creating a smoother, moisturised and improved.

Keratinolytics also allow the outermost layer of skin cells to shed more easily, creating a smoother, moisturised and improved texture of skin.

Other beneficial compounds found in the comfrey plant include:

Tannins: are the defensive compounds that protect the plant. They and can also protect our skin from bacteria and environmental toxins by drawing out impurities and encouraging healing.

Rosmarinic acid: has antioxidant effects and helps to protect the skin from UV damage.

How we source our Comfrey

Tucked away in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia, is a little corner of the world known as Bumbling Acres Farm. We choose to work with this small farm, because they pride themselves in only selling extracts are from plants growing on their own property, so that they know it is organic. Fresh, pure, and authentic like nature intended. We found Bumbling Acres Farm on Etsy when we first started sourcing ingredients for our Transdermal Lotion, and their quality, and the fact that we were helping a US small farmer were what made Bumbling Acres Resonate with us.