The immortelle, Italian strawflower or curry plant, Italian Helichrysum or Helichrysum italicum, is a perennial plant belonging to the Astéraceae family. Helichrysum comes from 2 Greek words: hélios, the sun and chrysos, gold. Its leaves have a silver color and its flowers are golden yellow, they are harvested when the sun is at its zenith during the summer.
They grow in small bushes 40 to 60 cm high. Rare and protected in some places, the immortelle is present in its natural state all around the Mediterranean. It likes limestone and rocky soils. It owes its name to the fact that its yellow flowers can be kept for a very long time without fading once dried, keeping the brilliance of their color. The essential oil is obtained from the flowering tops: 1 ton of flowers gives only 2 kg of essential oil. Known since Antiquity, its virtues were long forgotten to be rediscovered a few decades ago.
Manuals for the traditional use of essential oils agree that immortelle is exceptional for reducing bruising, treating phlebitis and edema. It is The Boxer’s Remedy. It is also used to treat varicosities and rosacea. Immortelle has healing properties. It improves the appearance of wounds, soothes burns including those due to sunburn and relieves insect bites. It also reduces symptoms related to eczema.
It is used to relieve bronchitis, nasopharyngitis, rheumatism, arthritis, polyarthritis and during digestive disorders. Immortelle essential oil is very rich in neryl acetate, monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and it contains a particular ketone, italidione.
Immortelle essential oil has been tested in the treatment of post-operative wounds following reconstructive and aesthetic surgery. Twenty-five patients who underwent face and neck surgery received an oral dose of immortelle essential oil for ten days after surgery and twenty-five other patients in group 2, operated on the thorax, further received a mixture of immortelle essential oil in 10% rosehip vegetable oil. This mixture was applied by massage once a day on the scars from the end of the first postoperative month and for two to three months. It was found in the first group that bruises and edema decreased 2 times faster and were 2 times smaller in volume. These people were also able to regain a social life after five days instead of twelve on average. For the second group, fewer complications were observed during healing, especially on hypertrophic scars which were less frequent and less serious. There were also fewer revision surgeries in this group. The effectiveness on hematomas is explained by the chelating effect of the fibrin exerted by the betadiones contained in the essential oil of immortelle. Neryl acetate has analgesic activity (VOINCHET & GIRAUD-ROBERT, 2007).
Immortelle flower essential oil inhibits in vitro the production of type I and III collagen by human fibroblasts and exerts a significant anti-proliferative effect (HAN & al., 2017). Ceci explique aussi les complications cicatricielles moindres observées lors de son usage.
Helichrysum italicum also showed an in vitro inhibitory effect on collagenase and elastase, thus preserving skin elasticity (FRATERNALE & al., 2019).
Immortelle flower essential oil has an antibacterial effect against Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, Bacillus subtilis and Enterococcus faecalis and is effective against Candida albicans (MESIC & al., 2018).
The methanolic extract of Helichrysum italicum has an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect in vivo during experiments carried out on mice. This extract decreases the inflammation and edema experimentally induced in these animals. It captures free radicals and thus inhibits the initiation of lipid peroxidation. The anti-inflammatory effect is associated with the combination of inhibition of the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, antioxidant action and a corticosteroid-like effect (SALA & al., 2001).
You will differently appreciate the small yellow flowers with such particular scent, symbol of Apollo, and used by blue tits to make their nest thereby fighting against parasites.
