Celebrating World Earth Day: 3 'weeds' your skin will love

Amy Woodcock
Apr 21
3 min read

Every year on April 22nd, people around the world come together to celebrate World Earth Day—a time to raise awareness about environmental issues and reflect on how we can live more harmoniously with nature.

It’s a powerful reminder that the Earth offers us everything we need—not just for survival, but for healing and thriving too.

So, in honour of World Earth Day, let’s have a look at the humble plants beneath our feet—the ones we often overlook or dismiss as weeds. These wild botanicals are bursting with benefits, especially when it comes to skin health.

Here are three incredible skin-loving plants that are often pulled up and discarded—but deserve a place in your garden and your skincare ritual.

🌱 1. Plantain (Plantago lanceolata)

Often seen growing between paving stones or dotting meadows, plantain is a true skin saviour. Despite its weed-like reputation, this plant is packed with anti-inflammatory and skin-soothing compounds.

Why it’s amazing: Plantain is rich in allantoin, a compound known to calm irritation, encourage skin regeneration, and speed up wound healing. It's incredibly gentle, making it suitable for even sensitive or inflamed skin, such as eczema or rashes.

Traditionally used for: Cuts, bites, stings, rashes, and minor burns.

How I use it: I infuse it into oils for balms and salves—it’s one of the key ingredients in my Skin Saviour Balm because of its calming, restorative properties.

🍃 2. Nettle (Urtica dioica)

You might know nettle best for its sting—but don’t let that put you off. Beneath those tiny hairs lies a powerhouse of nutrients for both internal and external wellness.

Why it’s amazing: Nettles are naturally rich in vitamins A, C, and K, along with iron and silica—nutrients that support healthy skin, hair, and nails.

Drinking nettle tea regularly can help the body detoxify, which in turn promotes clear, glowing skin.

Traditionally used for: Supporting liver function, reducing inflammation, treating acne, and easing seasonal allergies.

My tip: Try adding a few fresh nettle tops (wear gloves!) to your tea pot along with other fresh spring plants like dandelions.

🌿 3. Chickweed (Stellaria media)

A delicate little plant with star-shaped flowers, chickweed often carpets the ground in spring. It’s cool, moist, and soothing—just what irritated skin craves.

Why it’s amazing: Chickweed has anti-itch, anti-inflammatory, and emollient properties. It’s often used to relieve itchy, dry, or irritated skin—especially from eczema, rashes, or insect bites.

Traditionally used for: Itchy skin conditions, wounds, burns, and as a poultice to draw out splinters or toxins.

How I use it: This is a great plant for infusing in to water so i often use it in the bath myself and in bath blends that i make up for my clients.

Nature knows best

On World Earth Day, it’s a beautiful reminder that nature provides us with everything we need to care for ourselves—inside and out.

These so-called weeds are not only resilient and wild—they’re generous healers, offering gentle support for stressed, sensitive, or inflamed skin.

So next time you see a patch of plantain, nettle, or chickweed growing wild, pause before you pull it up. They might just be the skincare heroes you’ve been overlooking.

Hi, I'm Amy and i help Women to look and feel fantastic naturally, transform their skin and get their confidence back with targeted nutrition for the skin and natural, handcrafted skincare. Nourish your skin inside and out and get the results you want.