The Sunlight Experiment

Herbal Actions

Astringent

Tightens and tones tissue

Tightens and tones tissue by binding proteins, firming lax or inflamed membranes and reducing weeping, bleeding and discharge. Tannin-rich and useful for diarrhoea, wounds and spongy gums; taken to excess they can irritate the stomach or hinder iron absorption.

How it works

Astringent is not one mechanism but several overlapping ones. Each of these is its own herbal action — follow a link for the herbs strongest in that mechanism.

Styptic Stops or slows bleeding on contact through a strong astringent, tissue-tightening action. Antihemorrhagic Stops or reduces bleeding.

Herbs with a astringent action (37)

Key herbs

Herbs for which astringent is a headline action.

Jatobá

Hymenaea courbaril

AntifungalAntimicrobialAstringentAnti-inflammatory
Refine ›

Amaranth

Amaranthus blitum

NutritiveDemulcentAnti-inflammatoryAntioxidant

Calendula

Calendula officinalis

VulneraryAnti-inflammatoryLymphaticStyptic

Ceylon Cinnamon

Cinnamomum verum

CarminativeCirculatory-stimulantAntimicrobialAntidiabetic

Chinese Skullcap

Scutellaria baicalensis

AntiviralAnti-inflammatoryAntiallergicAntibacterial

Cleavers

Galium aparine

LymphaticDiureticAlterativeAstringent

Cornflower

Centaurea cyanus

AstringentAnti-inflammatoryBitter

German Chamomile

Matricaria chamomilla

Anti-inflammatoryAntispasmodicAntiallergicAntibacterial

Goldenrod

Solidago virgaurea

DiureticAnti-inflammatoryAstringentAntimicrobial

Gymnema

Gymnema sylvestre

AntidiabeticHypolipidemicDiureticAntipyretic

Hawthorn

Crataegus oxyacantha

CardiotonicDiureticAstringentAntihypertensive

Hops

Humulus lupulus

SedativeAntispasmodicAstringentBitter

Horopito

Pseudowintera colorata

AnalgesicAntibacterialAntifungalAnti-inflammatory

Jatobá

Hymenaea courbaril

AntifungalAntimicrobialAstringentAnti-inflammatory

Manuka

Leptospermum scoparium

Anti-inflammatoryAntibacterialAntifungalAntispasmodic

Mullein

Verbascum thapsus

AntispasmodicAnthelminticAnticatarrhalAstringent

Pine

Pinus spp.

AnalgesicAnti-inflammatoryHypolipidemicAstringent

Rehmannia

Rehmannia glutinosa

AntiallergicAntihemorrhagicAnti-inflammatoryAntipyretic

Slippery Elm

Ulmus rubra

DemulcentEmollientNutritiveExpectorant

Stinging Nettle

Urtica dioica

AlterativeAnti-inflammatoryAntilithicAntimicrobial

Willow

Salix alba

AnalgesicAnti-inflammatoryAntipyreticAstringent

Yarrow

Achillea millefolium

BitterAntioxidantEmmenagogueDiaphoretic

Zizyphus

Ziziphus spinosa

SedativeNervineAnxiolyticAstringent