🌿 Burdock (Arctium lappa)

The purifying root that liberates skin, blood and lymph

🌍 Origin & history

Burdock root — also known as large burdock named — is an ancient medicinal plant from the temperate regions of Europe and Asia. It grows along forest edges, meadows and rugged trails, where its sturdy taproot reaches deep into the earth to extract minerals.

The plant is known for its “tangles”: the seeds with hooks that attach to clothes and pet hair — a natural source of inspiration for the inventor of velcro! But it's her roots that have been used for thousands of years as a purifying and nourishing agent.

In the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is her name Niú Bàng Gēn and is used to expel “heat and toxins” from the blood, especially for skin problems such as acne, eczema or furuncles. In the European herbal medicine burdock root was known as “blood purifying” and was used for gout, rheumatism and impure skin.

In Japan and Korea, the root, known as gobo , a popular vegetable — slightly bitter, rich in fiber and full of minerals that nourish the intestines and strengthen the body.