Chamomile is one of the most versatile herbs you can keep on hand, useful as a tea, a skin treatment, a supplement, and even a garden plant you harvest yourself. The most common form is a simple hot infusion, but getting the best results from chamomile depends on how you prepare it, which type you choose, and how much you use.
Making Chamomile Tea
The key variables are water temperature and steeping time. Heat your water to about 200°F (93°C), which is just below a full boil. You can get there by bringing water to a boil and letting it sit for 30 seconds to a minute before pouring. Use one tablespoon of dried flowers or one tea bag per cup.
Steep for 5 to 10 minutes. Five minutes gives you a mild, slightly sweet cup with the herb’s signature apple-like flavor. Going closer to 10 minutes extracts more of the active compounds, but pushing past that threshold releases bitter oils that overpower the taste and can reduce the soothing quality of the tea. If you find even a 5-minute steep too bitter, try 3 to 4 minutes and work your way up. Cover the cup while steeping to keep the volatile oils from escaping with the steam.
German vs. Roman Chamomile
Two species are sold as “chamomile,” and they’re not interchangeable for every purpose. German chamomile is the more widely studied of the two and the one you’ll find in most tea blends and supplements. Its essential oil contains higher concentrations of the compounds responsible for its anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic effects, making it the better choice for digestive complaints like gas, nausea, and stomach cramps. It’s also the type most often used in skin products for eczema, minor wounds, and general irritation.
Roman chamomile shares some of the same active compounds but is more commonly used in aromatherapy and as a mild sedative. It has a slightly more bitter, grassier taste. If you’re buying chamomile for tea or for a specific health concern, German chamomile is generally the more practical pick. If you see “chamomile” on a product label without further specification, it’s almost always German chamomile.
Using Chamomile for Sleep and Anxiety
Chamomile’s calming effect comes from a compound called apigenin, a flavonoid that reduces excitatory signaling in the brain. This is why a cup of chamomile tea before bed genuinely promotes relaxation rather than just being a comforting ritual, though the ritual certainly helps too.
For sleep, a single strong cup of tea (steeped closer to 10 minutes) about 30 minutes before bed is the simplest approach. Clinical trials on insomnia have used chamomile extract capsules at 270 mg twice daily, which is a more concentrated dose than tea provides. For generalized anxiety, studies have tested higher doses, often around 1,500 mg of chamomile extract per day in capsule form. Supplement dosages in clinical research range from 250 mg to 2,000 mg daily, depending on the condition being treated.
If you’re considering capsules over tea, keep in mind that extracts are far more concentrated. A cup of chamomile tea contains a relatively small amount of apigenin compared to a standardized supplement. Tea is a good fit for mild, everyday relaxation. Capsules make more sense if you’re looking for a consistent, measurable dose.
Chamomile on Your Skin
Applied topically, chamomile can help with minor wounds, eczema flare-ups, and general skin irritation. Its anti-inflammatory and mild antimicrobial properties make it useful as a compress, a rinse, or an ingredient in creams and ointments.
For a simple compress, brew a strong cup of chamomile tea, let it cool to a comfortable temperature, soak a clean cloth in it, and apply to the affected area for 15 to 20 minutes. You can do this several times a day for irritated or inflamed skin.
Commercial chamomile creams and ointments vary in concentration. Research on wound healing has tested chamomile extract ointments at concentrations between 2.5% and 10%, with the 10% formulation showing the greatest wound closure. If you’re shopping for a chamomile cream, check the label for the extract percentage. Products that list chamomile far down the ingredient list likely contain too little to do much. Chamomile-infused oils, made by steeping dried flowers in a carrier oil like olive or coconut oil for several weeks, are another option for dry or mildly irritated skin.
Other Ways to Use Chamomile
Beyond tea and skin care, chamomile shows up in several practical forms:
- Steam inhalation: Adding a handful of dried chamomile flowers to a bowl of hot water and breathing in the steam can help with sinus congestion and mild respiratory irritation. Drape a towel over your head to trap the steam.
- Hair rinse: A cooled strong chamomile infusion can be used as a final rinse after shampooing. It’s traditionally used to add subtle golden highlights to lighter hair and to soothe a dry, itchy scalp.
- Bath soak: Tying a generous amount of dried chamomile in a muslin bag and dropping it into a warm bath creates a skin-soothing soak, especially useful for widespread dryness or irritation.
- Essential oil: Chamomile essential oil can be diluted in a carrier oil (a few drops per tablespoon) for massage or added to a diffuser for aromatherapy. Never apply undiluted essential oil directly to your skin.
Growing and Harvesting Your Own
Chamomile is one of the easiest herbs to grow at home. German chamomile is an annual that reseeds freely, while Roman chamomile is a low-growing perennial that works well as ground cover. Both prefer full sun and well-drained soil but are forgiving of less-than-perfect conditions.
Timing your harvest matters. Pick the flowers when about two-thirds of the tiny yellow tubular florets in the center of each flower head have opened. Harvest around midday on a sunny day, when the flowers are fully open and the essential oil content peaks. Pinch or snip the flower heads off and spread them in a single layer on a screen or tray in a warm, well-ventilated spot out of direct sunlight. They should be fully dry and papery within one to two weeks. Store dried flowers in an airtight container away from light, where they’ll keep their potency for about a year.
Who Should Be Cautious
Chamomile belongs to the same plant family as ragweed, and cross-reactivity is a real concern. Among people with ragweed allergies, an estimated 20% to 30% also react to chamomile. If you’re allergic to ragweed, daisies, or chrysanthemums, test chamomile cautiously. Start with a small amount of tea or a patch test on your inner forearm before using it more broadly.
Chamomile contains natural coumarin compounds that can thin the blood. A case report published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal documented a significant interaction between chamomile and warfarin, where the herb’s coumarin content worked in synergy with the medication and caused dangerously elevated anticoagulation levels. If you take blood thinners, avoid chamomile supplements and talk with your pharmacist before even drinking the tea regularly.
For infants and young children, chamomile tea has a long folk history as a colic remedy, but the evidence is thin. Research from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health notes that herbal combination products containing chamomile may help with infant colic and childhood diarrhea, but chamomile alone hasn’t been shown to be effective for these uses. It’s considered possibly safe for short-term use in children, though very young infants should not be given herbal teas without guidance from a pediatrician, partly because the tea can displace breast milk or formula feedings.