Headaches and migraine: the plants herbalism turns to, and how to prepare them

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Some people get a heavy, one-sided headache that shuts the day down: light hurts, sound hurts, the stomach turns. Herbalism has a short list of plants it reaches for at moments like that — basil, aniseed, cherry stems, peppermint, lavender and costmary. This page tells you which part to use, in what form, for how long, and what should stop you.

What it is credited with

• Basil — traditionally used for queasiness, and taken in advance by some to head off the nausea and vomiting that so often come with a headache attack.
• Basil, again — herbalists have long placed it among the soothing kitchen herbs, particularly where the headache follows a tense, wound-up day.
• Aniseed — credited in traditional herbalism with antispasmodic qualities, used for stomach cramps, hiccups, nausea and general digestive unease.
• Dried cherry stems — a country infusion with a reputation for gentle relief when heads feel heavy as the weather turns; also a classic folk draining tea.
• Peppermint — the essential oil has a long-standing reputation, diluted and applied externally, for its cooling effect on a tight forehead and temples.
• Lavender — naturopathy treats it as a calming plant, used in the evening for restless sleep and tension held in the head and neck.
• Costmary (alecost) — in old herbals, the leaf infusion was drunk after meals for a heavy head and digestive spasms.

How to use it

Everything below is household-scale: a spoon, a cup, a kettle. Cover the cup while it steeps — the aromatic compounds leave with the steam.

Basil infusion

• Use a small handful of fresh leaves, torn, or a heaped teaspoon of dried basil per cup.
• Pour water just off the boil, cover, steep 10 minutes, strain.
• Traditionally drunk as one cup after each main meal, for a few days rather than for weeks on end.
• Taste: peppery and faintly sweet. A slice of lemon lifts it.

Aniseed, infusion or decoction

• Infusion: crush half a teaspoon of seeds, pour on boiling water, cover and steep 10 minutes at most — longer turns it harsh.
• Decoction: simmer a spoonful of seeds in a small pan of water for a few minutes, then strain.
• Usually taken as a cup after meals.
• Taste: strong liquorice. It needs no sweetening.

Dried cherry stem tea

• A few tablespoons of dried stems for a small jugful of boiling water.
• Steep 5 minutes, strain, and let it cool a little before drinking.
• Buy them dried, or save the stems when you pick your own cherries in early to midsummer and dry them flat in the shade.
• Taste: light, woody, faintly fruity — the easiest of the lot to drink.

Peppermint essential oil, external use only

• The traditional gesture: a single drop of pure peppermint essential oil, diluted in a little vegetable oil on the fingertip, rubbed into the forehead and temples.
• Feel for the spot where the ache sits and massage there in slow circles.
• Keep it well away from the eyes, and wash your hands straight afterwards.
• Read the maker’s precautions of use before you open the bottle.

Lavender, two ways

• Infusion: a teaspoon of dried flowers per cup, covered, 10 minutes. Two or three cups across the day at most — it is a strongly flavoured plant.
• Pillow sachet: fill a small cloth pouch with dried flowers and slide it under the pillow for a quieter night.
• Taste: floral, slightly soapy, with a bitter finish. Blend it with a little chamomile if that puts you off.

Costmary infusion

• A teaspoon of dried leaves per cup, steeped 10 minutes, strained.
• Traditionally drunk after meals, a few cups spread over the day.
• Taste: minty at first, then distinctly bitter — honey helps.

Frequently Asked Questions

The one thing to remember: pick one plant, one form, and keep it simple — a covered cup of cherry stem or lavender infusion in the evening, or a single diluted drop of peppermint oil massaged into the temples.

Which of these plants should I start with tonight?

If your head feels heavy and you want something easy to drink, start with dried cherry stems: a few tablespoons in boiling water, steeped five minutes, cooled slightly. If the evening is tense and sleep looks unlikely, lavender infusion and a lavender pouch under the pillow are the traditional pairing. Choose one, not three.

How do I use peppermint essential oil safely?

Externally only, and diluted. Put one drop in a little vegetable oil on your fingertip and massage the forehead and temples, feeling for the spot where the ache sits. Keep it away from the eyes, wash your hands afterwards, and read the precautions of use on the bottle first.

Can I drink these teas every day?

Herbalism treats them as short, occasional helpers rather than a permanent habit. A few days of one or two cups after meals, then a pause, is the usual pattern. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or buying for a child, ask a healthcare professional before you begin.

Do they taste good?

Cherry stem is the mildest — light and faintly fruity. Aniseed is frank liquorice, basil peppery, lavender floral with a bitter edge, and costmary minty then decidedly bitter. A little honey or a slice of lemon makes the bitter ones drinkable.

When do I harvest my own?

Leaves of basil, peppermint and costmary from late spring to late summer, in the morning and before flowering. Lavender flowers in early summer as they open, aniseed seeds from late summer to early autumn, and cherry stems as you pick the fruit in early to midsummer.

This information is provided for general interest and reflects the traditional use of plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice. If you are on medication, pregnant, or in any doubt, ask a healthcare professional.