Feverfew: The Little Flower With a Long History

Sometimes the most unassuming plants have the most fascinating stories.

Feverfew is one of them.

With its small, daisy-like flowers and delicate appearance, you could easily walk past feverfew without giving it a second thought. But this little botanical has been used in traditional herbal practices for centuries, and its long association with head comfort is one of the reasons it caught my attention when I began exploring botanicals for Not My Grain.

What is feverfew?

Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) is a flowering plant belonging to the daisy family.

Native to parts of Europe and the Balkans, it has since spread much further and can often be found growing in gardens, along pathways and in herb gardens.

Its name is thought to come from the Latin febrifugia, meaning “fever reducer”, reflecting one of its historical uses.

But over the centuries, feverfew became particularly well known in traditional herbal practice for its association with head discomfort.

A botanical with centuries of history

Feverfew isn’t a new wellness trend.

Its traditional use stretches back hundreds of years, with references to the plant appearing in historical European herbal practice.

Traditionally, the leaves were used in different preparations and feverfew developed a reputation as a herb associated with head comfort and wellbeing.

Today, researchers have also taken an interest in the plant and its naturally occurring compounds, particularly a compound called parthenolide.

That doesn’t mean every traditional use automatically translates into a modern medical claim — and it certainly doesn’t mean that every product containing feverfew will have the same effect.

But I find the combination of traditional knowledge and modern curiosity fascinating.

It’s also part of the philosophy behind what I’m creating.

Why is feverfew in Not My Grain?

When I began developing Not My Grain, I didn’t want to create something simply because an ingredient was fashionable.

Every botanical needed to have a reason for being there.

As someone who has spent years living in a brain that can become overwhelmed very quickly, I wanted to explore ingredients that had interesting histories and traditions surrounding them.

Feverfew immediately stood out.

Rather than using it as something to consume, the feverfew in Not My Grain is incorporated into our topical botanical oil blend.

Not My Grain is a cosmetic roll-on designed to be simple to use whenever you want that cooling, soothing ritual, small enough to slip into your handbag, pocket or travel bag.

More than an ingredient list

One thing I’m passionate about is helping people understand what is actually inside the products they use.

I don’t want you to look at the back of a bottle and see a collection of botanical names that mean absolutely nothing to you.

I want you to know their stories.

Why were they chosen?

How have people traditionally used them?

What makes them interesting?

Because plants such as feverfew were part of people’s lives long before they appeared on modern ingredient labels.

And while traditional use and modern scientific evidence are not the same thing, I believe both are worth understanding.

The story behind Not My Grain

Not My Grain was created from lived experience.

After years of neurological illness, 18 brain surgeries and living with severe migraine episodes, I knew what it was like to want something small, simple and practical that could become part of my routine.

So I started creating.

Testing.

Learning.

Researching ingredients.

And eventually, the little roll-on that began in my own life became something I could share with other people.

Not My Grain was made with migraine sufferers in mind, but it is sold as a cosmetic product rather than a medicine. It is designed to create a cooling sensation on the skin and provide a simple botanical self-care ritual when you need a moment to reset.

And tucked inside that little bottle is a flower with a story stretching back centuries.

Feverfew may be small.

But its history certainly isn’t.

Stephanie
Founder, Rapha Organics

“The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” — Revelation 22:2

Important note: This article discusses the historical and traditional use of feverfew for educational purposes only. Traditional use does not establish that a cosmetic product can prevent, treat or cure a medical condition. Not My Grain is a cosmetic product and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent migraine or any other medical condition.