1- saffron’s properties for skin:
Insensitivity test: make sure to test the sensitivity by applying a small amount on your hand and wait for 20 minutes before applying any type of mask on your face or sensitive parts of your body.
1-1 Lightening the skin:
Since saffron has a large proportion of anti-oxidants it causes lightening of the skin and dissolving dark specks.
- Saffron and milk mask for skin specks
- Add some saffron powder to 3 spoons of milk and apply it on your skin and then massage it for 15 minutes after that wash it with cold water.
1-2 face rashes and acne:
Since saffron has strong bactericidal properties is helpful to prevent acne and rashes on the face.
Saffron mask for rashes:
Combine some saffron powder with 6-7 fresh basil leaves and batter it until it’s pasty, then apply it on your skin and wait for 10 minutes and finally wash it with hot water.
1-3 Healing sunburn:
If you’ve been out under the sun for a long period of time or tanned yourself too much, you can use this method to heal the sunburn marks effectively, let some saffron powder set in full-fat milk over a night and then apply it on your skin with your fingers this way you can bring back brightness to your skin.
2- Hair-loss therapy:
Since saffron has lots of antioxidants and nutrients it can strengthen hair follicles and be beneficial in the therapy of hair loss and baldness.
Combine some saffron powder and milk and scrub it on your head skin and hair then let it set for 30 minutes, finally, wash it with water and shampoo.
3- Aphrodisiac:
In traditional medicine, saffron is used as a treatment for erection disorders, infertility, and men’s impotence. The herb-tea of saffron is used as an erogenous substance that increases the reproduction ability.
4- Infants and kids:
Using a small amount of saffron is useful for kids and infants. Saffron has a high amount of calcium and magnesium that can strengthen the bones’ structures and also the anti-bacterial properties of saffron are beneficial for kids’ and infants’ oral and dental health.
5- Anti-depression & tranquilizer:
In traditional medicine, saffron herb tea is used as one of the best natural methods for the treatment of depression, stress, and anxiety, a small amount of saffron can calm infants and kids and reduce their uneasiness.
In fact, crocin, Safranal, and picrocrocin are 3 materials substantials in saffron and they have comforting effects that can help with the treatment of these disorders.
6- Eyes:
Studies indicate that Kerosene and Crocetin existing in saffron are helpful for the well-being of the eyes and for treating eye-related disorders such as Macular degeneration.
7- Menstruation:
Almost 85% of women experience premenstrual syndrome. Saffron is a natural antispasmodic substance, recent studies at the Medical Science University of Tehran show that using saffron herb-tea two times a day can help with the treatment of premenstrual syndrome and reduce the back pain and stomachache caused by menses.
8- Fatty liver:
Since saffron has a high amount of anti-oxidant it caused saffron to have anti-inflammatory properties too that can help with the detoxification and cleansing of the liver and reduces the risk of suffering from fatty liver and lumping liver.
9- Kidney stone:
Saffron has diuretic qualities that cause an escalation in urine amount that could help with the cleansing and detoxification of the kidney and heal the kidney stone.
10- Cold and influenza:
You can find a high amount of C vitamin in saffron that can empower the immune system and reduce the risk of infection of the cold and influenza.
Mix the saffron powder with hot water and drink it to cure cold and coughing.
11- Venter in the alimentary canal:
One of the oldest and also known applications of saffron in traditional medicine is the natural treatment of venter pains, heartburn, dyspepsia, peptic ulcer diseases, and improvement of the alimentary canal.
12- Anemia:
Saffron also has a high volume of iron that can help blood circulation with the escalation of red blood cells and improve anemia and its symptoms.
13- Diabetes and Blood Glucose Level:
The substantial manganese in saffron can lower the blood glucose level in people with type 2 diabetes. Also, the existing Crocetin in saffron improves insulin tolerance and helps lower the blood glucose level too.
14- Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer:
The Crocetin available in saffron is useful to prevent diseases like Parkinson, and studies show that saffron can improve memory and the existing Crocetin and Crocein in saffron can be helpful to cure Alzheimer’s and dementia.
15- Blood pressure:
The high amount of potassium and magnesium existing in saffron could help with the reduction of blood pressure.
16- Curing insomnia:
Saffron has a lot of natural sedative properties, it has been told that using one glass of saffron beverage before sleep can help increase your sleep quality and cure insomnia.
17- Cancer:
Recent researches on saffron indicate that saffron is one of the best medicinal herbs containing a high number of antioxidants that can lower free radicals in the body and reduce any type of risks related to cancers and cancer cells’ metastasis.
18- Heart Health:
Several studies show that the substantial anti-oxidant in saffron can help the heart stay healthy and reduce the risk of getting heart-related diseases and atherosclerosis.
19- Thinness and losing weight:
Some primal researches indicate that saffron has appetite-lowering qualities and prevents avidity that could cause thinness and losing weight in fat people.
Pros and Cons of saffron:
Miscarriage in pregnancy:
Using a high amount of saffron is dangerous for pregnant women, it can cause a miscarriage by contracting the womb.
Lactation period:
Since there isn’t any precise information about the effect of saffron in the lactation period yet, experts suggest that women that are in their lactation period avoid using a high amount of saffron.
Poisoning:
A high dosage of saffron could cause poisoning, the symptoms are: the skin and eyes getting yellow, vomiting, dizziness, dysentery, and bleeding nose, lips, and eyelid.
Using 12-20 grams of saffron in one day could cause death.
Palm sweating:
People that are suffering from palm sweating problems should avoid using saffron or reduce their usage to a minimum because saffron increases the process of palm sweating.
Drug interference:
Saffron could interfere with drugs that reduce blood pressure, like Warfarin.
Saffron’s nature is warm and dry and is full of anti-oxidants like carotenoids, safranal, crocetin, crocin, picrocrocin, vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin, calcium, copper, iron, manganese, potassium, selenium, zinc, and magnesium.
The flower saffron grows and blooms during autumn, it has 6 purple petals and the actual part that is used as saffron is the end of the pistil and style. Saffron has fragrant and tastes a little bitter.
Nowadays saffron is cultivated in Iran, Spain, Eastern Mediterranean, and South East Asia but still, Iran is one of the largest cultivators and producers of saffron in the world by more than 90%.