Horsetail_Mama
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Katie Wells Sep 19, 2019 Updated: Jul 31, 2021
Medically reviewed by Dr. Lauren Jefferis, MD
Wellness Mama » Blog » Natural Remedies » Benefits and Uses of Horsetail (Shavegrass)
Simple Answers for Healthier Families
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I’ve been using herbs and herbal preparations for years now to treat mild issues at home. Horsetail (also called shavegrass) is an herb that I always keep in the herb cabinet (which is what I have instead of a medicine cabinet!). It has been my go-to for hair, skin, and nail health but I am still learning that there are even more benefits and uses of horsetail herb.
Horsetail ( Equisetum arvense ) is a medicinal plant used for remedies that dates back to ancient Greek and Roman civilizations. But it has been around much longer, as early as before the dinosaurs. Prehistoric horsetail was much taller, the size of a tree, but today’s horsetail reaches just about 4 feet tall. Horsetail is thought to be the most abundant source of silica in the plant kingdom. Because of this, it has been used in the past to polish metal.
The above-ground part of the plant is what is used for herbal medicine. It has been used traditionally for many ailments and to support natural health:
While herbalists have used horsetail for traditional remedies for many years, there isn’t a lot of scientific data to support its use. However, the small amount of research that is available is promising and makes a case for further research.
Horsetail has many uses in traditional herbal medicine. Science is also beginning to back up these claims. Here are some of the most common benefits of horsetail:
One of the most interesting benefits of horsetail is how nutrient dense it is. Horsetail contains the following nutrients:
Horsetail also contains Kynurenic acid, which reduces inflammation and pain, as well as silica, which supports collagen production. It also contains chlorophyll, known to fight cancer by preventing the cytotoxic and hyperproliferative effects of iron metabolism.
Additionally, research suggests that horsetail has antioxidant properties and may even inhibit cancer cell growth because of this.
The high level of silica in horsetail is one of its main health benefits. Silica is important for bone and teeth health among other things. In a 1999 study, post-menopausal women with osteoporosis regained significant bone density after 1 year of supplementation of horsetail.
Traditional herbalists use horsetail on wounds, especially boils and carbuncles. It turns out this use is scientifically backed. Horsetail has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties that help with disease and infection. One 2006 study tested horsetail essential oil on a number of bacteria and fungi like Staph, Salmonella, and Candida. It was found to have a broad spectrum effect on all strains tested.
Horsetail has been used traditionally as a diuretic and to treat bladder issues for centuries. A 2014 study found that horsetail works as well as a conventional diuretic medicine (hydrochlorothiazide) without side effects such as significant changes to liver or kidney function or electrolyte balance.
Additionally, many diuretic drugs cause electrolyte issues but this study found that horsetail does not cause the same issues. This may be because horsetail is also a good source of electrolytes.
Horsetail has also been used traditionally for hair, skin, and nail health. It’s thought that the high silica content of horsetail is the reason why it works. Silica helps boost collagen production which is important for healthy hair, skin, and nail.
Science backs this up too. A 2016 study found that hair with high amounts of silica was less likely to fall out and was also more lustrous than hair with lower levels of silica.
Horsetail can even help regrow hair after hair loss. According to this 2012 study, significant hair growth occurred after 90 and 180 days of supplementing with horsetail herb.
One study published in the Journal of Plastic Dermatology found that using horsetail topically on nails reduced splitting and fragility of nails as well as reduced longitudinal grooves.
Additionally, a 2015 study found horsetail ointment helped heal episiotomy wounds and reduced pain associated with it.
I often use this herb, especially in external preparations due to its skin/hair supportive high silica content:
I avoid this herb when pregnant or nursing (so my whole married life!) but use it externally for hair or skin if needed.
Precautions for using horsetail include:
Otherwise, horsetail is generally considered safe when taken in short-term use.
There are many places you can purchase it from online , and possibly even locally, but I typically buy it and make it as a tea. This powdered version is a little more convenient you don’t have to steep or strain it. You can also try capsule form, although I haven’t personally.
You can also grow your own horsetail. If you want to try it, start with it in a container since it spreads very easily and may take over your garden!
This article was medically reviewed by Dr. Lauren Jefferis , board certified in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor or work with a doctor at SteadyMD .
Have you ever used horsetail? How did you use it? Tell me below!
Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Wellnesse , has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a wife and mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.
Do you recommend liquid extract or tincture form of horsetail? I am unsure of the difference between the two– can you clarify?
Also, do you know of a reputable company that ships to the UK?
Thanks for this great post. Looking forward to getting some.
Either should work, but you can actually use the pure herb and either make your own tincture or blend in to smoothies
Hi Katie, I’ve posted something several times and have not received a reply yet. I’m sure u have lots to reply to so I’m sorry if I’m a pest 🙁 I am losing my hair on the right side of my head and am trying to learn where I can get the horsetail I need for a hair rinse. I have Natures Answer Horsetail liquid, 2000mg. Can I use that? And what is tincture? Thank u Katie. I’m desperate.
The horsetail liquid should work- a tincture is just a mixture of herbs that has been preserved in alcohol or glycerine. If you are losing your hair though, have you thought about seeing a naturopathic doctor?
Hi, I suffered with a large degree of rapid hair loss a year ago from stress and due to the meds I take. I take horsetail capsules (Holland & Barratt ( plus Selenium and Biotin.
The combination of all 3 has made a huge difference! My hair stopped falling out and started growing back after 3 months.
I also add coconut oil (KTC) to my daily diet.
Hope that helps and good luck 🙂
Hi, I have been suffering from Alopecia for two years, I have read everything i can get my hands on, but do you think this will help increase my chances of my hair growing back, it’s starting to come back now like baby hair, I just want to give it every chance possible
Can I use horsetail topically while nursing? It’s for eczema on my hand. Thanks!
Christina,
I’ve had eczema on my hands for over 25 years. Last year I had a Chemical allergy skin test done. It’s called a T.R.U.E. test. It has to be done by your allergy doctor I believe but it helped me finally clear up my eczema. I found out I was allergic to such everyday things as rubber and disperse blue dye (it’s in a lot of blue, grey and black synthetic clothes! Not to mention the eczema drug I was prescribed and naturally parabens and lanolin, etc. Now when I get a rare flare up, I usually know why.
Hope that helps, Toni
Marie, please share what else you have done to get baby hair growth! Great results!
I have an 11 year old bedwetter and am confused. This article said good for bedwetting, but then it also said don’t allow children to use. Could I try it in a tea in small amounts? Heard you on the Dr. Gundry podcast. Thanks for the good advice.
I’d ask a doc or herbalist to be sure. There are other sources of most of the nutrients in horsetail that are safe for kids. For instance, Biosil is a source of silica and I’ve read it is safe for kids over age 7.
Hi Katie
I want to use the horsetail on blisters, when I do bars in crossfit I get a lot of blisters on my hands and because of that I have to stop my training until they get better and dry, I need something that can dry them super fast. In your recipe you mention plantain, is that the actual plantain? The whole plantain? Just the inside or out? Or is an oil?
I’m also going to use tea tree oil for it, maybe that can help to dry faster. But I also want to try the horsetail recipe .
Pleaseee help me with this !!! Thank you
plantain is a garden “weed” that works wonders on blisters, cuts, etc
Also try weight training gloves, helped mine.
I found it use full to know the use and try find some in my locality central London.
I am confused about horsetail and kidney stones. I get calcium oxalate stones so I usually have to avoid greens and things with heavy tannins. I thought this was good for them but you said do not take it if you have stones. I never know when they may be forming so what do you recommend? Thanks so much. I want to live healthy but am afraid of greens, sincerely, Deb
As I understand it, eating dark leafy greens – like kale, collard greens, swiss chard – are very good to eat to help keep calcium in your bones where it belongs. Otherwise you end up with things like bone spurs (& perhaps the calcium oxalate stones) that means calcium is being leached out of your bones.
Have you checked your blood calcium levels? If 10 or above, you should check your parathyroid levels as well, because if they are elevated as well, you have hyperparathyroidism which causes osteopenia and osteoporosis. If you have that, you need surgery to remove the bad parathyroid to regain your normal blood calcium levels. This happened to me, and I’m now rebuilding my bones after my surgery.
You might want to get an herbal mixture to get rid of kidney stones.
I just read about this herb and its healing potential for osteoporosis. I have osteopenia. How would I use this herb long term?
Hi:)
I have a question about Horsetail and breastfeeding. I see you do not take it while pregnant or breastfeeding. I have read this elsewhere too. I’m a bit confused, I was going to order Dr Christopher’s calcium tea, then I realized I could just make it myself at a much better price with bulk herbs from Mountain Rose. So I’ve ordered the herbs, comfry, horsetail, oatstraw, raspberry…a few others since while bf i drink nettle and raspberry regularly anyway…
i went on the Dr Christopher’s legacy page and found that this combo of herbs is something he would prescribe to help heal teeth and grow stronger teeth in children and he also advised pregnant and breastfeeding women to take it. so I’m all excited about making this formula myself with a recipe I found but now I’m concerned about the Horsetail. Has anyone taken Dr Christopher’s calcium formula while pregnant or bf? I’m wondering if I should just leave the comfry (sp?) and horsetail out and just make a mouth wash with those herbs to add to my teeth healing regiment.
does anyone know anything about it? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! 🙂
Ashley
I can’t speak on the pregnancy subject, but I do know from personal experience that it does help with teeth and gum issues. I used the tincture.
Horsetail contains small amounts of nicotine. This, therefore, makes it unadvisedable to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding and in children.
I’m currently taking horsetail in tincture form in an effort to heal some torn cartilage in my hip. *fingers crossed*
hello,
Are you still taking horsetail? How much did it help you, just curious as I have started for about a week and see less inflammation in my fingers. I had 2 full hip replacement and problem with the knees, therefore just wondering how much it helped you. Thanks
Hi Kate, could u plz tell me what tincture is? Thanks 🙂
Yes, I like to use it for what its nickname implies, shaving. I’ll use horsetail tea to make the lye solution for shaving soap. Have yet to try it internally, but I think I will now. Every time I’ve ever gone down to the river to harvest it, I’ve ended up with a bad case of poison ivy. So now I find one ounce packages in the spice section at Walmart of all places.
Can you elaborate on the horsetail lye solution? I thought in soap making, lye was traditionally taken from wood ash. Can you use horsetail instead then?
Hi, I would like to know what it’s under (name) in the spice section at Wal Mart? Tried to find it today and didn’t have any luck. I’d like to be able to make tea, and a hair rinse…..?? Thanks 🙂
Hi. Will I get a reply on here or in my email lol? I know it will take time but I keep checking both 🙂
Hi, I found it in the Tea section at Wal-Mart. Its in a box and it contains tea bags. I have not found it as a pill nor liquid.
Also if you have a Mexican Food Store or a Mexican Section at Wal-Mart, it is called Cola de Caballo in Spanish. Hope this helps.
You may have already heard this from someone else but, there is now horsetail in pill form. I got mine at a vitamin shop in Illinois. It cost me about 12$ for raw fresh freeze dried horsetail 50 veg caps 375mg by eclectic.
If you know somebody in Europe, family or friends, you could order ‘horsetail’ from Switzerland, it is called ‘Prele’ in French, the laboratory’s name is ‘Dieti Natura’ The 200 capsules bottle costs 8 Euro, and it’s better to buy 3 bottles at a time because the third one come at one euro, so for 17 Euros you get 600 hundred capsules, (about 19 dollars), when you order more than 50 euros I get free shipping to France, but they do not have a program to ship outside of Europe.
This last few years I also buy my ‘Cat’s Claw’ capsules from them, great product and great prices, before I had to get them from South America, but you can get Cat’s Claw in the States now at good prices too.
I have a problem with an abundance of horsetail growing I have been my garden and among plants. Can I soak this to make a hair rinse and mouthwash? Is the fresh horse tail better to use and is a lot needed.? Thank you for advice.
You can buy it in loose leaf form from Amazon by searching for horsetail loose leaf tea. You may also do a web search on google or yahoo and find other merchants that carries it.
Where would you get horsetail extract, as mentioned for bedwetting?
I think even Amazon carries it or a local health food store might…
It is carried at The Vitamin Shoppe under the name of silica. I had a gastric bypass a few years ago and it has helped my nails and hair.
Is it safe for children. I have a 6 year old with brittle teeth.
Please check out Alternatives to Dentistry, Doug Simons. He’s a seasoned herbalist in NM who has successfully helped people heal cavities and weak teeth (with horsetail). I am doing his protocol to try to heal internal resorption of my tooth. Good luck! This has worked great for my tooth so far!
Has it helped with the tooth resorption?
Hello
I watched Doug Simon’s video about alternative dentistry last weekend. He has website and I sent email about horsetail powder he sells but have not received reply. I was wondering if you had same experience or may know Where I can reach him?
Thank you!
I have used horsetail for years as a plant fertilizer. Around where I live in Canada, it grows everywhere and is actually invasive
I wash it amd simmer it in a large pot with a few litres of water. After it cools, I use straight every couple of weeks for potted plants during the growing season with great results.
This is one of the herbs that is on my mental list to try this year. We have it growing wild in our neighborhood and I have been reading about it several places. Thanks for the information that you shared!
What state? I want to know if it grows in Texas.
Thanks
Yes it grows great in Texas, I have an area of yard that is almost full shade and the ground stays wet, not much will grow there, until I found horse tail and planted it there, its taken off and grows well.
I have read that to make tincture itvis much better to use the fresh herb. Does anyone have experience with this? Has anyone tried the supplement BioSil? Also curious about this. Perhaps powdered horsetail is the way to go?
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