Horsetail is an ancient plant with a long history of recorded use and fossil
evidence to suggest it existed millions of years ago.
The succulent stems of the
plant, which look a bit like horse tails, are the richest source of natural
silica known. This feature, combined with the abrasive texture of dried stems
from the crystallization of silicon, gave rise to the plants historical use to
polish pewter and the nickname Scouring Rush.
Due to the high silica content in organic dried horsetail herb, it is used to make infusions for use in skin care preparations.