Irish Herbal Medicine
Irish herbal medicine dates back to the 8th century. Legal records, as well as Irish legends, mention herbs used to treat the population, long before the medical profession in Ireland was established in the 10th century. Irish families established medical schools where practitioners translated and transcribed medical texts into Irish to train other practitioners. Some of these texts are still hidden away on a library shelf in Ireland, having never been edited or translated. In the 17th century, with the collapse of the old Gaelic order, many physicians left Ireland but those that remained passed down their cures to other doctors.
The Bia collection was created after years of research with a team of experts knowledgeable in herbal science, cosmetic chemistry, dermatology, horticulture, and biotechnology.
Where do Bia & Codex come into this?
Codex Labs takes traditional herbal medicine and applies scientific knowledge. We learn from the past to discover new applications for today and the future. The herb comfrey, for example, is mentioned in the O’Cuinn Manuscript from 1415 as a remedy to help heal broken bones. Today, with the help of modern-day science, we know it’s the allantoin in comfrey that softens keratin allowing the skin to be better hydrated, softer and smoother. The Irish tradition holds numerous possibilities and, at Codex Beauty, we celebrate the incredible ingredients used in the Bia collection now—and the future.