Please help identifying this shrub

[u/Initial_Status9831]

I feel like it's a common one as I see them around quite a bit and they used to be in my primary school growing up. But my google skills are failing me. The closest I came was Thryptomene saxicola...but I'm not sure that's it.

It has tiny pink flowers all over in spring. It is near impossible to maintain as when I cut it back it exposes the dark woody interior which is quite ugly. When you crush the fern-like leaves it gives a strong scent.

And best of all....I suspect handing it is healing my excema/dermatitis.

Thank you for any ideas!

[u/widowscarlet]

I'm interested in your comment about eczema/dermatitis. I'm having a major flare right now and I have one of these. Maybe I'll try it!

[u/Initial_Status9831 → u/widowscarlet]

I'm still trialing it as I discovered it by accident. I have had major issues with the skin on my hand for about 6 or so months and prescription creams and creams recommended by my pharmacist, plus avoiding all the usual soaps and sanitizers hasn't helped.

I pruned the diosma the other day and shredded the skin on my hand, but surprisingly the next day my hand was significantly improved.

To test if it was actually properties in the plant and not that I'd only taken off some bad layers of skin, the next time my hand became itchy I took some of the foliage off the plant and ran it through my fingers and held it in my hand crushing the leaves. The itching and redness went away immediately and didn't return that day.

Chat gpt suggested it could be the plants natural oils that have a protective quality, or possibly that it has anti microbial effects and if my skin condition was bacterial then maybe it's killing off the bacteria.

I'm interested to know if it works for you.

[u/widowscarlet → u/Initial_Status9831]

I looked up Coleonema essential oil and it's a known thing apparently. Commonly called Cape May, found several science articles about it proving it contains bioactive compounds that have antimicrobial, antifungal, and also antioxidant properties which can lead to anti-inflammatory outcomes.

The Coleonema album oil is the most studied and sold, but the pink one we have is Coleonema pulchellum has also been analysed and tested.

I'm going to try it after work today. I don't have eczema, but I am having an unknown dermatitis almost everywhere (limbs and torso), combined with an allergic reaction to adhesive dressings I tried to treat it with which made it worse. I have found what seems to be the best anti-itch cream for it so far, but have a lot of healing still to do, and trying to work out where it came from (other than my uncontrolled stress).

[u/Initial_Status9831 → u/widowscarlet]

That is amazing information, thank you for doing and sharing that. I've never heard of any of this before so it is really interesting to learn. I am astonished that the solution to my problem was in my yard this whole time. Plants are amazing!

I hope it works for you. I also have trouble with adhesives and I have a latex allergy too that I consider to be mild as long as I don't expose myself to latex for too long.