There was a corner of my grandfather's garden that got the most afternoon sun. That was where the basil lived. Next to it, coriander gone to seed. Thyme along the stone border. And somewhere, tucked in where you might not notice it, a small cluster of something soft and lemon-scented that his wife picked for tea in the evenings. I didn't know then what that tea was doing. Now I do. Part II of the spring herbs series, and the most personal one yet.

You have tried the serums. You have tried cutting dairy, cutting sugar, drinking more water. You have stood in front of the mirror trying to figure out what is happening to your skin, and come away with more products and very few answers. That is because the skincare industry is very good at selling solutions and very quiet about causes. Here is what the research actually says about what your skin is trying to tell you.

You could smell it before you saw it. My grandfather's garden in Turkey announced itself long before you arrived, mint first, then dill, then parsley, then rosemary underneath it all. He knew something I've spent years arriving at through research: these plants are not garnishes. They are medicine in the most practical, everyday sense. Here's what the science says about five spring herbs, and one plant most people throw away.