Monthly Archives: February 2014

Use Verbena Oil for Chronic Stress, Tension and Nervous Exhaustion

Use Verbena Oil for Chronic Stress, Tension and Nervous ExhaustionThere’s nothing quite like the study of essential oils to make one realize the deep relationship between the chemistry of plants and their outward characteristics, including their distinctive smell, taste, and therapeutic effects. Verbena essential oil is a case in point: because it contains high levels of citral [3], verbena oil has an unmistakable lemony fresh smell usually associated with lemons and other citrus fruits! Hence, verbena is often called lemon verbena, and in the Latin name for the plant (Lippia citriodora), “citriodora” actually means “lemon-scented” [1].

Verbena essential oil also shares some therapeutic applications with citrus-based oils: it is used to stimulate digestion, center the mind, and clear away mental cobwebs that are the result of fatigue, lack of sleep, or chronic stress [3].

Verbena is a perennial flowering shrub native to Chile and Peru. It can grow 2 to 3 meters (6 to 10 feet) tall at maturity, with small clusters of white or pale purple flowers and lance-shaped green leaves that are slightly rough to the touch [1]. The leaves are the part used to distill verbena essential oil, and they emit a strong scent of lemon when crushed due to the presence of the compounds citral, nerol, and geraniol [4].

When the Spanish and Portuguese first came to South America, they fell in love with verbena’s crisp citrus aroma and imported the plant back to Europe so they could cultivate it for its essential oil [2]. Verbena oil became an instant must-have in soaps, facial toners, and toilette water, while the fragrant leaves were used to flavor everything from fish and poultry to vegetable marinades, salad dressings, jams, and puddings [1]. A Spanish botanist went so far as to name verbena Yerba Louisa in honor of the Spanish princess Maria Louisa of Parma, who later went on to become the queen of Spain [1].

In aromatherapy, verbena essential oil is most commonly used to stimulate digestion and soothe indigestion, wind, and an upset stomach [2, 3]. The oil can also soften the skin and reduce puffiness when it is added to facial creams and lotions [2]. Verbena also has a reputation for helping with liver congestion, and has a mild calming effect on the respiratory and cardiac systems [3]. Perhaps this is why verbena essential oil is often used to address nervous tension, anxiousness, stress-related insomnia and other symptoms of chronic stress [3]. The oil’s sweet yet sharp aroma can calm the emotions and focus the mind on the present moment when life’s demands seem overwhelming.

Because of its citral content, the same caution should be taken when using verbena essential oil as with citrus oils such as orange, lime, and lemon. Always do a patch test with verbena oil diluted in a carrier oil before working with this oil in a massage, and do not expose treated skin to sunlight for 24 hours after application to avoid possible photosensitization [3]. With its floral-citrusy fragrance, verbena oil blends well with resinous and citrus oils such as elemi, frankincense, lemon, neroli, and palmarosa.

REFERENCES

1. “Aloysia citriodora”. Wikipedia. Accessed February 24th, 2014. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aloysia_citrodora.

2. Roberts, Margaret. 2003. A-Z Herbs: Identifying Herbs, How to Grow Herbs, and the Uses of Herbs. Struik Publishers.

3. “What is Lemon Verbena Oil?” Wisegeek.com. Accessed April 9th, 2014. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-lemon-verbena-oil.htm.

4. Gomes, P.C.S., H.R.C. Oliveira, A.M.S. Vicente, and M.F. Ferreira. 2006. “Production, transformation and essential oils composition of leaves and stems of lemon verbena [Aloysia tryphilla (L’Hérit.) Britton] grown in Portugal”. Rev. Bras. Pl. Med. 8: 130-135. http://www.sbpmed.org.br/download/issn_06_4/8esp_130_135.pdf.

Spiritual Uses of Jasmine Oil

Spiritual Uses of Jasmine OilIn India and throughout the Himalayas region, jasmine is a sacred flower associated with love, sensuality and spiritual awakening: garlands of jasmine flowers are offered to Hindu deities such as Kama, the god of love, and given to bridal couples to ensure their love lasts. Jasmine’s wonderful ability to calm the mind and bring balance to turbulent emotions has created a strong basis for the many spiritual uses of jasmine oil in South Asia. Jasmine is probably best known in the West as an aphrodisiac oil for both men and women, but the physical and spiritual uses of jasmine oil go far beyond that. Read on to learn about jasmine’s healing actions on the mind and spirit!

Jasmine holds the same status as a symbol of love in the East as does the luscious rose in the West. Hindu legends connect jasmine with undying love, sometimes in tragic ways: for instance, one legend tells of an Indian princess who falls in love with Surya-Deva, the sun god; when he rejects her, she is so heartbroken that she dies of grief. Upon cremation, her ashes are scattered and the jasmine flower grows up where they land. Because the sun spurned her, jasmine flowers open only at night to release their delicate perfume. Another myth relates that Kama, the Hindu analog to Cupid in Roman myth, would drape his arrow tips with jasmine flowers to ensure that they pierced the human heart and filled it with love.

When the effects of pure jasmine oil on the emotions are examined, it’s no wonder this flower has so long been associated with love and compassion, including the kind of cosmic compassion that is so valued in Eastern spiritual practice. Jasmine oil is listed as a calming sedative in aromatherapy, but some research has suggested that jasmine oil also activates beta waves in the brain—the type of brainwaves that indicate feelings of alertness.

Because of jasmine oil’s ability to promote calm alertness, one of the invaluable spiritual uses of jasmine oil is in helping those struggling with emotional issues to sort out their feelings in a tranquil, self-aware manner. Jasmine oil can be used to help someone confront emotional dilemmas, especially those that relate to love and relationships; to address states of shock, trauma, emotional stress, low self esteem, or body image issues. Overall, jasmine oil seems to offer the emotions a reset button, helping the user gain clearheadedness and perspective when they have become demotivated, mentally lethargic, or discouraged for any reason.

When employed in meditation, a common spiritual use of jasmine oil is to balance the body’s chakras—collection points of energy throughout the body in Hindu and Buddhist practice. As an anointing oil, jasmine is used to faciltate the opening of the third eye chakra, as well as the sacral chakra. The third eye chakra, located in the forehead, is associated with the pineal gland—the symbolic seat of wisdom, imagination, creativity, and clairvoyance. As you might expect, the sacral chakra, located around the sacrum or tailbone, is associated with sensuality, being in touch with the physical body, and being comfortable in one’s own skin. Jasmine oil tends to be quite yang, meaning it encourages outwardly directed energy, helping the practitioner to put themselves forward and be more confident in who they are.

We will leave you today with Peter Holmes’ beautiful invocation on the value of pure jasmine oil for universal healing in Western society: “We’re all survivors of trauma. Western culture has a deep need for jasmine. Our individual sensual repression and our social sensual deprivation in the alienated Western lifestyle cry out for the sensuous euphoria that jasmine provides. The Queen of the Night can connect us to the feminine source of life, presently stirring from a deep unconscious sleep. Her night-blooming pearls can lead us once again to the fragrant dawn we yearn for.”

From Peter Holmes. “Jasmine: The Queen of the Night” in International Journal of Aromatherapy 8 (4): 8-12.

Tangerine Oil and Its Benefits for Seasonal Melancholy

Tangerine Oil and Its Benefits for Seasonal MelancholyTangerine… even the name of this luscious citrus fruit conjures up impressions of all that is tangy, sweet and juicy! These thin-skinned orange relatives have been enjoyed in drinks, desserts and main dishes for centuries in East Asia, and Christmas wouldn’t be the same in many regions of the British Commonwealth without a basket of tangerines in the kitchen. Aromatherapists use tangerine essential oil to lift seasonal depression, stimulate circulation, and as a digestive tonic [1]—and that’s just for starters!

The tangerine tree (Citrus reticulata) is an evergreen slightly smaller than a sweet orange tree, with shiny green leaves and smallish fruit with a reddish orange peel. The name “tangerine” comes from the port of Tangiers in Morocco[2] (the first port to grow tangerines for export to Europe), and literally means “of or from the region of Tangiers”!

Tangerines are techinically a variety of the mandarin orange, and can be told apart by their deeper orange color and lack of seeds: mandarin oranges have a yellow-orange peel and do contain seeds, called pips. Tangerines are also harvested in November, while the mandarin harvest occurs in February. Other varieties of mandarin include the clementine and the satsuma, named after the Satsuma region of Japan where it was first developed[3].

Along with the pomelo, citron, and papeda, the mandarin is also believed to be one of the four original species that were hybridized to produce all other citrus species, such as the lime, lemon, and sweet orange[3]. Interestingly enough, the mandarin is the only one of these four original species that is naturally sweet, as is its varietal the tangerine! Easy to peel and eat by themselves, tangerines are also added to fruit salads, desserts, main dishes, and squeezed to make juice. In Sichuan cuisine, the tangerine peel is dried and used as a zest in certain curries.

Tangerine essential oil is an orange-yellow liquid with a sweet, tangy aroma. The therapeutic compounds in the oil include a-thujone, a- and b-pinene, camphene, sabinene, myrcene, limonene, y-terpinolene, linalool, citronellol, terpineol-4-ol, nerol, and geraniol [2]. The primary use of tangerine oil in aromatherapy is as a nerve tonic with a calming effect on the emotions; it’s often inhaled from an oil burner or diffuser to relieve feelings of being “down” or “blue”, especially the seasonal depression commonly associated with winter[4]. As a gastric stimulant [1], tangerine oil is also used to treated conditions such as indigestion, flatulence, constipation, and diarrhea. The oil can stimulate circulation in the body, reducing edema and fluid retention [1], and has been used in massages to reduce and prevent the appearance of stretch marks. Like other citrus oils, particularly grapefruit and lemon, tangerine essential oil is also cleansing to the lymphatic system[5].

When using tangerine oil in a topical application, care should be taken to avoid exposing the treated skin to sunlight for at least 24 hours after treatment to avoid possible photosensitization [1]. Tangerine oil is considered generally non-sensitizing and non-irritating, but it should always be diluted before use and patch-tested on a small area of skin. With its tangy citrus scent, tangerine essential oil blends swimmingly with other citrus oils such as bergamot and neroli, floral scents such as lavender and clary sage, and spicy or balsamic oils such as frankincense, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, for an energizing synergy that just gives a boost to your day!

REFERENCES

1. “Health Benefits of Tangerine Essential Oil. Organic Facts. Accessed April 11th, 2014. http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/essential-oils/health-benefits-of-tangerine-essential-oil.html.

2. “Tangerine.” Wikipedia. Accessed April 11th, 2014. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangerine.

3. “Mandarin Orange.” Wikipedia. Accessed April 8th, 2014. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandarin_orange.

4. Stansfield, Brenda. “Aromatherapy for Season Affective Disorder.” Mother Earth Living. Last modified September 15th, 2009. http://www.motherearthliving.com/natural-health/aromatherapy-for-seasonal-affective-disorder.aspx#axzz2ybO4xXhD.

5. Thomas, Pat. “A Citrus Celebration.” NYR Natural News. Last modified June 27th, 2013. http://www.nyrnaturalnews.com/article/a-citrus-celebration/.

Palo Santo Oil and Its Grounding and Purifying Properties

Palo Santo Oil and Its Grounding and Purifying PropertiesThe name palo santo is Spanish for “Holy Wood’; it was given by Spanish missionaries to this unassuming tree because of the wood’s abilities to induce introspective and spiritual states. All the way back to the Inca, who burned palo santo wood as a cleansing incense, the grounding properties of palo santo oil  have been well known to South American herbalism. Today, the oil’s antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and sedative properties are being hotly investigated by modern aromatherapy [1].

The palo santo tree (Bursera graveolens) is native to the Yucatan region of Mexico, Central America, and the Gran Chaco region of South America that includes Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Bolivia, northern Argentina and parts of Brazil [2]. There are also a few palo santo trees on the Galapagos Islands. Part of the Burseraceae family, which includes such famous anointing oils as frankincense and myrrh, palo santo trees have twisted branches and whitish gray bark. The essential oil of palo santo is distilled from the heartwood and contains high levels of d-limonene, a-terpineol, trans-carveol, carvone, and germacrene D [4]. The aroma has been described as balsamic, earthy, and sweet with incense-like top notes.

Palo santo has a long history of use as a purifying incense used to prepare a space for ritual or spiritual work. The Inca burned the fragrant wood to banish negative energy from a space and guard against ill fortune, including evil spirits and illness. In Ecuador, the wood incense is still used to cleanse the home of “bad energy” (mala energia) and bring good luck. Palo santo wood has also been burned as a medicinal incense for various ailments: the Criollo people burned palo santo wood with the leaves of fringed rue (Ruta chapalensis) and blew it into the ears of those suffering ear infection or inflammation [2]. Another practice is fumigating cattle herds with palo santo smoke to protect the animals against vampire bats.

A herbal tea mixture containing palo santo is also prescibed in South American herbalism for treating stomachache, bowel and respiratory problems, and to improve mood, while the resin is frequently added to liniments for the treatment of rheumatism [3]. A growing use of palo santo oil is as an anointing oil in spiritual practice or meditation: a drop is massaged into the base of the neck to help center the mind and induce calm.

Palo santo oil is used in aromatherapy to treat muscle pain, inflamed joints, infections, and as a tonic for the immune and nervous systems [1]. With its earthy, grounding scent, palo santo oil can be diffused around the home or work space to create a cleansing, protective energy and to dispel negative emotions such as nervousness, anxiety, fear, stress, tension, or buried anger. Due to possible dermal irritation, palo santo oil should always be patch tested and diluted in a carrier oil before topical use.

As palo santo essential oil keeps growing in popularity, substitution and adulteration can be a problem; this is partly because the harvest of true palo santo is tightly regulated in Peru and Ecuador to protect the trees from overharvesting: by law, harvesters can only take wood from dead trees or branches that have fallen to the ground. Interestingly enough, many palo santo oil distillers believe that the dead heartwood actually yields a superior essential oil—and that the longer the tree has been dead, the more powerful the oil will be!

However, what this means for consumers is that certain unscrupulous companies will try to sell other Bursera species in place of palo santo, often under a generic name like “Holy Wood”. These substitutes are not the true palo santo oil. If you want to know that you’re getting the real, verified palo santo essential oil, make sure to only buy oils that list the genus-species, Bursera graveolens. At Essential Oil Exchange, we get our authentic palo santo oil direct from Ecuador, so you can experience the real benefits this holy wood offers to mind, body and spirit!

REFERENCES

1. “The Healing Benefits of Palo Santo.” Natureal Mom. Accessed April 7th, 2014. http://naturealmom.com/the-healing-benefits-of-palo-santo/.

2.”Bursera graveolens.” Wikipedia. Accessed April 11th, 2014. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bursera_graveolens.

3. Nakanishi, Tsutomu, Yuka Inatomi, Hiroko Murata, Kaori Shigeta, Naoki Iida, Akira Inada, Jin Murata, Miguel Angel Perez Farerra, Munekazu Iinuma, Toshiyuki Tanaka, Shogo Tajima, and Naoto Oku. February 2005. “A new and known cytotoxic aryltetralin-type lignans from stems of Burersa graveolens.” Chemical Pharmaceutical Bulletin 53(2): 229.

4. Young, D. Gary, Sue Chao, Herve Casablanca, Marie-Claude Bertrand, Danilo Minga. January 2007. “Essential Oil of Bursera graveolens (Kunth)Triana et Planch from Ecuador.” Journal of Essential Oil Research 19: 525-26.

Essential Oils to Get Rid of Bed Bugs

Essential Oils to Get Rid of Bed BugsOf all the insects that prey on humans, perhaps none are so pesky as the dreaded bed bug: bane of sleep and nighttime comfort since ancient times, bed bugs have been a fact of life for millennia, and are making a comeback in many areas as they develop resistance to chemical pesticides. Fortunately, it’s possible to use certain essential oils to get rid of bedbugs and prevent future infestations.

Bed bugs are tiny, brown, flattish insects that feed on blood. They got their name from their habit of infesting bedding [1]. Areas where large numbers of people are sleeping, such as hotels, college dorms, and apartment buildings, are especially prone to bed bug infestations [2]. Hiding during the day, bed bugs come out at night to feed, frequently leaving reddish bite marks that can be very itchy and irritating to the skin. A few people have more serious allergic reactions to bed bug bites [2]. Even when symptoms stop at itching, bed bug bites interfere with restful sleep [2], which can result in health problems such as lethargy, a depressed immune system, weight gain, and anxiety or depression. Scratching the bites to relieve itching can also damage skin integrity and allow microorganisms to enter through the skin, causing infections. However, bed bugs themselves are not known to transmit any infectious agents to humans [2].

In the mid-20th century, bed bugs were almost eradicated from the developed world by the use of DDT, a pesticide that is now infamous because it devastated bird populations. DDT and many similar pesticides are now banned for their detrimental effects on human health and wildlife. What’s more, many bed bugs now show a resistance to these pesticides [3]. As a result, bed bugs are surging back in the developed world, and the need for natural remedies such as essential oils to get rid of bed bugs is bigger than ever.

How to Detect Bed Bugs: Bed bugs like to hide in dark, warm crevices during the day. If you suspect you may have a bed bug problem, check creases in your sheets, mattress seams, your bed frame and headboard, and the walls and floor of your bedroom. Bedbugs sometimes congregate around the seams between the walls, floor, and ceiling. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for their eggs and feces as well as the adult bugs: bed bug feces will appear on surfaces as small brown spots, while the eggs look like small whitish spots[1].

How to Use Essential Oils to Get Rid of Bed Bugs: Some common essential oils that may be repellent or even fatal to bed bugs and their eggs include eucalyptus [2], peppermint, lavender, rosemary, and clove [4]. Other essential oils that may repel—though not necessarily kill—bed bugs include palo santo, cedarwood, thyme, myrtle, and tea tree oil [4]. Whether you suspect you already have bed bugs or want to prevent them from entering your home, you can use these oils in a diluted room or bed spray to repel these pesky critters. Here’s a basic recipe for a bed bug repellent spray with essential oils:

1 cup water
10 drops lavender oil
10 drops rosemary oil
10 drops eucalyptus oil
3 drops clove bud oil (optional)

You can treat your mattress and bed linens with this spray or diffuse it into the air of your bedroom or hotel room. This spray can also be applied to cracks and seams in the walls where bed bugs like to hide and lay their eggs, to kill any bugs hiding there. Make sure to use a sparing amount of these powerful oils, and always dilute them before use: larger amounts may stain bedding or clothing, or cause headaches in sensitive people[4]. If you do plan to use a larger amount of spray to fumigate a room, strip the bed and leave the room overnight, and keep pets and children away.

Other Ways to Protect Yourself: When traveling, never place your suitcase on the ground where bed bugs can crawl inside. Instead, place it on the folding rack provided by some hotels or on the high shelf of a closet, and keep it closed up. You can also make sachets of dried bed bug-repellent herbs (such as lavender, eucalyptus, and rosemary) and place them in your suitcase and any garments before putting them in the hotel room’s closet or drawers [4]. When you arrive home, store your suitcase in the garage or bathtub for a couple days in case any bed bugs have stowed away inside. The insects will be unable to climb the tub sides, and you should be able to quickly spot any against the white enamel.

Bed bugs don’t like heat, so dry your bedding, linens, drapes and clothes at the highest temperature in the dryer to kill any bugs that may be on them. You can also heat treat smaller items like overnight bags by placing them in a sealed black plastic bag in direct sunlight for about 3 hours, or until the internal temperature has reached 110 degrees Fahrenheit [4]. Use a handheld steamer to clean your mattress for the same effect; adding lavender essential oil to the water will make this treatment even more effective [5].

If You Do Get Bit: For those unfortunate times when taking every precaution against bed bugs isn’t enough, there are also natural remedies that can alleviate the itching and skin irritation caused by bed bug bites. Applying witch hazel, organic apple cider vinegar, or even a slice of raw potato to a cut can reduce itching and swelling, and using chamomile soap on the bitten area will also address irritation while moisturizing the skin [5]. And of course, don’t forget the panoply of essential oils that can soothe inflamed or irritated skin, such as lavender, German chamomile, geranium, and vetiver.

REFERENCES

1. “Bed Bug.” Wikipedia. Accessed April 15th, 2014. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bed_bug.

2. Goddard, PhD, Jerome and Richard de Shazo, MD. April 1st, 2009. “Bed Bugs (Cimex lecticularius) and clinical consequences of their bites.” Journal of the American Medical Association  301 (13): 1358-1366.

3. Romero, Alvaro, Michael F. Potter, Daniel A. Potter, and Kenneth F. Haynes. 2007. “Insecticide Resistance in the Bed Bug: A Factor in the Pest’s Sudden Resurgence?” Journal of Medical Entomology 44 (2): 175-178.

4. “Natural Bed Bug Control.” The Herb Gardener. Accessed April 15th, 2014. http://theherbgardener.blogspot.com/2009/05/get-rid-of-bed-bugs.html.

5. Henderson, Daniel. July 10th, 2013. “Bed Bugs and How to Eliminate Them Naturally”. http://voices.yahoo.com/bedbugs-eliminate-them-naturally-12221952.html?cat=68.