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Spikenard essential oil: ease insomnia and stress

March 27th, 2009    Subscribe To Our Feed

We live in a stressful world. Those things that can cause stress in our lives are personal relationships, work, finances, illness, etc. To help cope with these stresses there are many things that individuals can do. Some of those things included a walk in the park, meditation, yoga, listening to music, etc.

One additional stress relieving activity is through the use of aromatherapy. Aromatherapy utilizes various scents to help the body emotionally, mentally and physically. Generally, aromatherapy uses essential oils.

Essential oils are liquid in nature and are usually drawn and created from certain natural elements. Those elements could be leaves, roots, spices, trees, flowers, grasses, and fruits. Within the category of essential oils a certain subcategory has been established. The subcategory is known as rare essential oils.

One such rare essential oil is Spikenard. When considering the use of this rare essential oil it is important to know what constitutes a rare essential oil, what Spikenard is and what the uses of this oil are.

What Are Rare Essential Oils?

Rare essential oils are those oils that provide a unique scent or aroma. This uniqueness is based on the substance or combination of substances that are used in comprising the rare essential oil. Often this uniqueness is based on the limited availability of the flower, spice, tree, etc. In addition the rarity of the essential oil may be determined through a blending or combination of ingredients.

What Is Spikenard?

One such rare essential oil is Spikenard. The Bible alludes to this oil as the one that Mary Magdalene used on the feet of Jesus. The reason for this essential oil being labeled as rare is because it is taken from the Spikenard plant that is found in the Himalayas.

The actual oil is produced by crushing the stems of this flower and through a distilling process it is produced into a usable form. When created into an oil form the appearance of the oil takes on an amber color.

Uses Of Spikenard

This rare essential oil serves a number of purposes when used as oil or in incense form. One of the best methods to take advantage of this scent is through the use of a diffuser. A diffuser is a device that helps to circulate essential oils into the air as part of aromatherapy.

Some of the popular uses of Spikenard are to treat insomnia, difficulties during pregnancy, excessive gas and to aid in addressing sleeplessness. One of the precautions to remember when utilizing rare essential oils is that they are not recommended for an individual to inhale if they have asthmatic problems.

Lavender Aromatherapy using lavender essential oil

August 4th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Although many of the essential oils used in aromatherapy are not widely known, everyone knows lavender. It’s a familiar scent which has been called a “medicine chest in a bottle”, since it’s useful for cleaning wounds, dabbing onto burns, easing itches, and easing migraines and muscular pain.

Lavender is the safest, oldest, most well known healing plant. Throughout history it has been used as a medicine, cosmetic, herb and an aromatherapy oil.

Lavender is actually a memory of the mint family. It has been cultivated throughout the world for thousands of years. Lavender is very appealing to the senses, which is why it has been used in perfumes, balms, cosmetics and topical applications. Plus it also has anti-inflammatory and disinfectant properties that are quite useful. Regardless of what type of lavender you use, it is also nice to know that it blends well with other essential and carrier oils.

What Lavender Aromatherapy Is Used For

Lavender aromatherapy is said to remove indecisiveness, the pain of emotional conflict and to also bring about a sense of rationality. Numerous studies have also shown that lavender aromatherapy also has a positive impact on the nervous system so it is good for treating excitability, panic, nervous tension, agitation and for promoting peaceful sleep.

Using Lavender Aromatherapy

The flower-petals from lavender yield nectar that is used in flavoring such things as honey, sugar and herbs. It can also be blended with black tea to create lavender tea. However, the most popular use is in lavender aromatherapy.

Lavender has both antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. Lavender aromatherapy can also be used to soothe head-aches, ward off insects and calm itchy incest bites. It has also been known to help people who have problems sleeping, relaxing or are generally restless and thus need something to help them calm down.

So, as you can see, lavender aromatherapy is able to balance, regulate and soothe both the body and the mind. Therefore a lot of people like to add it to their bathwater or sprinkle it on their pillows before going to sleep at night since it will help them to have a peaceful, relaxed night of sleep. Lavender itself is an analgesic, anti-microbial, antidepressant, antiseptic, anti toxic, etc. For this reason it can be used to treat hypertension, water-retention, convulsions and other spasmodic ailments.

If you surround yourself with lavender aromatherapy then it can bring about an unexpected sense of harmony in your life. There are many ways in which this can be done. You can use incense or candles placed around your home. There are also lavender sachets that you can purchase to place in your closets and drawers. Plus, as aforementioned you can put drops of lavender on your pillows before going to sleep. Of course, you can also place drops of lavender aromatherapy essential oil on light rings, aroma lamps, diffusers and potpourri.

Tangerine essential oil - fresh and clean

August 3rd, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Love citrus scents? If you do, you’ll love tangerine essential oil. It’s often evaporated in aromatherapy burners with a sharp oil like basil, because it’s calming and while boosting energy and mental abilities.

Tangerine essential oils relieve stress and soothe the nervous system and can be used as a tonic to help with the digestive system. It has also been known to help with diarrhea, constipation and flatulence. Tangerine essential oil is also very good for the skin and helps to prevent stretch marks.

Acne sufferers may find relief from washes into which tangerine oil is incorporated.

It is great for increasing blood circulation and helps to prevent fluid retention. Tangerine essential oil has all of these properties while relieving stress and anxiety.

When tangerine essential oil is put on a small oil burner and vaporized it is very calming to the senses and gives off a soft citrus scent. It is very pleasing to the senses and helps with the digestive system when inhaled.

When tangerine essential oil is blended in massage oil or diluted in bath water, the oil will help with the nervous system. The massage oil is especially helpful with the digestive system complaints of flatulence, constipation and diarrhea.

As a cream or lotion, tangerine essential oil, is a great help for uncomfortable symptoms in pregnant women. It improves the blood circulation and helps to prevent fluid retention, while working to prevent stretch marks.

It is best not to expose the skin to sunlight after applying, as it has been known for photo toxicity - that is, it makes the skin more sensitive to sunlight.

Other than this precaution, tangerine essential oil is a non-toxic, non-irritant and non-sensitizing oil. This oil must be diluted before use on sensitive areas such as the genital area, neck and face and should not be used on infants or small children. It is also not intended to diagnose, cure, prevent or treat any disease.

Tangerines were originally from China but were transported by early traders to Europe around the early 1800’s. It did not take long for this tangy fruit to travel to the United States where the largest harvests come from today.

Tangerines are for the most part, harvested in November. The tangerine is a sweet and tangy fruit which has a deep orange color and does not contain any pips. Tangerine essential oil is extracted from the peel of the tangerine by cold expression. This essential oil is used for dietary, aromatic or topical use and is used as a calming agent.

Tangerine essential oil is an excellent oil to help uplift the spirits and bring about a sense of security. Tangerine essential oil is also highly enriched with the antioxidant d-limonene and is extracted from Citrus reticulate of the Rutaceae family and is also known as the European mandarin.

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