Useful Essential Oil Profiles

ROSESSCENT.COM

Cinnamon
Cinnamon is one of the most commonly used spices in the world today; it’s been an ingredient in both Indian and Arabic cooking for centuries. It was probably first used medicinally in Egypt,
and is medicinally active because of its volatile oil, which is extracted (usually steam distilled) from the bark and leaves of the cinnamon plant, and has antiviral properties.
There are actually two different kinds of Cinnamon oil: that from the bark, and that from the leaves. Though both oils have similar properties, it is commonly suggested that the bark’s oil is particularly good for diffusing, while the leaf’s oil is best used in topical treatments. The Complete Guide to Natural Healing states that “the primary components of Cinnamon oil are eugenic acid and cinnamic aldehyde,” and that “these constituents are highly antiseptic and have a warming, stimulating effect on both body and mind” (3:9).
Cinnamon oil is traditionally used to help alleviate muscular pain and joint problems (including arthritis). It is also effective as a repellant for head lice, for battling colds, and stimulating circulation. On an emotional level, Cinnamon essential oil can be used to “calm your anxieties and strengthen self-confidence…[and is] useful for instilling emotional strength” (Ibid.).
Take Care! Cinnamon oil should only be used sparingly for topical applications. Even when diluted, it can irritate the skin if the amount is too high. As with most volatile oils, Cinnamon oil is always diluted first with a carrier oil. Oil extracted from the bark of the cinnamon plant is suitable only for use in a diffuser or simmer pot. Don’t use more than 3 drops, since its high potency may cause headaches.
Lemon
Like other essential oils in the citrus family, Lemon oil comes from the peel of the fruit, not the flesh. It has been used in laundry and cleaning products because of its clean and healthy smell. The oil can be extracted by steam distillation or cold pressing, “although cold pressing yields the more natural-smelling oil” (Bowles, pg. 68). It takes approximately 200 pounds of lemon peel (or 1,500 lemons) to produce a single pound of the essential oil (The Complete Guide to Natural Healing, 3:21). And the pure essential oil has a short shelf life, so purchase it in small quantities (Enhancing Your Body, Mind, Spirit, 1:30).
One should not confuse lemon juice with Lemon oil, as the two are dissimilar. For example, there’s no vitamin C or citric acid in Lemon essential oil – both of which come from the juice of the lemon, not its peel. Bowles writes that “lemon juice has many more reported medicinal applications than Lemon oil – as an astringent and an antibacterial agent, for example” (pg. 68), but I wonder whether that is simply because lemon juice has been used in more studies and trials than its essential oil counterpart…
Fitzsimmons and Bousquet suggest that “both the smell and appearance of lemon point to its strengths: concentration, cleansing, and mental warming” (pg. 36). Indeed, Lemon essential oil is most commonly used in aromatherapy to uplift and focus the mind. It’s also used as an aerial disinfectant. Lemon oil contains such active ingredients as terpenes and citronellal, which have a strong germicidal and antibacterial effect. This makes it particularly useful for treating colds, flus, and other infections. Lemon oil can also positively affect varicose veins, poor appetite and exhaustion (The Complete Guide to Natural Healing, 3:21).
Take Care! When the skin is exposed to intense sunlight, Lemon oil has been known to cause pigment spots. Therefore, do not use Lemon essential oil or toiletries containing citrus essential oils or citrus perfumes within 6 hours of exposure to the sun. (Ibid.)
Clary Sage
Most people are unfamiliar with Clary sage essential oil, not knowing where it comes from, what it is, what it smells like, etc. Yet this remains one of the favorites used by many Aromatherapists, particularly for women’s issues. Clary sage oil comes from the clary plant (Salvia sclarea). It is related to lavender, thyme, and lemon balm and, though native to France, Italy, and Syria, it is now cultivated worldwide for its medicinal use. In fact, it has quite a history of therapeutic use: “Derived from the Latin clarus, for ‘clear,’ clary sage was a medieval remedy for blurred vision and eyestrain” (The Complete Guide to Natural Healing, 3:25).
Clary sage essential oil comes from the furry leaves of this plant; there are primarily two ways of getting the oil – solvent extraction and steam distillation. Aromatherapists only use oil that has been steam distilled. Solvent-extracted oil tends to get used as a flavoring agent for tobacco and in some muscatel wines (Bowles, pg. 143).
As an essential oil, Clary sage has antiseptic, deodorant, antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory properties (Fitzsimmons and Bousquet, pg. 72; The Complete Guide to Natural Healing, 3:25). It has been widely used as a natural treatment for eczema and psoriasis, as well as for minor cuts and wounds. Clary sage oil is also estrogen stimulating; “the oil’s ability to balance fluctuating hormones makes it a highly beneficial remedy for PMS, painful menstrual cramps and the hot flashes and migraines associated with menopause” (The Complete Guide to Natural Healing, 3:25). Apparently, the oil has even been used during pregnancy to help minimize labor pains.
Clary sage oil is comprised of such therapeutic components as linalool, sclareol, monoterpenes and tannins, which give it its therapeutic qualities. Its range of uses is wide, but it seems to be most commonly used for muscle aches and tension, labor pains, menstrual cramps, psoriasis and acne, dandruff, dry hair, melancholy, and depression. Emotionally, it is useful when dealing with fear, stress, and anxiety (Fitzsimmons and Bousquet, pg. 72).
Clove
Cloves are a traditional holiday spice, used in baking during the cold fall and winter months. Probably all of us are familiar with the warm, sweet scent of cloves, which are the dried flower buds of the clove tree, native to the Molucca Islands of Indonesia (The Complete Guide to Natural Healing, 3:50). That’s right, cloves are the flower buds – they rarely get to flower, because the buds are harvested as soon as they turn pink. You have probably seen dried cloves – they have the look of tiny dark brown nails. In fact, the word “clove” comes from the Latin clavus, which means “nail.”
Cloves and clove oil have been enjoyed for thousands of years for their therapeutic qualities. Today, whole and ground cloves are used most often in cooking, but the herb has not lost its therapeutic value! Its oil is extracted primarily through steam distillation. It is spicy, warm and sweet and “possesses antispasmodic, antiviral, and antiseptic effects” (The Complete Guide to Natural Healing, 3:50). It also has analgesic qualities – generations have used it topically, for example, to treat toothaches. On an emotional and psychological level, clove oil “is a mental stimulant…and helps romance” (Fitzsimmons and Bousquet, pg. 192).
Clove oil’s mild anesthetic properties come from its eugenol, acetyleugenol and oleanolic acid. These components in particular also make the oil a good treatment for disinfecting canker sores and wounds. In general, aromatherapists use clove essential oil to treat headaches, muscle pain, gum inflammations, stomachaches, gas, and diarrhea.
Take Care! There are three different types of clove oil: clove-bud oil, clove-stem oil, and clove-leaf oil. Buy only clove-bud oil, which has the lowest eugenol content and is the safest; clove-stem and clove-leaf oils are too strong. Use clove oil sparingly and only when diluted, because it may irritate the skin. Also, avoid it if you’re pregnant, since it can trigger contractions.
(The Complete Guide to Natural Healing, 3:50).
Yarrow
This is an oil that most people are not familiar with, though it has a long list of uses and strong healing power when applied appropriately. Those most familiar with the oil know that it actually comes in a range of colors “from dark blue to pale yellow depending on the country of origin” (Bowles, pg. 44). The yarrow plant has quite a distinguished history including its use in ancient China as the sacred plant from which the 50 wooden sticks were made for the I-Ching ritual. The Chinese felt the yarrow plant was “the perfect unification of yin and yang, since the hard, strong stem is filled with a soft substance” (The Complete Guide to Natural Healing, 3:27). Additionally, yarrow’s binomial – Achillea millefolium – honors Greek hero Achilles, who was said to have used the plant to heal his injured tendon. This, from a plant that you can find growing wild alongside roads and in fields all across Europe and North America!
Yarrow essential oil lives up to its powerful reputation. The flavanoids present in the oil “dilate the peripheral arteries and induce sweating, while alkaloids help to lower blood pressure” (The Complete Guide to Natural Healing, 3:27). In addition, its tannins give it astringent properties, and the compounds cyaniding, azulene, and salicylic acid make it an anti-inflammatory. But wait – there’s more! “Yarrow oil also contains the volatile oils borneol, camphor, isoartemesia ketone, cineole, and terineol as well as amino acids, lactones, saponins, coumarins and sterols” (Ibid.). What this means for us is that yarrow essential oil possesses valuable laxative, analgesic, antispasmodic, carminative, expectorant, stimulant and antiseptic properties.
The traditional usage of yarrow oil has been to treat cuts and abrasions; its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties make it a good choice for this. However, a truly versatile oil, it can also be used to relieve muscle pain, stomach cramps, flatulence, painful menstruation, irregular
menses, sinus congestion, fevers, skin inflammation, stretch marks and varicose veins, and it can be used “to support meditation and strengthen intuition” (Ibid.).
No wonder it made it on my list!
But do use it with caution, because – like most essential oils – it is strong enough to cause skin irritation in people with sensitive skin. It can also cause an allergic response in some people so “spot testing” is definitely the way to proceed with this oil.
Sandalwood
The sandalwood tree has a sacred history in its native India, Tibet, and China, where its wood has been used for centuries to protect religious carvings in temples and monasteries. Originally, sandalwood essential oil was only taken from the wood – not the leaves or flowers – of trees that were at least 30 years old, but “sustainable management practices were not implemented in time” and as a result, “demand outstripped supply, and [India’s] plantations can no longer meet the world’s requirement for pure sandalwood oil” (Bowles, pg. 144). Another tree, native to Australia, produces oil that is similar to the Indian sandalwood oil. Both types are used the same way.
Sandalwood essential oil contains a high percentage of terpene-containing alcohols, primarily alpha-santalol and beta-santalol; these compounds give the oil its antispasmodic, germicidal, and expectorant effects. However, it must be said that the oil’s best-known use is more emotional in nature: “You can use the healing aroma of the sandalwood tree to promote feelings of peace and serenity,” (Enhancing Your Body, Mind, Spirit, 1:42) or use it as an aphrodisiac for “its highly relaxing and erotic effects” (The Complete Guide to Natural Healing, 3:28).
The oil is thick and yellow and is steam distilled from the heartwood of the tree. As such, it has a warm, balsamic, woody scent that both mellows and becomes more complex as the oil matures. It has been used as spiritual protection, by Aromatherapists who work on that level. And, as suggested above, is traditionally “associated with male energy and is used as an aphrodisiac for men” (Bowles, pg. 144). Other medicinal uses include treating respiratory and urinary-tract infections, skin blemishes, dry skin, eczema, tension, depression, and anxiety (The Complete Guide to Natural Healing, 3:28).
Caution! Research has shown that sandalwood oil can be toxic if taken internally and in high doses. The essential oil can cause inflammation of the skin and damage to kidney tissue. (Ibid.)