 Sweet Orange essential oil comes from the rind of the sweet orange. Imagine cutting into an orange and inhaling its fresh, uplifting scent. The aroma alone can improve your mood. With approximately 98% monoterpenes - of which 95.5% is d- limonene -- this oil has a plethora of therapeutic properties.
The limonene content in Sweet Orange EO stimulates the immune system, activates white blood cells, and is antibacterial. It's anti-inflammatory, and its antinociceptive action can help relieve nociceptive pain (see the nociceptive pain article under Karen's Blog) which helps make it a good analgesic. As mentioned above, Sweet Orange can help reduce anxiety and lift your mood. Because of the limonene, Sweet Orange acts as an antioxidant in our bodies and has demonstrated antitumoral properties in scientific studies. Ironically though, the oil itself will oxidize easily if not properly stored (cool, dark space with minimal exposure to air). Sweet Orange EO is great in diffuser blends during cold and flu season, in diffuser and inhaler blends when your spirits are low, and in topical blends for soothing achy joints and muscles. As a skin penetration enhancer, it'll help all the constituents of a topical blend absorb more deeply. Although it's a citrus oil, Sweet Orange is not phototoxic, so UV exposure after application is fine. The main precaution for Sweet Orange is that it may be a mild skin irritant for some, but, if oxidized, will irritate the skin and mucous membranes. It is recommended that it be limited to 1 - 2% in topical blends, and that you should not vaporize this oil in high ozone (smog) areas. To learn more about Sweet Orange Essential Oils, check out its Datasheet in the membership section.
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 Who doesn't love the aroma of cinnamon? Like the spice, the essential oil can elicit warm, fuzzy feelings that offer emotional support and lift your spirits. Be ready though - this is a powerful oil!
Cinnamon Bark's primary chemical constituent is cinnamaldehyde, which is antimicrobial - that means it's antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal. This oil can also help boost your immune system. During cold and flu season, diffusing Cinnamon Bark as part of a blend is a good way to keep the germ count down. Cinnamaldehyde belongs to the aldehyde family of chemicals. Aldehydes are very harsh on the skin, so this essential oil is best used for diffusion or in homemade cleaning blends. If you decide to use it in a topical blend, the maximum dilution would be 1 drop in 40 mL (1.33 oz) of carrier oil. (30 mL = 1 oz) Do not use this oil if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Do not use with kids under the age of 5. To read more about Cinnamon Bark essential oil, check it out in the membership section.  Carrot Seed essential oil is most commonly associated with skin care -- yet, this oil has a few surprises in store for you. Let's discover what Carrot Seed can do.
First and foremost, Carrot Seed EO is a skin cell regenerative. The antioxidants in the oil can help heal damaged skin and moisturize and protect your skin. The oil can also be used to treat dermatophyte, bacterial, and fungal skin infections as well as skin conditions like eczema, and skin cancers. This oil is also anti-inflammatory and analgesic which makes it a good choice for arthritis blends. It has diuretic properties, and certain extracts have been shown to protect the kidneys, liver, and stomach. As with any essential oil, it's important to get a GC/MS report so you can see the chemical constituents as local growing conditions may affect them. Cautions: If you are trying to get pregnant, are pregnant, or breastfeeding, Carrot Seed EO is contraindicated.  When I think of Basil, I think about an herb I add to food when cooking. Sweet Basil essential oil (different from Tulsi Basil) has a sweet, pungent, herbaceous aroma with subtle hints of licorice and 1,8-Cineole (the main component in Eucalyptus).
Sweet Basil is a member of the mint plant family, and shares its cousin's ability to lift the mood and to help reduce nausea and vomiting with its aroma alone. Used in inhaler, diffuser. or massage blends, it can calm stress and anxiety, help improve mental clarity and energy, and relieve stress headaches. It's great in topical blends for sore, swollen joints and muscle spasms. With antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties, it can be used during colds and flu to help relieve spasmodic coughs. The chemical composition of this oil can vary significantly based on a number of factors (like where the plant was grown and the altitude and weather of the area), so it's important to get a GC/MS report each time you buy a new bottle. Topical dilution should be 3% maximum, and this oil should not be used on or near the faces of children under the age of 10. To learn more about this beautiful essential oil, check out its datasheet in the membership section. Imagine adding the spice Black Pepper to your food. Think of the scent of the pepper and the flavor it adds to your food. Now, imagine the oil that comes from this spice -- it has that same earthy, warm, peppery aroma, and, just like the spice, brings warmth. Just as using the spice in your food brings therapeutic properties, using the oil topically can concentrate and localize those same benefits. Let's look at what those benefits are.
Black Pepper Essential Oil is rubefacient and a vasodilator -- that means it opens up the blood vessels which will bring more blood to an area, promote healing, and have a warming sensation. With a significant percentage of the sesquiterpene β-caryophyllene, and the monoterpenes d-limonene, α- pinene, β-pinene, and δ-3-carene, Black Pepper has significant anti-inflammatory and analgesic therapeutic properties. This makes it a good choice in blends for sore joints and muscles, massage, and the healing stages following injury. Black Pepper has antibacterial activity against several common pathogens (like the one involved in UTIs), and may help reduce fever. If you have stuck congestion with thick mucus in your lungs, it can help with expectoration. As a digestive stimulant and anti-emetic, it can support proper digestion and reduce feelings of nausea or vomiting. It can be added to an inhaler blend or blended for massage on the abdomen for these purposes. Finally, smoking-cessation studies have shown that inhaling Black Pepper essential oil can help reduce the craving to smoke. Blended with Angelica essential oil, it's even more effective. Reading about these studies sparked the inspiration for my PQ Minder inhaler/diffuser blend - I combined the Black Pepper and Angelica, then added calming and grounding essential oils to reduce the anxiety and bad mood that accompany quitting smoking. Wearing a drop or two on diffuser jewelry has been most effective for me. As long as I wear it, I have no urge to smoke, and I'm not a witch! When I first studied Black Pepper essential oil, I read that it could be irritating to the skin. This is not totally accurate. As long as it's not oxidized, it's fine to use (appropriately diluted) on the skin. If it becomes oxidized, then it could irritate the skin. |
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