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Six Essential Oils that Affect Emotion, Perception and Behavior

Lyn Belisle

Bergamot - Beating the BluesHave you ever enjoyed a cup of Earl Grey tea? What makes this tea unique is the addition of

bergamot essential oil, which flavors many beverages and candies. Bergamots deep citrusy fragrance isalso a popular component of mens fragrances, and widely used in aromatherapy.

A small citrus tree originally from tropical Asia, it produces the round, green fruit whose oils areexpressed from the rinds before ripening. While not edible or pretty, they smell truly wonderful!The green-tinted oil gained favor only after the tree was brought to Bergamot, Italy, in the fifteenth century.There it was used to treat fevers, malaria, and intestinal worms. It now is also grown in the warm climatesof California, Florida, and the Caribbean.

According to legend, Christopher Columbus brought the tree to the Caribbean, where it was

popularly used in voodoo practices to protect one from misfortune. Columbus may have had his ownreasons for traveling with bergamot. Carrying the dried fruit in your pocket was thought to keep travelerssafe on their journeys and soothe the stress of traveling.

Modern aromatherapists agree on the effective uplifting and depression-fighting properties ofbergamot. All citrus essential oils share this property, but bergamot excels.

Principal constituents of bergamot:Linalyl acetate, linalol, and up to 300 other components, includingbergapten.

Scent of bergamot:The fragrance is fresh, green, fruity, and cleanly refreshing, but slightly spicy andbalsamic compared with other citruses. It mixes well with other aromas, mellowing the overall fragrancewhile adding richness.

Therapeutic properties of bergamot:Physical:antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, antiviral, antibiotic.

Emotional:uplifting, inspiring, confidence-building and helps overcomeanxiety, depression,

despair and worry

Uses for bergamot:

Bergamot fights several viruses, including those that cause flu, herpes, shingles, and chicken pox.

Due to its versatile antibiotic properties, it also treats bacterial infections of the urinary system,mouth, and throat and a variety of skin conditions, including eczema.

As a natural deodorant, it not only provides a pleasant scent, but it kills bacteria that areresponsible for odor. Add 30 drops to half a cup of cornstarch or arrowroot powder for bodypowder or ten drops per ounce to witch hazel solution from the drugstore for an instant deodorant.

Bergamot is second only to lavender in its ability to relax brain waves when sniffed.

Cautions for bergamot:Due to bergapten, bergamot can be photosensitizing, causing abnormal skinpigmentation when used externally by sensitive individuals who then go out in the sun. A bergapten-freeessential oil is available; this should be noted on the bottle. While it may sound appealing to make yourown Earl Grey tea, leave that up to the experts; they add only the tiniest amount of essential oil to the tealeaves in a quantity that is safe to ingest.

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Victorian era, women revived themselves from faints caused by tight corsets with lavender-filled swooningpillows.

Principal constituents of lavender:Linalol, linalyl acetate, geranyle, eucalyptol, pinene, limonene,cineole, phenol, coumarins, flavonoids

Scent of lavender: The aroma is sweet, floral, and herbal with balsamic undertones. Both men andwomen like the scent of lavender.

Therapeutic properties of lavender:Physical:Antiseptic, circulatory stimulant; relieves muscle spasms and crampingEmotional: Balancing, centering and calmingeases insomnia and anxiety

Uses for lavender: Lavender is among the safest and most widely used of all aromatherapy oils. It relieves muscle

pain, migraines and other headaches, and inflammation. It is also one of the most antisepticessential oils, treating many types of infection, including lung, sinus, vaginal, and especiallycandida infections.

Lavender is suitable for all skin types. Cosmetically, it appears to be a cell regenerator. Itprevents scarring and stretch marks and reputedly slows the development of wrinkles. It is usedon burns, sun-damaged skin, wounds, rashes, and, of course, skin infections.

Lavender also treats indigestion, including colic, and boosts immunity. Of several fragrances tested by aromatherapy researchers, lavender was most effective at

relaxing brain waves and reducing stress. It also reduced computer errors by almost one-fourthwhen used to scent the office.

Cautions for lavender:None

Peppermint Attention, Brightness and JoyInstantly recognizable, peppermint oil has a very potent minty aroma that produces a cooling and

refreshing sensation. The most widely used of all aromatic essential oils, peppermint makes a grandappearance in all sorts of edible and nonedible products, including beverages, ice cream, sauces andjellies, liqueurs, medicines, dental preparations, cosmetics, tobacco, desserts, and gums.It was known to the Egyptians, who dedicated mint to the god Horus.

The Romans personified it as Minthe or Mentha, the beautiful naiad loved by Pluto, god of theunderworld. Peppermint self-hybridized by the seventeenth century into more than 20 modern varieties ofsquare-stemmed perennials that easily spread by underground root systems. It now grows wildthroughout Europe, North America, and Australia, and is one of the few essential oil plants grown in theU.S., where the rainfall, temperature, and soil conditions in Michigan and central Oregon are ideal for highoil production. Most of the oil is redistilled to produce a lighter mint flavor for candies and gums.

After the British Medical Journal noted in 1879 that smelling menthol, which is the maincomponent in peppermint, relieves headaches and nerve pain, menthol cones that evaporate into the airbecame all the rage

Everyone, including modern scientists, agrees that it is a strong mental and physical stimulant

that can help one concentrate and stay awake and alert.

Principal constituents of peppermint:Menthol (up to 70 percent), menthone, menthyl acetate,limonene, pulegone, cineol, azulene, and others

Scent of peppermint:Peppermint has a powerful, minty-fresh, camphoraceous, cool, and distinctivefragrance.

Therapeutic properties of peppermint:

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Physical: Anti-inflammatory; relieves pain, muscle spasms, and cramping; relaxes the nerves;kills viral infections; decreases gas and indigestion; clears lung congestion; reduces feverEmotional: Eases irritability (think winter holidays), nervous tension, mood swings, grouchinessdue to indigestion

Uses for peppermint:

Peppermint helps the digestion of heavy foods and relieves flatulence and intestinal cramping,actually relaxing the digestive muscles so they operate more efficiently. A massage over theabdomen with an oil containing peppermint can greatly aid intestinal spasms, indigestion, nausea,and irritable bowel syndrome.

Peppermint essential oil is included in most liniments, where it warms by increasing blood flow,relieving muscle spasms and arthritis. Peppermint relieves the itching of ringworm, herpessimplex, scabies, and poison oak. It also clears sinus and lung congestion when inhaled directlyor when a vapor balm is rubbed on the chest. It also destroys many bacteria and viruses.

Peppermint is not drying, as one m ight assume; rather, it stimulates the skins oil production, souse it blended with other oils to treat dry complexions. When using peppermint, remember that itis an energizing scent.

Sprinkle a few drops of peppermint on dampened paper towels and place in plastic bag forrefreshing hand wipes after a picnic or on a car trip

Cautions about peppermint:At first peppermint feels cooling, but too much of it can burn, especiallywhen used around the eyes

Rosemary Remembrance and FaithfulnessThe ancients believed that rosemary strengthened memory, and thus it became an emblem of

fidelity, important at both weddings and funerals. The smoke was inhaled to protect against brainweakness and dizziness, and the herb was burned in schools and universities to inspire the pupils.

Shakespeare used it in Hamletrosemary for remembrance.Japanese researchers havepreliminary evidence that rosemary does indeed improve memory.

Until the twentieth century, the fragrant branches were burned in French hospitals, with juniper, topurify the air. Rosemary also made its impression on early cosmetics; it was the main ingredient in thefamous fourteenth century Hungary Water, which is still available today.

This Mediterranean native with tiny, pale blue flowers that bloom in late winter loves growing bythe ocean -- its name rosmarinusmeans dew of the sea. It is cultivated worldwide for aromatherapy andother uses, although France, Spain, and Tunisia are the main producers of the essential oil.

Principal constituents of rosemary:Borneol, camphene, camphors, cineol, verbenone, pinenes,limonene, linalol, terpineol, and others

Scent of rosemary:The odor is herbaceous, woody, sharp, and camphorous.

Therapeutic properties of rosemary:

Physical: Antiseptic, astringent, antioxidant; relieves rheumatic and muscle pain, relaxes nerves,improves digestion and appetite, increases sweatingEmotional: mental clarity, emotionally invigorating, strengthens resolve and productive thought

Uses for rosemary:

Put a few drops on a cotton ball inside a small baggie to take on trips for mental alertness whiledrivingsniff when drowsy or distracted

Inhale while studying and again right before an exam to help concentration and memoryconnections

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As an ingredient in a massage oil, compress, or bath, rosemary essential oil is excellent forincreasing poor circulation and easing muscle and rheumatism pain. It is especially penetratingwhen used in a liniment.

It is very antiseptic, so inhaling the essential oil or adding it to a vapor balm that is rubbed on thechest and throat relieves lung congestion and sore throat. It is a stimulant to the nervous systemand increases energy.

Cosmetically it encourages dry, mature skin to produce more of its own natural oils. Add it toshampoos -- it is an age-old remedy for dandruff and hair loss, especially for dark hair

Cautions about rosemary: It can be overly stimulating and may increase blood pressure.

Ylang Ylang Exotic AphrodisiacOriginating in the Philippines, ylang ylang means flower of flowers or fragrance of all

fragrances. This fragrance is traditionally used in aromatherapy to sharpen the senses and to temperdepression, fear, anger, and jealousy. For these reasons, and also because of its reputation as anaphrodisiac, the flowers are spread on the beds of the newly married in Indonesia.

Modern aromatherapists find the scent strongly sedating, easily sending the most reluctant

sleeper off to dreamland. Science, on the other hand, regards ylang ylang essential oil more as a mentalstimulant. Can it be both? Quite possibly it stimulates peoplesminds in one way while relaxing them inanother. Ongoing studies show that it is effective in reducing blood pressure.

Ylang ylang is also widely used as a cosmetic when mixed with coconut oil. People throughoutthe tropics use it to protect their hair from salt water damage. Today, as one of the most abundant andleast expensive of the true floral-smelling essential oils, it is a favorite in perfumes and cosmetics and iseven added to some beverages and desserts. The essential oil varies greatly due to climatic andbotanical differences. As a result, there are several commercial grades with distinct scents.

Principal constituents of ylang ylang:Linalol, geraniol, eugenol, safrol, ylangol, linalyl benzoate, linalylacetate, alpha pinene, benzoic acid, cadinene, caryophylelene, creosol, isoeugenol

Scent of ylang ylang:The fragrance is intensely sweet, heady, floral, and slightly spicy, with a narcissusor bananalike overtone. It is sometimes called the poor mans jasmine.

Therapeutic properties of ylang ylang:Physical: Antidepressant; stimulates circulation, relieves muscle spasms, lowers blood pressure,relaxes nervesEmotional: Aphrodisiac, almost narcotic, sensual and euphoric

Uses for ylang ylang:

Of all the essential oils, ylang ylang is one of the best at relaxing the mind and the body.

Simply sniffing it can slightly lower blood pressure, although taking a bath with the oil or using it ina massage oil greatly enhances the relaxation experience.

It can be helpful in cases of stress, shock, or anxiety. When used as a hair tonic, it balances oil production. Add about 6 drops to every ounce of hair

conditioner.

Cautions about ylang ylang:High concentrations of ylang ylang can produce headaches or nausea.Some people are more susceptible than others to this effect and will generally react immediately.