The Best Fall Essential Oils To Help You Stay Well Through The Season
Don't let the colds and the flu get you down.
getty Now that fall is here, essential oils can help you stay well.
As seasons change, we have to make some adjustments. Each season poses some unique challenges which cause us to alter our lifestyles and self-care.
Natural self-care, such as aromatherapy, provides you with many pleasant and effective options.
Here are 4 challenges you may face this fall that essential oils can help ease.
1. Climate.
Fall is typically a season of transition and adjustment, in terms of both climate and lifestyles. The weather becomes cooler, breezier, and fresher.
Depending upon where you live, the fall brings great relief from an oppressively muggy summer (think: Florida, New Orleans, and Washington, D.C.), or excessively dry, hot conditions (think: Southern California and Arizona).
2. Transition.
Summer greenery fades, leaves dry up and fall from colorful trees, and most herbaceous plants die back to the ground to become a mere skeleton of themselves.
Daylight hours shorten. Nature draws inward, so many people turn inward as well, becoming more solitary and self-reflective.
3. Lifestyle.
Fall is also the time to return to routines: school, work, and other duties. Whereas summer is spacious, whimsical, and playful, fall is focused, structured, and productive.
For some, fall is a time to get motivated and concentrate on new projects. For others, fall is un-grounding, unsettling, and can make them melancholy, gloomy, anxious, or even depressed.
4. Health.
The change in climate promotes some physical issues, as well. Many people suffer from allergies and associated symptoms, such as nasal congestion, headaches, sneezing, dry cough, and itchy eyes.
Colds and flus become more prevalent. Eczema, psoriasis, and other dry-skin conditions can flare up with the drier air, lower temperatures, and less exposure to sunlight.
For these people, autumn's colorful transition may induce a sense of dread.
Here are 6 fall ailments and the essential oils that can help.
1. Dry skin, eczema, and psoriasis.
- Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens)
- German chamomile (Matricaria recutita)
- Helichrysum (Helichrysum italicum)
- Rose (Rosa damascena)
Note: With skin treatments, the choice of carriers — such as a simple massage oil — is also important.
2. Cold and flu viruses.
These essential oils contain vital antioxidants to help combat the common cold and influenza viruses:
- Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum)
- Clove (Eugenia caryophyllus)
- Narrow-leaf eucalyptus (Eucalyptus radiata)
- Lemon (Citrus limon)
- Manuka (Leptospermum scoparium)
3. Nasal congestion and sinus inflammation.
The following essential oils can help with relieving symptoms caused by seasonal allergies, colds, or the flu:
- Peppermint eucalyptus (Eucalyptus dives)
- Ravintsava (Cinnamomum camphora)
- Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis var camphor)
- Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris)
4. Focus and concentration.
These essential oils contain natural stimulants to help you snap out of it:
- Basil (Ocimum basilicum)
- Black pepper (Piper nigrum)
- Peppermint (Mentha piperita)
- Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis var camphor)
5. Uplifting or mood modifiers.
- Bergamot (Citrus bergamia)
- Clary sage (Salvia sclarea)
- Lemon (Citrus limon)
- Myrtle (Myrtus communis)
- Orange (Citrus sinensis)
- Ylang ylang (Cananga odorata)
6. Grounding.
- Cedar (Cedrus altanica)
- Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin)
- Petitgrain (Citrus aurantium)
- Vetiver (Vetiver zizanoides)
Know the specific plant species of your essential oils.
It's important to know the specific plant species from which the essential oil was derived. For example, Lavandula angustifolia and not just any lavender.
This will ensure that the essential oil you use has the healing properties you seek. That's one reason why the botanical names have been included in parentheses above.
Do your research first.
Some essential oils are contraindicated for people with certain medical conditions.
Check reliable websites for these contraindications, or consult a professional aromatherapist to determine the appropriate blend of essential oils for you and your specific condition or intention.
How to use essential oils and aromatherapy this fall.
Essential oils are the primary aromatherapy ingredient. However, carriers — all-natural oils, butters, creams, salts, etc. — and the type of application plays a critical role in the efficacy of the treatment.
In fact, in situations when the skin is very sensitive or inflamed, an aromatherapist may recommend only a simple blend of soothing carriers.
Some types of applications are better suited for certain conditions.
Balms and ointments persist on the surface of the skin and offer more extended healing to the skin's surface for wound and acne treatment. Meanwhile, the skin absorbs lotions rapidly for quick delivery of their nourishing attributes for moisturizing purposes.
In choosing fall essential oils, select one to four that create an integrated, complementary, and mutually reinforcing blend. Resist the temptation to use every essential oil that has an appealing attribute, given your condition or intention.
Personal inhalers.
These offer a convenient, portable personal treatment for an individual. Blends can be tailored to an individual's unique autumn experience and intensions.
A personal inhaler can be filled with an essential-oil blend to clear the sinuses, increase focus and concentration, and ground or uplift the spirits.
Diffusers.
These treat an entire space effecting everyone present or moving through the space.
Where spaces are shared, diffuser oil blends tend to be designed for more general purposes because everyone present will receive the treatment. They can be used as an alternative or a complement to personal inhalers.
Depending on the blend of essential oils used, diffusers can address sinuses congestion or moodiness, promote focus, and mental clarity or provide an immune boost.
Lotions, creams, and butters.
These are are excellent applications for dry skin, eczema and psoriasis, and other skin conditions prevalent in the fall.
The healing properties of carriers make important contributions to these products. Many oils and butters — rich in beneficial fatty acids — moisturize the skin.
Avocado (Persea americana), jojoba (Simmondisia californica), and shea butter (Butyrospermum parkii) are three common choices.
Tamanu (Calcophyllum inophyllum), evening primrose (Oenothera biennis), and calendula (Calendula officinalis) address both eczema and psoriasis.
Carrot seed oil (Daucus carota) calms the itchiness that often accompanies these conditions.
You can also add essentials to an organic, scent-free lotion, cream, or butter.
Bath oils.
These are a wonderful way to get a little "me time" to modify your mood. Just make sure to add your essential oils to a carrier so that they’ll emulsify in water.
Just a 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of carrier oil — vegetable glycerin or full-fat milk will do the trick. You don’t want little full-strength essential oil bubbles floating on the surface and making direct contact with your warm skin.
The right choice of carrier can also soften and soothe the skin. But be aware that but more oil you use, the oilier the bath, and your skin, will feel.
Use only essential oils that are considered non-irritating to skin and be aware that warm water can increase the potential for irritation.
Appropriate essential oil dilutions.
Essential oils are extremely concentrated and can cause irritations when used improperly.
As a general rule, use these dilutions of essential oils for specific applications:
- 1-2 percent for body oils and other applications that are applied to large portions of the body (i.e., massage oil, lotion, cream, body butter).
- 1 percent dilution for children, the elderly, and those with sensitive skin or compromised systems.
- 3 percent for products applied to specific limited areas of the body.
- 4 to 8 drops per bath with a dispersant such as vegetable oil, whole (not fat-free or skim) milk, vegetable glycerin, or salt. Those with sensitive skin should use fewer drops.
- 3 to 6 drops (100 percent essential oils or essential oil blend) for a diffuser (for a 12ft x 12ft room). Less for energetic blends.
- 100 percent essential oil or essential oil blend for sniffing from a personal inhaler or tissue.
So, as the seasons come and go, support your good health with aromatherapy self-care. It’s empowering and delightful!
Patricia Bonnard, PhD, ACC is a certified International Coaching Federation (ICF) leadership coach and a certified Martha Beck life coach. For more information, visit her website.