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More Complementary & Integrative Healthcare Articles
Seasonal Oils Not Just a Pretty Smell
Aromas help define a season or holiday just as dcor or food choices of that given time. The oils of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove are three oils redolent of the Christmas season, as they are widely used in baking and adorn seasonal ornaments. Aside from their highly aromatic nature, these oils are also medicinal, life-enhancing oils with properties that span from digestive to analgesic.
Cinnamon and clove oils are high in the natural chemical constituent known as phenols. Oils high in phenols tend to be immune stimulating, invigorating, and warming. They have a tendency to produce skin irritation if used in too high a concentration. When properly diluted, however, they have a beneficial effect on the circulation, and will be pleasantly warming. Clove in particular has an analgesic action, and can be an effective pain reliever applied topically, hence its long-term use in dental care. Phenolic oils are also highly anti-bacterial.
As whole herbs, cinnamon and clove can be made into a pleasant tea that is good for weak digestion, coldness, and poor circulation. Oils of cinnamon and clove should not used internally, but only properly diluted and applied to the skin. They also make pleasant air fresheners that kill air-borne bacteria.
Nutmeg oil is also very warming, however it is considered more calming to the nervous system. It has long been associated with its use as a sleep aid, and dream enhancer, when inhaled or used topically in small doses through a lotion or oil. It has digestive properties, and can be applied to the abdomen in massage to help relieve pain and distention.
And what would Christmas be without the balsamic scents of pine and fir? These oils are high in terpenes, are highly anti-viral, and benefit the lungs. A spray made from these oils not only dispel viral germs that are air-borne, but have an inherent way of making one take a deep breath, which in itself is a stress reliever.
