It is officially flu season, as you fend off runny noses and coughing office buddies. As offices open up slowly across the country, and people get back to the office spaces, all you can really do is pull up your immunity and employ good self-care practices to make sure you are not one of them. A popular and powerful self-care tool for the flu-ridden winter season is using essential oils for aromatherapy.
Aromatherapy oils are known to alleviate flu symptoms; reduce fever; clear nasal passages; have antiviral and antibacterial properties, among other benefits. Here are the top essential oils for the flu season that you need in your aromatherapy kit, to deal with the season’s dryness and cold.
Essential oils are packed with antioxidants and when the right oil is used, they can really liven up the atmosphere, please the senses and provide positive results. Oils like peppermint, tea tree, lavender, eucalyptus, orange, lemongrass, and geranium are all-powerful antibacterial oils and when diffused, they cleanse the atmosphere around and provide a beautiful aroma as well.
Shankara’s unique collection of Ayurveda-inspired aromatherapy essential oils balance the mind and emotions, calm the senses and invigorate it in equal measure throughout daily activities, also uses the eucalyptus essential oil which is also known for its great blending quality.
Shankara’s Aromatherapy collection brings together the following formulations:
Calming Essence: this one is grounding and centering, which pacifies vata dosha, and includes ingredients like essential oils of cardamom, sandalwood, and vetiver.
Soothing Essence: Yet another cooling and soothing offering to pacify pitta (fire element) with the help of essential oils of sandalwood, lavender, and geranium.
Energizing Essence: This stimulating and invigorating blend pacifies Kapha and uses EOs of lemon, bergamot, cypress, grapefruit, and eucalyptus.
If you have wondered about which are the right essential oils for the flu season to pick for aromatherapy, here is a list of the top 5 essential oils that are a blessing for your body and mind during the months of harsh winter when the viral infections and flu can throw a spanner on your productivity and quality of life. (Here’s 5 commonly asked questions about aromatherapy.)
One of its popular benefits is that it is a mucoactive agent, that is, clears up the mucus in the respiratory tract. It also has an application for healing wounds and inflammation. It can be used for dealing with cold sores as it increases the speed of healing and minimizes the pain. The menthol aroma of this popular EO is very refreshing and reinvigorating, along with helping clear up blocked nasal passages and the sinus. Read about 11 lesser-known benefits of eucalyptus oil here.
From adorning the vase in your drawing space to filling up your home with its sweet and calming essence to making its way in your wardrobe, body-oil, diffuser, handwash, body mists, and becoming an indispensable ingredient in your aromatherapy collection, lavender is a versatile and exotic blessing from the planet world for your body, mind, and senses. So invigorating is its essence, legends have it that it was used to tame wild animals like bears and tigers.
Helping manage your pain; reducing anxiety; being used in aromatherapy for its highly relaxing properties; helping boost your appetite; treating infections; helping deal with sleep problems; reducing skin problems; and being an indispensable adaptogen, this French import has myriad medicinal and cosmetic uses in our modern lives. And here are some more reasons for making it a part of your skin and body care.
Read about the top 8 benefits of lavender oil here.
The scent of lavender has been shown to promote sleep, says Combs, which is one of the most important things sick people need to bolster their immune system and get back on their feet. Use the pure essential oil in a diffuser at night, or spritz this lavender linen spray on your pillows and sheets.
Lotus essential oil is a pure, sweet, floral, and earthy essence that is used in massage oils, shower gels, and aromatherapy for its cooling and energizing quality. It is known to improve focus and clarity of mind; supports appetite building; reduce oxidative stress by fighting off rogue free radicals that cause rapid aging, and improve skin texture. Ancient cultures would use it for treating respiratory diseases for its relaxing quality. It is also considered one of the most exotic ingredients in aromatherapy oils for its rarity combined with myriad applications for senses and healing.
Shankara’s Essence Lotus Rose uses oils that are used in sacred ceremonies to uplift one’s consciousness. The Indian Pink Lotus and White Rose lead this exclusive aromatherapy offering. It comes in a rollerball for ease of use in a beautiful box, which makes it an exquisite gifting item too! The other essential oils present in this bottle include champaca, grapeseed oil, sandalwood, jasmine, myrrh, and angelica seed.
Studies show that just inhalation of the aromatic rosemary EO helps lower stress by regulating the levels of a stress hormone called cortisol. Elevated cortisol levels have been linked to several modern lifestyle disorders and have their root in ubiquitous stress and anxiety that we encounter in our daily lives. Rosemary oil also has pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory properties. Studies also showed the use of the oil in aromatherapy helped the subjects improve their memory and mental alertness, along with being an excellent expectorant.
Bergamot is loved for its citrusy and soothing scent and is popularly used in perfumes, air fresheners, cologne, and skincare products. It has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties that make it a good fit for use in treating acne and other skin pigmentation issues. A study carried out in 2015 showed that women in Japan reported feeling less anxious and tired after inhaling the oil. It also improves mood, going by some estimates.
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