Wellness effects of essential oils, supported by science

Effets bien-être des huiles essentielles, supportés par la science 

This photo was taken for Summer Moments, which brings together the oils whose benefits are described below.

Yarrow

  • Soothing 1
  • Helps to stay centered and balanced during times of change in order to adapt to new things.

Bergamot

  • Calming, sedative, nervous regulator, stimulant 2,3,4
  • Enhances positive feelings, helpful in reducing anxiety and stress.

Sandalwood

  • Calming, relaxing 5
  • Fights nervous exhaustion, combats aggression and selfishness. Helps to find peace and serenity.

Cinnamon

  • Tonic, stimulating, warming 6
  • Transforms attitudes that promote bondage into abundance and freedom. Helps maintain balanced energy during transitions. Allows energy to flow.

Cape May

  • Soothing 7
  • Helps to control emotions, to put things into perspective and to better perceive and transform past programs that create imbalance, supports courage, determination and self-control.

Cardamom

  • Stimulating 8
  • Achieve and maintain emotional balance by learning to be motivated by love and compassion. This allows new energies to be gently assimilated and recognize true love for oneself and others.

Atlas Cedar

  • Tonic 9
  • Stimulates feelings of security and protection, the search for greater clarity and better direction, encourages the discovery of one's true reality, promotes self-acceptance and self-love.

Coriander

  • Calming, relaxing 10
  • Both stimulating for memory and useful for combating mental and physical fatigue. Helps to see things more objectively, to recognize and admit the truth.

Sea fennel

  • Tonic 11
  • Brings relaxation, calm and well-being on a psychological level.

Cypress

  • Positive, invigorating 12
  • Rebalancing the nerves, calms, helps you get to the heart of the matter, stay centered, stimulates the will.

Black spruce

  • Tonic 13
  • Positive, harmonizing, brings energy, motivation, courage. Helps connect us with nature.

Galbanum

  • Relaxing, invigorating 14
  • Helps people with a victim attitude become aware of it. Facilitates reconciliation and forgiveness as well as perspective. Brings a sense of security. Helps overcome feelings of abandonment and hatred of the physical body. Encourages action and a positive attitude.

Bourbon geranium

  • Tonic 15
  • Soothes the heart, reminds us that life is magical, brings serenity and gentleness.

Rose geranium

  • Soothing, rebalancing 16
  • Soothes and alleviates heartache, injustices, and overcomes feelings of abandonment and rejection. Transforms deep feelings of shame and unworthiness into love and also improves self-acceptance to allow injustices suffered to heal, awakens resourcefulness.

Italian helichrysum

  • Soothing, calming 17
  • Heals childhood wounds, helps to get out of difficult situations, overcome blockages, find a purpose.

Jasmine

  • Relaxing 18
  • Calms the mind, body, and soul. Stimulates positive and constructive emotions, combats stress, anger, anxiety, and depression. Helps establish a loving atmosphere.

True lavender

  • Calming, relaxing 19
  • Natural sedative, also known for relieving anxiety.

Mastic tree

  • Soothing, calming 20
  • Stimulates self-confidence, helps to remove inner agitation and nervousness.

Lemongrass

  • Soothing, invigorating, stimulating 21-22
  • Softens rigid mental attitudes, changing a pessimistic outlook into an optimistic one. Energetically assists in the development of patience and confidence.

Green mandarin

  • Calming, relaxing 23
  • Gives a little boost to the pessimistic mind, raises psychic energy.

Bergamot Mint

  • Calming, tonic 24
  • Excellent for stressful conditions, balance and calm while focusing the mind.

Peppermint

  • Refreshing, stimulating 25
  • Soothes memories of terror, hysteria, and fear or the unknown that hinder growth by revealing their cause and reducing their emotional charge. Helps create a new foundation of reality based on inner energy.

Mimosa

  • Comforting 26
  • Helps reduce anxiety, calm nervousness, helps with sleep disorders.

Myrrh

  • Calming and comforting 27
  • Promotes inspiration and emotional understanding.

Lemon Myrtle

  • Relaxing 28
  • Promotes acceptance, allows detachment, encourages self-improvement, brings flexibility.

Sweet orange

  • Soothing, calming, positive 29
  • Helps develop a non-judgmental attitude that helps maintain balance in the face of life's challenges and encourages staying centered and true to oneself.

Palo Santo

  • Calming 30
  • A real springboard to help you turn the page and transform yourself.

Grapefruit

  • Soothing, harmonizing, invigorating 31
  • Restores joy and good humor, to rediscover the child within, promotes the opening of the heart. Allows the mind to calm, resulting in a harmonious assimilation of new energies in the creation of new realities.

Small grain

  • Calming, tonic 32
  • Helps understand the problems that arise from power struggles and the need for control, addictions. Generates more love and self-acceptance to overcome and fill the lack that lies behind addictions.

Black pepper

  • Stimulating, tonic 33
  • Helps reduce feelings of imprisonment caused by worry, lack, anxiety, and hopelessness in the face of difficult life experiences that make one feel helpless. Helps recognize denial, allowing burdens to resolve through self-acceptance and compassion.

Clary sage

  • Relaxing, calming 34.35
  • Stops the constant chatter of the mind, allowing one to experience the calm of joy. This allows one to achieve greater clarity and achieve being fully present and aware in the moment.

Lemon verbena

  • Harmonizing, calming 36,37
  • Its fresh scent is invaluable in cases of grief, depression, fear, and worry. When anger arises, this soothing and relaxing scent chases it away. It strengthens clarity and helps you overcome your limitations and open up new horizons.

Ylang-ylang

  • Calming, relaxing 38,39,40
  • Helps dissipate emotional states, possibly making one feel kinder as the passions of anger and frustration subside. Mental concerns relax, allowing one to understand the root causes of fears.

Sources of information (bibliography):

Dr Aude Maillard - The great guide to aromatherapy and natural beauty treatments - Publication date: February 2017 - Edition: J'ai lu - ISBN 9782290116944 - 670 pages.

Dr Aude Maillard - Femme essentielle the guide to essential oils for women: beauty, health, spirituality - Publication date: November 2019 - Edition: TANA - ISBN 9791030102901 - 381 pages.

Dr Françoise Couic Marinier - The Living Earth Guide to Essential Oils - Publication date: September 2017 - Publisher: Terre Vivante - ISBN: 9782360982752 - 409 pages.

Deborah Eidson - Vibrational Healing: Revealing the Essence of Nature through Aromatherapy and Essential Oils – Publication date: November 2000 – Edition: Frogs book – ISBN 978-1583940310 - 256 pages

Dr Jean-Pierre Willem – Essential oils, medicine of the future - Publication date: February 2019 - Edition: Du Dauphin ISBN: 9782716316835 - 311 pages

Dr Jean-Philippe Zahalka – Complete dictionary of hydrosols and floral waters – Publication date: October 2017. Edition: Du Dauphin – 9782716316187 – 256 pages

Suzanne Catty – Hydrosols the next aromatherapy – Publication date: March 2001 - Publisher: Healing Arts press – ISBN 0892819464 – 312 pages

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3. Han X, Gibson J, Eggett DL, Parker TL. Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) Essential Oil Inhalation Improves Positive Feelings in the Waiting Room of a Mental Health Treatment Center: A Pilot Study. Phytother Res. 2017 May;31(5):812-816. doi:10.1002/ptr.5806. Epub 2017 Mar 24. PMID: 28337799; PMCID: PMC5434918.

4. Navarra M, Mannucci C, Delbò M, Calapai G. Citrus bergamia essential oil: from basic research to clinical application. Front Pharmacol. 2015 Mar 2; 6:36. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2015.00036. PMID: 25784877; PMCID: PMC4345801.

5. Misra BB, Dey S. Comparative phytochemical analysis and antibacterial efficacy of in vitro and in vivo extracts from East Indian sandalwood tree (Santalum album L.). Lett Appl Microbiol. 2012 Dec;55(6):476-86. doi: 10.1111/lam.12005. Epub 2012 Oct 26. PMID: 23020220.

6. Geneviève LeBel, Bruno Haas, Andrée-Ann Adam, Marie-Pier Veilleux, Amel Ben Lagha, Daniel Grenier, Effect of cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) bark essential oil on the halitosis-associated bacterium Solobacterium moorei and in vitro cytotoxicity, Archives of Oral Biology, Volume 83, 2017, Pages 97-104, ISSN 0003-9969, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archoralbio.2017.07.005.

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11. Felice Senatore, Francesco Napolitano, Musa Ozcan. Composition and antibacterial activity of the essential oil from Crithmum maritimum L. (Apiaceae) growing wild in Turkey. 13 June 2000 https://doi.org/10.1002/1099-1026(200005/06)15:3<186: AID-FFJ889>3.0.CO;2-I

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14. Eizadifard, Fatemeh & Tafrihi, Majid & Mohadjerani, Maryam. (2023). Antioxidant, cytotoxic, and genotoxic potentials of the gum of Ferula gummosa Boiss on PC-3 cells. Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine. 13. 10.22038/ajp.2022.21605.

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16. Chrysa Androutsopoulou, Spyridoula D. Christopoulou, Panagiotis Hahalis, Chrysoula Kotsalou, Fotini N Lamari, Apostolos Vantarakis. Evaluation of Essential Oils and Extracts of Rose Geranium and Rose Petals as Natural Preservatives in Terms of Toxicity, Antimicrobial, and Antiviral Activity. Pathogens. April 19, 2021;10(4):494. doi:10.3390/pathogens10040494. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33921899/

17. Ouzid Djihane and Zerroug Mouhamed Mihoub. Evaluation of in vitro anti-inflammatory activity of Helichrysum italicum (Roth) G. Don essential oil, Scholars Research Library der Pharmacia Lettre, 2016, 8 (4): 41-44. http://dspace.univ-setif.dz:8888/jspui/bitstream/123456789/2583/1/BOUZID%20DJIHANE%202.pdf

18. Umamaheswari M, Asokkumar K, Rathidevi R, Sivashanmugam AT, Subhadradevi V, Ravi TK. Antiulcer and in vitro antioxidant activities of Jasminum grandiflorum L. J Ethnopharmacol. 2007 Apr 4;110(3):464-70. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2006.10.017. Epub 2006 Oct 21. PMID: 17125945.

19. López V, Nielsen B, Solas M, Ramírez MJ, Jäger AK. Exploring Pharmacological Mechanisms of Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) Essential Oil on Central Nervous System Targets. Front Pharmacol. 2017 May 19;8:280. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00280. PMID: 28579958; PMCID: PMC5437114.

20. Xanthis V, Fitsiou E, Voulgaridou GP, Bogadakis A, Chlichlia K, Galanis A, Pappa A. Antioxidant and Cytoprotective Potential of the Essential Oil Pistacia lentiscus var. chia and Its Major Components Myrcene and α-Pinene. Antioxidants (Basel). 2021 Jan 18;10(1):127. doi:10.3390/antiox10010127. PMID: 33477450; PMCID: PMC7830477.

21. Mohamed Nadjib Boukhatem, Mohamed Amine Ferhat, Abdelkrim Kameli, Fairouz Saidi, and Hadjer Tchoketch Kebir. Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) essential oil as a potent anti-inflammatory and antifungal drug. Libyan J Med. 2014; 9: 10.3402/ljm. v9.25431. doi: 3402/ljm. v9.25431 PMCID: PMC4170112 PMID: 25242268 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4170112/

22. https://www.passeportsante.net/fr/Solutions/HuilesEssentielles/Fiche.aspx?doc=huile-essentielle-lemongrass

23. Duan, Li, Guo, Long, Dou, Li-Li, Zhou, Chang-Lin, Xu, Feng-Guo, Zheng, Guo-Dong, Li, Ping, Liu, E-Hu. Discrimination of Citrus reticulata Blanco and Citrus reticulata 'Chachi' by gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry-based metabolomics approach. Food Chemistry 2016/05/01, VL - 212, DO10.1016/j.foodchem.2016.05.141

24. Sattayakhom A, Wichit S, Koomhin P. The Effects of Essential Oils on the Nervous System: A Scoping Review. Molecules. 2023 Apr 27;28(9):3771. doi:10.3390/molecules28093771. PMID: 37175176; PMCID: PMC10180368.

25. Rafieian-Kopaei M, Hasanpour-Dehkordi A, Lorigooini Z, Deris F, Solati K, Mahdiyeh F. Comparing the Effect of Intranasal Lidocaine 4% with Peppermint Essential Oil Drop 1.5% on Migraine Attacks: A Double-Blind Clinical Trial. Int J Prev Med. 2019; 10:121. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31404204/

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27. https://draxe.com/essential-oils/myrrh-oil/

28. Yamamoto A, Honda S, Ogura M, Kato M, Tanigawa R, Fujino H, Kawamoto S. Lemon Myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) Extract and Its Active Compound, Casuarinin, Activate Skeletal Muscle Satellite Cells In Vitro and In Vivo. Nutrients. 2022 Mar 4;14(5):1078. doi:10.3390/nu14051078. PMID: 35268053; PMCID: PMC8912364.

29. Rashidi-Fakari, Fahimeh & Tabatabaeichehr, Mahbubeh & Mortazavi, Hamed. (2015). The effect of aromatherapy by essential oil of orange on anxiety during labor: A randomized clinical trial. Iranian Journal of Nursing and Nursing

30. Flor M. Fon-Fay, Jorge A. Pino, Ivones Hernández, Idania Rodeiro & Miguel D. Fernández (2019) Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of Bursera graveolens (Kunth) Triana et Planch essential oil from Manabí, Ecuador, Journal of Essential Oil Research, 31:3, 211-216, DOI: 10.1080/10412905.2018.1564381

31. Weihui Deng, Ke Liu, Shan Cao, Jingyu Sun, Balian Zhong and Jiong Chun. Chemical Composition, Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, and Antiproliferative Properties of Grapefruit Essential Oil. Molecules. 2020 Jan; 25(1): 217. Published online 2020 Jan 5. doi: 10.3390/molecules25010217. PMCID: PMC6982870. PMID: 31948058. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6982870/

32. Khalil Moradi, Hossein Ashtarian, Nicholas Yakubu Danzima, Hamid Saeedi, Behrouz Bijan, Farzaneh Akbari, Mohammad Mehdi Mohammadi. Essential Oil from Citrus aurantium Alleviates Anxiety of Patients Undergoing Coronary Angiography: A Single-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial Chin J Integr Med. 2021 Mar;27(3):177-182. doi:10.1007/s11655-020-3266-5. Epub 2020 Jun 22.

33. Munakata M, Kobayashi K, Niisato-Nezu J, Tanaka S, Kakisaka Y, Ebihara T, Ebihara S, Haginoya K, Tsuchiya S, Onuma A. Olfactory stimulation using black pepper oil facilitates oral feeding in pediatric patients receiving long-term enteral nutrition. Tohoku J Exp Med. 2008 Apr;214(4):327-32. doi: 10.1620/tjem.214.327. PMID: 18441508

34. Wong J, Chiang YF, Shih YH, Chiu CH, Chen HY, Shieh TM, Wang KL, Huang TC, Hong YH, Hsia SM. Salvia sclarea L. Essential Oil Extract and Its Antioxidative Phytochemical Sclareol Inhibit Oxytocin-Induced Uterine Hypercontraction Dysmenorrhea Model by Inhibiting the Ca2+-MLCK-MLC20 Signaling Cascade: An Ex Vivo and In Vivo Study. Antioxidants (Basel). 2020 Oct 14;9(10):991. doi:10.3390/antiox9100991. PMID: 33066489; PMCID: PMC7602146.

35. Lee, KB, Cho, E, Kang, YS. 2014. Changes in 5-hydroxytryptamine and Cortisol Plasma Levels in Menopausal Women After Inhalation of Clary Sage Oil. Phytotherapy Research 28:1599–1605.

36. Mauriz E, Vallejo D, Tuñ ó n MJ, et al. Effects of dietary supplementation with lemon verbena extracts on serum inflammatory markers of multiple sclerosis patients

37. Boix-Castejón M, Herranz-López M, Pérez Gago A, et al. Hibiscus and lemon verbena polyphenols modulate appetite-related biomarkers in overweight subjects: a randomized controlled trial. Food Function. 2018;9(6):3173-3184.

38. Zhang N, Zhang L, Feng L, Yao L. Cananga odorata essential oil reverses the anxiety induced by 1-(3-chlorophenyl) piperazine through regulating the MAPK pathway and serotonin system in mice. J Ethnopharmacol. 2018 Jun 12; 219:23-30. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2018.03.013. Epub 2018 Mar 12. PMID: 29545208

39. Hongratanaworakit T, Buchbauer G. Relaxing effect of ylang ylang oil on humans after transdermal absorption. Phytother Res. 2006 Sep;20(9):758-63. doi: 10.1002/ptr.1950. PMID: 16807875.

40. Hongratanaworakit T, Buchbauer G. Evaluation of the harmonizing effect of ylang-ylang oil on humans after inhalation. Planta Med. 2004 Jul;70(7):632-6. doi:10.1055/s-2004-827186. PMID: 15303255.

*Maison Jacynthe disclaims all liability. All information contained in this article is not intended to replace justified allopathic treatment or to disregard the expertise of the medical profession. It is up to each individual to take charge of their own health, to inform themselves, and to make the necessary changes to improve their condition. Therapeutic supervision by a qualified health professional is strongly recommended.

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