Essential Oil Profile: Ginger Essential Oil a Top Pick for Winter

Ginger Zingiber officinale is a member of the Zingiberaceae family and is cultivated in many tropical and subtropical countries. Commonly called common ginger, Jamaican ginger, and ginger root, it should not be confused with galangal oil, Alpinia officinarum, which is also called ginger root.

Ginger oil is produced from dried, whole rhizomes, as well as peelings and shavings if used immediately. The oil has a green or yellowish color and a fresh, spicy, and pungent aroma. The aroma is long-lasting and adds a spicy sweetness to blends. Ginger blends well with essential oils like cedarwood, coriander, frankincense, grapefruit, lime, neroli, orange, patchouli, petitgrain, rose, and vetiver.

For a Winter Blah pick me up, try this essential oil bath salt blend:

Grapefruit Citrus paradisi essential oil: 6 drops
Elemi Canarium luzonicum essential oil: 6 drops
Ginger Zingiber officinale essential oil: 4 drops
Sandalwood Santalum album essential oil: 2 drops
Epsom salts: 1 cup
Sea or mineral salts: 1/2 cup
White clay: 1/8 cup

Mix all ingredients together in bowl and sift. Add 4 tablespoons to one full bath; add after the bath has filled. Essential oils can be added as either single oils or as blends.

Download more information about essential oils for winter from our post Essential Oils for Winter HERE.

*This information is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to treat, diagnose, heal, or prevent disease. You should always consult with your primary care physician, a naturopathic doctor, or a Registered Aromatherapist before making any significant changes in your health and wellness routine. A skin patch test is always recommended.

How to Use Essential Oils to Help Reduce Risk of Viral Infection

Essential oils can be used in the home as antiviral cleaning products. A diffuser used with essential oils like eucalyptus Eucalyptus globulus, lemon balm Melissa officinalis, peppermint Mentha piperita var. vulgaris, or thyme Thymus vulgaris may reduce the airborne viruses in a room.

Essential oils can also be added to hand creams to help reduce the spread of viruses by contact. Of course, these should be used in addition to the common sense CDC recommendations to wash your hands frequently, cover your mouth and nose with your arm when you sneeze, and to stay home if you are sick.

Winter can be a challenging time because there is the potential for many people to be sick with a cold or flu at the same time, but we can use natural support options, such as essential oils, to keep us healthy.

To read the full-length article "The Antiviral Activity of Essential Oils", click HERE.

This article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to treat, diagnose, heal, or prevent disease. Always consult with your primary care provider for a proper diagnosis if you think you may have the seasonal flu or the H1N1 flu, and follow their recommendations.

Essential Oil Profile: Cinnamon Essential Oil Warming in Winter

Cinnamon Cinnamomum zeylanicum has a long history of use. For example, did you know the Egyptians used cinnamon in their mummification process? Historically, cinnamon was also used as an ingredient in a medicinal tonic called "hippocras," and was blended with ginger and cloves. Today, cinnamon is most commonly known as a culinary flavoring. But, cinnamon essential oil has many health promoting properties worth exploring.

The active constituents in cinnamon essential oil include aldehydes, which are antifungal [1,2], antimicrobial, and antiseptic, as well as the oxide 1,8 cineole, trans-cinnamic acid, and terpenes, among others. Traditional uses include: slow circulation, colds, cough, gums, infection, influenza, lice, intestinal parasites, stomach cramp, and stress, to name a few.

Aromatically, cinnamon has a spicy, slightly woody scent, which can be warming in colder months. Cinnamon blends well with benzoin, frankincense, myrrh, orange, peppermint, and ylang yang.

Download our Cinnamon Air Purification Blend from our post Essential Oils for Winter.

Referenes
1. Lima EO, Gompertz OF, Giesbrecht AM, et al. In vitro antifungal activity of essential oils obtained from official plants against dermatophytes. Mycoses 1993;36 (9-10):333-336.
2. Viollon C, Chaumont J-P. Antifungal Properties of Essential Oils and Their Compounds upon of Cryptococcus neoformans. Mycopatholgia 1994;128 (3):151-153.

*This information is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent disease. You should always consult with your primary care physician, naturopathic doctor, or Registered Aromatherapist before making any significant changes to your health and wellness routine.