If essential oils aren't a part of your menopause kit yet then today's blog is about to change all of that! Essential oils are nature's medicine and over the last 5 or so decades the food and health industries have led us away from how beneficial these are in your everyday life. The more you understand about how your sense of smell links to balancing your hormones and improving your mental wellbeing the more your hormones will calm down and regulate as you reduce chemical toxins in your life; and that this is a strong ally in reducing your symptoms. In today's blog I'm going to explain why essential oils are incredibly beneficial not only in your menopause but in your life for you, your family; and even your pets! This month's blog is all about essential oils for mental balance, clarity and wellness in menopause.
Essential oils for mental balance, clarity and wellness in menopause
I understand that when you're faced with an array of essential oils you don't know where to start or, you don't know what you should be using or how to use it. Let me get you comfortable with the basics and why these oils are just so fantastic for you whatever stage of life you're in.
Essential oils are the squeezed goodness from plants, trees, fruits, flowers and even the likes of seaweed! They all have medicinal properties which work quickly; just from being inhaled. Yes that's right ... essential oils work from being sniffed. How is this?
The scent molecules of oils are incredibly potent - just think of someone squeezing an orange in a confined area - the scent fills the air and you just can't help but feel happy! Or when you pluck mint in the garden it gives you a quick pick-me-up or the scent of lavender on a warm summers evening as it wafts through; calming you down. These are 3 potent plants that produce a quantifiable change to your mood and have been scientifically studied.
Here's the science - summarised:
"Inhaling essential oils leads to the detection of scent molecules by olfactory receptors, triggering a cascade of neural signals that are processed and transmitted to various brain regions. This process can elicit emotional, cognitive, and physiological responses, influenced by the specific properties of the essential oil and its interaction with neurotransmitter systems."
 International Journal of Neuroscience
You've just learnt a powerful step in using essential oils: you only need to sniff them from the bottle for them to do their magic on your brain and body! You don't need to diffuse them for hours or take a soak in a bath; you have a power house right in the palm of your hand and you can keep them to hand at all times. Get yourself a carry case so that they can travel around with you.
How I created Blossom cream to relieve menopause heat symptoms
About 7 years ago we had a really really hot summer and women were struggling with hot flushes and then interupted sleep due to night sweats; and I felt their misery. I was also concerned that this was in my immediate future as I was heavily perimenopausal at the time. This is when my research into essential oils really took off. I studied pharmacognosy - the use of your olfactory sense (nose) to choose plant medicines to help resolve ailments; admittedly it was with dogs! I thought though: if it works for dogs, will it work for women? I started testing... and it did. Over the month's I worked on a specific blend that helped women cool down quickly and helped them reduce night sweats too - it became a powerful blend!
Taking inspiration from many different places I came up with the 6 essential oil blend that now makes Blossom cream and keeps you cooler and calmer when you most need it. The great thing is the therapy happens the moment you sniff it and the cooling kicks in when you apply it to your inner wrists and rub it in - the essential oil molecules penetrate through your skin into your blood stream cooling you down quickly.
And here's when you need to know about the toxic chemicals in your everyday skin and beauty regime - that are doing EXACTLY the same thing - entering your blood stream; messing up your hormones.
Wake up to chemical toxins in your skincare and how to replace them
For decades we've been using everything from deodorants to body moisturisers that we've thought were helping us; and temporarily they do their job. In the long term though, these chemicals are not only hormone disruptors but also apply extra pressure on your liver which is trying to detoxify you. This added pressure on your liver, plus the chemical toxins trapped in your lymphatic system not only exacerbate hormone-based symptoms but can also add to the toxin load in delicate soft tissue in your body like your breasts.
If you make one change after reading this blog it's to switch to a natural deodorant that will have essential oils in it and NO ALUMINIUM. E. oils will help neutralise odour and you'll only receive benefits from having these close to your body.
Over time as you can become more confident in trying natural skincare; look online for small companies that are essential oil and natural based - 2 of my favourites are Cotswold Remedies and Misneach Remedies. Anything that you use around the house should be e.oil based i.e. naturally scented room diffusers and oil burners, pillow and linen sprays. Natural products have a shorter shelf life (approx one year) and therefore can't be sold in shops where products could be up to 5 or more years old. For natural chemical free products search online and you will probably find a company very local to you; just pop - Natural skincare near me. I've just done that and found a new company I didn't know existed!
The double benefits from having essential oil-based products in menopause
Moving your skincare back to as nature intended plus any products that you come into contact with in your home is going to be beneficial to your health; and the younger you can do it the better. A study out last year said that before a woman leaves the house in the morning she's already exposed to over 500 chemicals - I find that a horrifying thought. Overtime as old products come to an end have a look around and start to change over each product one by one. In time your shampoo, moisturisers, makeup cleanser and more will become toxin free.
Essential oils will have physical health benefits as they are a medicine (but in minute quantities) but firstly their scent will have a powerful effect on your moods. If you jump in the shower and have a scent burst from a blend that you love ; isn't that a great way to start the day? Finding blends that give you the wake up buzz you need or calm your anxiety in moments are great emotional support tools to add to your kit. There are pre-blended ones out there for you to experience or if you're really stepping into this realm I thoroughly recommend science of essentials on instagram as a great starting place.
Here's a tip if you want to take your blend on the go with you - buy some inhaler sticks online and pop your own blends in. They come with a cotton insert to soak the oils and you can carry them in your pocket with you where ever you go!
I pop my favourite blends in a tiny roller ball bottle so that's another option which you can then pop onto your pulse points if you like doing this.
Some of my useful blends:
Mental focus: rosemary ~ peppermint & your favourite citrus oils
Mental balancing: geranium ~ clary sage ~ lavender
Overwhelm: melissa & woody scents
Loss and support:Â Â neroli & jasmine
Rejuvenation: lemongrass ~ citrus
Reduce night sweats: lemon or lime
Dissipate unknown anger: rose & lime
Balance blood sugar levels:Â cinnamon & lemon
Cooling mist spritz : rose water & mint - the one I greet my clients with on a hot day!
Decrease stress hormone / lower blood pressure : Anything from the forest - blend 3 or 4 woods
Sleep inducing: lavender ~ roman chamomile ~ petitgrain mandarin (family favourite!)
Essential oils in menopause and life beyond
Once you step into this wonderful world you'll never look back! From a quick uplifting sniff to invigorate your focus or calm your anxiety to a cooling and calming spritz; you can carry your go-to menopause kit around with you at all times to aid you back to your emotional centre so that you can continue to thrive in your menopause!.
Delving deeper with eseential oils you learn about how they can support your changing skin through menopause for deeper hydration and soothing irritability. Then onwards into a world of essential oil-based natural products including what you clean your home with. The bottom line is: if you want to smell anything in your life that doesn't have roots on it; it should be essential oil-based - follow this and you can't go wrong!
New therapy created with you in mind:
Andrea offers an in person Restore Your Balance - Essential oils for harmony and wellness experience where you'll leave understanding what your go-to scents are and how to cope with situations plus 3 bespoke inhaler stick blends with a follow up certificate with your personal essential oils plan.
Meet Andrea - Holistic Menopause Specialist
Andrea is a shiatsu and Chinese medicine practitioner who uses the principles and wisdom of Chinese medicine in a completely practical way to help you resolve your symptoms naturally and effectively. If you live locally you can book in for a wonderfully relaxing Shiatsu for Menopause, otherwise Andrea does online indepth consultations where you'll leave with an actionable plan to follow. Andrea is also passionate about doing workplace talks and recently created Gloucestershire's first Menopause Fayre.
KNOWLEDGE . PAUSE . FLOURISH
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