Description

Vanilla Aromatherapy

“Moreover, one doesn’t essentially use the term “vanilla” only to explain the color of the sky or to refer to any dull rapper. In fact, the essential oil of vanilla is used for various purposes, especially for the health benefits offered by it.”

Botanical name: Vanilla planifolia

Origin: Mexico

Source: Vanilla bean

The essential oil of vanilla is obtained by a method known as solvent extraction. This essential oil is extracted from a resinous substance that is acquired from fermented beans of vanilla. These beans grow on a creeper called the vanilla plant, whose scientific name is Vanilla planifolia. These vines are native to Mexico and adjoining countries. Vanilla is reputed for its distinctive flavour and scent. While preparing baked foods as well as different confectioneries, vanilla is of immense importance in the kitchen. However, vanilla is not only for flavoring ice cream and other such products.  Several thousand years back, people discovered that the sweet aroma of vanilla was effective for curing various health conditions, including stomach disorders, morning sickness, male impotency and even for soothing the agitated nerves.

According to available documents, the origin of using vanilla for therapeutic purposes dates back to the original derivatives of the vanilla vines. In the early days, people extracted substances by pressing the vanilla flowers. These substances were used to produce the conventional aromatherapy oils, which were employed for treating various ailments. Cultivation of vanilla is quite cumbersome, as it is a very labour intensive work. Therefore, it is one of the most expensive essential oil in the market that is used for health purposes. Vanilla essential oil is removed from the interior of the vanilla plant, processed and subsequently bottled in the form of a concentrate.

The essential oil of vanilla is said to possess aphrodisiac properties and known to be effective in curing impotency in males. It has been found that administering vanilla essential oil on a regular and systematic basis to males enduring impotency, can help to cure a number of disorders like frigidity, erectile dysfunction (ED), loss of libido or craving for sexual activities. The essential oil of vanilla helps to promote secretion of specific hormones such as estrogen and testosterone that facilitate in restoring usual sexual behaviour and, at the same time, encourage sexual arousal.

Vanilla essential oil also possesses sedative properties and this helps to calm the body in many different ways. Use of this aromatic essential oil helps to alleviate various different types of inflammation as well as hyperactivity in the different systems of our body, counting digestive, circulatory, nervous, respiratory, and excretory systems. The essential oil of vanilla also helps to lessen inflammation caused by fevers, in addition to alleviating anxiety, hypersensitivity to allergens, stress and convulsions.

 

 

The essential oil of vanilla also helps to relax the body and the mind, besides having a soothing effect on the brain as well as the nerves. This action of the oil is useful in providing relief from anger, anxiety and restiveness.

The essential oil of vanilla is beneficial for people suffering from insomnia. Using this oil before going to bed at night ensures a sound sleep throughout the night. This effect of vanilla essential oil is attributed to its sedative as well as relaxing qualities. This oil also facilitates in lowering high blood pressure and has a sedative effect on the brain. When you apply the oil at bed time, it makes it difficult to remain awake. In order to ensure a good sleep at night, apply a little amount of the aromatic oil or the extract of vanilla pods to your pillow and you will fall asleep soon after.

As the essential oil is a very potent antioxidant, it is excellent for skin care too. Adding some drops of the essential oil of vanilla to your preferred face pack will help in putting off damages caused to the skin cells owing to the toxic effects of various toxins and pollutants.

You may also use the aromatic vanilla essential oil for hair care, particularly with various other ingredients. You can blend the essential oil of vanilla with other substances like coconut oil, almond oil, virgin olive oil and jojoba oil for treating hair loss. In fact, these are some of the favourite blends used for the purpose and using these can also helps to keep your hair silky smooth.

Findings of several scientific researches have suggested that vanillin, the compound that is responsible for the flavour of vanilla beans, aids in shielding the red blood cells (erythrocytes) from changing their shape to a sickle form. When the red blood cells are sickle shaped, the condition is called sickle cell disease and it causes obstruction in the blood vessels.

 

 

General properties

anti-carcinogenic

anti-depressant

antioxidant

aphrodisiac

febrifuge

relaxing

sedative

tranquilizing

 

Blends well with

chamomile

jojoba

lavender

lemon

neroli

orange

sandalwood

 

General uses

anger

anxiety

colon cancer

depression

fever

hair problem

high blood pressure

loss of libido

male impotency

morning sickness

prostate cancer

sickle cell disease

stomach problems

stress