In today’s blog, I’m exploring yarrow essential oil, where summer blooms offer a number of benefits for skincare, inflammation, emotional support, and even spiritual connection.
When I think of yarrow, I quickly go to the feeling of summer: summer gardens, summer flowers and definitely summer skin care. Yarrow is a plant that can be found in many garden centres and can be planted and grown during warmer months in your own home garden. Later in the season, you can harvest the flowers, dry them thoroughly, and infuse them into a carrier oil of your choice. This will create a nice body oil that you can use for skin soothing relief.
Characterized by its lace-like leaves and delicate white or pink flowers, yarrow thrives primarily in Eastern Europe, particularly in regions such as Albania, Hungary, and Bulgaria. The essential oil, extracted through steam distillation from the flowers, carries a distinctive herbaceous aroma with subtle floral undertones. It is a middle note. In contrast to the warmth exuded by spice oils like cinnamon and clove, yarrow gives us a notably cool fragrance, adding to its allure and versatility in aromatherapy and holistic wellness practices.
A Thousand Leaves
Yarrow essential oil comes to us from the botanical plant Achillea millefolium, and has been known throughout history for some unique medicinal properties. It’s name “millefolium” refers to the look of its feathery leaves, and has caused this herb to be known as “thousand leaves”. Achillea comes to us from the legend of Achilles. He is said to have used yarrow for wound healing during the Trojan War. It is also known as soldiers wound wort or carpenters weed, and has historically been used by carpenters for cuts.
As we delve deeper into the realm of yarrow essential oil, we uncover a treasure trove of natural remedies and age-old wisdom waiting to be explored.
Yarrow Hydrosol
When yarrow is steam distilled a hydrosol can also be created. This floral water can be used to soothe the skin. Lightly mist the hydrosol onto your skin after sun exposure, or after shaving. You may find soothing itch relief from bug bites, so this is a good one to bring to the summer cottage with you. You can also spritz this into the air as a room spray for a more uplifting environment.
Skincare
Yarrow essential oil is one of our skincare powerhouses, bringing a number of benefits for the skin overall.
Its helpful properties include being anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and astringent. It is helpful for irritated and inflamed skin, even if your skin is sensitive. Yarrow can be used in formulations for acne prone skin. It may also help in addressing various skin concerns such as eczema. Its remarkable wound-healing abilities make it a go-to remedy for promoting skin regeneration and soothing inflamed skin.
Yarrow is a blue coloured essential oil. It’s characteristic blue hue, attributed to the chemical component chamazulene, signifies its potent healing properties, similar to German chamomile. The synergy that is created when using German chamomile and Yarrow in the same formulation makes for a very powerful healing combination for red irritated and dry skin.
Create a holistic solution for nurturing and revitalizing the skin by combining calendula oil, meadowfoam seed oil, and black seed oil, with yarrow, German chamomile and lavender essential oils to create a powerful blend ideal for calming redness, irritation, and dryness.
Haircare
Yarrow can be an effective addition to rinses for oily hair. Combine yarrow and peppermint essential oils in shampoos and hair rinses for oily hair and scalp.
Emotional Support
Yarrow essential oil can be an emotional support super hero. It is a calming oil. As a cooling essential oil it also has the capability of calming hot and blocked emotions. It is especially helpful in calming anger and the resentment that might come from deep internal emotional wounds. Yarrow restores a sense of self-esteem, when your own self esteem has been wounded.
Women’s Health
Yarrow can ease life’s major transitions, such as menopause. It’s cooling nature can help to provide emotional balance, while the anti-inflammatory and analgesic qualities can help with abdominal discomforts. It may help in regulation with spotty periods or excessive bleeding. Talk to a professional to find out more.
Ease Inflammation
Yarrow essential oil is an excellent anti-inflammatory which can help us in a number of ways. It’s helpful in addressing digestive concerns, including indigestion, and as an anti-spasmodic it alleviates abdominal discomfort.
Further, yarrow’s ability to alleviate muscle and joint pain associated with inflammation offers welcome relief, easing mobility and providing comfort.
You may also find it beneficial in dealing with varicose veins.
Yarrow’s exceptional anti-inflammatory properties make it valuable in combating inflammation throughout the body. Whether applied topically or inhaled through aromatherapy, yarrow oil works diligently to alleviate swelling, redness, and discomfort associated with inflammatory responses. By targeting inflammation at its source, yarrow essential oil provides effective relief, promoting greater overall well-being and comfort.
Spiritual connection
Yarrow essential oil doesn’t just work wonders for your body; it can also enhance your spiritual journey. By using it, you might find that your dreams become more vivid and insightful. Use it to help you tune into your intuition, and follow that gut feeling that guides you. Plus, yarrow is like a comforting hug for your emotions, helping you stay steady and supported. Linked with the third eye chakra, it’s all about finding inner peace, sparking creativity, and connecting with your higher self. Yarrow is the place where heaven and earth can meet. Use it in meditation and visualization for chakra connecting and balancing, keeping you grounded while at the same time allowing you to connect with divine energies.
Use Yarrow Safely
As with all essential oils, it’s important to investigate essential oil safety guidelines. Avoid using yarrow essential oil if you are pregnant, nursing or living with epilepsy. Do not use yarrow with children. Speak to a professional before using yarrow essential oil if you are taking antidepressant medication, as it can inhibit absorption.
Recipes
Diffuser recipe for soothing emotional hurt, anger and defensiveness.
Rose – 3 drops
Yarrow – 1 drops
Helichrysum everlasting – 1 drop
German chamomile – 1 drop
Add essential oil to diffuser and enjoy for 30 – 60 minutes.
Personal inhaler to soothe hurt emotions
If you need support during the day, create a personal inhaler with the essential oils above and bring it with you!
Use a small, amber glass bottle. An empty essential oil bottle is perfect. Fill it with pink Himalayan or sea salt. Add the following oils.
Olive oil 1 millilitre
Rose – 3 drops
Yarrow – 1 drops
Helichrysum everlasting – 1 drop
German chamomile – 1 drop
Replace the cap on your bottle and you have a portable inhaler to use throughout the day as needed.
Soothe red, irritated, dry skin with this body oil
Create a soothing solution for nurturing and revitalizing the skin.
Calendula oil – 10 grams
Meadowfoam seed oil – 10 grams
Black seed oil – 10 grams
Lavender – 3 drops
Yarrow – 2 drops
German chamomile – 1 drop
In a small amber glass bottle or PET plastic bottle add the carrier oils carefully, followed by the essential oil drops. Replace the bottle cap and lightly shake. Use on affected skin as needed.
