AN OILY SPOTLIGHT: HELICHRYSUM

A few months after using the various oils in my Young Living Premium Starter Kit, I was ready to purchase an oil not included in the original kit.  What to do… it was overwhelming to choose from so many.  I’m not really sure why I was drawn to this particular oil, but I decided to purchase Helichrysum essential oil.  I actually didn’t know much about this oil at the time, and I wasn’t even sure how it was pronounced. As it turns out, it can be pronounced one of two ways:  hel-i-kris-um or hel-i-kray-sum, no wonder I was confused. It definitely had a higher price point than many of the other oils, but I went with my intuition and made the purchase anyway.  Today Helichrysum is an oil I’d never want to be without.

Let’s start with where it comes from.  Helichrysum can be found growing wild on the rocky hillsides of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina.  But the wild plants are becoming rapidly depleted as harvesters, who are paid by the kilo, are cutting out the wood of the plants for weight.  Fortunately Young Living has their own farm and distillery in Croatia and since Helichrysum grows natively in rock, crushed rock is hauled in and spread throughout the fields.  The plant itself is an evergreen that grows about 2 feet high and has daisy-like yellow blooms that basically look like yellow straw flowers when dried.  The leaves and flowers are put through a steam distillation process to extract the essential oil.  High quality oil is achieved if distillation occurs within 24 hours of harvesting, and the younger plants actually yield greater quantities of oil.  However, the overall essential oil yield is quite low, which is a contributing factor to its higher cost. In spite of the higher price point, the smallest amount is needed to make a treatment, which actually makes this oil affordable.  I can tell you that my original 5 milliliter bottle lasted over 2 years before I had to re-order.  Its aroma can be described as sweet and earthy.  Its scent is akin to fresh hay tinged with honey.

Little did I know when I made my first purchase of this oil, what a stunning array of health benefits it had to offer.  I can honestly say it is one of the most useful oils to have in your arsenal. In fact, there have been numerous scientific studies in the last few decades that confirm what many cultures have known for centuries.  Helichrysum essential oil contains a blend of compounds, giving it antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties, just to name a few.

So let’s talk about what that means to you in your daily life.  For one, it’s great for your skin and can reduce the appearance of wrinkles, and is in fact used in many anti-aging skin products. More importantly it is very supportive in the healing of wounds, bruises, burns and scar tissue, as it stimulates blood circulation. But that’s not all.  This oil also acts as an anti-septic and anti-oxidant.  You can safely apply a few drops on cuts and open wounds to prevent infection and regenerate tissue. It can also be used help reduce pain of hemorrhoids.  Apply 3-4 drops with a cotton ball to the affected area, repeating as often as needed to ease pain and swelling.

Here are some other ways I have found to use this oil effectively.  Add a few drops to hot water and inhale as a bronchial expectorant.  Gargle Helichrysum essential oil to help loosen phlegm. This oil works wonders on earaches, as it is also an analgesic.  Simply rub a drop or 2 along the outside of the ear from the front to the back on the mastoid bone (behind the ear), and along the bottom of the skull to the back of the head.  This same method can be applied for clogged ears, swimmers ear and tinnitus. It also works well for headaches (I always include it in my home made headache relief roll-on), and its anti-spasmodic properties aid in the relief of muscle, nerve and menstrual pain.  A few drops in a little bit of carrier oil massaged over the heart center can calm the nerves, balance the emotions and reduce blood pressure. Apply it on the gums if you’re suffering from swelling caused by an abscess, until you can get to your dentist. Diffuse to alleviate mental stress and anxiety.  And these are just some of the health benefits this oil has to offer.

As you can see, Helichrysum essential oil has a remarkably wide range of medicinal properties. This is a very versatile oil; one you should never be without!