Essential Oils for Summer

Essential Oils for Summer

As we have had some scorching hot days this month, and as many folk are going off on their summer holidays, I thought I would focus this months blog on some ideas for using Essential Oils safely during hot weather. Please do make sure to check any ‘Safety Notes’ listed at the end of the oil descriptions before applying to babies, children, pregnant ladies or those with sensitive skins.

1. Essential Oils for Sunburn

Obviously it is always best to use a high factor sunscreen, and to cover up, wear a hat, hydrate often and seek shade in the hottest parts of the day to avoid sunburn, but sometimes (especially us Brits!) get so excited about getting to a warm, sunny place, that we forget to re-apply our creams, and get into the shade as often as we should!

If you do get severe sunburn, then you should always seek medical advice from a local pharmacist if you are away, or a local pharmacist or your general practitioner if you are near home. For mild sunburn, an Aloe Vera Gel is a really good choice, or an Essential Oil Blend applied in the cooler evenings after you have been in the sun, can really help to relieve the discomfort on the skin. Some of the Essential Oils that can help with this are:

Lavender (Lavendula Angustifolia)

Lavender Essential Oil is one of the safest that we have in Aromatherapy. It is a wonderful skin healer and is one of the few Essential Oils that can actually be applied neat to burns on the skin (as well as using it in blends of course). It was in 1910 that Rene-Maurice Gattefosse discovered the healing properties of Lavender for burns. He had a laboratory explosion that severely burned his hands. He plunged them into a vat of Lavender Essential Oil to relieve the pain, and was amazed at the rapid healing and minimal scarring that followed. This experience then led him to further explore and popularise the use of Lavender Oil in Aromatherapy. It is safe for just about everyone including babies and children, and as well as its analgesic, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, it is also very calming and balancing.

Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum Nobile)

There are two varieties of Chamomile Essential Oil – Roman Chamomile is the one you want here (the other is German Chamomile, but this has different properties). Roman Chamomile is well known for being a very calming Essential Oil, and it is wonderful added to the skin in a blend, or you could put a few drops in a tepid/cool bath too, to ease sunburn. It is anti-inflammatory and analgesic, so helps with the pain and discomfort. This oil is safe for everyone, including babies and children.

Peppermint (Mentha Piperita)

The menthol active ingredient in Peppermint Essential Oil brings anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiseptic qualities to the blend, and it is very cooling. It helps to relieve the discomfort of sunburn and has a numbing effect, acting as a natural painkiller. It stimulates the cold receptors in your skin and dilates blood vessels to cool you down. Safety Note: Peppermint Essential Oil is not safe to use on babies or children, or in pregnancy.

To Blend: I would use 30ml of a Sweet Almond Base Oil, then 6 drops of Lavender, 4 drops of Roman Chamomile, and 2 drops of Peppermint, and apply to the affected areas. You could also substitute the Sweet Almond Base Oil for an Aloe Vera Gel if preferred/available, as this is also a wonderful cooling agent, or you could add some of the Gel to the Essential Oil blend, and mix together. If you cannot use the Peppermint Essential Oil for safety reasons, you can increase the drops of the others, up to a maximum of 12 drops.

2. Essential Oils for Insect Bites

One of the downsides to any holiday is the pesky mosquitos and other insects that like to feed on us – especially in hot countries! Like suncream with sunburn, we can apply all of the anti-bite creams, mosquito body and room sprays, anti-bite wristbands and other methods to try and keep ourselves safe, but somehow they still often manage to get through, such is their determination! Bites can react badly in some people, and really make you feel miserable, so here are a few Essential Oils that can help with the inflammation and irritation.

Essential Oils can be really useful in treating the itching, inflammation and pain associated with insect bites and stings. They are a natural way to relieve discomfort and promote faster healing. Some of these oils are as follows:

Basil ct Linalool (Ocimum Basilicum)

Basil Essential Oil can reduce inflammation and irritation caused by an insect bite, and can also help to protect the skin from infection, as it is antimicrobial and antifungal, and is also a great repellent. It has a lovely fresh herbal aroma, so is great used in the summer months. Safety Note: Avoid use on babies, children, in pregnancy or on those with sensitive skins.

Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus Globulus)

Eucalyptus Essential Oil is a great insect repellent and is perfect used for insect bites, as it helps to heal the skin, and it is slightly cooling too. It has anti-inflammatory and pain relieving properties, and as it is also antibacterial, it can also help to protect the skin from infection. Safety Note: Eucalyptus is generally safe for everyone, but it can be dangerous if ingested by children, so please keep it high up where they are not able to reach it if you are using this on yourself.

Lavender (Lavendula Angustifolia)

As well as sunburn, this oil is wonderful for insect bites. It is a fantastic skin healer and can also be applied neat to bites and stings (as well as used in blends). It is safe for just about everyone, and in addition to having all the properties mentioned before, it is very soothing and calming. It can help with the itching and pain we get from bites and stings and soothes any irritation.

Tea Tree (Melaleuca Alternifolia)

Tea Tree Essential Oil is also brilliant for insect bites and stings. It is antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and a great immunostimulant too. It is great for a variety of skin infections and skin conditions, and protects us from infection. It is also a safe oil for the vast majority of people.

To Blend: I would use 30ml of a Sweet Almond Base Oil, then 4 drops of Tea Tree, 3 drops of Eucalyptus, 3 drops of Lavender and 2 drops of Basil, and apply to the affected areas. You could also substitute the Sweet Almond Base Oil for an Aloe Vera Gel if preferred/available, as this is also a wonderful cooling agent, or you could add some of the Gel to the Essential Oil blend, and mix together. If you can’t use any of these for safety reasons, then you can increase the drops of the other oils up to a maximum of 12 drops.

3. Essential Oils for Travel Sickness and Digestive Problems

There may be many times we suffer with tummy problems during our summer holidays. We may suffer from travel sickness on planes, boats, buses, coaches or in taxis. We may have digestive issues from eating food that our bodies are not used to eating, from drinking local water or ice cubes, or by having food that is poorly prepared, inadequately stored or just not cooked properly. Or maybe we have just overdone it on the all-inclusive! Many Essential Oils are good for travel sickness and our digestion – here are just a few:

Ginger (Zingiber Officinalis)

Ginger Essential Oil is fabulous for our Digestive System. It is carminative, anti-inflammatory, stomachic and antispasmodic, as well as being a good pain reliever. It is warming too, and really helps with diarrhoea and constipation, nausea and travel sickness. Safety Note: Do not use on babies or children, as it is far too stimulating.

Lemon (Citrus Limonum)

Lemon Essential Oil is a lovely cleansing oil, which supports our Digestive System, and it is an amazing tonic for our liver and gallbladder, so a very good choice for all digestive-related issues. It also has neutralising acids which can help to relieve nausea. It also blends really well with the other two oils mentioned in this section. Safety Note: Do not use this oil in direct sunlight – it is better applied once back inside, as with prolonged use it can be phototoxic.

Peppermint (Mentha Piperita)

We can use this essential oil again here. The cool and minty aroma of Peppermint Essential Oil works well to ease an upset stomach and nausea. It is the best Essential Oil for motion sickness, and well known for benefitting the digestive tract. Safety Note: Peppermint is not safe to use on babies or children, or in pregnancy.

Please try to always keep yourself and your family well hydrated when you are away – this is extremely important in hot temperatures, and also when you are travelling. Just drinking water is fine, or why not add some slices of fresh lemon and/or peppermint to give you a really refreshing pool-side drink? Or if you’re on an all-inclusive, at least try to apply the ‘one water to one beer/wine/spirit’ idea! Doing this can also stop those morning-after hangovers!