Sarah's Health Notes: Aromatherapy for the Menopause
Smell is the most primitive of our senses and the only one directly connected to the brain. Neurons from the brain actually dangle into our noses. Aromatherapy has a direct relevance to menopause because smell has a fast tract to the hypothalamus, which controls the pituitary gland – the powerful little organ that governs our hormones. As many of us have found, the benefits of aromatherapy can help calm and soothe our frayed nerves.
When I teamed up with consultant gynaecologist to write Your Change Your Choice, detailing an integrated approach to the menopause, the expert aromatherapist Geraldine Howard, co-founder of Aromatherapy Associates, gave me her favourite DIY recipes for this often fractious time. (Very sadly, Geraldine who was a dear friend died in 2016. We miss her greatly.)
Of course, these are good for any one any time, not just when midlife hormones are creating havoc.
Base for blends:
Always mix aromatherapy oils with a base to avoid a sensitivity reaction. For bath, shower or body massage blends, mix with oil of any kind (see below) or with full fat organic milk or cream - channeling Cleopatra there…. Or with soft honey, preferably Manuka, which is marvelous for restoring skin texture (also neat on wounds).
Recommended base oils:
The lightest: jojoba, grapeseed and sunflower
Middling rich: sweet almond, apricot and peach
Richest: coconut, macadamia, olive, borage and evening primrose oil
Geraldine’s favourites for restoring velvety texture and suppleness to dry skin (due to oestrogen depletion) include borage, evening primrose, peach and coconut.
Bath and shower oil for balancing and reviving mind, body and spirit:
Essential oils: geranium and frankincense with bergamot and rosewood if liked.
For one bath: mix four to five drops of essential oils in total with 5ml (a large teaspoon) of oil, milk, cream or soft honey.
For each shower: mix four to five drops of essential oils in total with 10ml base; rub on to chest and tummy before turning on shower.
As a body oil: mix nine drops in 30ml of base oil.
Body massage oil for joint aches and pains:
Essential oils: nine drops in total rosemary and lavender oils in 30ml base oil.
Body massage oil for swelling, boating and puffiness of any kind, including cellulite:
Essential oils: grapefruit (or orange, mandarin or lemon), rosemary and juniper
Mix nine drops in all into 30 ml base oil.
Massage into skin wherever there is a problem, using long firm strokes. Swollen tummies often respond to being rubbed clockwise for a couple of minutes.
Dry skin oil for face, hands and body:
Essential oils: frankincense, rose, patchouli, geranium plus sandalwood if skin is very dry
Blend one drop of each oil, five drops in all, with 30ml of borage or evening primrose oil. This makes one ounce and will last for several applications, Keep in a stoppered bottled in a cool dark place but not the fridge (too cold). Always massage upwards on your face and inwards around eyes.
Face Mask:
Essential oils: frankincense and rose
Mix one drop of each into a teaspoonful of soft honey; stroke on your face with your fingers, working upwards where possible. Leave ten to 15 minutes then rinse off with warm water.
Sleeping and relaxing blend:
Essential oils: vetivert, Moroccan or Roman chamomile and lavender
Put two to three drops of each into a bowl of just boiled water by your bedside to help you relax and nod off peacefully.
If you tend to wake up in the night, keep a bottle by the bed containing a blend of one to two drops of each with five ml of oil. When you wake, inhale deeply from the bottle or put a drop on your chest and breathe in.
You can also make a room or pillow spray: mix six to eight drops of the oils in total with one teaspoon of vodka. Shake well to blend then add one teaspoon of filtered water.
For daytime, sprinkle a few drops on your hanky.
