Chamomile Essential Oil
Chamomile is a well-known alternative health and cosmetic product already, but there are even more benefits to be found with chamomile essential oil. There are a couple of different types of chamomile and it is important to distinguish between the two of them because they each have different strengths and benefits, and excel at treating very different conditions. When you combine the two of them together, they provide multiple health benefits and are used in everything from an ingredient in tea, a component of lotions and beauty products and an effective treatment for several different health conditions. Most health experts consider chamomile is one of the best supplements you can use to improve your overall health.
The Basics about Chamomile Essential Oil
There are lots of health benefits that come with chamomile essential oil. There are a couple different types of chamomile, which we will get into down below in more detail, but both varieties of chamomile offer a few of the same, and a few different health benefits. Chamomile essential oil is one of the best ways that you can treat general health problems and improve it overall. In botany circles, the two scientific names for the varieties of chamomile are Arthemis nobilis and Chamaemelum nobile, and they comprise a large list of properties to improve your mental and physical health.
How is Chamomile Essential Oil Manufactured?
Like nearly all of the essential oils out there, chamomile essential oil is made by running the parts of the chamomile plant through the steam distillation process. In this case, the flowers are the part of the plant that is turned into the essential oil.
Types of Chamomile Essential Oil
As previously mentioned, there are couple different types of chamomile and although some of the benefits that you get from them when it comes to your health are remarkably similar, you should still know what the differences between the two and get enough information to allow you to choose which one or best for you. What you should understand about chamomile is that it has a strong and endearing smell and contains a surprisingly high ester count which is why these types of chamomile work so well as an antispasmodic, and treat conditions where spasms are a problem.
The first type of chamomile is called Roman chamomile. Both types of chamomile have a very strong perfume fragrance but Roman chamomile helps to calm the mind and reduce anxiety much better than its sister species. It works much better as an emenagogue while German chamomile has a particular compound called Azulene that makes it work as an anti-inflammatory better than pretty much anything else out there. If you do enough research into chamomile you may run across what is called Moroccan chamomile, which is often found in aromatherapy. However, this is not a true chamomile plant and is almost exclusively used for the fragrance.
How to Use Chamomile Essential Oil
You can use chamomile essential oils a number of different ways. You may have heard of chamomile tea in the past and while it is perfectly possible to create a tea out of essential oils you have to be very careful about what you use to make sure that you don’t give yourself too much of the condensed essential oil which might make you sick. One of the most effective other ways that you can use chamomile is through aromatherapy.
Composition of Chamomile Essential Oil
As you might imagine, German chamomile and Roman chamomile have different chemical makeups. Here are the lists of the ingredients that make up each type of chamomile.
Roman Camomile:
- Alpha Pinene
- Beta Pinene
- Camphene
- Caryophyllene
- Sabinene
- Myrcene
- Gamma Terpinene
- Pinocarvone
- Farsenol
- Cineole
- Propyl Angelate
- Butyl Angelate
German Camomile:
- Azulene
- Alpha Bisabolol
- Bisabolol Oxide-A & B
- Bisabolene Oxide-A
Aromatic Description of Chamomile Essential Oil
When it comes to the aroma that you will get from chamomile essential oil, it is a very sweet aroma that smells much like fresh apples directly off of the tree. The fragrance is very rich, very sweet and will entice your senses when you smell it. Plus, it blends so well with so many other fragrances.
Precautions & Side Effects of Chamomile Essential Oil
Chamomile is extremely safe, and there is no reason to be concerned about toxicity as long as you are diluting it before you use it. The only thing that you need to be concerned about is if you are already allergic to chamomile, in which case you probably already know better than to use chamomile essential oil in the first place. However, this also goes for the other plants in the ragweed family so be cautious if you have any allergies there.
Attributes of Chamomile Essential Oil
| Attribute | X | Definition |
| analgesic | X | Reduces pain in muscles and joints |
| anti-infectious | X | Prevents infection |
| anti-inflammatory | X | Reduces inflammation |
| antibiotic | X | Keeps biotic infections from developing |
| antidepressant | X | Helps to alleviate depression |
| anti-neuralgic | X | Counteracts nerve pain |
| anti-rheumatic | Counteracts pain from rheumatoid arthritis | |
| antiseptic | X | Prevents growth of organisms which cause disease |
| antispasmodic | X | Prevents spasms from occurring |
| antiviral | X | Kills viral agents |
| aphrodisiac | Increasing someone’s sexual desires | |
| bactericidal | X | Kills bacterial agents |
| carminative | X | Prevents formation of gas in the GI tract |
| cholagogue | Assists with the discharge of bile | |
| cicatrisant | X | Assists in the formation of healthy scar tissue |
| decongestant | Reduces or eliminates congestions of nasal cavities | |
| expectorant | X | Loosens mucous and helps clear it from the body |
| digestive | X | Helps with the digestion of food |
| emenagogue | X | Promotes healthy menstrual discharge |
| febrifuge | Aids in the reduction of fever | |
| hepatic | X | Promotes healthy liver function |
| hypotensive | Helps to lower blood pressure | |
| Insecticide | X | Kills certain types of insects or pests |
| muscle relaxant | Relaxes tight muscles and prevents muscle spasms | |
| nervine | X | Reduces anxiety and calms the nerves |
| sedative | Aids in calming or induces sleepiness | |
| stimulant | Increases physiological or nervous system activity | |
| Stomachic | X | Aids in a healthy appetite or digestion |
| sudorific | Promotes or aids in activation of sweat glands | |
| tonicX | X | Tones the skin or muscles |
| vermifuge | X | Kills parasitic worms |
What is Chamomile Essential Oil Primarily Used For?
When it comes to chamomile essential oil and the tasks that it is most suited for, there are quite a few of them. One of the major functions of this essential oil is to act as a disinfectant for all sorts of different toxins that can be present in the body. In fact, just about everything that you can think of that would be harmful, chamomile can help you get rid of; chamomile essential oil is an antibiotic, antiseptic, antibacterial agent, vermifuge and fungicide as well. In addition, it kills pests such as lice and mites, as well as intestinal worm infections.
Other Uses for Chamomile Essential Oils
There are quite a few other uses for chamomile essential oil as well. One of the benefits that teens and young adults really like is that it is an extremely effective cure for acne because the essential oil cleans the glands by using sweat and removes the excess water from the body; at the same time it removes the toxins that can sometimes contribute to acne. In addition, the person taking the essential oil has a decreased chance of developing viral infections. Plus, chamomile can make a significant impact when it comes to clearing up bad breath and halitosis. Finally, the German chamomile variety is good for heart health and blood pressure because it loosens up the constricted blood vessels and allows the pressure to decrease. This also decreases the chances of developing clogged arteries.
Recommended Combinations Involving Chamomile Essential Oil
When it comes to combining chamomile essential oil with other oils there are a few choices that work really great. Some of the citrus fruits and their essential oils work really good, like lemon and grapefruit. Some of the others include: eucalyptus, bergamot, geranium, lavender, oakmoss, rose, tea tree oil, clary sage and jasmine.
The Final Word on Chamomile Essential Oil
So, if you’re looking for great essential oil that you can use for your aromatherapy practice or you can use to reap some of the incredible health benefits that come with it, there aren’t very many better choices out there than chamomile essential oil. If any of the health benefits that are on the chart or any of the primary uses of chamomile sound appealing, then you should definitely keep chamomile essential oil in your medicine cabinet along with your other natural remedies.
