Essential Oils to Soothe Bodily Aches in Estrogen Imbalance
Hormones are chemical messengers of our bodies, playing a key role in maintaining your mental and physical health. These chemical messengers travel through our bloodstream to the tissues and organs to perform multiple functions. When we are younger, our bodies use hormones for the growth and control of metabolic functions. As we reach the age of puberty, the reproductive hormones become active. Generally, the endocrine glands play a vital role in producing a certain hormone in a certain proportion required for various body functions. The main endocrine glands in our body that produce various hormones are the thyroid, thymus, pancreas, adrenal glands, pineal, and pituitary. The hormones control many things, including your sleeping pattern, appetite, weight, sex drive, and mood. Consequently, hormonal imbalance can affect your physical and mental health. Their imbalance changes your sleeping pattern, causes weight gain, appetite changes, muscular pains, mood swings, stress and anxiety, headaches, fatigue, among other things.
What is Estrogen Dominance?
Each hormone has a specific task to carry out. If any hormone is present at high levels or low levels in the body, it can cause uncomfortable symptoms. Estrogen dominance is a condition in which the body's estrogen levels are higher than progesterone hormone levels. It occurs when the body's progesterone levels decrease, but the estrogen levels stay the same. The common cause of low levels of progesterone in the body is prolonged stress. It happens because the precursor ingredient of the stress hormone cortisol and progesterone is the same. That precursor ingredient is pregnenolone. As our body prioritizes the stress hormones for our body’s survival, the precursor ingredient of pregnenolone produces more cortisol than progesterone. Subsequently, this whole process causes estrogen dominance in the body by depleting the body's progesterone levels. The main symptoms of estrogen dominance are PMS, weight gain, abnormal menstruation, reduced sex drive, and fatigue.
How Essential Oils Help with Hormonal Imbalance and High-Stress Levels?
In the present fast-paced world, hormonal imbalance and estrogen dominance are becoming common health care issues. A healthy lifestyle, proper diet, and reducing stress levels are vital for maintaining physical and mental health. Fortunately, we have a centuries-old recipe for balancing mood and help reduce stress levels in essential oils. Essential oils are chemical compounds extracted from different parts of plants and flowers. They contain the aroma and chemical properties of the plant or flower from which they have been extracted. These aromatic oils have a long history of use in an alternative form of healing called aromatherapy. In aromatherapy, essential oils are used for body massages and scenting the air for promoting mental and physical health. Their aroma is known to have an uplifting impact on the agitated mind, and their therapeutic properties alleviate muscular pain and bodily fatigue. Here are the best essential oils that promote mental and physical wellbeing:
Lavender Essential Oil
Lavender essential oil is extracted from a beautiful, colorful, and sweet-smelling plant named Lavandula angustifolia originated from the Mediterranean regions of Europe, Africa, and India. Today, it is a popular aromatherapy oil which offers many mood-uplifting benefits. In cosmetics and natural skincare recipes, lavender oil is used for soothing acne-prone skin, calming inflamed and troubled skin, and for brightening the complexion.
In its chemical composition, lavender essential oil contains linalool, limonene, cineole, terpinene, pinene, and linalyl acetate compounds. These naturally occurring compounds offer soothing, therapeutic, and comforting properties that help alleviate joint and muscular pain. Other than easing bodily fatigue, lavender essential oil soothes inflamed and irritated skin. You can dilute it with any carrier oil of your choice before applying it onto the skin. Its pleasant, sweet, and calming scent improves mood, soothes the agitated mind, and promotes restful sleep at night. You can also add to a diffuser or directly inhale its fragrance through the bottle to soothe headaches.
Frankincense Essential Oil
Frankincense essential oil is derived from Boswellia carterii plants native to Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Historically, frankincense plants have held a sacred spiritual and religious value in many cultures. It was burned in holy places as a symbol of purity because it exuded a white smoke. It had even earned a nickname of "pure incense" because of its purifying qualities and powerful scent. It is also believed that the ancient Egyptians had used it for mummification procedures. Some Indians, Euthopina and Somalian communities, use frankincense plants for scenting their houses and religious places. They believe that frankincense would bring good health, success, and prosperity.
In its chemical composition, frankincense essential oil contains limonene, pinene, borneol, myrcene, and farnesol compounds. These compounds have purifying, soothing, and therapeutic properties. Frankincense essential oil has an earthy, spicy, and woody scent that creates a calming atmosphere in the surroundings. You can put a few drops of frankincense essential oil onto your fingertips and apply it under your feet to relax and soothe mental fatigue. In aromatherapy massage, frankincense oil is known for easing physical discomfort, calming muscular pain, and soothing aching joints.
