Cypress essential oils and ovarian cysts

 

What are Women saying about Cypress Essential Oil & OVARIAN CYST?

1. I got rid of a 3-centimeter cyst on an ovary by using 8 drops each of FRANKINCENSE, GERANIUM and CYPRESS (OVARIAN CYST blend) diluted with 24 drops of a carrier oil. I did a retention tampon nightly for 4 nights, off for 2 nights and 4 more nights. I also rubbed this blend on topically and on my ankle bone on both sides of my feet, working down from the ankle bone to the arches of my feet. In 10 days my pain was completely gone. - Ingrid

2. I used 8 drops each of FRANKINCENSE, GERANIUM and CYPRESS (OVARIAN CYST blend) in 24 drops of olive oil. I put this topically on my ankle bones and over my ovaries, and I also used this blend as a retention tampon using natural tampons. - Kelly

3. I went in to see my gynecologist after experiencing unexplained cramping for five months. An ultrasound and CT scan showed that I had a cyst on my ovary. My doctor scheduled surgery to remove it in 4 weeks. I was glad to finally know what it was, but I was not looking forward to having surgery. I decided to talk to a good friend of mine who was into alternative things including essential oils. She suggested I use 8 drops each of FRANKINCENSE, LAVENDER and CYPRESS with a carrier oil. I soaked an all-natural tampon and retained it all night long for four nights straight. The next three nights I did the same thing but used GERANIUM instead of the Cypress. I also applied MASTER blend over my ovaries where I experienced the pain every time I used the bathroom. At night I applied this and laid a hot compress over the painful ovary. When I went back to the doctor three weeks later, there was not a sign of that cyst on my ovary!

Peppermint essential oil for improved cognitive function

A double-blinded, placebo-controlled, cross-over clinical trial was conducted with 24 healthy individuals as study participants. Study participants were given placebo capsules or capsules containing either 1 or 2 drops of peppermint essential oil. Participants were asked to perform a number of tasks designed to test cognitive function and assessed for mental fatigue.

The researchers found that peppermint essential oil had a positive effect on cognition during the execution of difficult mental tasks. In addition, peppermint essential oil significantly reduced cognitive fatigue.

Reference:
Kennedy D, Okello E, Chazot P, et al. Volatile Terpenes and Brain Function: Investigation of the Cognitive and Mood Effects of Mentha × Piperita L. Essential Oil with In Vitro Properties Relevant to Central Nervous System Function. Nutrients. 2018;10(8). pii: E1029. doi: 10.3390/nu10081029.

Tea tree oil on wound healing

A small study found that the use of tea tree essential oil accelerates wound healing. This was partly attributed to its ability to prevent wound infection.

Read the abstract here.

Curcumin extract and fennel essential oil for irritable bowel syndrome

A group of Italian and Belgian researchers studied 211 individuals with irritable bowel syndrome. They tested the efficacy of a curcumin extract and fennel essential oil. All study participants took two capsules containing 42 mg of curcumin and 25 mg of fennel essential oil twice daily with meals for 30 days. After 30 days, the participants took two capsules once daily with a meal. Surveys were administered before and after taking the experiment and contained questions regarding bowel regularity and quality of life.

At the conclusion of the study, the researchers found that there was significant improvement in bowel regularity and quality of life in the study participants as a whole.

Scientific abstract is here.

Reference
Di Ciaula A, Portincasa P, Maes N, et al. Efficacy of bio-optimized extracts of turmeric and essential fennel oil on the quality of life in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Ann Gastroenterol. 2018;31(6):685-691.doi: 10.20524/aog.2018.0304

Peppermint essential oil and cognitive function

A recent double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over clinical trial involving 24 individuals found peppermint essential oil had a positive effect on cognition during the execution of difficult mental tasks. In addition, peppermint essential oil significantly reduced cognitive fatigue.

Read the abstract here.

Reference: Kennedy D, Okello E, Chazot P, et al. Volatile Terpenes and Brain Function: Investigation of the Cognitive and Mood Effects of Mentha × Piperita L. Essential Oil with In Vitro Properties Relevant to Central Nervous System Function. Nutrients. 2018;10(8). pii: E1029. doi: 10.3390/nu10081029.

Essential oils and neck pain

A randomized controlled study involving 60 participants found that application of a cream with a 3% concentration of marjoram, black pepper, lavender, and peppermint resulted in improved pain tolerance and increased mobility relative to the control group. Read more here.


Reference
M.-C. Ou, Y.-F. Lee, C.-C. Li, and S.-K. Wu, “The effectiveness of essential oils for patients with neck 
pain: a randomized controlled study,” J. Altern. Complement. Med. N. Y. N, vol. 20, no. 10, pp. 771– 
779, Oct. 2014.

Aromatherapy and massage during labour can reduce the use of anesthesia

The use of aromatherapy and massage has been found to reduce the use of analgesia and anesthesia for women in labour. Read the abstract here.


Reference
Dhany AL, Mitchell T, Foy C. Aromatherapy and massage intrapartum service impact on use of analgesia and anesthesia in women in labor: A retrospective case note analysis. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2012;18(10):932-938.

Geranium decreases anxiety in patients with acute myocardial infarction

A triple-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial investigated the effects of geranium essential oil on anxiety in the healthcare setting. Absorbent patches with three drops of geranium oil were placed inside of patients’ oxygen masks for 20 minutes daily. Geranium oil significantly decreased anxiety in patients who received it.

Read the scientific abstract here.


Reference:
Shirzadegan R, Gholami M, Hasanvand S, et al. Effects of geranium aroma on anxiety among patients with acute myocardial infarction: A triple-blind randomized clinical trial. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2017;29:201-206.

Protective essential oil blend inhibits the influenza virus

Protective essential oil blend was found to inhibit the influenza virus by inhibiting the synthesis of viral proteins in an in vitro study.

Read the study here.

Reference:
Wu et al. 2010. Protective essential oil attenuates influenza virus infection: An in vitro study in MDCK cells. BMC Complement. Altern. Med. 10:69.

Copaiba essential is an effective anti-acne treatment

Copaiba oil-resin is widely used in traditional medicine due to its anti-inflammatory, healing, and antiseptic activities. In a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial, there was a highly significant decrease in the surface affected with acne in the areas treated with the 1.0% copaiba essential oil preparation. Read the abstract here.

Reference
A. G. da Silva et al., “Application of the essential oil from copaiba (Copaifera langsdori Desf.) for acne vulgaris: a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial,” Altern. Med. Rev. J. Clin. Ther., vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 69–75, Mar. 2012.

Sandalwood has been found to have anticancer effects

Sandalwood essential oil has been found to have anticancer effects.

"Effective management of tumorigenesis requires development of better anticancer agents with greater efficacy and fewer side-effects. Natural products are important sources for the development of chemotherapeutic agents and almost 60% of anticancer drugs are of natural origin. α-Santlol, a sesquiterpene isolated from Sandalwood, is known for a variety of therapeutic properties including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-viral and anti-bacterial activities. Cell line and animal studies reported chemopreventive effects of sandalwood oil and α-santalol without causing toxic side-effects. Our laboratory identified its anticancer effects in chemically-induced skin carcinogenesis in CD-1 and SENCAR mice, ultraviolet-B-induced skin carcinogenesis in SKH-1 mice and in vitro models of melanoma, non-melanoma, breast and prostate cancer. Its ability to induce cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis in cancer cells is its most reported anticancer mechanism of action. The present review discusses studies that support the anticancer effect and the mode of action of sandalwood oil and α-santalol in carcinogenesis."

Download review here.

Reference
Santha S, Dwivedi C. Anticancer Effects of Sandalwood (Santalum album). Anticancer Res. 2015;35(6):3137-3145.

Lavender bath oil reduces stress and crying and enhances sleep in very young infants

Bathing young infants in bath water with lavender essential oil was found to reduce stress and crying and enhance sleep in very young infants, according to a scientific study.

Very young infants, ranging in age from one-week to four-and-half-months, were given a bath with or without lavender-scented bath oil. The mothers in the lavender bath oil group were more relaxed, smiled and touched their infants more during the bath. Their infants looked at them a greater percentage of the bath time and cried less and spent more time in deep sleep after bath. The cortisol levels of this group of mothers and infants significantly decreased, confirming the behavioral data showing increased relaxation of the mothers and their infants. These findings support a body of research showing the relaxing and sleep-inducing properties of lavender essential oil.

Reference:
Field T, et al. Lavender bath oil reduces stress and crying and enhances sleep in very young infants. Early Human Development. 2008; 84(6):339-401.

Effects of aroma hand massage on pain and depression in hospice patients with terminal cancer

A scientific study involving 58 hospice patients with terminal cancer found that a hand massage with a blend of bergamot, lavender and frankincense essential oils in an almond oil base resulted in a statistically significant decrease in pain and depression, compared with a control group, who received a massage with almond oil only. Read the scientific paper here.

Reference:
Chang, S.A. 2008. Effects of aroma hand massage on pain, state anxiety and depression in hospice patients with terminal cancer. J Korean Acad Nurs. 38(4):493-502.

Peppermint and post-operative nausea

In a scientific study, inhaled peppermint essential oil was found to decrease post-operative nausea in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Read the study abstract here.

Reference:

Briggs et al. 2016. Inhaled peppermint oil for postop nausea in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Nursing 46(7):61-67.

Lavender essential oil and restless leg syndrome

In a randomized controlled trial, lavender essential oil was found to be effective for treating restless leg syndrome. Read the full article here.

Reference: Hashemi, Sayyed Hossein, Ali Hajbagheri, and Mohammad Aghajani. “The Effect of Massage With Lavender Oil on Restless Leg Syndrome in Hemodialysis Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” Nursing and Midwifery Studies 4.4 (2015).

Inhalation of lavender essential oil reduces anxiety in open heart surgery candidates

A randomized clinical, single blind study has shown that inhalation of lavender essential oil reduces anxiety in open heart surgery candidates. Read article here.

Reference:

	Hosseini S, Heydari A, Vakili M, Moghadam S, Tazyky S. Effect of lavender essence inhalation on the level of anxiety and blood cortisol in candidates for open-heart surgery. Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research. 2016;21(4):397-401.

Bergamot essential oil decreases stress, anxiety and fatigue

In a clinical study, bergamot essential oil was found to decrease stress, anxiety and fatigue in women. Read more here.

Reference:
Watanabe E, et al. Forsch Komplementmed. 2015. Effects of bergamot (Citrus bergamia (Risso) Wright & Arn.) essential oil aromatherapy on mood states, parasympathetic nervous system activity, and salivary cortisol levels in 41 healthy females. Forsch Komplementmed. 2015;22(1):43-9.

Lavender essential oils reduces fatigue of new mothers

Researchers found that inhaling lavender essential oils decreases fatigue in new mothers. Read the article here. 

 Reference:

Lee S. Effects of aroma inhalation on fatigue and sleep quality of postpartum mothers. Women Heath Nurs. 2004; 10(3):235-243. - See more at: https://doterra.com/US/en/blog/bibliography#sthash.BxY71OB8.dpuf

Lee, S. 2004. Effects of Aroma Inhalation on Fatigue and Sleep Quality of Postpartum Mothers.Korean J Women Health Nurs 10(30):235-243.

Alzheimer's, dementia and essential oils: stories

Below, we have collected some stories about how essential oils can support individuals with Alzheimer's and dementia. For a list of scientific studies on this topic, click here.

Frankincense

Note: studies have shown that sesquiterpenes can pass the blood-brain barrier. Oils high in sesquiterpenes include frankincense, sandalwood, ginger, myrrh, vetiver and ylang ylang.

My mom has advanced Alzheimer's. She takes medication daily, and while it does help in some aspects, she has had quite a difficult time these past few months. I heard some good things about Alzheimer's and Frankincense oil. I talked to her about it and she agreed to give it a try. I applied it twice on the back of her neck yesterday and once this morning. Doesn't seem like much, but this morning she forgot to take her medication. While that is not out of the ordinary, she had a really good day today! I didn't even realize she hadn't taken her am pills until tonight and I couldn't believe how stress free she and I were today. I oiled her up again tonight and sprayed some on her pillow. I apply three drops to the base of her neck and massage in rubbing upwards. I also put a dab behind each ear and for good measure, the top of her head. Tonight I put Frankincense and water in a spray bottle and sprayed her pillow and the area of her bedding that will be closest to her face.

Lavender essential oil

Sitting with my grandma today. She has Alzheimer's and is prone to crying and being very pessimistic. Today when she started getting upset I put a drop of lavender on her pillow and another on her chest. Within a couple of minutes she stopped crying and became much more reasonable/logical.

Basic Vitality Supplements

My Mom has advanced Alzheimer's disease.  She had gotten to the point where she was sitting or lying down with her eyes closed all the time and would open them when spoken to.  She wasn't recognizing my brother any more for maybe 6 months.  She had to be prompted to eat, was not socializing, was weak and unsteady on her feet.

In March we started her on Basic Vitality Supplements.  Within days, the staff were saying, you know - she seems to be doing better.  Each week we have watched her improve - with much delight! After 2 weeks she recognized my brother and with a huge smile on her face said, Oh Wow!  I haven't seen you in so long!  I asked her how she was and she said, "Fine", I said you are?  She said, "yes - VERY GOOD!"  we were grinning from ear to ear!  The following week she was strong in her legs and we didn't have to support her to walk.  She was no longer closing her eyes, she was trying to talk and she was going to the social hall.

Now, 3.5 months later, with only 1/2 dose per day, she is having great days.  She is playing bingo, eating better, strong in her body, talking, interested in working her word-find puzzles, recognizing my brother, whew!  Last Sunday, she even had communion at the church service!  And we are all so delighted at the positive changes that have taken place, with only adding the Basic Vitality Supplements to her routine.

***

My Mom has advanced Alzheimer’s. She has been using the Basic Vitality Supplements  for a year. She has survived a UTI, a respiratory infection and in January, a broken hip. In early February 2012 she was without the Basic Vitality supplements as I was away and I couldn’t get someone from home to take the to the facility so I finally mailed a set to the assisted living. (I think she was without them for about 2 weeks or more.) I received a call a few days later saying how much better she was now that she had the Basic Vitality supplements again. Then, yesterday I received two calls as described here: 

I received a call from Mom’s nurse yesterday. She said, your Mom is doing wonderfully. She is smiling every day and happy. 

Then, the Hospice Nurse called and he said, “Your Mom is doing so well. She is happy, strong, she can put 30% weight on her leg (with the broken hip) to help transfer to the wheelchair (no pain), and she loves watching TV and going to the activity room again. I feel those Basic Vitality supplements are making her like this, especially when we saw her decline without them and then recover quickly with them.”

 ***

My dad  started his journey with Basic Vitality supplements and has never gotten off. The first month, that's all he was on and the results from this were amazing. He had been on several prescriptions for a year or more when we started him on the Basic Vitality supplements. He continued taking the following rx's for the first month and then we started taking him off of the meds, cutting one at a time in half then eliminating them altogether. The originating meds and dosages are as follows: 10mg Namenda 2xday, .25 mg Alprazolam 3xday, Sertaline 25 mg 1xday, Enalapril 10mg.

Here's the list of oils we added to the Basic Vitality supplements regimen as noted in the chart are: Lavender, Calming Blend (3x day on both of these applied at the back of neck at base of skull), Frankincense, Sandalwood and Digestive Blend are given to him at night on bottoms of feet. Digestive Blend unrelated to dementia; helps him to not get constipation. Also, we diffuse Lavender or Serenity throughout the day as needed when my Dad's agitated, confused or gets grumpy.

Essential oil treatment

I have been working with an elderly lady who has Alzheimer’s and have had astounding results with an essential oil treatment that involves 8 different oils (Grounding blend, lavender, melaleuca, Protective blend, Massage blend, Soothing blend, peppermint and orange).  I give her one essential oil treatment a week and have been for a year now, and her husband has informed me of the progress through last year.  After 1 treatment her depression and despondency totally eased off, after 4 1/2 months she was talking about getting her drivers license back and wanting to go back to work....both of these things she was really not able to do....but I guess the thought counts as progress is made...she has not been sick even one time this last year..., and her husband is convinced that she is in the peak of health for her condition and not in a nursing home because of the essential oil treatments.

Dementia

My mom's family has a long history of dementia. At 77 my mom was showing some serious signs (to the point we as her children were starting to talk about long term care, she is aware of the dementia and showing concerns also). I  saw that Melissa and Lemon essential oils were recommended. I have a little Melissa so I made a 10% solution for her in a roller bottle. She is very sensitive to citrus oils so I made a 2% solution of Lemon essential oil in a second roller bottle. She has been using it for 2 weeks. She is carrying on conversations, she is getting things done now where before she would sit and say "I know I have things to do, but just can't get them done". She is venturing out with friends again. This is very exciting for me as my mom's family has a long lifespan.

***

Cellular Complex blend, Focus Blend, Basic Vitality supplements, Frankincense, Lavender are a few I use for my mom with dementia. They are working and helping her.

Alzheimer's, dementia and essential oils: scientific studies

Below, we have summarized some research involving individuals with dementia or Alzheimer's and essential oils. To read some stories about how individuals have been supported by essential oils, click here.

Lavender essential oil

The International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry reports two studies using essential oils to calm agitated patients with dementia.  A placebo-controlled study that involved 15 patients in Canada reported that lavender had a modest efficacy in the treatment of agitated patients with dementia (Holmes et al. 2002), while a placebo-controlled cross-over study that was conducted in China with 70 patients reported a “significant decrease in agitated behavior” (Lin et al. 2007). 

References

Holmes C, Hopkins V, Hensford C, et al. 2002. Lavender oil as a treatment for agitated behaviour in severe dementia: a placebo controlled study. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 17:305-308. 

 

Lin PW, Chan WC, Ng BF, et al. 2007. Efficacy of aromatherapy (Lavandula angustifolia) as an intervention for agitated behaviours in Chinese older persons with dementia: a cross-over randomized trial. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 22(5):405-10.

Read powerpoint presentation summarizing the results of Lin et al. (2007) here.

Rosemary, lemon, lavender and orange essential oils

28 days of aromatherapy consisting of the use of rosemary and lemon essential oils in the morning, and lavender and orange essential oils in the evening, resulted in significant improvement in personal orientation related to cognitive function in Alzheimer’s patients.

Reference
Daiki Jimbo, Yuki Kimura, Miyako Taniguchi, Masashi Inoue, Katsuya Urakami. Effect of aromatherapy on patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Psychogeriatrics. 2009 Dec. 9(4):173-9. PMID: 20377818.

Melissa essential oil

In a double-blinded randomized placebo controlled experiment, at four months, Melissa officinalis extract produced a significantly better outcome on cognitive function than placebo (ADAS-cog: df = 1, F = 6.93, p = 0.01; CDR: df = 1, F = 16.87, p < 0.0001). There were no significant differences in the two groups in terms of observed side effects except agitation, which was more common in the placebo group (p = 0.03).

Akhondzadeh et al. concluded that Melissa officinalis extract is of value in the management of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease and has a positive effect on agitation in such patients.

Reference:
S Akhondzadeh, M Noroozian, M Mohammadi, S Ohadinia, A Jamshidi, and M Khani Roozbeh. 2003 Melissa officinalis extract in the treatment of patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease: a double blind, randomised, placebo controlled trial. Journal of Neurological and Neurosurgical Psychiatry 74(7): 863–866. 

More reading:

• An article entitled "Aromatherapy for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease" summarizes additional scientific studies about this topic. The scientific studies involved lavender, lemon balm (melissa), marjoram, patchouli and vetiver. Read more here.
• "What is remarkable is that all treatments resulted in significant benefit, including (in most instances) reductions in agitation, sleeplessness, wandering and unsociable behaviour."
• An article in the Alternative Daily states that lavender, rosemary, lemon balm (aka melissa), ylang ylang, bergamot and peppermint essential oils can support individuals with dementia. Read more here.
• This article recommends the same 6 essential oils, in addition to ginger essential oil. Read more here.