Sniffing An Orange Can Help You Relax!
Natural Ingredients To Relieve Stress
Essential Oils have been used to promote health and support healing throughout history and across all cultures for many thousands of years. Over 3,000 years ago, the Ancient Egyptian High Priests were experts at utilising natural ingredients within plant based medicines. This knowledge was passed to the Ancient Greeks who applied a more Scientific approach of how to use Essential Oils for healing, followed by the Romans who effectively transported that knowledge across the world on their various military campaigns. In fact, many plants that we assume are native to the UK were in fact brought here by the Romans for medicinal purposes e.g Rosemary.
Benefits of Essential Oils
Plant based remedies rooted in the past are more popular than ever as we become increasingly conscious of the impact synthetic drugs are having on our bodies and the environment. Reaching immediately for a pill to alleviate a headache, or indulging in unhealthy drinking or food habits to ease the burden of a difficult day is no longer an immediate response - we are instead drawn to the benefits of natural ingredients to feel relaxed and relieve stress.
Today, Essential Oils are an established therapeutic practice throughout most NHS trusts and are used alongside traditional medicine - especially for those conditions relating to emotional wellbeing, stress and pain management.
“Aromatherapy may be beneficial in reducing anxiety, tension, pain and depression. The different smells (aromas), and the chemical constituents of the oils, can produce different emotional and physiological reactions.” Liverpool Universities NHS Trust
Natural Plant based remedies aimed at alleviating the symptoms of a low mood, anxiety, stress or depression will almost always contain at least one Citrus ingredient. Why? Well….to answer that you need to know a little about the chemistry of Citrus Essential Oils.
How the Scent of Sweet Oranges can help you Relax
Essential Oils can be inhaled or absorbed via the skin. The inhalation method is the quickest way to enter the body as the olfactory system (this refers to our sense of smell) has a direct link to our brains. However, due to the tiny size of Essential Oil molecules they can easily be absorbed, either directly through the outer layer of the skin, or via the hair follicles and sweat glands into our blood stream and transported around our bodies.
Essential Oils are made up of 3 building blocks - hydrogen, oxygen and carbon. Based upon the chemical make up of the Essential Oil, it will either be a hydrocarbon or an oxygenated carbon.
Monoterpenes are an example of a Hydrocarbon and most Citrus Essential Oils fall within this category. Monoterpenes are antiseptic, cleansing, pain relieving, refreshing, emotionally uplifting and stimulating.
The Chemical constituent Limonene (above) - found in the rind of citrus fruits is an example of a Monoterpene. This chemical has an uplifting and stimulating physiological effect on the mind & body. Many Cannabis strains are also high in Limonene.
Generally speaking the higher the concentration of Monoterpenses the more indicative the Essential Oil will be of the characteristics associated with that chemical. Citrus Essential Oils are very high in Monoterpenes - for example, Sweet Orange is over 96%. That’s why the aroma of Sweet Orange Essential Oil can have a joyful and cheerful effect on our senses - even sniffing it straight out of the bottle can have a positive impact on our mindset.
“Sweet Orange essential oil contains over 96% of the chemical ‘Limonene’. Limonene is present to different levels in Citrus Fruits and is also found in Cannabis Plants. The high percentage found in Sweet Orange explains why simply sniffing a cut orange can have a cheerful and uplifting impact on us”
Rose Sergeant. Clinical Aromatherapist & Founder of The Good Zest Company www.thegoodzestcompany.co.uk
These exceptionally high percentages mean Citrus Essential Oils are the embodiment of Monoterpenes and therefore more emotionally uplifting and stimulating compared to other Essential Oils. In contrast, other chemicals that appear in Essential Oils e.g. Sesquiterpenes found in Cedarwood have a calming effect, and Esters found in Lavender Essential Oil are good for relaxation. Therefore, knowing a little chemistry helps explain why Citrus Essential Oils have the nickname of ‘liquid sunshine’ and are known collectively as the ‘happy oils’.
Sweet Orange Essential Oil for Mind, Body & Soul
Incorporating Sweet Orange Essential Oil into your daily routine is an easy way to get the therapeutic benefits associated with the Limonene. You can either diffuse a few drops of Organic Sweet Orange Essential Oil in a diffuser as a natural stimulant to ready yourself for a busy day, or upgrade your morning shower with natural products infused with Organic Sweet Orange Essential Oil.
TIP: Use Products that contain Organic Essential Oils so you are not inhaling or absorbing (via your skin into your bloodstream) synthetic chemicals.
You need to be sure that you are using Organic Essential Oils that are ‘whole’ as otherwise you are simply inhaling a synthetic molecule that is designed to trick the senses and has no therapeutic benefit (and high profit margins for the manufacturers!). Organic products and Essential Oils may cost a little more, but as with most things in life, you get what you pay for! However, this upfront investment should yield long term benefits as you don’t need to use as much each time.
Organic Sweet Orange Essential Oil is chemically rich in monoterpenes - its rind consists of over 96% Limonene (monoterpene). This makes Organic Sweet Orange Essential Oil an outstanding natural stimulant for the mind and body.
Get Organic Sweet Orange Hair & Skin Care
The next time you find yourself reaching for a ‘pick-me-up’ that falls short of your health and wellbeing goals, swap to the naturally uplifting and stimulating aroma of Organic Sweet Orange Essential Oil. There are many different ways to incorporate this powerhouse Essential Oil into your daily routine. Here at The Good Zest Company, we have a whole collection of Organic Hair & Skin care dedicated to Organic Sweet Orange!
Organic Sweet Orange Gift Box makes the perfect gift for someone who cares about the purity of their ingredients and needs a little more zing in their lives!
Whether you get your daily Organic Sweet Orange fix washing your hair with our Organic Hydrating Sweet Orange Shampoo and Conditioner or upgrading your shower experience with the sweet aroma of our Organic Sweet Orange Body Wash - the choice is yours!
Organic Sweet Orange Shampoo and Conditioner will cleanse and hydrate hair whilst you enjoy the naturally uplifting aroma of Organic Sweet Orange Essential Oil
Exclusive Blog Offer:
- 20% Off all Organic Sweet Orange Hair & Skin Care using code: Relax20
- 10% Off all Wholesale Orders over £150 - contact: rose@thegoodzestcompany.co.uk for a catalogue and price list
By Rose Sergeant (MIFPA)
Clinical Aromatherapist
Owner & Founder of The Good Zest Company
