Essential Oils, the menopause, and Menomagic

Essential oils are potent liquids produced from aromatic plants. For centuries, they have been associated with increasing our sense of well-being by promoting a natural way to heal, balance and restore.

Essential oils stimulate the olfactory system, the part of the brain connected to smell, including the nose and the brain. Molecules that enter the nose or mouth pass to the lungs, and from there, to other parts of the body.

As the molecules reach the brain, they affect the limbic system, which is linked to the emotions, the heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, memory, stress, and hormone balance. In this way, essential oils can have a subtle, yet holistic effect on the body.

With that in mind, we thought you’d like to know a little more about the different essential oils used in our products.

Clary Sage

This essential oil was chosen owing to its direct link to helping women during the menopause. In fact, it has been thought of as helping so many stages and transitions of womanhood (puberty, motherhood and menopause) that it’s often referred to as ‘sacred feminine.’

The largest of the sage plants, Clary Sage produces tall spikes of lilac and pink flowers, which are so sticky that, when touched, the essential oil can cling to your skin. The scent is nutty and musky, which some people don’t find that pleasant! Fortunately, this is hidden amongst the other three essential oils in our Cooling Cream.

The power of Clary Sage lies in helping to balance female hormones (it does this particularly well when combined with Rose Geranium – another reason for adding this oil, too, to our Cooling Cream). During the menopause, women experience fluctuations of various hormones, such as oestrogen and progesterone, so this is a great essential oil to help manage and balance them.

Clary Sage essential oil is non-toxic and non-irritating, so should be a safe oil for all skin types. The only contraindication is to avoid using it during pregnancy, although it is often suggested to use to help induce labour at the end.

Clary Sage is used in our Cooling Cream only.

Rose Geranium

This essential oil was chosen because of its history in helping to balance mood and ease mental stress – something that is so commonly reported in menopausal women. Many customers have reported how inhaling the aroma of our products really helps calm their anxiety and reduce emotional instability, which we think is largely due to the Rose Geranium in all of our products. Rose Geranium is also thought to help balance hormones, especially when combined with Clary Sage, which is why you’ll find both of these oils in our Cooling Cream.

Rose Geranium

Native to South Africa, the Rose Geranium plant produces beautiful pink flowers and large, green leaves. If you squeeze these leaves, you’ll be left with a very sweet and soft rosy aroma from the oil. The rose-like scent has made it a popular ingredient in many perfumes.

Apart from our Cooling Cream, you’ll find this is a staple essential oil, as it’s included in all of our products. It helps to hydrate mature skin, which is why we’ve selected it for use in our Facial Serum and Body Butter. The calming nature of Rose Geranium also made it a must for our Pillow Spray – your bedding will not have smelt sweeter, and you’ll drift off into a calm, relaxed sleep having sprayed your pillows and bedding with it. Some customers also use it as an air freshener!

Rose Geranium is non-toxic and non-irritating, meaning it should be safe for all skin types.

Lavender

This is, probably, the most well-known essential oil there is. Originating in Southern Spain, Lavender is now found in much of Western Europe. The flowers are variations of purple and the stems and leaves produce a floral sweet aroma.

The reason Lavender is so well known is for its connection to relaxation. For centuries, we have added drops of it to our baths or put a few drops on our pillow to aid sleep. Lavender has been added to three of our products. It’s in our Cooling Cream as the calming aroma helps to reduce stress and produce feelings of calm. During hot flushes, it’s often the stress and social embarrassment that exacerbates them, so Lavender can really help nip this in the bud. The dreaded, and unpredictable anxiety, that women experience during the menopause can also be managed with the power of Lavender. In our Body Butter, Lavender’s calming properties help with itchy skin, a lesser known symptom of menopause. Finally, in our Pillow Spray, its ability to help promote sleep means it is a must have essential oil for this best-selling product!

Lavender is non-toxic and non-irritating, so should be safe for all skin types.

Peppermint

Peppermint is found in many places around the world and is very easy to grow (some gardeners would say a little too easy!). It has tough, dark stems and green leaves. The essential oil produced by the leaves has a menthol aroma, which is clean and sweet. It is also known for having cooling properties.

During the menopause, those hot flushes and night sweats can creep up on you, and so the inclusion of Peppermint essential oil in our Cooling Cream is the first aroma you smell and, we feel, the first to do its job – cool your skin down. Its refreshing nature helps to manage (not cure) hot flushes.

Peppermint is non-toxic but some people can find they are sensitive to it, which is why it should be blended into a base cream or carrier oil. This is why we have a safe dilution in our Cooling Cream.

We hope you have found the above information of use. If you wish to go ahead and purchase any of our products you can do so from our shop.