I wrote a whole long intro to this post, but decided to save my personal period conversation for another day and let this post be here for the purpose of helping you guys in your possible period woes.I mean, know the internet is probably tired of hearing about essential oils– but I personally use them (quite a few different brands!) and I find quite a few benefits in a lot of them! And I think you guys will too. But since I don’t know much about oils in regards to lady things, I asked my friend Erica— who knows ALL THE THINGS about oils to share her knowledge. If you can’t tell by the photo below, I met Erica in India. One of the 12 strangers who flew across the world to do all things I (and they) wanted to do in India. She brought her favorite oils to India– and I brought mine too (SO MUCH lemongrass for bug spray!). She creeped us out by adding oils to our water, where we questioned, is this chick going to poison us and kill us in India? But the answer was no, she was just trying to aid in our digestion. No murder, just oil knowledge for everyone. (Thanks Erica!) Anyway, I wont keep you here longer— here is Erica with some tips to ease in and out of your lady time with oils:
Let me begin by saying that I’m Jewish. And in Jewish tradition, when a girl gets her period for the first time, her mother, grandmother, neighbor, whoever is in the kitchen, slaps her across the face…you know, for good luck in her descent into womanhood. It’s a rite of passage. My mother was slapped, as was my grandmother and her mother. But by the time I got my period in the 90’s, my mom refused to smack me, in the name of not wanting to be arrested for child abuse. So instead of getting slapped, all I got was a lousy, mumbled “Mazel Tov” from my grandmother, speaking with a full mouth of bagel and lox. Lame.
OK, I was 11 years-old when I got my first period, which makes a total of 211 periods, and counting, always lasting anywhere from 6 to what seems like 547 days. For the last 3 years I’ve been using Pure Therapeutic-Grade essential oils for everything in my emotional, physical and spiritual life. They support me every day, and especially during that week I have to make a conscious decision to not persecute my mother for not texting me back, scream at my Yoga teacher for *almost* no reason and burst into tears when I walk into a room and can’t remember why. I experience all these things, plus intense cramps, fatigue, headaches and feelings of nervousness and what I like to call the “Deep Blues”.
If you’re unfamiliar with how essential oils can help in more ways than just smelling something nice, you’ve come to the right place. As the immune system of a living plant, Essential Oils are very powerful and a single dose is ONLY 1-4 drops. (I wish someone stressed that to me, before I dumped almost an entire bottle of lavender on my sunburn 3 years ago.)
You can use all of the oils below separately or you can use them in a blend with a roll-on for easy application. This is what I do because I like the convenience of the application. I also use Clary Sage and Ylang Ylang separately to get more hormonal relief. You can apply these oils topically to the back of the neck, on temples, and/or the bottoms of feet. (The feet have the largest pores of the body.) If need be, dilute with fractionated coconut oil to minimize any skin sensitivity. Be sure to find an essential oil brand you trust and one that is considered Therapeutic Grade.
According to the FDA, I can’t tell you here on the blog the brand of oils I personally use, but what I can do is send you a follow-up email letting you know my personal recommendation. Just email me at: EJacobsCoach@gmail.com or visit my website: EJacobsCoach.com
+Frankincense:
Frankincense, the “Grandfather of Oils”, is the highest, most powerful anti-inflammatory. Frankincense oxygenates the blood and promotes clarity of mind, eases feelings of anxiousness and is a natural pain reliever. We say in the business, When in doubt, Frank it. Even though I’m Jewish, I always, say: If Frankincense was good enough for Jesus, it’s good enough for me.
+Clary Sage:
Clary Sage is often used to help balance estrogen and other hormones related with PMS symptoms. It is not to be used while pregnant, unless trying to induce labor, as it relaxes the Uterus and pelvic floor.
+Geranium:
Geranium has been used for inflammations, heavy menstrual flow and severe digestive issues. It has also been said to be a remedy for bone fractures, tumors and wounds. It aids in feelings of depression, hormonal imbalance and sleep issues and works as a cleanser for oily skin!
+Grapefruit:
A natural diuretic, Grapefruit essential oil aids the body in ridding excess water. It is a natural stimulant, hormone & mood stabilizer and aids in premenstrual tension, stress and building a healthy body image.
+Lavender:
Lavender has soothing properties and is often used to help balance and calm emotions associated with PMS. I absolutely love lavender. I even diffuse it throughout the day to help me get through a regular workday without biting anyone.
+Ylang Ylang:
Ylang Ylang has calming and sedative properties, as well as balances hormones and mood. Ylang Ylang is also known as a natural aphrodisiac. 😉
These are just a few of the many, MANY oils great for hormone and female support. Essential Oils are my dear friends and I’m constantly slathering them on the people I love. They are accessible, pleasing to the nose and vital to the body. Make essential oils part of your tradition…it’s almost as good as being smacked across the face.
*Erica Jacobs is a Wellness Educator and Certified Eating Psychology Counselor. As the owner of EJacobsCoach.com in Los Angeles, California Erica specializes in educating folks in the realm of Essential Oils, Small Business, Building Strong Relationships and healing from Disordered Eating/Poor Body Image.
8 Comments
Thanks for sharing, definitely saving this, I have used essential oil mixes for anxiety and sleep before and been pretty pleased with the effects!
Hey Drea,
I remember you writing about your really bad periods before and I was wondering if you've ever seen anyone about endometriosis. I just read a couple of articles interviews about it and it sounds like it goes undiagnosed a lot.
Lenny Letter published a couple of articles about them last week…:
http://www.lennyletter.com/health/interviews/a161/padma-lakshmi-endometriosis-is-real-and-its-staggering/
http://www.lennyletter.com/health/news/a163/an-interview-with-dr-tamer-seckin-endo-expert/
Hope you're feeling better!
I'm so happy to come across Erica, thank you Drea for introducing her to us. I am going through a very lonely phase where I'm sensitive to everything…noise, rude remarks, stress, my in laws. i take Bach's rescue remedy but even that's not helping me anymore. can you recommend something to ease me out of my gloom?
Thanks, Coral! I'm so glad my post resonated with you. Although your question regarding gloom is directed to Drea ( and I know she can definitely speak on the matter) I like to use an oil blend called "Balance" or "Elevation" that my company makes. Balance is very grounding, and soothing to the nervous system, while elevation is very uplifting and really great at pulling us out of the "deep blues". Let me know if I can be of any help to you! EJacobsCoach@gmail.com
Happy Sunday!
Some great tips on which oils to use. I especially like lavender as well. In fact I think I shall go and find some right now. CJ xx
So glad, CJ! Lavender is one of my favorites 🙂 I just recommend using oils that are meant for internal use (therapeutic grade), since even when you use them on your skin, they get absorbed into your blood stream. If you need a brand recommend, feel free to reach out. Happy Friday! EJacobsCoach@gmail.com
-Erica
Hey, I have wicked hormonal sweats at night just before and during my period. Started about six months ago. Have you heard of anyome having luck fixing those with essential oils? Which one would be my best bet? Thanks.
Hi Dee! For hormonal sweats, I either recommend Clary Sage of there is a wonderful blend I use called, ClaryCalm, by the company I use. It's specifically used to balance female hormones, (which is what is contributing to your night sweats, most likely) Feel free to email me and we can chat further. EJacobsCoach@gmail.com
-Erica