At a dinner party the other night, we were talking about horror movies. Do you love having the wits scared out of you? Not me! Talk turned to some of the vintage classics like The Amityville Horror, The Shining, and the Blair Witch Project. Argh!
When I got home, I felt the urge to hang juniper berries over my doorway to ward off witches and bad spirits like they did in medieval times! Having a distinct lack of juniper berries in my fruit bowl, I pumped up the diffusers throughout the house with Young Living Juniper essential oil and went peacefully off to sleep. No nightmares and I’ll attribute that to juniper oil quite happily.
Juniper (Juniperus osteosperma and J.Scopulorum) essential oil is steam distilled from the stem, leaves and flowers of the juniper plant. These are called the aerial parts of the plant and Young Living juniper is sourced in Utah where the tree is wildcrafted on spectacularly beautiful, pristine mountain land.
In the past, sprigs of juniper and rosemary were burned in French hospitals to help cleanse the air. That sounds all very atmospheric, but rather than setting off your smoke alarms by trying that at home, set your diffusers going with this blend of essential oils and bring out your inner French streak. Add 20 drops to a small spray bottle of water with a dash of vinegar and a couple of drops of your favourite natural detergent and you’ll have a lovely natural surface spray that will uplift you while you’re cleaning!
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A member of the Cupressaceae family along with Blue Cypress (grown in Australia) and Western Red Cedar (Utah, Idaho, Canada), Juniper has a profile that includes alpha-pinene (its highest constituent, ranging between 20-40%), sabinene, myrcene, camphor (10-18%), limonene, bornyl acetate and terpinin-4-ol. Its line-up of constituents has more in common with Western Red Cedar than Blue Cypress. FYI, rubbing a few drops of juniper or Western Red Cedar into the soles of your feet daily can be supportive if you’re drinking cranberry juice to target specific needs.
Juniper essential oil has a grounding, earthy and woodsy, balsamic scent. When it comes to your feelings, it’s said to help raise your spiritual awareness and bring out your inner flower child with peace, love and all around wellbeing.
The astringent qualities of juniper make it beautifully suited to diffusing at meal times. You can also smoothe a little over your tummy to help keep you relaxed and laid back, which supports your healthy digestive system in doing its job. Dilute 50:50 with a good pure carrier oil like Young Living V6 Enhanced Vegetable Complex, which doesn’t stain fabrics and has a shelf life of over 2 years so it’s awesome to always keep on hand.
These cleansing, astringent qualities also make juniper essential oil a beautiful addition to your skincare routines, not to mention its peaceful aromatic woody-notes adding a lovely natural fragrance. Try adding several drops to a small pot of moisturizer for your face, neck and décolletage.
Add to carrier oil for an all-over body oil that gives you a lovely glow. Bear in mind its astringent qualities and pay extra attention to massaging into fatty areas daily to help with the appearance of smoother-looking skin.
When you’re out in the garden, juniper essential oil can help as a non-toxic insect repellent. Is there no end to its abilities? Combine with Young Living Purification™ and add to a natural skin toner or body lotion for a homemade repellent, or skip the Purification and try adding juniper alone. Likewise if you’re entertaining and the mossies are up in their squadrons, set up your diffuser with juniper oil and make them keep their distance.
Carry that diffusing over to your bedrooms as a prelude to sleep, with juniper’s peaceful influence creating a vibe that’s amazingly conducive to counting sheep. You might not even make it to double digits before you nod off. You can pick up our tips for a great night’s sleep here.
My preferred source of essential oils and diffusers is Young Living. Not all oils are created equal. Quality varies immensely, so please ensure you are choosing a brand with complete transparency from seed to seal, such as Young Living. Discover why we love them so much in this short video.
Essential oils are potent, so as always, please follow directions on the bottle and the usual guidelines for safe use of authentic essential oils.
This will also connect you up with The Good Oil Team for our personal support and coaching. We'd love to help you on your journey to vibrant well-being the natural way!
Any questions? Please get in touch via our Contact page.
