They say cooking is the way to a man’s heart – and a woman’s, too, if you ask me! That and a good foot massage.
Include coriander and according to the tombs of the pharaohs, you’re adding the symbol of eternal love. True!
In fact, coriander seed was used by the ancient Egyptians as an aphrodisiac. Its warm, sweet and woodsy scent is beautiful aromatically, so if you’re making up your own love potion, essential oil of coriander is a must-have inclusion to get the engine firing on all cylinders and pulses racing … in a good way, of course.
Coriander seed is one of the world’s oldest-known spices, as you can see from these fun history facts. And not just for its love-enhancing powers, but for its distinctive freshly exotic flavour.
The plant itself is known as both coriander and cilantro depending on where you live. The seeds are always called coriander, but the leaves in some regions are referred to as cilantro.
The essential oil, however, is steam distilled from the seeds and always called coriander essential oil (Coriandrum sativum).
All essential oils are made up of a vast and complex array of constituents that have different influences and functions, and it’s vital that plants are distilled at the ideal pressure and duration to ensure all these delicate natural ingredients are captured as part of the life blood of the plant. This is why it’s so vital to be sure the oils you’re using are of the best quality available, such as our favourites: Young Living. Discover why we love them so much in this short video.
The primary constituent of coriander essential oil is linalol, with small amounts of alpha-pinene, camphor, gamma-terpinene, limonene, geranyl acetate and geraniol. If that makes your head spin, don’t worry – you don’t need to understand essential oil chemistry to open a bottle and enjoy its benefits. Just be sure to acquaint yourself with guidelines for safe use of authentic essential oils, follow the labels and be sure you’re using the best.
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The upshot of the combination of constituents in coriander essential oil are these benefits amongst others we recommend researching in your favourite essential oils reference guide:
- it’s great for your love life (try adding a few drops with romantic ylang ylang in a lovely carrier oil for a relaxing massage oil, and diffuse coriander oil to help unwind and set the mood, especially on a mid-week date night when work stresses can get in the road and mess with your head)
- a fabulous deodoriser, rub a dab of carrier oil with a drop of coriander under your arms for a toxin-free deodorant, on the soles of your feet to help keep them fresh, and a drop in a glass of water can help deodorise from the inside out
- Young Living Coriander essential oil is wonderful in the kitchen added to all kinds of foods, from Thai to Middle Eastern to salad dressings. And for a refreshing exotic kick in summer, add some to your homemade lemonade – click here for our recipe (important note: only ever add essential oils to food and drink when their label specifically says it’s safe to do so! Even if the quality is supreme, not all oils are meant for ingestion)
- divinely calming and uplifting in combination with oils like jasmine, sandalwood and bergamot as your personal signature fragrance (especially if you’d like to turn heads and leave a sensual drift in your wake)
- a relaxing post-workout massage for general purpose and rusty joints (combine with basil, marjoram and peppermint in a pure vegetable, fruit or nut carrier oil or Young Living’s gorgeous V6 Enhanced Vegetable Complex which has fractionated coconut oil for extended shelf life and washes out of fabrics beautifully)
- for keeping your sacral chakra open, apply directly with a touch of carrier oil to ensure comfort for sensitive skins
- diffuse for up to 30 minutes regularly to help you unwind (you’ll find plenty of helpful info in our posts on the whys and hows of diffusing)
You’ll also find coriander essential oil in a stack of Young Living skincare products, their Rose Ointment and Animal Scents Ointment (not available in all markets) and beautiful fragrant blends including these ones that make perfect 100% natural perfumes and aftershaves: Acceptance™, Awaken™, Believe™ (an awesome unisex scent), Gratitude™ and Harmony™.
“Hey, good looking … whatcha got cookin’ … how’s about cooking something up with me,” might have been inspired by a healthy bunch of coriander. Who’d have thought!
