One of the easiest ways to freshen tired-looking eyes (and lightest on your purse) is using chamomile teabags. Cold spoons work well, too, I’m told.
Even if you aren’t well versed in natural remedies, you’ll surely know a cup of chamomile tea is soothing for jagged nerves and a relaxing prelude to heading off to the Land of Nod.
This ‘old faithful’ herbal tea is made from dried chamomile flowers, typically from German chamomile (Matricaria recutita) but sometimes also from Roman chamomile (Anthemis nobilis).
And essential oils are steam-distilled from these, too, so both varieties are available. German chamomile plants for this purpose are from Utah, Idaho, Egypt and Hungary, whereas Roman is from Utah and France. (No, not from Italy. File that away for your next trivia night!)
When you’re looking up your favourite essential oils reference book for suggested uses, remember there are different varieties of chamomile essential oil and their constituents aren’t the same. So while they share general overarching qualities like being relaxing and calming, they vary when it comes to some of their more specific benefits, particularly the physical ones. We won’t be getting into those details here, since that’s why you keep your nitty-gritty textbooks on hand, isn’t it?! So do I.
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.
The word ‘chamomile’ comes from the Greek for ‘earth apple’ (via French and Latin), possibly earning the moniker due to its scent. German chamomile is a powerful antioxidant – much more so than Roman chamomile. When used in skincare products, both are found to be nourishing and soothing to the appearance of the skin.
In general, chamomile is thought to be especially soothing when it comes to grief from death or any kind of loss, along with the feelings of abandonment, darkness, loneliness and self-doubt that can arise by association.
As well as using the essential oils, drinking chamomile tea can really hit the spot if going through that kind of trauma and upset. Energetically, the tea is described as nourishing to the harmony of the subtle bodies and is gentle and helpful for pretty much anyone.
How do you use chamomile essential oil?
Both can be applied topically (dilute with a good quality carrier oil as needed), inhaled directly, and diffused.
The authentic essential oils of both varieties are considered GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) for ingesting, but only when the label indicates so. Why does quality matter? Surely if you can drink this as a tea, the essential oil must be fine to ingest? No, that’s not always the case.
Essential oils are highly potent and concentrated compared to tea, which is made from steeping dried flowers. So for starters, the quantity you would consider consuming is vastly different from one to the other.
Then there’s the question of adulterants and additives which are commonly found in the majority of essential oils on the market. These are added for a variety of reasons including cost (they extend the volume of oil thereby making it cheaper), and adjusting certain constituents synthetically for the sake of matching accepted chemical profiles for ‘pure’ essential oils. I could go on. (In this video, I do. Please watch.)
So no, not all essential oils should be ingested. Use the label as your guide. And note the reverse isn’t necessarily an indication of quality. If an oil’s label doesn’t indicate it’s fine for ingestion, it could just mean that the producer hasn’t yet opted to take the necessary steps for labelling. But follow the label to be on the safe side and thoroughly check out how they produce their oils and the steps they take for guaranteed purity and quality assurance.
Because of its helpfulness when it comes to our feelings, chamomile is often included in essential oil blends designed for inhalation and topical use. In Young Living’s range (our brand of choice), German chamomile is found in Surrender™. Roman chamomile is included in Awaken™, Clarity™, Forgiveness™, Gentle Baby™, Harmony™, Joy™, Motivation™ and also Surrender™. You get a double chamomile whammy when it comes to Surrender.™ Relax and enjoy it.
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.
I’m suddenly inspired to put up my feet with a cup of chamomile tea and a good book when I’m ready to switch off from the day later on. How about you?
