Idaho Balsam Fir and Blue Spruce Essential Oils : Grounding

When I say ‘Idaho’, you might think, ‘Potato’.  Unless you love essential oils, in which case ‘Balsam Fir’, ‘Blue Spruce’ and ‘Ponderosa Pine’ are just as likely to spring to mind.

All three are named for the region in which they grow.

Idaho Ponderosa Pine is native to western North America and not just found in Idaho.  I mention this for the benefit of Bonanza fans.  You might be wondering why Ponderosa Ranch was named so.  Wasn’t it set in neighbouring Nevada, not Idaho?  Don’t worry, your memory isn’t playing tricks on you.  (But if it was, Young Living Brain Power™ is a great essential oil blend to sniff regularly.)

Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa) is a magnificent and massive tree in the Pinus family, rich in a variety of terpenes. Native Americans used this traditionally in ceremonies and sweat lodges for a range of benefits.

But today we’ll focus on the members of the Pinaceae family, Idaho Balsam Fir and Idaho Blue Spruce (grown on Young Living’s own farmland).  These two aren’t identical twins, but they do share a bunch of traits.  Let’s take a look at them more closely.  Brace yourself: we’re about to talk chemistry.

Essential oils are made up of hundreds of constituents. These all influence our mind, body and soul in particular ways.  Drug companies love to find constituents in nature that achieve remarkable things, then isolate those constituents, manufacture them and patent them.

Genuine essential oil producers, on the other hand, understand it’s also the interaction of these constituents that’s vital.  And there’s a unique vibration of nature that can’t be replicated synthetically in a lab.  They do all they can to preserve the complex array and balance of constituents within each essential oil so you can properly benefit from them.  All Young Living oils are guaranteed pure from seed to seal, unlike so many brands out there in the marketplace.  That’s why we choose them.  You really do get what you pay for.  You can check it out with your own eyes in this short video.

Pinenes are natural constituents.  There are two isomers of pinene.  One is alpha-pinene, the other is beta-pinene.

Alpha-pinene is the most common terpene in nature and is considered to be one of the most powerful.  Alpha-pinene gives evergreens their distinctive fresh scent.  Beta-pinene has a woody, green smell that has you crunching on pine needles underfoot. 

There is plenty of medical research into the powers of pinenes.  Fun fact: alpha-pinene is the dominant constituent in cannabis.  Will diffusing essential oils high in alpha-pinene have the same effect?  We aren’t saying that!  But if relaxation is your goal, they can certainly have you feeling mellow.  If you develop a penchant for peace signs, lava lamps and road trips in Kombi vans after diffusing these kinds of oils, be sure to let us know.

So what does all this have to do with Idaho Balsam Fir and Idaho Blue Spruce?

These pinenes and others are common in coniferous trees.

Idaho Balsam Fir is higher in beta-pinene and camphene than is Idaho Blue Spruce.  Idaho Blue Spruce, however, takes the gong for alpha-pinene (it contains up to 40%) and limonene (up to 25%) by comparison. All in all, though, their constituents add up to a number of similar or complementary benefits. 

Both are steam distilled, with just needles and branches being used for Idaho Fir whereas the entire Idaho Blue Spruce tree is used.

Traditionally, Native Americans have used Idaho Blue Spruce leaves, inner bark, twigs and gum for applications ranging from calking canoes to purification rites, salves and medicinal salts, and a helpful pot of tea if you’re prone to scurvy.  Handy to remember if you’re about to circumnavigate the world on your yacht.  (Young Living Idaho Blue Spruce is suitable for ingestion: please always follow the label and only ever use essential oils internally if the label says it’s safe to do so.)

You’ll find both oils to be refreshing for inhalation, either straight from the bottle or you can diffuse them for everyone to enjoy around the home and office.  While refreshing and energising, they are also grounding and relaxing.

The power of the two oils together is harnessed by Young Living in its proprietary essential oil blend Believe™, along with frankincense, coriander and several other essential oils to encourage feelings of faith and strength when you inhale this lovely blend.

Idaho Blue Spruce is also an ingredient in Young Living Transformation™, a beautifully uplifting blend that helps release negativity while grounding the new positive beliefs you want to uphold.

Idaho Balsam Fir with its easing attributes is a key ingredient in a number of Young Living products, including:

• Deep Relief Roll-on (awesome to roll on if you — well, if you need deep relief)
• Animal Scents Ointment (not available in all countries, darn)
• BLM™ capsules (these daily-use caps include a bunch of essential oils plus type II collagen, MSM and glucosamine sulfate and provide temporary relief from joint pain from osteoarthritis and support healthy cartilage)

Essential oils are potent, so as always, please follow directions on the bottle and the usual guidelines for safe use of authentic essential oils.

If you were surprised to see that Young Living has nutritional products like BLM™, not just the most beautiful essential oils you can find, I urge you to take a look at their entire range.  All these foods and supplements are enhanced with essential oils to increase efficacy.  You’ll find them exceptional in quality and value for results.

Enjoy the good oil daily.

The information on this site does not constitute advice. Please consult with your health practitioner. When using any of the products mentioned throughout this site, please be sure to read the labels and follow their suggestions for safe use. We make commissions from sales via many of the products we recommend but we only suggest products we genuinely enjoy and want you to benefit from.  Image © Young Living Essential Oils | Used with permission