Before I started using essential oils, the only time I encountered nutmeg was in its ground spice form as the finishing touch on cheesecake. Now, I mostly inhale it, so I’ve put together our top 5 tips for nutmeg essential oil in today’s post. Sometimes I’ll still indulge in nutmeg via cheesecake. Just for old times’ sake, of course. You know how it is. (Order the most beautifully pure nutmeg essential oil I’ve found here – search for it by name when you reach the shopping cart.)
Nutmeg trees are native to the Spice Islands of Indonesia, and also cultivated throughout Malaysia, Tunisia in the Caribbean and southern India.
The ground spice comes from the ground dried nutmeg seeds that are encased within a reddish covering then clad in an outer fruit. That reddish seed covering is called the aril and it’s separated from the seed, flattened and dried to create mace. Mace spice has a more delicate but similar flavour to nutmeg and is often used to give a saffron-like colouring to dishes.
When it comes to extracting nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) essential oil, the fruit and seed are steam distilled to capture its highly potent and delicate constituents.
Nutmeg essential oil has been highly esteemed since ancient times, used for everything from embalming the dead to treating tummy upsets to attempts at fortifying against the plague in Elizabethan times. Nutmeg essential oil was listed by Benedictine herbalist Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) in a compilation of early German medicines called Hildegard’s medicine. It’s also popular in Ayurvedic practices.
For those fluent in the language of essential oil constituents, nutmeg oil is high in terpenes. Its top three constituents are sabinene (14-29%), beta-pinene (13-18%) and alpha-pinene (15-28%). If that’s mumbo jumbo to you, don’t worry: just like electricity, you don’t have to understand the science to get all the benefits of using it! I do recommend that you invest in a reliable reference book that delves into the specific effects and uses of essential oils to maximise your results and help you to learn which ones are best for which purposes. You can reach out to me on the contact page for my favourite reference sources.
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.
And now, here are our top 5 tips for nutmeg essential oil:
Relaxing prelude to sleep
Dilute 1-3 drops in a tablespoon or more of carrier oil and coax someone into giving you a massage, or set the timer on the diffuser by your bed for 15 minutes to help you count those fluffy white sheep.
Energise Your Mind & Lift Your Spirits
While nutmeg is relaxing, it’s also helpful for energising you if you’re feeling like your head has been at boot camp all day, all week, all month or all year. Diffuse regularly, inhale directly from the bottle, apply 1-2 drops (diluted with twice the amount of carrier oil) to chakra points or along the centre of your back, apply to the soles of your feet (this is the most user-friendly way to topically apply essential oils, as the skin there is the least sensitive and the oils will travel from there to wherever they are needed).
Get Into Your Study Zone
Diffuse nutmeg when you’re studying or working to help you stay in the zone and keep your mind planted in one place
Add Vitality to Your Smoothies and Cooking
Young Living Nutmeg essential oil is labelled as safe for adding to food and drink. This is an awesome way to really boost flavour and vitality! Start with just 1-2 drops first up until you get a feel for your own taste buds. It’s especially well-suited to smoothies that include milk/nut milks and potassium-rich banana. Try it and I’m positive you’ll love it! And next time you’re baking a cheesecake, add a couple of drops to the crusty base when preparing and have people demanding your secret recipe.
Freshen Your Breath
Tired of minty fresh breath? How about nutmeg-fresh breath! Add a drop to lukewarm water and gargle for a change from your usual routines. You can also swab a drop on a cotton bud around your gums to really amplify the freshness and vitality in there.
Young Living Nutmeg essential oil is available as a single oil. It’s also a key ingredient in their essential oil blends EndoFlex, En-R-Gee, Magnify Your Purpose plus their turbo-boosting NingXia Nitro and ParaFree™ (made with an advanced blend of some of the strongest essential oils studied for their cleansing abilities). Please note that some products are not available in all markets.
Not all oils are created equal. Far from it. 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.
