Many people don’t know about the many health benefits of birch essential oil. Its minty aroma and refreshing smell make it ideal for not only promoting relaxation but can also be used as a skin toner or even to help reduce pain. Find out more about how to use birch oil below!
There’s nothing quite like the clean and invigorating smell as you stroll through a forest of birch in the morning. However, this statement is only relatable to those who are in the area of the world where they can enjoy the natural aroma of birch trees? Fortunately, that’s where birch essential oil comes in, but where does birch essential oil come from?
Where Does Birch Essential Oil Come From?
The source of birch essential oil is in the name: the beautiful birch trees of North America. Birch trees are so aromatic that the scent is emulated in almost everything from chewing gum to men’s cologne. However, the fresh and minty aroma of birch is best when sourced from the bark of the birch tree itself and distilled into oil, but what are the benefits and uses of oil sourced from a birch tree?
What Are The Benefits Of Birch Essential Oil?
Birch oil, like other essential oils, has plenty of benefits for our bodies from the inside and out. Some of the benefits of birch essential oils are (but not limited to):
- Anti-inflammatory
- Natural diuretic
- Natural stimulant
- Infection prevention
- Joint pain reliever
- Natural skin toner
- Natural detox properties
The anti-inflammatory properties of birch essential oil go hand-in-hand with joint pain and infection prevention. It’s always uncomfortable walking around or doing basic household tasks with joint pain. Sometimes conventional medication has uncomfortable side effects that only cause unnecessary emotional and mental stress.
If you’re looking for a natural diuretic, then there’s no better alternative than birch essential oil. Diuretics are useful for those who suffer from high blood pressure because they help clear sodium out of the blood, which boosts artery health. Sodium increases blood pressure in individuals at risk for heart disease. A higher risk of heart disease means a smaller life span caused by heart attacks, strokes, or type 2 diabetes. However, prescription diuretics might be too strong for people who cannot handle some of the side effects such as headaches, dehydration, muscle cramps, and impotence.
Birch essential oil is also a natural stimulant that helps keep the blood circulating in the body. When there’s not enough blood circulation, then that too can cause high blood pressure. Not getting enough blood to the brain puts one at risk of cognitive issues such as Alzheimer’s Disease or dementia. Getting more blood to the brain is also good for those who suffer from constant brain fog. A foggy brain might not sound very dangerous, but the lack of focus, memory lapses, and other issues caused by brain fog isn’t safe for those who operate heavy machinery or do a lot of driving.
Birch has also been studied to be an effective antimicrobial against infections in its essential oil form. If you’re suffering an infection from a stomach infection to a skin infection, you can use birch essential oil to help reduce the inflammation as well as a natural antimicrobial to work against the viruses.
Finally, birch essential oil does have detox properties for those who want to follow a detox program to rid their bodies of toxins. Toxins can get into the skin, into our lungs, or into our digestive system. It’s difficult to avoid toxins because we are exposed to toxins (especially heavy metals) every single day. Whether we get toxins from food, polluted air, or water, birch essential oils can help keep us clean, but how do you use birch essential oils?
How Do You Use Birch Essential Oil?
Birch essential oil, like many essential oils, has many uses. One of the best uses for birch essential oil is through aromatherapy. Diffusing birch essential oil creates a comforting aroma as if you were walking through a birch forest yourself. There’s nothing quite like that experience, and aromatherapy is one of the best ways to recreate that calming aura.
Read about the difference between diffusers and humidifiers here.
Birch essential oil is great when used as a skin tonic, mixed into lotions, used directly as a massage oil, or inhaled directly through the bottle. There are plenty of uses for birch essential oils, but if you want to bring out the best in your essential oil experience, you’ll want to use it as a blend. Let’s take a look at some other essential oils that blend well with birch essential oil.
What Other Oils Blend Well With Birch Essential Oil?
Those suffering from joint pain want a relaxing enough blend to help them get to sleep at night. Mixing 3 drops of lavender essential oil together with 3 drops of birch essential oil creates what is essentially a potent sleep potion that also helps relieve joint pain.
To blend oils well so they last, it is super helpful to know what note your oils are: top, middle or base. Learn more about notes here.
If you love making roller ball blends like I do, this blend is great for reenergizing throughout the day:
Birch Roller Bottle Blend:
Add to a 10ml roller bottle:
–3 drops of ylang ylang
–4 drops of jasmine
–2 drops of birch oil
Fill the rest with a carrier oil and shake!
If you really want a potent anti-inflammatory essential oil blend, then taking a couple drops of arnica oil and mixing them with birch essential oil makes for amazing pain and swelling relief. This mixture can be applied topically to the skin, muscle, or joint area where the pain is localized.
Birch essential oils may not come in many basic essential oil packs, but it’s a wonderful essential oil for those looking for a natural alternative to pain relief.
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References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC538512/