What folk medicine has known for centuries, is today confirmed by aromatherapists of the modern day: Helichrysum essential oil contains special properties that have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory effects.
If you’re wondering what Helichrysum essential oil is used for, here is the answer: it is most commonly used to treat wounds & infections, aid digestive problems and also to improve the nervous system, heart health, and respiratory conditions.
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In this article, it is my goal to introduce you to wonderful Helichrysum essential oil. I’ll quickly explain the Helichrysum plant, and then list the top 5 benefits of helichrysum oil.
Contents
The Helichrysum Italicum Plant
Helichrysum, also called the Everlasting Flower or “Immortelle”, is a plant classified under the Sunflower Family. These plants naturally grow in dry, rocky and sandy grounds in Mediterranean areas and Asia. The Mediterranean climate and fertile land effectively cultivates the everlasting flowers immortelle (lat. Helichrysum), increasingly referred to as “dry gold”.
Helichrysum Flowers
It is no surprise that “dry gold” is a fitting name; the name Helichrysum is derived from the Greek words Helios which means “sun” and Chrysos which means “gold”.
Helichrysum essential oil is made from the flowers, petals and buds of the plant. The flowers grow in different kinds of colors, most commonly yellow, but also blue as the exemption. They are known to maintain their color and shape even after they have dried. Their leaves are alternate and mostly flat.
Aside from being food plants for different kinds of insect species, Immortelle has been used in traditional medicine for applications that require antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-allergenic properties. Different tribes in Africa used Helichrysum for medicinal purposes such as treating sores, coughs and healing wounds.
Unlike some other essential oils, Helichrysum can be stored for a very long time.
Top 5 Uses of Helichrysum Essential Oil
Here are the best 5 benefits of Helichrysum essential oil:
1. Skin Irritation
Helichryusm italicum can calm itchy, irritated skin.
We develop skin irritation from different allergens and from factors like cold air temperatures, dry climates, and many more. Dry skin is almost unavoidable. That is why it’s a good idea to have Helichrysum ready to help restore the skin. Mix 3-4 drops of Helichrysum essential oil into fractionated coconut oil (or another carrier oil of choice), then directly apply it to the irritated area.
This not only soothes the skin, but it also prevents you from scratching it. Prevention is key. Also, Helichrysum hydrates the skin and acts as a mild pain reliever.
2. Skin Care
Helichrysum can help you achieve healthy glowing skin. Its properties help us in our daily skin care needs.
Use a Helichrysum hydrosol to prevent any redness and blemishes. This use is perfect for those who are aiming to a more youthful skin. Always make sure to be very careful when applying around the eyes. Make sure to take time to consult a professional for any further methods.
Helichrysum relieves and helps cool any irritated skin. Apply it to your wrinkles to lessens the appearance of skin aging. I personally use it as a base for an after-sun DIY skin care spray as well, find my recipe here.
Also, you can add a few drops of Helichrysm to the skin care product you regularly use to help elevate their effectiveness³. For example, add it to your make up foundation to boost skin health benefits. Or, dilute your essential oil in carrier oil and lightly dab it under your eye circles to lessen dark spots and hyper pigmentation.
3. Coughs and Fever
Use Helichrysum Essential Oil for Cough and Fever
Helichrysum essential oil can help treat fever and relieve cough. Even before any scientific evidence, it has been found that African tribes and other medicine practices use Helichrysum for these ailments. The oil has antiphlogistic properties, which is a chemical property that reduces or alleviates inflammation.
If you’re looking for more or other oils for the cough and cold season, find more oils that can help you here.
4. Emotions, Heart and Soul Matters
Helichrysum offers spiritual support
Aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine to help us relax and keep at ease. With different problems around, not all people can cope as easy.
Helichrysum oil has the properties to aid our mental state. It is said to have the ability to heal emotions.
- It can help you cope better with your stress.
- It can ease emotional pain or grief.
- It can also help people who’ve experienced trauma.
- It can diffuse anger and destructive feelings.
- Use it for inner strength, personal freedom, and untying of emotional knots.
- It supports feelings of courage and power.
- It also aids on old wounds of the heart, old feelings kept to one self, or feelings that have been denied.
It is said that Helichrysum has the power to allow more flow of subtle energies of the heart. You can use this insight and rub essential oils right on the middle of your chest, which is the heart chakra area.
According to ancient traditions, they’ve also used this essential oil along with other herbs to lift the spirit, support spiritual awakenings, and help a person be compassionate to the eternal soul. Many incredible wonders can come from using this essential oil.
This makes it an important aid in the more spiritual use of essential oils today. Use Helichrysum along with Myrrh, Frankincense, Rose and Spikenard to help open the heart and mind.
5. Helichrysum as A First Aid Oil
Use Helichrysum Essential Oil for First Aid
Aside from using Helichrysum for relaxation and spiritual purposes, you can add it to your first aid kit. Make a quick essential oil roller with Helichrysum and carry it along with you in your purse.
With its many properties you can use to almost any kind of minor injuries. Always be careful when handling essential oil products, and make sure to not get it into your eyes or other sensitive areas.
Here are the following cases that you can use it.
- Abscesses
- Acne
- Boils
- Cuts
- Dermatitis
- Eczema
- Irritated Skin
- Wounds
- Bruising
- Sprains
- Swelling
- Treating Shock
- Disinfecting bacteria
Can Helichrysum Essential Oil be Taken Internally?
Even with the wonderful benefits given by this herbal plant, you still need to be careful and seek for professional help (and enough research) when considering ingesting essential oils. I personally NEVER recommend ingestion, and there are a good array of reasons why.
Just as with all other essential oils, please remember to add carrier oil first before applying directly to your skin. It is also a good idea to do a patch test to start, in case you have a skin allergy or skin irritation. Although there are still no known side effects from this essential oil, it’s important to use and take it with caution.
Combined with carrier oil, you can use Helichrysum as a topical application in your massages that help soothe the body and mind. By massaging specific parts of the body then, it would help relieve certain ailment that would release one’s negative energy. With these regenerative properties, it patches swollen and weak veins and loosens any tight muscles, plus with its calming scent it supports your breathing to relax. If you’re looking for more essential oils for massage, find them here.
Where To Buy Helichrysum Essential Oil
When choosing which Helichrysum to buy, you might like to ask a question of production line or natural ingredient sourcing. If the plants harvested are based on organic cultivation, that would be the best choice. If there are chemicals used during farming, it’s almost inevitable that some of these make it down the pipe into the essential oil produced.
Look for oils that are 100% pure therapeutic grade, but if you want a step beyond that, go for organic to get the most eco-friendly and nature-like product.
As an example, Plant Therapy has a fantastic Helichrysum italicum oil for sale.
Organic Helichrysum Essential Oil
If you’d like an insider tip on where to get the best Helichrysum essential oil, have a look at this one here. Sold by a small family operation, I personally know that the sourcing of this oil is sublime! I’ve tested it, I own it, and it is one of the strongest-smelling, purest Helichrysum I’ve held in my hands. At $32.50, it’s a fair price point to buy a fantastic product, spend only $3 on shipping, and support a family business.
A Little Bit of Biology
The Helichrysum is a genus which means it’s the first name given when they identify flowers scientifically like Immortelle (Helichrysum Orientale) and Curry Plant (Helichrysum italicum).
While Helichrysum plants were mostly found in the Mediterranean and Asia; Xerochrysum was introduced and cultivated separately in Australia. When it comes to plant species, it is said that Helichrysum has 600 species while in Xerochrysum has only 6 species, with only the Golden Everlasting (Xerochrysumbracteatum) as its only flowering plant¹.
Curry Plant (Helichrysum Italicum) vs. Curry Leaf Tree (MurrayaKoenigi)
Despite being called a Curry Plant, this type of Helichrysum isn’t used for cuisines, unlike the Curry Leaf Tree where they use this ingredient for Masala and other curry dishes. However, these flowers do have a similar scent of curry powder, but with a gummy and slightly bitter aroma instead, much like herbs like sage and wormwood.
Helichrysum vs. Xerochrysum
After some time and thorough research, some species under Helichrysum have been reclassified to the genus “Xerochrysum” which roughly translates from the Greek words “xeros” which means dry and “Chrysos” which means gold.
Final Thoughts
Do you love Helichrysum essential oil? Have you had any special experiences with it? Let us know in the comments section below! If you need more specialized or individual consultation, don’t be shy to seek for professional help. Search for a Certified Aromatherapist in your area, they’re someone who specializes in essential oils and personalized, therapeutic aromatherapy treatments.
References
¹ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helichrysum
² https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18997985
³ https://draxe.com/essential-oils/helichrysum-essential-oil/
Mickey
My granddaughter accidentally cut herself while shaving. It was a fairly deep gouge and wouldn’t stop bleeding. I put one drop of this oil on the wound and it stopped bleeding immediately and permanently. We were both amazed.
Shanti
I have been using this about a week now I seen a lot of improvement in my skin . I love this oil …
Emma Carter
Glad to hear it! :) Thanks for letting us all know. Helichrysum is indeed a great oil! ?
vvicki
I have been using helichrysum 2x day for over a year and I have seen improvement on my arms, chest, and face. I love this oil so much. I recently had a small pre-cancer burned off and I began using this immediately and it did not scar and you cannot even see when it was burned off. In one week the spot had completely healed!
Rosann Saiz
I use essential oils from young living and I just love my oils! I never knew that helichrysum could be used for so many different things. I think I’m going to use in more often in my diffuser while I’m praying to wart off evil spirits. And to give myself a good sense of ease and courage. I feel I always need to build up my courage. Thank you, I enjoyed reading this article. Rosann Saiz Las Vegas, NM