Yes, it’s true: Helichrysum essential oil provides fast-acting, effective pain relief for a great many physical ailments. Aromatherapy companies are, by law, prevented from advertising this fact directly along with their products, but it’s true. Many, many individuals are regularly using this very healing oil to both reduce pain and, depending on the injury or ailment, to actually speed healing. As noted by Dr. Kurt Schnaubelt, America’s leading medical aromatherapist, the effects of this oil are “so convincing that it has never met with any kind of criticism.” So what’s special about Helichrysum, where do you get it and how do you use it?
Helichrysum is a totally unique pain reliever and wound healer — not only just in the world of aromatherapy, but in the big picture of the entire world of medicine. It rates exceptionally highly in the two most important criteria, safety and efficacy. In terms of safety, it is sometimes prescribed for direct application to the skin at 100% strength (unlike some other pain relieving oils such as Wintergreen). Very conservative therapists do not recommend the oil to be used during pregnancy or by children under 12. It would be a shame however to discard the use of the oil for young children with injuries — like any essential oil, it should be used with respect as a medicine, only using as much as needed to produce the desired healing effect. The classic and important aromatherapy text ‘Essential Oil Safety’, lists the oil as non-toxic, non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
It’s the efficacy — the ability to reduce pain and heal that is most remarkable about Helichrysum. Nearly every form of pain seems to respond positively to Helichrysum essential oil application. Joint pain, back pain, muscular and connective tissue pain, nerve pain, and pain resulting from injury, surgery and trauma can all be helped. The most common usage of the essential oil is a dilution in Jojoba oil, massaged into the affected areas a few times a day. The oil can also be used completely undiluted if desired for the most severe or immediate situations.
Making our own formulation is very easy to do. It is recommended to start of with lower dilutions and work your way up only if necessary; this helps you conserve the precious oil by only using as much as required for the desired results. Forty drops of Helicrysum in each ounce of carrier oil will create an approximate 5 percent dilution; eighty drops for a 10 percent dilution; etc. The pure essential oil, not diluted in any carrier oil, is recommended when a trauma has just occurred, to prevent further tissue damage due to swelling and oxidative free-radicals. For example, a twisted ankle could receive a few drops of the pure oil from a fingertip, massaged into the painful region immediately after the injury, and several times over the next 24 hours.
Beyond simple pain relief, Helichrysum is known to actually speed the healing of injuries through its antioxidant, anti-inflammation and regenerative actions. This is helpful for not only ‘common’ bumps and bruises, but for surgical sutures and burns as well. Further, the oil is found in 3-5 percent concentrations in skin care recipes to reduce the appearance of skin aging, and to reduce and eliminate scars of all kinds.
The finest of Helichrysum essential oil varieties is considered to be that distilled from plants grown on the island of Corsica in the Mediterranean Sea. The climatic conditions and plant genetics result in a unique natural chemical composition of the essential oil with strong anti-inflammate, analgesic and regenerative actions. This oil may be listed as Helicrysum italicum sub-species serotinum. You may find that other varieties work as well for your needs, and can experiment as you see fit.
Helichrysum essential oil is one of nature’s most profound healers. It works for a great many symptoms of pain, safely and effectively. It is simple to use and readily available through internet sources (it is, as of yet, difficult to find in local health food stores, though this may be changing soon). Whatever your needs for this type of therapy, Helichrysum italicum essential oil is worth investigating.
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