Guide To Helichrysum Essential Oil Benefits and Uses

"Helichrysum opens hearts to the unseen energies that affect our lives here on earth," writes aromatherapist Valerie Ann Worwood in Aromatherapy For the Soul. She goes on to say the emotional benefits of helichrysum essential oil are to encourage calm, acceptance, dreams, patience, perseverance, inner strength, and awareness.

Basic Helichrysum Italicum Facts

Helichrysum essential oil (Helichrysum italicum)—also known as everlasting or immortelle—is an expensive oil. You may also see the name Helichrysum angustifolium, which is generally considered the same plant as italicum. But other species exist (such as Helichrysum gymnocephalum) and may have chemistry and properties different from italicum. For information, see Helichrysum Species.

Plant family: Asteracae/Compositae

Production: Steam distilled from the flowering tops of the plant. Distilling the oil requires many delicate flowers that must be hand-harvested.

Aroma: Sweet, spicy, earthy

Perfume/Aromatic note: Base to Middle

Is helichrysum safe to use during pregnancy? Yes, the essential oil is commonly used in blends to prevent stretch marks.

Is helichrysum essential oil safe for children? Yes.

Cautions: Low risk of skin irritation.

Main components:

• alpha-pinene   21.7%
• gamma-curcumene  10.4%
• neryl acetate   6.1%
• beta-selinene   6.0%

Note: Helichrysum italicum has several subspecies that have varying components.

Source: Essential Oil Safety, 2nd Ed.

Helichrysum Italicum Aromatherapy Benefits

Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art: Helichrysum is believed to stimulate production of new skin cells and is useful in skin care products for acne, dermatitis, scar tissue, bruising, burns, boils, insect bits, and couperose, mature, and sun-damaged skin. Plus, the scent helps relieve depression, lethargy, nervous, exhaustion, and stress.

The Heart of Aromatherapy: Uses for helichrysum essential oil include daily skin care and rejuvenating damaged skin; soothing skin irritation, inflammation, and burns; reducing the appearance of scars; helping heal bruises, minor cuts, scrapes, and bug bites/stings; and healing emotional wounds.

The Encyclopedia of Essential Oils (updated edition): In addition to the helichrysum essential oil skin benefits already mentioned, helichrysum may be useful for muscle aches, pains, and strains; colds and flu; and nervous system conditions such as depression, lethargy, nervous exhaustion, neuralgia, and stress-related problems.

Aromatherapy For Healing the Spirit: In Traditional Chinese Medicine helichrysum regulates the flow of Qi-energy, helps move stagnant blood, encourages the flow of bile, reduces spasms, and clears heat. Conditions the oil may help relieve include headaches and migraines, muscle aches and pains, neuralgia, and irritable bowel. Also, everlasting oil helps clear severe emotional blockages. This essential oil's energy is cool and dry and its main element is Wood.

Aromatica: A Clinical Guide to Essential Oil Therapeutics, Volume I: Psychologically, helichrysum promotes emotional stability and calm, emotional security and strength, and transformation of shock and trauma. Physically, the oil relaxes and restores the body and is useful for sensitive and dry skin care. In Traditional Chinese Medicine the essential function of helichrysum is to activate Qi and Blood, settle the Heart, and harmonize the Shen.

Subtle Aromatherapy: Helichrysum activates intuition and is valuable in meditation, visualization, therapy, personal development, and creative practices.

The Essential Guide to Aromatherapy and Vibrational Healing: Helichrysum's relaxing properties make the oil beneficial for meditation or any type of spiritual ceremony. Use the oil for baby blessings or to help the dying transition. Mentally, the essential oil relieves stress and improves your overall outlook on life. Emotionally, the oil supports you through any type of transition.

Aromatherapy and Subtle Energy Techniques: Helichrysum clears energy blocks and helps you let go of emotional wounds and begin healing. Especially useful for the fourth chakra, where the oil promotes compassion and patience for self and others.

Mixing Essential Oils for Magic: Helichrysum raises awareness, assists in psychic communication and dreamwork, releases emotional baggage, enhances creativity, and supports spirituality.

Helichrysum Essential Oil Uses and Blends

When you feel in a slump, diffuse a blend of helichrysum and eucalyptus radiata to perk up and focus better.

For sports massage: Combine a few drops of helichrysum and peppermint in a carrier oil.

For neuropathy and neuralgia: Blend 2 drops helichrysum oil, 2 drops rosemary essential oil, and 2 drops cypress essential oil in 1/2 teaspoon of carrier oil. Rub the blend on the affected area. Source: Essential Oils Guide by Dr. Axe.

Helichrysum Essential Oil Blends for Skin Care

For dull, dry, sun-exposed skin: Combine helichrysum and lavender in coconut oil. Gently massage the blend onto your skin.

Sunburn Relief Body Oil

To a 4-ounce glass bottle, add:

• 4 tablespoons sunflower oil
• 2 tablespoons jojoba oil
• 2 tablespoons hazelnut oil
• 10 drops helichrysum
• 17 drops frankincense essential oil
• 40 drops lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) essential oil

Apply this oil blend to your sunburn as often as possible.

Source: Katie Vie. "Summer Seasonal Self Care." NAHA Aromatherapy Journal, Summer 2013.2, p. 8.

Skin Serum for Mature Skin

To a 30-ml glass dropper bottle, add:

• 1 tablespoon rosehip oil
• 1 tablespoon apricot kernel oil
• 6 drops carrot seed essential oil
• 5 drops frankincense essential oil
• 1 drop helichrysum
  

Close bottle and gently shake to mix oils. Apply 10 to 20 drops of skin serum to your face and neck before bed.

Caution: Do not use while pregnant or breastfeeding.

Source: Cheryl Murphy, Certified Aromatherapist. "The Apiaceae Plant Family." NAHA Aromatherapy Journal, Spring 2017.1, p. 15.

Sensitive Skin Care

Use the following blend for sensitive skin, chemically damaged or sunburned skin, and spider veins:

• 10 drops Moroccan chamomile (Tanacetum annuum) essential oil (also called blue tansy)
• 10 drops helichrysum
• 10 drops lavender essential oil
• 10 drops Roman chamomile essential oil
• 4 teaspoons hazelnut oil

Source: Advanced Aromatherapy: The Science of Essential Oil Therapy

Help Fade Old Scars

• 10 drops sage essential oil
• 10 drops helichrysum
• 1 tablespoon rose hip oil
• 5.5 tablespoons hazelnut oil

Apply to scars 2 or 3 times a day for 3 to 6 months. Source: Advanced Aromatherapy.

Note: If you do not have or cannot use sage, make a blend with 20 drops helichrysum, according to The Healing Intelligence of Essential Oils.

To soften lines, scars, and other adhesions, blend helichrysum and myrrh essential oil in a carrier oil, according to aromatherapist KG Stiles.

DIY Stretch Mark Body Butter

You can use this body butter during pregnancy.

• 1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) beeswax
• 2 tablespoons cocoa butter
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 5 drops helichrysum essential oil
  
• 5 drops patchouli essential oil
• 10 drops lavender essential oil
• 4-ounce glass jar 
  

1. Melt beeswax in a double boiler.
2. Stir in cocoa butter, avocado oil and coconut oil. Remove from heat.
3. Add the essential oils to your glass jar, and then pour in the mixture and stir ingredients together.
4. Let the body butter cool and solidify.
5. Gently massage the butter onto your abdomen and other areas with stretch marks.

Source: Eden's Garden

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Photo Credit for Helichrysum Italicum Flowers: Júlio Reis [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons