Guide To Yarrow Essential Oil Benefits and Uses

Yarrow essential oil (Achillea millefolium) is a "fragrance for dreaming, for visionary experiences, for traveling on the energy of the universe, while being protected and nurtured," writes aromatherapist Valerie Ann Worwood in Aromatherapy For the Soul. She says yarrow encourages harmony, equilibrium, intuition, and centering.

Basic Yarrow Facts

Plant family: Asteraceae/Compositae (daisy)

Production: Steam distilled from the leaves and flowers/buds of the plant

Aroma: Herbaceous and slightly spicy or sweet.

Perfume/Aromatic note: Middle

Is yarrow safe to use during pregnancy? No

Is yarrow essential oil safe for children? Some sources recommend not using on children under age 2 because of the thujone content.

Cautions: This profile describes the chamazulene chemotype (also called blue yarrow). Also available is green yarrow (Achillea nobilis), which is different.

Main components:

• sabinene         26.2%  
• chamazulene    19.7%
• beta-myrcene   7.0%
• germacrene D   6.2%
• beta-pinene      4.5%

Source: Essential Oil Safety, 2nd Ed.

Yarrow Essential Oil Benefits

Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art: You can use yarrow hydrosol as an astringent for problem or oily skin.

The Encyclopedia of Essential Oils (updated edition): Yarrow may help relieve some digestive complaints, colds, flu, insomnia, acne, stress-related conditions, and menstrual cramps.

The Aromatherapy Companion: Yarrow has an affinity for the skin, toning, slowing bleeding, and helping prevent premature aging. Use the oil for inflamed conditions, acne, bruises, burns, cuts and other wounds, dermatitis, eczema, rashes, scars, and varicose veins. For the musculoskeletal system, this essential oil may help relieve, aches and pains, stiffness, cramps, arthritis, rheumatism, and tendinitis. Also use the oil to help reduce anxiety, depression, irritability, insomnia, nervous tension, nervousness, and restlessness.

The Complete Aromatherapy & Essential Oils Handbook for Everyday Wellness: Use yarrow in creams to reduce inflammation and itching from eczema, rashes, and hemorrhoids. For a chest rub to soothe inflamed mucous membranes and sinuses, blend yarrow with manuka, lemon, and cypress essential oils in a carrier oil.

Complete Aromatherapy Handbook: Essential Oils for Radiant Health: Yarrow balances the mind and spirit, supports intuitive energies, and opens awareness to cosmic energies. The essential oil helps relieve red, inflamed, or blemished skin, acne, cellulite, or sunburn. Other conditions that may benefit from this essential oil include menstrual pain, menopausal problems, headaches, and varicose veins.

Aromatherapy For Healing the Spirit: In Traditional Chinese Medicine, yarrow is cool and dry and believed to have properties that reduce inflammation. Yarrow stimulates the Liver and regulates Qi-energy, offering relief of indigestion and some other digestive problems. The essential oil may reduce menstrual pain and help relieve neuritis and arthritis. Yarrow oil especially helps people who have anger or rage linked subconsciously to emotional wounding and vulnerability.

Aromatica: A Clinical Guide to Essential Oil Therapeutics, Volume 2: Psychologically, yarrow promotes emotional stability, flexibility, and renewal. The oil also promotes good judgement, insight, and alertness. Physically, the essential oil stimulates congestive/damp conditions and cools hot conditions. In Traditional Chinese Medicine the essential function of yarrow is to invigorate the Blood, reduce stagnation, and resolve damp.

Aromatherapy and Subtle Energy Techniques: Yarrow calms and protects.

Sacred Oils: Yarrow strengthens your energy field, provides psychic protection, stabilizes emotions, and clears the effects of electromagnetic pollution. Use the oil to help deal with sensitivity, fear, and soul wounds. The oil has an affinity with the base (1st) chakra.

Mixing Essential Oils for Magic: Yarrow's grounding energy clears negativity. The oil stimulates intuition and psychic abilities by opening awareness to higher universal energies and also assists in dreamwork and divination.

Yarrow Essential Oil Uses and Blends

To make a massage oil, add 5 drops of yarrow to one teaspoon of carrier oil. You can massage the blend onto your abdomen for digestive complaints or to help relieve menstrual cramps. This massage oil may also help relieve varicose veins.

Relief For Menstrual Problems

To relieve PMS and menstrual cramps:

• 15 drops yarrow
• 20 drops clary sage essential oil
• 10 drops vetiver essential oil
• 1/4 cup sesame or other carrier oil
  

1. Drop essential oils into a amber glass bottle. Cap and shake.
2. Add the carrier oil.
3. Replace cap and shake vigorously for one to two minutes.
4. Massage the blend onto your abdomen and lower back one to two times a day, as needed.
   

Source: Aromatic Studies

For missing periods (amenorrhea):

Caution: Make sure your are not pregnant and do not have a medical condition before using this blend.

• 4 drops yarrow essential oil
  
• 15 drops roman chamomile essential oil
• 11 drops geranium essential oil
• 2 tablespoons carrier oil
  

Massage the blend over your abdomen and lower back twice a day for at least two weeks.

Source: The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy

Skin Toner

This blend is especially good for oily skin.

• 4 drops yarrow
• 4 drops rose otto essential oil
• 2 tablespoons argan oil

Blend ingredients in a small, dark bottle. Apply to clean, damp skin.
Source: Miracle Botanicals

Pain Relief

To relieve joint pain:

• 5 drops yarrow
• 5 drops german chamomile essential oil
• 5 drops blue cypress essential oil
• 5 drops blue tansy essential oil
• 2 tablespoons trauma oil
  

Blend all oils into a small dark bottle. Gently massage a little of the blend onto painful joints, as needed.

Source: Aromahead

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Photo Credit: Florian Fournier, Cerema NP [CC BY-SA 4.0], from Wikimedia Commons