Floral essential oils are staples of beauty care, natural cleaning products, self-care, skin care and aromatherapy. Natural, gentle on the body and environment, and cost-effective, essential oils can be used in a variety of everyday tasks.
From healing to cleaning and everything in between, the list of essential oils with positive attributes feels endless. With so many types of essential oils on the market today, finding the right essential oil for the task at hand is a fun and exciting challenge, so we’ve put together this helpful information to start you on the right track learning about flowers with healing properties along with their essential oils.
If you also appreciate the visual beauty of flowers in addition to the benefits of their oils, be sure to check out our floral arrangements to complement your floral oils.
What Are the Floral Essential Oils?
Flower essential oils are oils extracted from flowers that can be used for aromatherapy, massage, fragrances, cleaners, and many other uses. The use of essential oils goes back several thousand years. Ancient Egyptians used aromatic oils in ointments and cosmetics as early as 4500 BCE, while the use of aromatic oils was first recorded in traditional Indian and Chinese medicine between 3000 and 2000 BCE.
Flower Essential Oils with Medicinal Properties
Essential oils have long been known and used for their healing properties. A recent study published in Neuro Endocrinology Letters indicates that floral essential oils, including geranium and rose, can affect a woman’s salivary estrogen concentration. For women with declining or naturally low levels of estrogen secretion, these essential oils could be used to boost estrogen production naturally.
Essential oils can also be used to boost your immune system and fight everyday germs and bacteria. With natural antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, and antibacterial properties, some essential oils can help fight infection. According to the Cleveland Clinic, essential oils may help:
- Improve sleep
- Boost mood
- Reduce inflammation
- Relieve headaches
- Kill viruses, fungi, and bacteria
- Reduce nausea
- Decrease stress
- Increase attentiveness
- Reduce pain and anxiety
Here are some of our favorite floral oils with medicinal properties.
Clary Sage
A short-lived herbaceous perennial, clary sage is commonly used as a flavoring in tea, but it also has some calming benefits as an essential oil.
Sleep Aid
Apply one to two drops of clary sage to your pillow to help you sleep well. (Note: Apply the oil to the pillow itself or the inside of your pillowcase, as full-strength oil against your face could irritate your skin.)
Lavender
The purple blooms of lavender flowers have a wide variety of uses and benefits in addition to their sweet floral scent.
Psoriasis/Eczema Cream
Add several drops of lavender essential oil to pure shea butter. Apply to red, dry, or cracked skin for relief and healing.
Air Freshener
Mix a few drops of lavender essential oil in a spray bottle filled with water and lightly spray soft surfaces to freshen the air.
Tension Relief
Put a single drop of lavender floral oil in your hands and rub them together. Cup hands around nose and inhale deeply for several breaths.
Frankincense
Made from the resin of the Boswellia tree, frankincense has a woody, spicy smell and can be absorbed through the skin, inhaled, or taken as a supplement.
For Healing Bruises
To create a hot compress for healing bruises, combine five drops each of lavender and frankincense essential oils for every four ounces of hot water. Soak a washcloth and apply to the affected area.
Tea Tree
Well-known for its antiseptic, antimicrobial, and antifungal properties, tea tree oil is commonly found in pharmacies. Keep it out of reach of kids and pets, though, because it can be neurotoxic.
Acne Treatment
Dip a cotton swab in tea tree oil and apply it directly to acne, without diluting it first.
Athlete’s Foot Treatment
Dilute tea tree oil with carrier oil and apply the blend to the affected skin.
Healthy Cleaning With Natural Essential Oils
Cleaning products with heavily toxic chemicals may get your bathroom clean faster, but natural essential oils offer a healthy alternative. Essential oils can be used in home care products and can vastly help reduce toxicity in your home and your body.
All-purpose cleaners with lemon and tea tree essential oils can be used to clean counters and other surfaces, while a baking soda, vinegar, and bergamot mixture can help you get your sink and bathtub sparkling clean.
Lemon
Extracted from the peel of fresh lemons through steam extraction or cold-pressing, lemon oil has long been a popular choice for cleaning products.
Dishwasher Rinse Aid
Add several drops of lemon oil to your dishwasher fluid before hitting “Start” to get spot-free dishes.
Geranium
Made from the leaves of Pelargonium graveolens rather than the beautiful blooms, geranium oil not only smells great but can also help repel pests.
Insect Repellant
Put a few drops of geranium oil on cotton balls and place them around your home to naturally repel insects.
Essential Oils for Mental Health Care
Meditation, regular exercise, and a healthy diet are all attributed to better mental health. Add essential oils, and you’ve got a recipe for lowered emotional stress and anxiety. In a recent study, Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, researchers found that floral essential oil aromatherapy significantly helped reduce depression and anxiety in postpartum women.
The study specifically used lavender and rose essential oils, but Roman chamomile, ylang ylang, frankincense, bergamot, and orange can all help reduce anxiety and stress when used in aromatherapy. So whether you’re looking to destress after a heavy-hitting day at the office or you simply want to recharge over the weekend, adding a few drops of essential oils to a warm bath or diffuser can make a big difference to your mental well-being.
Roman Chamomile
Nowadays, Roman chamomile oil has become popular for its calming properties, but in ancient Rome, soldiers used it to take courage during times of war.
Calming
Use a diffuser with a few drops of Roman chamomile to help soothe away feelings of irritability and anger.
Jasmine
Derived from the white flowers of the common jasmine plant, jasmine oil is commonly used in perfumes (including Chanel No. 5), desserts, and alcohol.
Confidence Boosting
Add a couple of drops of jasmine oil to your favorite unscented lotion and feel empowered by the aroma all day.
Essential Oils for Personal Beauty Products
The fountain of youth could be found in floral essential oils. In fact, a recent review from Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine found 90 essentials that have been recommended for dermatological use. Essential oils can be combined and added to natural and homemade personal beauty products to improve skin conditions including eczema, dermatitis, and lupus. They also generally improve the appearance of skin and can help wounds heal.
In addition to improved skin, floral essential oils including Roman chamomile, tea tree, helichrysum, sage, rosemary, and geranium can be used to improve hair loss, reduce scalp itching, and promote healthy hair growth.
Helichrysum
Coming from all green parts of the plant, including stems and leaves, helichrysum has long been used in southern Europe and the Mediterranean, where it’s native.
Sunscreen
Combine well: zinc oxide, shea butter, coconut oil, and helichrysum and lavender essential oils in a squeeze bottle. Apply to skin liberally for a nontoxic essential oil sunscreen.
Wrinkle Reducer
Mix with a carrier oil like coconut, jojoba, or avocado oil, then apply to the face to promote a youthful, glowing complexion and reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
Geranium
Derived by steam distillation of the leaves of Pelargonium graveolens, geranium oil is widely used in cosmetics and perfumes.
Skin Toner
Add two drops each of geranium, frankincense, and lavender oils to eight ounces of water in a spray bottle. Spritz your face after cleansing, then moisturize.
Ylang Ylang
Made from the flowers of the herb Cananga odorata genuina, ylang ylang promotes relaxation and is a popular fragrance for soaps and cosmetics.
Hair Conditioner
Add ylang ylang to coconut oil for a deep hair conditioner for shiny, smooth hair that smells great.
Blue Tansy
How does the yellow tansy flower become blue tansy oil? The distillation process releases chamazulene, a chemical component that turns blue when heated.
Blemish Fighter
Add a drop of blue tansy to your face wash to help battle blemishes.
Rose
A rose by any other name would smell as sweet – and offer the same potential benefits as rose oil.
Face Moisturizer
Mix one drop of rose essential oil with 4 drops of jojoba oil and apply it to your face with a cotton ball for hydrated skin.
Which Flower Oil Is Mostly Used in Aromatherapy?
The most popular flower oil used in aromatherapy is lavender due to its soothing properties. Other popular floral essential oils include clary sage, geranium, helichrysum, rose, and Roman chamomile.
Be Sure to Enjoy Whole Flowers, Too!
In addition to their essential oils, there are so many reasons to love flowers. They brighten up a room, they smell great, and they send a message of love and kindness. Bring a little joy to your day; send flowers online to you or someone you care about. At The Bouqs Company, we’ve got your flower delivery needs covered.
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