Helichrysum

Quick Overview

Hop essential oil is probably best known for being used in breweries but it also has several aromatherapy applications.
 

Botanical Name: Humulus lupulus
L., Cannabidaceae

It's a nice calming oil - 3-4 drops on a tissue next to the pillow can  help you drift off to sleep. When blended in a carrier oil or added to a  hot bath it can calm the pain and cramps associated with menstruation.
 

It can also be blended with a base cream or lotion to help treat areas  of rough skin. It also has high levels of estrogen so may be beneficial  to those going through the menopause. If used for too long a period or in too high a concentration it can be a dermal irritant so always use caution. If you have any reaction then cease use.

Method of Extraction: Steam distilled

Parts Used: Flowers

Country of Origin: UK

Cultivation Method: Wildcrafted

Blends Well With: Citrus oils, copaiba balsam, nutmeg, pine, spice oils.

Scent: Rich, dry, spicy floral

Contraindications:  Non-toxic, non-irritant, and non-sensitizing.
 

About the Oil
Hops Essential Oil is often blended with Valerian and Passion Flower both sedatives to create sleeping inducing blends. Hops Oil is also calming and used to de-stress. It is an excellent oil to counter free floating anxiety. It is being studied for it cancer protective properties in women. The sedative quality of the herb is found in the glandular hairs of the fruiting body which produce lupulin, a sedative and hypnotic drug. Hops is used in brewing, to add bitterness and act as a preservative. Hops and marijuana belong to the hemp family. Like hemp, hop stems were used for fiber to make cloth and paper. An  absolute is made for perfumes. The herb seems to have estrogenic properties, but   they seem to be absent in the oil. The fresh hop fruits can cause hypersomnia, vomiting, profuse perspiration and  over-excitement.
 

Aromatherapy Notes

Hop essential oil has anti-bacterial, deeply relaxing and calming properties. It is particularly useful for aiding a good nights rest.  Hop essential oil has a rich, spicy-sweet odour. Hops extract has been  used   as an ingredient in sedative medicines, and also as an ingredient in cough syrups for many years The first known use of hops for therapeutic purposes was in the ancient world, in Egypt and  Babylonia, where it was believed to help protect against the plague  and leprosy.

Traditional Uses

Asthma, cough, dermatitis, headaches, indigestion, insomnia, menstrual cramps, nervous dyspepsia, nervous tension, neuralgia, rashes, rough skin, stress-related conditions. To take advantage of  the sedative actions of hops it may be added to a sleep or stress  blend and diffused into the air. 

Therapeutic Properties Described In The Aromatherapy Literature

Antimicrobial, antiseptic, antispasmodic, astringent, bactericidal, carminative, diuretic, nervine, sedative.

Safety

No formal testing, appears to be nontoxic, excessive amounts may be narcotic, avoid with depression, avoid with hormone dependent cancers such as breast, uterine and ovarian, do not use this oil for extended periods. 

Quick Overview

This pure Hyssop essential oil is steam distilled from Hyssop herb grown in Bulgaria. Hyssop officinalis is high in ketones, which should be used by those with knowledge of its application. It is considered a potent anti-viral medicinal.
 

Botanical Name: Hyssopus officinalis

The Essential Oil of Hyssop is extracted with the help of steam distillation of leaves and flower of a shrub called Hyssop. In the    botanical world, it is known by the name Hyssopus Officinalis. This  shrub grows mainly in the Mediterranean region and was known as Holy or Sacred herb in ancient times. Hyssop, due to its disinfectant and anti microbial properties, found its place even in the Old Testament as a purifier.

Method of Extraction: Steam distilled

Parts Used: Flowering plant

Country of Origin: Spain, Hungary, France

Cultivation Method: Wildcrafted

Blends Well With: Bay, clary sage, geranium, grapefruit, lavender, lemon, mandarin, myrtle, orange, rosemary, sage.
 

Scent:  Sweet, rich herbaceous, camphoraceous
 

Contraindications: The oil is moderately toxic due  to the pinocamphone content and has caused a few reactions in some  individuals so use with caution. To be   used only in moderation.  Do not use in pregnancy, by infants, children or the elderly.  Do not use if you are epileptic. Do not use if you have high blood pressure.

About the Oil
Colorless liquid with a sweet, camphoraceous top note and warm-spciy  herbaceous  undertone. The herb has been traditionally used for  perhaps a thousand years for its antiseptic, disinfecting, and  anti-infectious properties.

Aromatherapy Notes
Hyssop oil's primary use in aromatherapy has been for respiratory and digestive complaints, and externally for rheumatism, bruises, sores, earache and toothache. It has also been used to regulate blood  pressure and as a general nerve tonic relieving states of anxiety or hysteria. Hyssop is listed in the current British Herbal Pharmacopoeia for bronchitis and the common cold.

Traditional Uses

It is one of the bitter herbs mentioned in the Old Testament, employed to purify the temples.  Romans used hyssop to protect  themselves against the plague, and to disinfect the houses of the sick.

Therapeutic Properties Described In The Aromatherapy Literature

Amenorrhea, asthma, bronchitis, bruises, colds, cough, dermatitis, eczema, fatigue, fevers, flatulence, indigestion, inflammation, influenza, leucorrhea, loss of appetite, nervous tension, rheumatism,    sore throat, stress related conditions, tonsillitis, wounds. The expectorant action of this oil can be utilized during cold and flu season or for respiratory problems. The oil may be added to a diffuser or a vapor rub.
 

Safety

Avoid in epilepsy, and while pregnant. Not for internal use.