Vanilla's sweet, warm, and rich flavor makes an excellent addition to any baking recipe. But did you know that you can use vanilla to create an essential oil with many powerful medicinal and therapeutic properties when used in aromatherapy?
Your health, hair, and skin can benefit from the properties of this powerful essential oil; which makes it obvious that vanilla is one of the most popular essential oils. To learn why vanilla is used so widely in aromatherapy and how you can make it, keep reading.
What Is Vanilla Essential Oil?
Vanilla essential oil is a concentrated form of vanilla bean. The vanilla bean comes from the pollen stems of an orchid found in South America and has been adding flavor to desserts for hundreds of years.
Vanilla oil is made differently from other essential oils, usually pressed and steamed to produce concentrated oil extract. For vanilla essential oil, the process is different, and the vanilla bean is placed into alcohol and aged for many months to extract the flavor. For this reason, there is no such thing as a vanilla essential oil.
Essential oils are commonly used in aromatherapy, a holistic medicinal practice. Aromatherapy utilizes the connection between the olfactory senses and the brain’s limbic section, which controls emotion and memory to improve mood and provide relaxation. Aromatherapy also uses essential oils to provide people with a concentrated dose of different plants to receive the maximum benefit of the medicinal properties of the plant.
There are three types of vanilla used in vanilla essential oil:
- Oleoresin vanilla oil is a semi-solid resin extracted from the vanilla bean plant using a solvent. This resin isn't fully soluble in carrier oils.
- Absolute vanilla oil is a concentrated and thick substance extracted from the vanilla bean using a solvent. This substance mixes well with a carrier oil.
- CO2 Extract is a concentrated substance extracted from the vanilla bean using high-pressure carbon dioxide. This kind of vanilla extract dissolves easily in carrier oils and is the only kind of vanilla extract that you can diffuse.
Vanilla Essential Oil Benefits
Vanilla essential oil can provide numerous benefits for health and wellness, in addition to offering a warm and sweet smell.
Antioxidant Properties
Vanilla is full of antioxidants, meaning that vanilla essential oil works to help repair cells in the body and stimulate regrowth while preventing the breakdown of cells and tissues in the body. The antioxidant properties of vanilla help it eliminate free radicals in the body that can cause health issues.
Act As An Aphrodisiac
One surprising quality of vanilla essential oil is that it can act as an aphrodisiac, promoting the production of testosterone and estrogen in the body. So, if you are suffering from low libido or erectile dysfunction, then vanilla essential oil could provide a holistic remedy to this ailment.
Provides Relief From PMS Symptoms And Promotes Relaxation
Since this essential oil stimulates estrogen production in the body, vanilla essential oil helps relieve symptoms of PMS. Using vanilla essential oil will help promote regularity in your cycle and balance your hormones and stress levels to help you relax during that troublesome part of the month.
Antimutagenic (Prevents Growth Of Cancer Cells)
The vanilla essential oil is proven to be anticarcinogenic, meaning that it can act as a preventative treatment to stop cancer from developing. This is due to the powerful antioxidant properties of vanilla essential oil, as it kills free radicals in the body and reverses oxidative stress.
Fights Infections
The components eugenol and vanillin hydroxybenzaldehyde present in the vanilla essential oil help to fight off infections. Vanilla oil acts as an antibacterial agent when used on the surface of bacteria cells.
Improves Sleep Quality
Vanilla can have sedative effects on the body. It can fight restlessness, lower blood pressure, soothe hyperactivity, and quiet the nervous system, making it an excellent solution for a holistic approach to battle insomnia.
Boosts Skin And Hair Health
The antioxidant properties of vanilla oil make it a beneficial anti-wrinkle treatment to improve skin health and reduce skin damage caused by free radicals.
The B vitamins in vanilla essential oil help protect the skin from the pollution that can make it appear dull and dry. Mixing vanilla essential oil and coconut oil can provide you with a hair mask that will restore nutrients to the hair and reduce the appearance of split ends.
Acts As An Antidepressant (Improves Mood)
Since the 17th century, vanilla oil has been used as a natural antidepressant with the calming effect vanilla has on the brain. You can also use the oil to promote relaxation, reduce anxiety, and provide relief from insomnia. Studies have shown that vanilla essential oil acts as an antidepressant in mice, reducing immobility, concluding that vanilla can serve as a valid natural treatment for depression.
Lowers Blood Pressure
Studies have shown that vanillin reduces cholesterol and lowers high blood pressure, reducing the risk of atherosclerosis and heart disease. Vanillin's blood pressure regulation makes it an excellent solution for reducing stress and decreasing high blood pressure that could lead to a coronary event.
How To Use Vanilla Essential Oil?
There are many different ways you can use vanilla essential oil to gain medicinal and emotional benefits.
Aroma Diffuser
You can use vanilla essential oil in a diffuser to produce a pleasant aroma in your home and breathe in the essential oil to gain its benefits. This involves the oil being broken down into smaller molecules and diffused into the air with water vapor.
Hair
You can mix vanilla oil with a carrier oil like coconut oil to create a hair mask that will help to reduce the appearance of split ends. Apply the mixture to the hair and leave it for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Skin
To help protect your skin from pollution and stop your skin from appearing dull, place 2-3 drops of vanilla oil to your usual face wash and moisturizer, and apply to the face as usual. Your skin will appear fresher and brighter.
Blend With Desserts
In your baking recipes, the vanilla essential oil can easily be substituted for vanilla extract for a more intense flavor and increased health benefits.
Nebulizer
Nebulizers serve as valuable tools for emergency services to help clear patients' airways. You can use a nebulizer at home by placing boiling water and a few drops of vanilla oil into the device. Then, simply inhale the steam.
Oil Burner
You can use essential oils in an oil burner, with a candle placed underneath the oil to help it slowly evaporate and fill the surrounding area with a rich and flavorful scent.
Baths Or Inhalation
Another way you can use vanilla oil is by placing a few drops into your hot bath. The oil will soak into your skin, and the steam rising from the tub will allow you to breathe in the oil.
Perfume
You can make a perfume using essential oils by adding 80 ml of carrier oil to a perfume bottle and then adding 10 drops of your vanilla oil. Try adding other essential oils for a more complex scent.
How To Make Vanilla Essential Oil?
There are several ways you can make vanilla essential oil, including infusions and tinctures. This section will detail the methods to create these essential oil modifications.
Make A Vanilla Oil Infusion
Making your vanilla-infused oil is simple and will produce a rich and sweet aroma. Jojoba, almond, and apricot oils all go well with vanilla oil. Simply purchase some vanilla pods, split the pod open to scoop out the seeds with a knife.
Then, place the seeds and vanilla beans into your oil and let it sit. The longer you leave the mixture, the stronger it gets, and the more health benefits you will receive when you use this oil in your skincare or hair routine.
Make A Vanilla Oil Tincture
You will need some high-proof vodka and around 10 vanilla beans for this recipe. Firstly, take your vanilla pods, split them open using a knife, and scrape out the tiny seeds. Then, place the seeds into a jar or glass, and add your vodka to create a mixture.
Leave the mixture for around 3 months, shaking the mixture daily. After 3 months, pour the mixture through a coffee filter to remove the beans and get your vanilla oil tincture.
Safety And Precautions
It is essential to remember that when you are using vanilla essential oils, whether you are using them topically or aromatically, you should always mix your vanilla oil with a carrier oil. This is because vanilla oil is highly concentrated and harmful when applied to the skin.
Remember only to consume food-grade vanilla products you have bought from a store and tested to determine that they are fit for consumption. If you experience any reaction or irritation when applying the oil, discontinue your use immediately.
Conclusion
Vanilla is a powerful oil with many health benefits, and you can enjoy its sweet and rich aroma using various methods. You can have bright skin and healthy and shiny hair using the power of the vanilla plant.
BluZen is a family-run business that takes pride in providing quality essential oils to its customers for health benefits and emotional wellness. BluZen believes that each person has a unique scent profile and needs essential oils tailored for their specific needs.