Palmarosa Essential Oil Profile
Latin Name: Cymbopogon martini
Origins: India, Nepal
Extraction method: Steam Distilled
Plant part: Leaves
Scent: Soft, Sweet, Green and Rosy
Color: Pale yellow or Olive
Middle note: This means it can take a few minutes for you to smell the scent on your skin, but it lasts. If mixing with other oils, you will smell this after the top note has evaporated.
Properties: Antiseptic, Antiviral, Antimicrobial, Bactericidal, Cytophylactic, Febrifuge, Hydrating
Cautions: None Known
Palmarosa essential oil is great for the mind, body and spirit. It is calming but uplifting, its sanitizing, immune boosting and great for the skin.
Native to India, palmarosa is a type of tropical grass which grows wild in the wetlands of India and Nepal. It is known for its rich supply of volatile oils and its grassy rosy scent.
Benefits of Palmarosa Essential Oil
Here are a few benefits of using palmarosa essential oil.
Digestive and Immune Systems
Palmarosa essential oil may help irritable bowel syndrome due to being a digestive tonic and help intestinal infections. It can also aid in the production of stomach acid which in turn helps nutrient absorption, making digestion smoother.
Immune System
As a antiviral, antiseptic, antimicrobial and bactericidal, palmarosa essential oil is great for boosting the immune system, helping to fight off infections. This study (1) shows that Palmarosa essential oil exhibited potent antibacterial activity among all the essential oils tested and even showed good antifungal activity too
Skin/Hair Care
Palmarosa essential oil is great for skin and is used in a range of skin care products. Its hydrating so helps moisturize the skin as well as prevent inflammation and dehydration. It balances sebum production and therefore is great for conditions such as acne, greasy hair and dandruff. This study (2) shows how palmarosa essential oil can help acne and is more effective when used with tea tree essential oil. Palmarosa is also great for conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, boils, abscesses and helps heal cuts and bruises.
Mental and Emotional
Palmarosa essential oil is wonderful for relieving stress and nervous exhaustion. It helps with depression and anxiety, helping to calm the mind and uplift you. Helping you to feel at peace and be more positive. If you have feelings of insecurity or defensiveness then palmarosa will help with these issues, comforting you.
Spiritual
Third eye, throat, heart and solar plexus chakras are the chakras that palmarosa essential oil will help with. Placing on the third eye will help deepen meditation and open you up to spiritual connection and awareness. Placing on the throat will help with balancing hormones and speaking your truth. Placing on the heart will help you open to unconditional love, to give and receive as well as open to self love and placing palmarosa essential oil on your solar plexus will help unblock negative emotions and give you strength by harnessing the power of the sun. Although the scent is feminine, palmarosa has masculine power and with this balance of both masculine and feminine, will help you be empowered and have strength with a gentleness and unconditional love.
How to use Palmarosa Essential Oil
Oil Burner/Diffuser: Add a couple of drops of the oil in a diffuser or oil burner to fill the room with the aroma. This will help clam and uplift you, giving you a feeling of peace.
Massage: Add a couple of drops to a carrier oil such as coconut oil or almond oil. This dilutes the oil and you can then apply to the skin. Massage stimulates the skin and helps relax muscles. It will help the skin to absorb the oil helping with physical and mental issues as above.
Anointing Oil: Add a couple of drops to a carrier oil such as coconut oil or almond oil. This dilutes the oil and you can then apply to the skin. Helping to connect in meditation and to become more aware of spiritual messages. Connecting you to Spirit and the Angels.
Smudge spray: You will need a spray bottle. Add a couple of drops in some purified water or a combo of water and Witch Hazel, shake (each time you use it) and spray around you and the room. Cleansing you and the space you are in. You will also breathe this in and so it will help with mental issues and some physical ones too as above. (Note, if you are just mixing with water, you either need to use a preservative or use it up quickly, storing in the fridge as water will breed bacteria.)
Skin Lotion: You can buy a skin lotion base (no fragrance) and you can add a few drops of palmarosa essential oil and use to moisturize your skin or help with some skin conditions.
Palmarosa Essential Oil Recipes
As well as the ingredients below, you may also need a funnel to pour liquids into the bottles and other utensils for mixing.
Calming Diffuser Blend
Diffuser or Oil burner
2 drops Palmarosa Essential Oil
1 drop Lavender Essential Oil
1 drop Geranium Essential Oil
This will help calm and uplift you as well as make a lovely scent in the air.
Immune Boost Diffuser Blend
3 drops Palmarosa Essential Oil
2 drops Lavender Essential Oil
2 drops Eucalyptus Dives Essential Oil
2 drops Lemon Essential Oil
This blend will give your immune system some help, especially around winter with flu season or if someone in the household has already got an illness. All the oils have immune boosting properties and work well together.
If you have a diffuser then add the drops of essential oils from one of the blends above to it and turn it on for half an hour to allow the oils to infuse the air. If you have an oil burner you can add the drops to that as well and burn the candle for half an hour or until the water has nearly evaporated. (Caution: Never leave a lit candle unattended.)
Skin Lotion
236ml/8oz jar as its easier to mix or pump lid bottle. Dark in color preferably to preserve the essential oils
236ml/8oz Unscented lotion base
40 drops Palmarosa Essential Oil
Add the essential oil to the lotion base and mix well. If using a Jar, pour both ingredients in and mix, if using a pump bottle, mix in a separate container first so it mixes well and then pour into the bottle. This will help moisturize your skin as palmarosa is a great hydrating oil. It can also be used to help as a topical cream for the skin conditions above.
For a more luxurious cream you could try making this if you feel adventurous!:
236ml/8oz jar. Dark in color preferably to preserve the essential oils
147ml/5oz Shea Butter (unrefined)
88ml/3oz Coconut Oil
40 drops Palamrosa Essential Oil
Using a double boiler or a heat proof bowl over a pan of boiling water heat up the shea butter gently, just until it softens enough for you to mix the other ingredients. Do not heat too much as the oils you will add may over heat and lose their therapeutic properties. After you have heated the shea butter, add the coconut oil and essential oils, mix them together and let them cool a bit before pouring into the jar.
This is a much more rich and luxurious cream and will help moisturize your skin as well as help with the skin conditions above.
Calming and Relaxing Massage Oil
100ml/3.3oz bottle, dark in color to preserve the essential oils.
100ml/3.3oz Carrier Oil – You can use Grapeseed Oil or Fractionated Coconut Oil (which ever you prefer).
15 drops Palmarosa Essential Oil
20 drops Geranium Essential Oil
Pour the carrier oil into the empty bottle, add the essential oils and shake well. You now have a massage blend that will help calm and relax you, helping release stress and tension.
Face Cleanser To Help Acne
Glass pump bottle
1 cup Castile soap
1/4 cup Grapeseed Oil
1/4 Aloe Vera Gel
30 drops Palmarosa Essential oil
20 drop Tea Tree Essential oil
Mix all the ingredients together and pour into the pump bottle. You now have a cleanser to help with oily skin and defeat acne. It will also help moisturize too.
Safety Precaution when using Essential Oils
Please stick to the guidelines on amounts above when using and mixing oils as overuse can cause problems, especially in children. Do not ever apply essential oils neat on the skin or use internally. Only ever mix in a base/carrier oil. Do not use on small children. Test patch the diluted oil (and any other ingredients mentioned above for making your own products) on skin to check for allergic reaction. If in event of an allergic reaction wash the area and seek medical advice.
Where to buy
I buy my oils from Plant Therapy. I love them because they are high quality, therapeutic grade and affordable. I have put a couple of links below, just click on the pictures to be taken to the page. You can also purchase shea butter and unscented lotion from them too as mentioned in recipes above. If you wish to purchase elsewhere, try to pick therapeutic grade as these are pure and good quality and you will get the full benefits of an essential oil.
To purchase or for more information on each item, click on the images.
Final Thoughts
Palmarosa essential oil is a great immune booster and helps fight off infections. Great for the skin as it balances sebum productions and moisturizes, as well as helps conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.
Comforting and uplifting, palmarosa essential oil will help with anxiety and depression. Helping you to feel secure and safe. It has a balancing energy and will give you the strength to carry on and be empowered through self care and love. Connecting you to your inner wisdom and connection to Spirit.
References
Study 1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2839398/
Study 2 http://e-ajbc.org/journal/view.php?number=678/
Disclaimer: The contents of this article is for information only and using any of the methods suggested is at your own risk. Always consult a doctor with any medical condition you may have, especially if you are trying new complimentary medicines.