Calamansi Essential Oil As A Perfume Ingredient

Due to the strong citrusy aroma of calamansi fruit (Citrofortunella macrocarpa), some consider having calamansi oil as an ingredient in perfumes. Having a natural ingredient that is abundant and affordable makes it an ideal choice for making perfume. Plus we can be assured that it is not only good for us but it is also good for the environment.

Calamansi aromatic compounds

Its aromatic properties give its citrusy flavor and fragrance. Limonene and linalool are the main compounds responsible for the aroma of calamansi peel oil (Rui Min et. al., 2020). Moreover, calamansi have citric acid which is a common ingredient and scent in perfume (Desuasido et. al., 2013). Some researchers think that calamansi a viable ingredient for scents since grapefruit which also contains citric acid is used in perfumes (Desuasido et. al (2013).

Calamansi perfume researches

Since calamansi is abundant in some countries, it’s not surprising that researchers in these countries study the possibility of having calamansi as an ingredient for perfumes.

A 2013 research conducted by Desuasido and her colleagues used three different concentrations of calamansi fruit extract. In their study, their treatment A has a 100% (25 ml.) concentration, treatment B has a calamansi fruit extract 100% (30 ml.) concentration, and treatment C has a 100% (45 ml.) concentration. The researchers used essential oil in their study however, it was not specified what kind of essential oil was used.

Another research by Zamudio (2019) used calamansi extract in making perfume. The result of his study showed that the amount of calamansi extract in the perfume mixture would result in different degrees of aroma desirability. It was reported in the study that 7.5 mg/mL gave the perfume some fragrance but was not satisfactory, and 20 mg/mL amount resulted in a foul smell and hence did not satisfy the respondents. It was found that the best amount of calamansi extract mixed with vodka and essential oil is 12.5 mg/mL calamansi extract.

It is important to mention that the two researches used calamansi extract as well as an essential oil for the perfume making. However, it was not indicated in the papers that they particularly used calamansi essential oil.

Also, as of the moment of writing, I haven’t found any perfume that uses calamansi essential oil.

Let good things emerge 💋❤

References:

  • Desuasido F., Polonia J.M., Vinarao E., Sansolis L.A., Canlas J. Del Rosario A.D. Calamansi (Citrofortunella Microcarpa) Fruit Extract As Perfume. 2013. Makati Science High School
  • Zamudio C.B., Calamansi Fruit Extract as Chemical Substitute in Perfume. Vol. 3 No. 2C (2019): Ascendens Asia Journal of Multidisciplinary Research
  • Rui Min Vivian Goh, Aileen Pua, Shao Quan Liu, Benjamin Lassabliere, Kwong-Chee Leong, Jing can Sun, Lay Peng Tan & Bin Yu (2020) Characterisation of Volatile Compounds in Kumquat and Calamansi Peel Oil Extracts, Journal of Essential Oil Bearing Plants, 23:5, 953-969, DOI: 10.1080/0972060X.2020.1841683

Top Two Concerns for Calamansi Essential Oil That Every Aromatherapist Should Know

Calamansi or Citrus macrocarpa is a citrus fruit from the Philippines and select countries in Asia. It is also called a Philippine lemon in English being a native version of lemon in the country. Calamansi belongs to the Rutaceae family or the citrus category of fruits.

Compared to other kinds of essential oils that are easy to find, calamansi oils are less common. Most of the producers of this oil are located in the countries they are abundant in hence there are fewer manufacturers of it compared to other essential oils sold commercially. Unlike other oils, there is also fewer research conducted regarding its therapeutic properties. Moreover, there are also still areas for improvement that are calamansi oil production-related.

This post focuses on two concerns observed about calamansi essential oil

Know what’s in your bottle and its chemical content profile.

Some calamansi oil manufacturers are small to medium-scale businesses. Some of them are still in the process of developing their production, packaging, and labeling, that’s why some calamansi oil we can buy from the market still needs some improvement with regard to the provided details on their label. However, this does not mean that their essential oil is not of good quality. It only needs to contain enough details to ensure that buyers can understand their calamansi essential oil better and be able to properly use it and enjoy its therapeutic effects.

Some of the calamansi essential oils do not include instructions, ingredients, and cautions on their label. The scientific term of the essential oil used is also not indicated though this is important when buying oils to make sure you are getting the right essential oil for you. One kind of plant can have a different variety, and though they are having the same kind does not mean they have the same therapeutic effects. Hence it is important to carefully find the right essential oil for you.

In addition, the plant part used to make the calamansi essential oil is sometimes not indicated on the label. This detail is important to determine the chemical content of the essential oil to identify the main constituents and therapeutic properties of the oil.

Several calamansi oil producers state that the plant part they use is the rind, however, other calamansi oils are made of the leaves or the flower. By looking at two types of research, the components of calamansi oil according to the plant part used as well as their antibacterial activity were described in the succeeding paragraphs.

a. Calamansi peel essential oil

The main components of fruit peel essential oil are D-limonene, (R)-(+)-citronellal, 3-isopropenyl-5,5-dimethyl-cyclopentene, γ-terpinene, citronellol, and α-terpineol (Husni et al., 2021). Using the diffusion method, it was revealed that the calamansi peel oil has a moderate to strong inhibitory power on bacteria such as MRSA, S. aureus, S. mutans, P. aeruginosa, and E. coli. (Husni et al., 2021)

b. Calamansi leaf oil

In the research conducted by Nguyen et al. (2018), they reported that the major component of calamansi leaf oil is lemon and also has sesquiterpene. Whereas citronellal, citronellol, 3-carene, and β-phellandrene were listed as the constituent of calamansi leaf oil in the paper of Husni et al. (2021)

About the antibacterial activity test of calamansi oil, it was found by using diffusion and dilution methods that calamansi leaves oil was more potent than fruit peel oil. Bacterias that it can strongly inhibit are Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Streptococcus mutants. This is consistent with the findings in the paper of Nguyen et al, 2018
that calamari leaf oil can inhibit six microbial strains. Furthermore, it was reported in the same study that the calamansi leaf essential oil antioxidant activity is higher than Vitamin C.

c. Calamansi flower essential oil

Limonene is the major component of calamansi flower oil (Nguyen, 2018). Just like the calamansi leaf essential oil, the flower oil also has antioxidant activity higher than vitamin C and can inhibit one fungus strain, A. niger. (Nguyen, 2018)

Meeting the need for case study reports and evidence-based research

Inspiration for this post: When I realized that I will be writing about calamansi essential oil, I felt a little scared, because it was my first time writing about calamansi oil. It’s not that it’s my first time to write about essential oils but although calamansi is a subject I am so familiar with, it is more special to me because it is ‘native’ to my country. I also had trauma in writing about some subjects that’s why I did not write for a long time. It’s not that I don’t want to write, but sometimes I am reminded of the fear to write again. Although I was spotted to be writing about my favorite subject, writing formally about subjects I’m also love like calamansi oil can still be intimidating for me. On top of this, there is also a “scarcity” of research on calamansi oil. Finding reliable research and case studies is a challenge which makes it hard for me to find enough reliable details that can be included to write a blog post. Despite the limitations, I want to write about calamansi oil because it is a subject I’m passionate about. Knowing the promising therapeutic effects of calamari oil made me firmly want to do my duty to research and write about it because I know it is worth writing about.

As an oil blogger, I am hoping that future researchers will remember to fulfill their sworn statements in their papers that they will deliver accurate, unbiased, and good research results. Their research is needed for me to provide an evidence-based essential oil article hub.

Calamansi essential oil is an exciting subject that needs to to be further researched so we can understand better its therapeutic properties and its effectiveness. I am hoping that future researchers will delve deeper into this subject and deliver the right and accurate results. I am also looking forward to writing about it.

I have read different papers done by different researchers, but I discarded them all and chose the two research presented above. Veracity, reliability, timeliness, honesty, and relevance are important ingredients for me to pick a research paper. Loyalty to providing evidence-based blog posts is my priority in Oil Therapy.

Ought to do an oath to do 💋❤

References:

  • T. Nguyen-Thao Nguyen, T. Ngoc-Ni Huynh, Vinh-Thien Tran, Chi-Hien Dang, T. Kim-Dung Hoang & Thanh-Danh Nguyen (2018) Physicochemical characterization and bioactivity evaluation of essential oils from Citrus macrocarpa Bunge leaf and flower, Journal of Essential Oil Research, 30:4, 285-292, DOI: 10.1080/10412905.2018.1435428
  • Husni E., Yeni, F., Dachriyanus. Chemical Contents Profile of Essential Oil from Calamansi (Citrus macrocarpa Bunge) Peels and Leaves and Its Antibacterial Activities. Advances in Health Sciences Research, volume 40. 2021. Atlantis Press International B.V

Three Fantastic Aromatic Effects of Calamansi Oil

Calamansi is one of the fruits that has a distinguishable scent. Its natural aroma makes it a preferred ingredient for fragrance and flavoring.

Hence, for scent enthusiasts like me, the aroma of calamansi is something I noticed, and have always recognized because I love and appreciate its scent. Though calamansi can be irritating at times because of it’s playful citrusy scent, I still trust that behind it is a naturally good aroma that can faithfully show it’s lovely scent. Plus, it’s one of the fruits with a strong scent that can reach your nose even you are far from the fruit.

For these reasons, aromatherapist who are aware of the aromatic effects of calamansi essential oil prefers to obtain it. Good thing that there are producers of calamansi oil that makes it possible for aromatherapists to have it.

People who are familiar with calamansi fruit know its effect as a food flavoring. However, it is also fascinating to discover more about the health benefits of its oil. Hence this post highlights the effects of calamansi oil in olfactory aromatherapy.

1. anti-anxiety effect

Stress, anxiety, and being upset can happen especially when what we see, read, or heard, is something that we may not like. Sometimes, our stress or worry is the result of recognizing first the obvious disappointing things or listening to unconstructive suggestion. This triggers us to react, and talk. Since the scent of calamansi essential oil is strong enough, it can even cause us to experience a tingling effect when we smell it. Hence it has the ability to somewhat wake us up by catching our attention. From here it diverts our attention and lead us to refresh the way we look at our situation. Continuously smelling its fruity aroma enables us to calm down thus triggers us to see different perspectives. When we are in our relaxed mode, it encourages us to take notice of things we haven’t realized the first time we look at things, and eventually realize why we should trust and find the brighter side of things.

Since the scent of calamansi oil is something familiar to those who have been consuming it, they may find it comforting especially if they have plenty of good experiences with it. Whenever they think of calamansi, they might associate it with having a good conversation with their loved ones while drinking calamansi juice. Or remember reading something they love while eating their favorite food with calamansi. Hence the smell of calamansi oil is effective in soothing people’s concerns or alleviating depression and anxiety

2. eliminates odor-causing bacteria

The components of calamansi oil enables it to possess antibacterial qualities. We know that body odor is caused by bacteria. Hence, using calamansi oil will not only get rid of the bacteria in your body but will also remove body odor. Hence, when it’s already time to remove those odor-causing bacteria, make sure that your calamansi oil is prepared so it can do its task.

3. deodorizing foul odor

Calamansi oil can overpower bad odors. Due to the strong scent of calamansi oil, I’ve seen how it was able to get rid of a bad odor I have smelled before. Although the odor I have smelled in the past had a semi-strong scent, calamansi oil was stronger and it was able to neutralize that scent, and eventually eliminated that unwanted odor. That enabled me to realize that it’s true that the nose is more sensitive to citrusy scents.

If you are into citrusy scents, then calamansi essential oil is a must-have in your aromatherapy kit. While you may sometimes get pissed off because of its stubbornly citrusy scent, you will still choose to trust this essential oil because you see that its strong scent is determined to show you the effectiveness of it’s real citrusy fruity aroma.

Recognize good scents 💋❤

(Ciele) Safety Guidelines When Using Peppermint Oil

Peppermint oil is one of the most recommended oils for therapies. Different research have been conducted to see its effects on people. Some studies present its effectiveness while others report its side effects. If used carelessly and improperly, peppermint may cause respiratory and cutaneous adverse reactions. Knowing that there are side effects in using peppermint oil, caution must be practiced to ensure that we can safely use it.

The safety guidelines in this post are grouped into categories to make them easier to remember.

Children

  1. Peppermint is not advisable to be used as a form of treatment for colds and coughs for kids aged between 2 to 11 years old. (1)
  2. The topical application of peppermint oil on the head or temples to treat mild headaches is not to be suitable for children and adolescents under 18 years old. (1)
  3. Ingestion or taking peppermint oil or any preparation to relieve flatulence, irritable bowel syndrome symptoms, belly pain, and minor belly spasms is not recommended for kids under 8 years old. (1)
  4. The use of peppermint oil medicine as a treatment for coughs and colds, muscle pain, and itching is not advisable for children who had experienced seizures (1)
  5. Applying peppermint oil on the face of infants and young children may result in serious side effects if they inhaled the menthol of peppermint oil. (2)

Women

More studies must be done to confirm that peppermint oil is safe to be used by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. (2)

People with a specific health concern

The use of peppermint oil is not suited for everybody. People who do have a particular medical condition should be aware of the effects of peppermint oil on their health. Also, it’s advisable to know the kind of preparation and method of application is suited for your condition. Individuals with the following condition should not use peppermint oil and should use wise judgment before using it.

  1. People with achlorhydria, liver disease, gallstones, and any other bile-related problems, should not use peppermint oil to alleviate their minor belly problems (1)
  2. Ingestion of peppermint oil especially if ingested in excess may lead to stomach upset in sensitive individuals. (3)
  3. Patients with gallbladder or liver disease should refrain from using peppermint oil without a doctor’s guidance. (3)

Skin concern

Peppermint must only be applied on the skin to relieve muscle pain and itching if the skin does not have any damage (1)
If used improperly, peppermint oil may cause skin rashes and irritation. (2).

Routines

  1. Peppermint oil and homeopathic remedies cannot be used at the same time. Peppermint oil can cause a reaction on homeopathic remedies and can antidote them, hence, peppermint oil must be stored away from these remedies (3, 4)
  2. Avoid using peppermint oil in the evening. Since it has a stimulating effect it can cause wakefulness at night. Moreover, using peppermint oil for a long time may cause a change in your normal sleeping pattern. According to the book Aromatherapy A to Z, the stimulant effect of peppermint oil is cumulative and thus can affect your regular sleeping routine. (4)
  3. Peppermint oil has a cooling/warming sensation which can irritate your eyes especially if you have sensitive eyes. Keep peppermint away from your eyes. (3)
  4. Do not use peppermint oil more than three drops in bath water (3)

More recommendations

Peppermint is one of the oils recommended for headache relief hence it is being rubbed on the forehead. However, our eyes are close to our forehead and peppermint oil can easily reach our eyes. Avoid using peppermint oil on the eyes, or areas of the skin near the eyes. It can irritate the eyes. Since I have blurry vision, I am seriously concerned about my eyes. I am careful about how I use my eyes as well as what I use for my eyes. I dislike it when I use my eyes to experiment with some products to see their effect. As much as possible I only want to use products and oils that are good for my eyes and not use anything that can irritate my eyes. Hence if you are going to use peppermint oil to treat a headache make sure that you apply it on the part of your forehead that is far from your eyes. Also, do not use too much oil as it will drip and reach the eyes.

There are different claims about the efficacy of peppermint oil. Hence to avoid side effects, I think a helpful question you can ask is which of these claims is true and applicable to my condition. As mentioned above, some individuals with illnesses shouldn’t use peppermint oil. Hence it is important to learn more about your health condition and ask which of the recommendation applies to you. If the recommendation sounds good and beneficial, it is also helpful to ask if the claim or recommendation is reliably true.

To make the appropriate immediate actions, it is useful to learn how quickly peppermint oil manifests its side effects. Does the adverse effect of peppermint oil start the moment it was applied to the problematic area? It is logical to think that it should start at the moment it was first applied.

Moreover, you have to search for the remedies or therapies that must be implemented to address the side effects as well as their timed dosage. If you are going to use a topical for treatment, are you going to apply it on your skin at the same time? Is it going to be the same time of the day that you are going to put it on your skin and not change it to see its healing effect?

Seek quick and effective treatments 💋❤

References:

  • Peppermint Oil. March 4, 2020. European Medicines Agency
  • Peppermint Oil https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/peppermint-oil Retrieved: December 17, 2022
  • Alternative Cures, The Most Effective Natural Home Remedies for 160 Health Problems. Bill Gottlieb. 2000
  • Aromatherapy and A-Z, Patricia Davis, C.W. Daniel Company Limited (1988)

Exciting Aroma of Calamansi Essential Oil


Some would describe calamansi essential oil’s scent as wonderful and fresh, but what does wonderful and fresh exactly smells like? To put it into concrete words calamansi essential oil has a rich fruity aroma. It smells lovely with a blend of the tartness of lemons, limes, and the sweetness of orange, hence having a unique flavor and intoxicating citrusy scent. Real calamansi smells more pungent but the essential oil is milder and gentler.

Reviewing, writing, and researching about calamansi essential oil

I will soon look at the details in my notes about calamansi oil and update this post. Since it is Sunday today, I will be writing about oils found in the bible tonight. I will be reviewing my notes after I have finished writing my post for tonight and have already posted it here. I think it’s more appropriate to not look and write two posts at the same time. If I will review the details now, I might pick up the details on my calamansi notes and put them on my post for tonight and have an obvious mistake. Hence I want to be careful when reviewing and writing my blog posts.

Pondering at the moment: I don’t post my photos here on the website. But I like to post my calamansi oil photo. Should the post be on my Instagram or the website?

On a personal note, I woke up today with a message from my sister that we will ‘eat’ in the canteen near our house. My heart is happy. It’s a good morning today.  We ate with a lovely calamansi scent in the canteen. Because my papa has calamansi in his condiment, I smelled the aroma of calamansi, and it made me want to write this calamansi essential oil post. Calamansi always reminds me of food because it is used as a condiment, or flavoring for savory foods or marinating.

At the moment I am writing this post, I am trying to hide my smile and giddiness. But it’s hard not to show I’m happy. I hope it’s understandable that I feel giddy. I’m excited to see more of my notes about calamansi essential oil. Even just the thought of researching calamansi essential oil makes me happy.

It’s a Happy Sunday morning.

Let good scents excite you 💋❤

Efficacy of Peppermint Essential Oil on Muscle Sore – A Personal Narrative

Previously, I’ve written about the efficacy of peppermint oil on pain. In that entry, I presented case studies but was not able to write my insights about my personal experience. Peppermint essential oil is one of the recommended oils for alleviating muscle pain. Though I have already read and aware of this, I can’t write my thoughts about muscle soreness or back pain before, because I don’t have muscular pain then. Since I have muscle pain today, it is the right time for me to write my thoughts about it. At least if you have questions about my personal experience with peppermint and muscle pain you can see my answer in this post. And the answer I give you is based on real first-hand experience in using peppermint in treating my muscle concern.

At the moment I’m writing this, I have rubbed diluted peppermint essential oil on my back. I applied it on my neck, shoulders spinal cord, and down to the upper part of the buttocks and hips. Right now, I am still waiting for the further effects of peppermint oil.

Effects of peppermint oil and muscle sore

So far, there are effects I have already observed after I applied peppermint oil. The description of my observations and realizations are written in the following paragraphs. Here are they:

  • A few minutes after you rubbed peppermint essential oil, you will feel the cooling sensation of the oil. This is what causes back or muscle relief.
  • If you applied diluted peppermint oil to your neck, you will instantly feel the cooling effect. This gives you a relaxing feeling.
  • It is best if you massage yourself while applying the oil because it relaxes the muscle. I also think that massaging makes the oil penetrate the skin more quickly. While rubbing the oil on your back, you will feel the cooling effect of the oil on your skin, hence it seemed to me that the massage enabled me to feel the cooling effect faster.
  • After I applied peppermint essential oil to my back, I stayed on my bed for a few minutes in a face-down position. I felt sleepy even just after staying a few minutes in this position. However, it is also important to note that the sedative feel also depends on other factors such as your room setup, time, mood, and routines.
  • Just like when you are having a massage in a spa, I opted to have a bareback when I applied the peppermint essential oil. This enabled me to feel the effect of peppermint oil even more. If you are in a room with good ventilation then just immerse yourself in the natural room temperature. However, if you are going to use the fan, it is good not to position it directly toward you. This allowed me to concentrate on feeling the cooling effect instead of the air from the fan.

Tips:

  • It’s safer to use diluted peppermint oil to prevent irritation. The dilution measurement I followed is 12 drops of carrier oil for 2 drops of essential oil.
  • Use a roller bottle so you can easily apply the diluted peppermint oil without feeling too wet because of the oil.
  • You can also make a balm should you want to easily apply it on your back. The good thing about using diluted peppermint essential oil is that it seemed more potent because it has fewer ingredients so it seemed more concentrated. Meanwhile, the balm is suited if you are applying peppermint oil preparation to yourself. Since the balm is not in liquid form, it won’t spill when you applied it.

For people who want to treat their muscle sore safely and privately, the use of peppermint oil is advisable. There might be instances when you have a ‘muscle sore’ and when some people ask if you have muscle soreness, you might say you don’t have a muscle sore. Honestly, I found myself having done this too and I hope that’s understandable. Sometimes there are circumstances where you don’t expect a question about ‘your health’ will be asked. Since you were surprised by the question, you just find yourself saying you don’t have a muscle sore. It’s like a reflex, an immediate response, wherein your body is already reacting without thinking first. You might have done it not because you wanted to deny you have a muscle sore, but because you want to protect your ‘peace’. Some people would keep on asking, say their opinions, and give recommendations once they know you have a muscle sore or certain condition. Personally, although I have a muscle sore, I want to think first about the best way I can treat it. I want to research it so I can know more about it, instead of being distracted by answering questions and listening to recommendations which can be confusing and thus unhelpful. Also, I want to focus on my ‘muscle sore’ and treat it well in a safe, careful, and loving way. Moreover, as much as possible I want to find effective therapy first before I can admit and talk that I have a muscle sore.

By seeing the effect of peppermint essential oil on muscle sore makes people like me who are very reserved when talking about ‘muscle sores or health conditions glad. It’s good to know that there’s a peppermint oil that I can have to treat health condition and make myself feel better.

Ps. I’m still observing and waiting for the further effects of peppermint oil on my muscle sore.

Allow positive effects to manifest 💋❤

(Ciele) How does peppermint oil work as a medicine for muscle soreness?

Previously I’ve written about my personal experience on using peppermint oil on muscle sores. However, I wasn’t able to explain why peppermint essential oil can ease muscle tension and aches.

This Q&A quick post attempts to answer ‘why’ and ‘how’ peppermint essential oil work as a medicine for muscle soreness.

Muscle contract

According to the explanation provided by European Medicines Agency in their 2020 published paper, peppermint oil can ease cramps by interfering with calcium ions which are involved in the contraction of smooth muscles. This causes the muscle to relax. (1)

Therapeutic properties and cooling sensation

Peppermint oil contains limonene and menthol which are compounds that possess analgesic properties, hence effective in treating pain. (2) Pure peppermint oil has a high pure menthol content which is at least 44 percent. (3) Menthol produces a cooling effect on the area it was applied, which dulls the pain hence eases muscle cramps and tension. When applied to the skin, peppermint oil has a cooling effect for a longer period because it stimulates the cold-sensitive nerves in the skin. (1)

Uplifting Aroma

Due to the refreshing, and uplifting aroma of peppermint essential oil(4), it can also aid in managing muscle pain-related anxiety and stress, hence making you feel more relaxed and calmer.

As previously mentioned in my post about the efficacy of peppermint oil on muscle aches the cooling sensation of peppermint essential oil can be felt even after a few minutes of ‘receiving’ it, hence you’ll understand its effect on your muscle concern. It’s helpful to be aware though that ‘re-applying’ the peppermint essential oil might be needed after 1 hour to see and feel its effect again. Re-applying peppermint oil right away may not be advisable because it might not be safe. Your skin will have too much of the substance on it and may cause side effects. Keeping a bottle of peppermint oil in a place near you is advisable so that it is accessible thus allowing you to easily re-apply it after one hour or when you feel it is already safe to do so. Also, you can review this post and the muscle sore testimonial post on this blog site when you have to so you can remind yourself about the treatment details.

Pick up natural and safe medications 💋❤

References:

(Ciele) Effect of Peppermint Oil On Enhancing Athletic Physiological Performance

People who are into athletics and sports are looking for ways on how to improve their performance. This includes speeding up their running time, enhancing grip stability, increasing their number of push-ups, and even being able to perform better on higher-intensity exercises. These people who continually research and perform athletics deserve to be well supported. To help these people, several studies have been conducted to find ways on how to improve supporting and strengthening these sports enthusiasts.

This post presents three investigations about how peppermint oil’s aroma affects the athletic physiological performance of different populations. However, you will notice that the cases presented here are grouped into categories. This is because some studies have confirmed the effectiveness of peppermint’s aroma on athletic performance, while others have only shown a slight change in some variables. As much as possible I want to show you a consistent result, however, it is important to be considerate of the readers. I adhere to presenting fair blog entries even if that means showing differing outputs of different investigations about a particular topic.

Without effect

The effect of inhaling the aroma of peppermint essence on athletes’ physiological performance was investigated in a 2015 study. In this study, 36 female soccer players from the Islamic Republic of Iran were selected to be participants. The subjects were divided into three groups. The control group and the experimental group which is the inhalant peppermint essence group and the inhalant peppermint essence + alcohol group. 2 drops of the substance designated to each group were applied on a sterile cotton pad and the participants were asked to inhale it. The inhalant peppermint essence group was given a sterile cotton pad with 2 drops (0.1ml) of the essence. The peppermint essence + alcohol group was also instructed to inhale the mixture of peppermint essence with alcohol. And the control group was given a sterile cotton pad with the placebo or 2 drops of aquapura and asked the participants to inhale it. After which, they exercise using a motorized treadmill while wearing a special mask Gas Analyzer. The finding of the study showed that inhaling neither peppermint oil nor peppermint oil with alcohol does not have any significant effects on athletes’ physiological performance. The researchers reported that inhalation of peppermint oil while running does not affect running time, S-IgA, or cortisol. Hence they recommend considering looking into the effect of inhaling the aroma of peppermint aroma while exercising at a lower intensity for a longer period. (1)

A comparative study in 2021 investigated the difference between uptaking or inhaling 50uL peppermint oil for 10 days on heart rate variability (HRV) and cardiopulmonary regulation during various exercise intensities. The subject in this study was 48 healthy male participants aged 20 to 30 years old. The participants were allocated into three groups. The peppermint oil uptake group, the peppermint oil inhalation group, and the control group. The uptake group drank peppermint oil water (500mL aqueous solution containing 50uL of peppermint essential oil) for 10 consecutive days while the inhalation group inhaled 50uL of peppermint oil spray for 10 consecutive days. Some of the variables tested were the heart rate variability (HRV) and cardiopulmonary regulation respiratory, and metabolic parameters during aerobic, anaerobic, and graded exercise tests. The result of the study revealed that the uptake or inhalation of 50uL MP oil for 10 days does not improve aerobic capacity and maximal exercise performance. The inhalation of peppermint essential oil does not enhance the sympathetic activity and sympathovagal balance at rest but has been increased in the uptake of peppermint essential oil (2)

With effect

The effect of peppermint scent has been confirmed in a 2001 study that investigated the administration of peppermint aroma on athletic task performance. There are forty subjects in this study who were assigned to the no-odor or peppermint odor group. The result of the study yielded that those who are under the peppermint odor condition have an increase in running speed, hand grip strength, and several push-ups. However, it does not affect skill-related tasks such as basketball free-throw shots.

In some of the studies above, the researchers indicated the length of time they conducted the research. I think that’s very important. Furthermore, I also think that the time the peppermint oil aroma is being administered is also important. I hope that people who are researching or recommending peppermint oil to sports enthusiasts will choose a specific time, follow it and stick to it. Athletes follow specific routines, and they are so disciplined in making sure that they follow that routine. Hence I also think that being consistent and sticking to a particular time when administering peppermint oil is also important because this will enable you to see clearly the effect of peppermint oil on athletic performance.

Moreover, if you are an aromatherapist, please ask your clients to follow a specific time when applying essential oils. If you are giving different instructions, your client may be confused and even think does my aroma therapist really want to ‘cure or treat’ my health concern? As an aromatherapist, I think we don’t want to make our clients sad, and have questions in their minds about whether their aromatherapist is seriously interested in treating them. So I hope that aromatherapists will stick to their treatment plan, and consider having a consistent timed dosage. Meanwhile, if you are a client, I hope you will also follow your aromatherapist’s instructions and not delay or reschedule your appointment. I think it is very important to be disciplined to stick to a particular schedule to make the treatment plan effective.

Be consistent 💋❤

References:

  • Pournemati P., Daneshvar S., Azarbayjani M.A., Pournemati M. The effect of inhaling peppermint essence on some immune responses and cortisol follows one bout of exhausting exercise in female athletes. Journal of Applied Environmental and Biological Sciences. , 5(9S)634-640, 2015
  • Mao, T., Huang, C., Liu, D., Chen, C., & Yang, C. (2021). Effects of Mentha Piperita Essential Oil Uptake or Inhalation on Heart Rate Variability and Cardiopulmonary Regulation during Exercise. Montenegrin Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 10 (2), 65-72. DOI: 10.26773/miss.210910
  • Raudenbush, B., Corley, N., & Eppich, W. (2001). Enhancing Athletic Performance through the Administration of Peppermint Odor, Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 23(2), 156-160. Retrieved Dec 20, 2022, from https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/jsep/23/2/article-p156.xml

(Ciele) Guaranteed Health Benefits of Inhalation Aromatherapy


Inhalation Aromatherapy is one of the methods that is used to have the best benefits that essential oils can give. It is safer and gentle that’s why it is recommended. Hence this post focuses on how the inhalation method affects us.

Olfactory Aromatherapy provides the following benefits:

  • Relaxation and Stress Relief
  • Mood Enhancement, Balance and Well-Being
  • Relief of Minor Discomfort
  • Boosting the Immune, Respiratory and Circulatory Systems

To optimize olfactory aromatherapy following a timed dosage is also important. To ensure that you will be able to implement the treatment plan, I usually request to ensure that you follow a timed dosage. If you already identified the time of the day that you will apply the essential oil, make sure that it is already fixed. There are also articles in this blog that presents researches that includes the time they administered the essential oil. Personally, if the findings of the study showed that the treatment plan is effective, I prefer to follow it and not change any of the details anymore when I implement it. Before I write my posts, I research the content to be written here to make sure it is reliable, hence, I myself follow the guidelines and the recommended timed dosage in this blog site.

Stick to what is effectively fixed 💋❤

References:

  • Aćimović M. Essential Oils: Inhalation Aromatherapy – A Comprehensive Review. J Agron Technol Eng Manag 2021, 4(2) 548-550

Ylang Ylang Essential Oil’s Gentle and Familiar Scent

Ylang-ylang or flower of flowers is an aromatic plant with a floral note. Some may associate its odor with Sampaguita flower scent because some Sampaguita garlands were made with Ylang-ylang on them. If I will describe what scent Ylang ylang perfectly resembles With I’d say it’s Amazon lily.

Ylang Ylang’s aromatic descriptions

Different articles and papers talk about the therapeutic and cosmeceutical properties of Ylang ylang. Also, ylang ylang’s scent is described in some blog posts. Some of the descriptions sound enticing to others because nice words are used. Some of the descriptions used are ‘mustard,’ ‘tangy rubber,’ ‘reminiscent of ripe banana, nail varnish, or celluloid note.’ Some of these words sound foreign to me, not because I don’t know them but because I just don’t know what they smell like. I am not saying that their descriptions are inaccurate. Maybe this is how others imagined and interpreted how Ylang-ylang smelled. However, it’s not just the way I interpreted the scent of Ylang-ylang. For example, some used the words creamy and animalic, but I can’t see any trace of creaminess not animalic odor on it. Hence the description does not seem to reflect how I remember the smell of Ylang ylang. This made me think for a moment that the description pertains to other flowers. The description sounds not relatable to me, because I am familiar with the scent of real Ylang ylang hence I was looking for a description that is on point as to how I know Ylang-ylang smells. I thought that if it will be described in a way that will be associated with a certain odorous thing, it should be accurate, or at least its scent is close to the scent of Ylang Ylang.

Since I am so curious why Ylang Ylang has been described the way it was described in some posts, I opted to analyze the aroma of Ylang Ylang. I know that Ylang ylang has a floral scent, but I have to refresh my memory on how it accurately smells. It took a while before I understood and figured out its exact scent. I realized that while some of the descriptions may sound unrelatable to the real scent of Ylang-ylang, you have to read the complete description to see that it’s not unrelatable. Reading them thoroughly made me notice and found the accurate details in the description. Hence I understood why they were described the way they were described.

Analyzing Ylang-ylang’s scent

While others have their interpretation of how Ylang ylang smells, I wanted to write my interpretation of how Ylang Ylang smells to me and its effect on me.

I’ve always known that Ylang-ylang essential oil is an ingredient in perfumes. It is usually mixed with oils such as Lavender. Both of these flower essential oils are aromatic hence I know that they will smell good when they are combined. Since it is always blended with aromatic oils, I also wondered how Ylang ylang essential oil would smell when it’s pure so I would know the effect when I will already combine it with aromatic oils such as Sweet Orange and Lavender.

I used two methods to analyze the scent of Ylang ylang One is through ‘direct inhalation’ which is smelling the essential oil directly from its bottle, and the second is by diluting it using witch hazel in a small amber bottle. I put six drops of Ylang Ylang oil and 40 drops of witch hazel. I know that this is not the standard ratio or measurement for dilution or making perfumes, but since I am in the process of playing with my oil so I can be familiar with the scent, I thought and said to myself “You are playing now, but when the time comes you have to make your own real Ylang Ylang perfume, you to have to follow the accurate measurements to make a really good smelling perfume.”

The gentle aroma of Ylang Ylang

I used diluted Ylang-ylang like a perfume. I applied it on my wrist at 3 pm and I kept on sniffing it whenever I want to. Even when I was riding the jeepney, and was wearing a mask, there were times I would smell my wrist with Ylang Ylang. Since my activity for that day was to find and shop for a few gifts, I touched different items. When I smelled my wrist at 4:27 pm I thought I wanted to reapply the diluted Ylang Ylang again because I like smelling its scent. Aside from rubbing it on my wrist, I’ve also applied it at the sides of my neck and the lower back part of my ears.

What I like about Ylang Ylang essential oil is that it smells gentle. It’s not the kind of scent where you will be too overwhelmed by it. You will like to keep on sniffing it. There are synthetic oils that mimic Ylang-ylang scent, however, they smell too artificial and chemical and do not exactly smell like Ylang-ylang. Moreover, the aroma of ylang-ylang essential is perfect for people who appreciate modesty and being understated. I don’t like scents that are too pungent because they can cause a headache. When you experienced dizziness or any discomfort because of a specific odor, you only remember it’s undesirable effect on you hence you don’t want to smell it again. I prefer scents that are gentle and mild. That kind of scent makes me want to keep on sniffing it.

Familiar scent

Ylang Ylang essential oil smells comforting and can cause you to feel some nostalgia. I’ve already known ylang-ylang since I was a kid. Hence, when I smell the odor of ylang-ylang oil it reminds me of my grandparents. When I was a kid, I used to tag along with my nanay always. My grandparents used to buy Sampaguita garlands with ylang-ylang on it. The garland is made of Sampaguita flowers that are connected by a string hence serving like lace and the ylang-ylang is like the pendant. Hence whenever my grandparents or parents would buy that I would be able to smell Ylang ylang. That’s how I first learned about ylang-ylang. The good thing about knowing that garland is that I became familiar with Ylang Ylang and it’s the reason why I can write about why I love Ylang ylang’s aroma and why I am inspired to keep on writing about Ylang Ylang.

Ylang Ylang Essential Oil Preserved Scent

I’ve always liked aromatic flowers, so I love to preserve their scent. However, I know I am limited and don’t have the knowledge and tools to preserve it, but because there is Essential Oil, it enables me to keep on holding to the preserved scent of Ylang ylang. I am grateful that Essential Oils makes it possible for people like me to continue having a preserved scent of Ylang Ylang essential oil and help me to keep focusing on making more perfumes with Ylang-ylang Essential Oil.

Sense the scents 💋❤

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