This month, my oil of choice is Cardamom. I began using this oil a few years ago after watching a series on television about using spices in cooking. They were explaining the properties of the spices and I decided to look into the use of them as essential oils. Spice oils are wonderful and have many really helpful properties. Cardamom for example can be used to reduce spasms, reduce nausea, it has been used to neutralise effects of chemotherapy, it is also an antiseptic oil, aphrodisiac and digestive aid among other things.
Cardamom essential oil stimulates the entire body system. The stimulating effect also boosts the spirits so is useful for depression or fatigue. It also stimulates various enzymes and hormones in the body and as previously mentioned, aids digestion so encourages the maintenance of proper metabolic action through the body.
Cardamom oil has a warming effect. It heats up the body, therefore promoting sweating which can help to clear congestion and coughs, also relieving common cold symptoms.
Oils that blend will with Cardamom are Rose, Bergamot, Cinnamon, Cloves and Orange.
I just sat down with a lovely cup of Cardamom Tea to ponder which oil to write about for the September Aroma of the Month piece. As I was pondering and supping on my tea, I thought why not write about Cardamom Oil. It is not commonly used within aromatherapy and is probably better known for use in cooking, but it is wonderful and diverse oil and a personal favourite of mine so here goes.
Cardamom is one of the oldest oils that we know of. It has been used in Eastern herbal medicine for over 3000 years. Even the great man Hippocrates wrote of Cardamom as being useful for massage and the physician Dioscorides made prescriptions of crushed Cardamom seeds for abdominal pains and fluid retention.
Cardamom is warming oil and has similar properties to ginger oil. It is antiseptic, refreshing and invigorating. It is a good digestive aid and can help with wind, nausea, heartburn and other stomach disorders. Chewing a cardamom pod can be helpful for the stomach; it can also be very helpful in instances of bad breath.
Cardamom is richly aromatic oil, with a sweet and spicy aroma. A few drops can be used in a warm bath to help stimulate the system.
Cardamom can be pricey so always buy it from a reputable supplier so that you know it hasn’t been blended with other oils.
Victoria Lily x
If you’d like to know more about Aromatherapy at the Centre visit our page here or call 01394 388234.
To find out more about Victoria Lily visit her page here.