Juniper Essential Oil

Detoxing, Cleansing and Strengthening....

It is an essential oil I often use in a blend with lavender and rosemary (a great blend for an aromatherapy massage for sporty people!) or with lavender and a citrus oil for a wonderfully uplifting and detoxing massage.

You can find oil which is distilled from both juniper berries and twigs, but the essential oil produced from the berries alone has a greater therapeutic value. Make sure you buy oil described as juniperberry rather than just juniper if it's the healing properties that you are after.

Common Name:
Juniper

Botanical Name:
Juniperus communis

Source:
Northern Europe, Siberia, Usa, Asia

Common Method Of Extraction:
Steam distillation of the ripe berries.

Aroma:
Fresh, woody smell, reminiscent of pine

Note:
Middle/top

Blends Well With:
Lavender, rosemary, citrus oils, cypress, frankincense, geranium

Properties:
Anti-rheumatic, astringent, antiseptic, digestive, detoxifying, diuretic, emmenogogue, purifying, rubefacient, sedative, tonic

See the glossary for definitions!

Mind, Spirit and Body:

• Juniper is a diuretic so is great for people with fluid retention.
• A good oil to use in aromatherapy massage to help the fight against cellulite.
• Can be useful for treating cystitus.
• It stimulates the appetite.....this is why gin (which is flavoured with juniper) & tonic is such a good aperitif! (that's the excuse I use, anyway!)
• Useful in remedies for urinary tract infections.
• Use juniper oil blended with lavender for a detoxifying bath - mix with a carrier oil before adding to the bath.
• Good for treating people that are worried or anxious.
• Useful for helping treat rheumatism and gout, due to its purifying and diuretic properties.
• Excellent for indigestion, colic and wind!
• Its antiseptic qualities make it useful for the treatment of cuts, sores and wounds.

Precautions:

• Do not use this oil where there are kidney disorders.
• Avoid using during pregnancy.

• It is a good oil to use as a disinfectant in household cleaning aromatherapy recipes. Use a few drops in water for washing walls and floors etc.
• Juniper has been burned for both medicinal and religious purposes for centuries. It has been burned to ward off evil spirits or to act as a disinfectant in times of plague and infectious diseases.