Spikenard and Petitgrain!

Did you know Doterra released new products at convention in September? 23 total products have been released, as well as Petitgrain and Spikenard essential oils. While new to Doterra membership holders, Petitgrain and Spikenard are not new to the world of aromatherapy, so I was able to quickly research facts about these essential oils.

Petitgrain, also known as orange leaf and bitter orange leaf, is distilled from the flowering leaves and branches of Citrus x aurantium.(2) It is topically and aromatically used to help a person self-regulate and relax in tense moments. High in esters, Petitgrain has a spicy citrus scent and is often described as a high intensity oil.(1) It is not classified as a phototoxic oil, as it does not contain the furanocoumarins that cause accelerated sunburns from oils from grapefruit and bergamot rinds.(2) Personally, I am overjoyed to have another relaxing essential oil in my arsenal that I can wear on a sunny day!

Spikenard, Nardostachys grandiflora, is described as having a woody mossy scent. It has great presence as a base note essential oil in perfumes and diffuser blends.(1) Spikenard is described as aromatically relaxing for insomnia, anxiety, and is noted as a “cerebral and cardiovascular relaxant” in some aromatherapy texts. (Holmes, 366.) It is not phototoxic and can be used in a manner similar to frankincense. I cannot wait to use this in a relaxing essential oil diffusion or rollerball blend, and it should last for several years once opened.

Both essential oils have no known hazards or contraindications and diluted usage is, as always, recommended starting at 1%, or 2- 3 drops in a 10ml rollerball blend with the carrier oil of your choice for adults. From what I can see in my aromatherapy texts, both essential oils are safe to diffuse in the same household around infants and children, and are not known to impact breastfeeding mothers milk production. Make sure you store your Petitgrain essential oil with care in a cool dark area, as it is a citrus oil and like many other citrus essential oils it may oxidize more quickly than expected when the bottle is abused in heat and sunlight.

These new essential oils mix beautifully with many of Doterra's existing essential oils. Enjoy my tips and feel free to share my images! Doterra's webpage has many more excellent tips and facts. You can see more at: http://mydoterra.com/msmariah

RESOURCES.

(1) Holmes, Peter. Aromatica: A Clinical Guide to Essential Oil Therapeutics, Volume I. Singing Dragon, 2016

(2) Tisserand, Robert and & Young, Rodney. Essential Oil Safety: A Guide for Health Care Professionals, 2nd Edition. Elsevier, 2014

(3) Doterra International. Petitgrain. Spikenard. Retrieved on 25 Sep 16 from http://doterra.com/US/en

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