If you've made your way to this article, the chances are that you, like me, struggle with an autoimmune disease and you, like me, are looking for relief. I can relate.
My personal journey with autoimmune disease began when I was 19 and was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and colitis. It took me almost ten years of struggling with illness and negative side effects to try augmenting medical treatment with essential oils. Now, having studied and attained my certification as an aromatherapist, I wanted to share what I have learned about using essential oils to help with the treatment of autoimmune disorders with The Essential Life community.
To be clear, I am not suggesting you ignore medical advice or skip consulting your doctor ( I am REALLY not recommending that at all. Seriously, go to the doctor).
While I use essential oils to help manage the symptoms associated with my autoimmune diseases, I use them to augment the medications I take and the lifestyle changes I have made.
WHAT ESSENTIAL OIL SHOULD YOU USE TO TREAT AUTOIMMUNE DISORDERS?
My experience with treating my own autoimmune disorder with essential oils lead me to study and become a certified aromatherapist. My specialisation is in the treatment of autoimmune disorders and pain associated with inflammation.
Eucalyptus Essential Oil
Eucalyptus essential oils has a number of properties that make it particularly useful for treating autoimmune diseases and disorders. When it comes to treating inflammation, which is a common denominator of most autoimmune diseases, eucalyptus essential oil is a powerhouse.
Use eucalyptus essential oil in a massage oil. To treat inflammation and joint stiffness, blend 40 drops of eucalyptus into 100ml coconut oil (or the carrier oil of your choosing) and massage it into the affected area before bed. Eucalyptus oil can also be diffused in an ultrasonic aromatherapy diffuser to help manage inflammation.
Cinnamon Essential Oil
Cinnamon essential oils has powerful pain-relieving properties. Not only will this oil effectively treat inflammation, it also works as a local anaesthetic to provide a little bit of localised numbing for fast-acting, all-natural pain relief.
When it comes to applying cinnamon essential oil to your body, be very careful. While cinnamon is an effective pain reliever, it is also a potential irritant. Never apply it to your skin without diluting it in your favourite carrier oil and, even when diluting it, always do a skin test on a small patch of skin. Try diluting 30 drops of cinnamon essential oil into 100ml of carrier oil and applying the mixture to areas of discomfort.
Cinnamon is especially effective when it comes to treating the pain and discomfort associated with conditions like colitis and crohn’s disease.
Clary Sage Essential Oil
Clary sage essential oil is effective for treating autoimmune disease thanks to this oil’s balancing properties. If you're like me and you find that stress aggravates your condition, or causes outright flair-ups, try diffusing seven drops of clary sage in your home.
Clary sage is also extremely effective when applied to your body. To apply clary sage, dilute 45 drops into 100ml of your preferred carrier oil and massage it onto your wrists.
Clary sage is also particularly effective when applied to the bottom of your feet. When you’re feeling overcome by stress, apply a blend of 30 drops clary sage essential oil and 30 drops lavender essential oil diluted into 100ml of your favourite carrier oil and massage the mixture into the bottoms of your feet. Doing this in the evening, right before you climb into bed, helps you wake-up refreshed with reduced stress and anxiety levels.
Cypress Essential Oil
Cypress essential oil is one of my favourite oils for treating autoimmune disease. It is extremely effective at treating inflammation and offers fast and effective relief from pain and discomfort
One of the things we are often asked here at The Essential Life, is what essential oil is best for fibromyalgia. The oil we recommend is: cypress essential oil.
To effectively treat pain associated with fibromyalgia, blend 30 drops of cypress essential oil and 20 drops of lavender essential oil, into 100ml of your favourite carrier oil and massage the blend into problem areas. For even more effective pain relief, add 5-10 drops of peppermint essential oil.
When using peppermint essential oil, never apply it undiluted to the skin and always do a skin test before applying it as peppermint causes an intense cooling and tingling sensation that it too uncomfortable for many people.
Ginger Essential Oil
Ginger essential oil is one of the warming essential oils.
Ginger's warming properties make it particularly effective for treating pain and inflammation associated with autoimmune disease. To use ginger essential oil, blend 30 drops with 15 drops of eucalyptus essential oil and add 10 drops of cinnamon essential oil. Add the blend into 100ml of your preferred carrier oil and massage it into any problem areas.
For autoimmune diseases affecting the skin, blend 20 drops of ginger essential oil into 100ml of jojoba carrier oil. For skin conditions, always opt for jojoba as your carrier oil. It is the closest to our skin’s own natural oils which means it won’t cause additional irritation when applied to the skin.
Juniper Berry Essential Oil
Juniper berry essential oil is an intense ad natural detoxifier. It's cleansing and detoxification properties are what make this essential oil especially effective for treating autoimmune diseases. Use juniper berry essential oil for treating all types of autoimmune disorders including: arthritis, gout, grave's disease, psoriasis and more.
To use juniper berry essential oil, blend 30 drops of juniper berry with 30 drops of cypress essential oil. Be sure to store the blend in a dark amber bottle and keep it out of direct sunlight. When you find yourself in the midst of an autoimmune flair-up, run yourself a warm bath, ensure the water is as warm as your can stand and then add a few drops of the juniper berry and cypress essential oil blend. When adding the blend to your bath, start with 2-3 drops and increase the essential oils as necessary.
With your bath drawn, all that's left to do is lay back & relax.
This blend of essential oils is also extremely beneficial when diffused in your home. Try diffusing 7-10 drops of the essential oil blend in your ultrasonic diffuser.
Chamomile Essential Oil
Chamomile essential oils is the most effective essential oil when it comes to treating skin conditions - especially when it comes to skin conditions related to autoimmune diseases.
For ailments like eczema, psoriasis and others affecting the skin, dilute 30-40 drops of chamomile essential oil into jojoba oil and apply the mixture to affected areas as needed throughout the day.
PRECAUTIONS FOR TREATING AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES WITH ESSENTIAL OILS
There are a few things we'd like to make sure you're aware of with regard to treating autoimmune diseases with essential oils.
Firstly, we really want you to seek medical advice. Here at The Essential Life wee strongly advocate for augmenting traditional medication and treatment with essential oils. We do not advocate for replacing traditional medical treatment and advice with essential oils
Secondly, We highly recommend making diet and lifestyle changes if you've been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease or disorder. There are many different triggers with regards to flair-ups. There is a lot of evidence supporting adopting a vegan diet to treat autoimmune diseases.
"Healthy Cooking to Support Autoimmune Disorders" by Leah Thievgat is full of great advice and recipes that help you manage the symptoms of many autoimmune diseases.
Taking up a yoga practice, learning to meditate, practicing mindfulness and exercising for at least 30-minutes each day will also help to manage the symptoms related to autoimmune diseases.
ESSENTIAL OILS TO AVOID FOR AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES
Lastly, we really want you to be aware that there are three essential oils we want you to stay away from if you have an autoimmune disease. Avoid diffusing or applying: palmarosa, rosalina and thyme essential oils. These oils leave you at risk of over-stimulating your immune system and causing a flair up.
PLEASE NOTE: while we endeavour to answer all questions emailed to us and posted in the comments section, we will not give out medical advice or provide recommendations for replacing medical treatment with essential oils.
PLEASE CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR
