Spikenard essential oil is steam distilled from the roots of the plant. It is a flowering herbaceous plantthat is native to the Himalayasand known botanically asNardostachysjatamansi. This essential oilhas a warm, earthy/woody fragrance that blends nicely with lots of other oils, including lavender and lemon. Spikenard has antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, antiseptic, calmative, deodorant, laxative, sedative, tonic and uterine therapeutic properties. This is a mild essential oil that has excellent regenerative abilities.
1. Alleviate Headaches
Blend 5 drops of spikenard essential oil, 2 drops of lavender essential oil and 1 teaspoon of your favorite carrier oil. Massage a few drops of the blend into your temples and forehead then cup your hands over your nose and take a few deep breaths of the fragrance. The spikenard and lavender will work quickly to relieve your headache when absorbed through the sinus cavities. The topical application will give longer-lasting headache pain relief.
2. Calm Heart Palpitations
Mix 5 drops of spikenard EO with 1 teaspoon of carrier oil and massage it into your chest to calm heart palpitations. You can use any carrier oil that you like with spikenard. Coconut oil makes a fantastic massage oil.
3. Lower Blood Pressure
Massage a few drops of the 5% spikenard/carrier oil blend into your chest, neck and shoulders to lower your blood pressure.
*A 1% to 3% dilution rate (1 to 3 drops of essential oil per teaspoon of carrier oil) is fine for everyday use.Stronger dilution rates should only be used for 10 days to 2 weeks at a time.*
4. Boost Your Immune system
Mix 1 drop of spikenard essential oil into an 8-ounce glass of water, smoothie or cup of tea and ingest it to boost your immune system. Make sure you get a good high-quality spikenard that does not contain any other ingredients. Spikenard is sometimes sold already diluted in a carrier oil that might not be okay to take internally.
Important Note: Whatever you choose for an oil, make sure that the oils you purchase are high quality. Remember, you’re breathing this oil into your lungs so essential oil quality is a terrible place to cut corners.
5. Treat Indigestion
Apply a few drops of a 2% to 3% spikenard oil/carrier oil blend to your abdomen to treat indigestion. Begin at the top of the abdomen, just above the stomach, and work your way all the way down. The oil will help stimulate digestive juices and get your digestive tract working more efficiently.
6. Alleviate Constipation
Massage the lower abdominal area with a 2% to 3% spikenard EO/carrier oil blend to get your bowels moving. You can apply spikenard several times a day. Be sure to drink plenty of water, too.
7. Reduce Inflammation
Apply the 2% to 3% spikenard/carrier oil blend to inflamed tissue. A stronger dilution rate, up to 5%, can be used to treat inflammation for up to two weeks.
*Place a drop of a 2% spikenard essential oil/carrier oil blend on an inconspicuous area of skin andwait for at least a few hours to make sure you aren’t sensitive to it.*
8. Treat Sciatica
Gently apply a 5% spikenard essential oil/carrier oil blend to your lower back, buttocks and legs to relieve sciatica nerve pain. You can use this strength several times a day for up to two weeks. Spikenard will reduce inflammation and soothe the nerves.
9. Alleviate Muscle Spasms
Massage the 2% to 3% spikenard EO/carrier oil blend into muscles when they begin to cramp and spasm for quick relief.
10. Relieve Menstrual Discomfort
Practice spikenard essential oil aromatherapy several times a day to get relief from PMS and menstrual cramps. Add 5 to 6 drops to your diffuser, along with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of distilled water, and run the diffuser for 30 to 60 minutes. Spikenard oil has a rather thick consistency so it is best to dilute it with another oil in the diffuser. A few drops of lemongrass essential oil, sweet orange essential oil, lavender essential oil or lemon essential oil blend nicely with the spikenard oil. You can also massage a 2% to 3% spikenard/carrier oil blend into your lower abdomen and back for relief from cramps and PMS.
11. Alleviate Nausea
Practice spikenard essential oil aromatherapy to alleviate nausea. Lemongrass EO, sweet orange EO, lavender EO or lemon EO can be added to the diffuser along with the spikenard.
Do THIS Every Morning with Coconut Oil
12. Reduce Nervous Tension
Use spikenard EO aromatherapy to reduce nervous tension. Lavender is an excellent essential oil to add to the diffuser for this purpose along with the spikenard oil.
13. Relieve Anxiety
Practice spikenard oil aromatherapy to get relief from anxiety. Lemongrass EO and sweet or wild orange EO are both good for anxiety and can be added to spikenard oil. You might like to try a few drops of sweet basil, too, if you like the smell of licorice. Just be sure to get sweet basil with a high linalool content.
14. Relax and Reduce Stress
Enjoy a little spikenard oil aromatherapy session to reduce stress and relax. Add a few drops of lemongrass EO, sweet or wild orange EO or sweet basil EO to the diffuser. They will thin the spikenard oil so that it diffuses more easily and they are all also great for relaxation and stress relief. You can add 2 to 4 drops of spikenard to a warm bath for this same benefit.
15. Treat Insomnia
Enjoy a 30- to 60-minute spikenard aromatherapy session just before bed to relax so that you can drop off to sleep quickly and get a good night’s rest. Lavender essential oil is excellent for this, too. Simply add 4 to 6 drops of spikenard along with 2 to 3 drops of lavender to your diffuser. You can also add spikenard and lavender to a warm bath for relaxation before bed.
*Spikenard is one of the most sedative essential oils available. Use with caution until you determine how it effects you.*
16. Rejuvenate your Skin
Blend 2 drops of spikenard essential oil into 1 teaspoon of carrier oil and use it to rejuvenate your skin. Spikenard has amazing regenerative properties that actually encourage the skin to generate new, healthier skin cells. Argan oil and rosehip seed oil are fantastic carrier oils for skin rejuvenation.
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17. Treat Psoriasis and Eczema
Use a 2% to 5% spikenard EO/carrier oil blend to treat psoriasis and eczema. It is very soothing and its regenerative properties are very helpful for these skin conditions. Olive oil and coconut oil are both excellent carrier oils for psoriasis and eczema.
18. Treat or Prevent Bacterial Infection
Apply spikenard essential oil to wounds and sores to fight bacterial infections. It is actually mild enough to use it without a carrier oil for this purpose. Just dab the oil on the sores with a cotton swab after you wash the area with soap and water. Apply the oil several times a day until the sore heals. Spikenard will also reduce healing time due to its fantastic regenerative properties.
19. Alleviate Urinary Tract Infections
Massage a 5% spikenard/carrier oil blend into the lower abdominal area over the bladder and on the lower back from just above the waistline down to treat urinary tract infections. Apply the blend at night before bed and first thing in the morning and be sure to drink plenty of water.
20. Encourage New Hair Growth
Add spikenard to your favorite hair conditioner to stimulate new hair growth. You can add 5 to 10 drops of spikenard per cup of conditioner.
21. Lower a Fever
Apply a 2% to 3% spikenard essential oil/carrier oil blend to the temples, the back of the neck and the back of the hands to reduce fever. Spikenard essential oil’s antipyretic properties lower the body’s temperature naturally.
22. Treat Conjunctivitis
Apply a 5% spikenard essential oil/carrier oil blend to the area around the eye several times a day to treat conjunctivitis. Do not put the essential oil directly on the eyelid. It will cause further irritation if you get spikenard oil in the eye. Instead, lightly dab the oil around the eye socket. The oil will be absorbed into the eyelid and its therapeutic properties will alleviate the conjunctivitis that way.
Was this list helpful to you? Spikenard essential oil is one of the more expensive oils, due to the difficulty in harvesting and making the oil, but it is so good for your skin it is worth it. While you are beautifying yourself, the spikenard will be improving your immune system and reducing stress. The fact that it blends so well with so many highly useful essential oils is just the frosting on the cake.
Please leave a comment to let me know if this list helped and share your own experiences with spikenard essential oil, if you have already used it. We can all learn from each other’s experience and keep adding to the on-going list of its great uses. Be sure to share, too, so that others can become aware of all of spikenard’s natural healing abilities.
References:
1. Hopewell Oils: Spikenard
https://hopewelloils.com/spikenard.php
2. Dr. Axe: Spikenard Stimulates the Immune System and Relaxes Both Body & Mind
3. Organic Facts: 8 Surprising Benefits of Spikenard