There is a chance that you are familiar with an array of essential oils ranging from lavender to sandalwood, cedarwood, and lemongrass, but have you ever heard of patchouli (Pogostemon cablin)?
Patchouli essential oil comes from the patchouli plant belonging to the mint family. It is high in Patcholoulol and a popular ingredient in everything from deodorant to lotion to perfumes. The leaves and stems of the aromatic herb are harvested for distillation (steam distilled) to produce the essential oil. The scent of patchouli can best be described as sweet and woody with earthy tones.
Today, we here at WOW Skin Science will be breaking down the potential health benefits of using patchouli essential oil.
Table of contents:
- Benefits of Patchouli Essential Oil
- Skin & Hair
- The Effects of Low Self Esteem
- How It Can Be Solved
- Stress & Anxiety
- How Can You Relieve Stress & Anxiety
- Our Patchouli Oil
Benefits of Patchouli Essential Oil
Though less talked about, patchouli essential oil has just as many potential benefits to offer as many of the others on the market.
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Skin & Hair
Some people believe that using patchouli essential oil can physically improve your body. More commonly, patchouli oil is included in skin and hair care products. Some people consider patchouli oil a great tool to help reduce the appearance of blemishes. Having skin and hair that not only feel good but also make you feel good about yourself is extremely important.
The Effects of Low Self Esteem
Dealing with severe skin or hair issues can, unfortunately, have a negative effect on your self-esteem. Though it is sometimes brushed under the rug, it is natural for a lack of confidence in your physical appearance to have a considerable psychological impact.
One of the most unfortunate effects of having low self-esteem is the way that it hinders you from experiencing life to its full extent. You may miss out on exciting or beneficial experiences with friends and family because you don’t want to leave the comfort of your own home.
There is a difference between being a homebody and feeling trapped inside with no choice but to stay hidden away. Your mind may convince you that it is better to stay isolated as much as possible than it is to go out and risk showcasing your flawed hair or skin.
This feeling of not being good enough may stop you from chasing the opportunities that you deserve. If you have low self-esteem, you might not see the value in taking chances to advance your career because you think the likelihood of being chosen for, say, promotion, is highly irrational. If you cannot see the worth within yourself, it will be nearly impossible for you to expect others to see the worth in you.
Having issues with your confidence in relation to your appearance may even begin to harm your relationships with others and how you form and keep friendships.
If you struggle with self-esteem, you may find that you align yourself with people that put you down emotionally and that make you doubt your self-worth. You may not even realize it at first, but this is because their harmful words match your own beliefs about yourself.
It is easier for you to trust the opinion of someone who tells you that you are unattractive than someone who tells you that you are attractive because the former reflects what your mind has already convinced you to believe. This, in turn, can trap you in an almost inescapable cycle of self-deprecation and low self-esteem.
How It Can Be Solved
While learning to love oneself is important, and learning to value yourself and others regardless of physical appearance is valuable, there is nothing wrong with wanting to boost your appearance, especially if it means improving your self-worth.
To put it plainly, patchouli oil is not a cure for hair loss or acne, but some people believe that patchouli oil is a good natural option for helping to maintain hair and skin health. In the past, drops of patchouli oil have been used to help support various skin conditions. Additionally, some people use patchouli to potentially improve oily hair and remove dandruff.
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Stress & Anxiety
Another popular reason for using patchouli essential oil, and most essential oils for that matter, is the way that it is able to assist with stress and anxiety. While essential oil is in no way a cure-all for anxiety, finding ways to help relieve stress and boost your mood can be life-changing. High degrees of stress and anxiety can seriously affect a person’s quality of life.
The Effects of Stress & Anxiety
One of the most difficult aspects of dealing with stress and anxiety on a daily basis is that people tend not to take it seriously. They may question its existence because it is an invisible ailment.
The reality is that stress and anxiety can be extremely debilitating. Whether you deal with chronic stress and are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder or are experiencing a particularly stressful period in your life and have been feeling more anxious than usual, these negative feelings can act as a major distraction.
When your mind is muddled with unhappy thoughts and cannot seem to stop racing, it can be nearly impossible to concentrate on anything else. Mental clarity is essentially out the window. This can have a big effect on your relationships.
Self-care is important, and you should never feel guilty for taking the necessary time to care for your mental health. However, this is easier said than done when your stress and anxiety are taking up more time in your life than you might prefer. You may find yourself feeling irrationally guilty for combatting your anxiety and “neglecting” your family and friends.
Your lack of concentration and inability to focus for long periods of time may also affect your performance at school or work. Learning, forming memories, and recalling them can all be hindered by various levels of stress. Studies have shown that even acute stress can alter the encoding of episodic memories.
For example, memories made during stressful moments in your life are often stored in your brain incorrectly. Details, both big and small, can be altered without you even noticing, colored by the stress you felt at that time. When applied to everyday life, this might mean that when working “under pressure” on a big assignment, important details fall through the cracks.
Stress is often tied to self-worth, joined together by the element of guilt. You may be disappointed in yourself for not being able to manage your stress on your own. These feelings of guilt and disappointment can be exacerbated by people in your life invalidating your experience with anxiety. Putting pressure on yourself to find a solution for your stress and anxiety may leave you trapped.
How Can You Relieve Stress & Anxiety
Everyone experiences moments of stress and anxiety. That being said, there are times in which your difficulties with mental health may extend beyond the home or holistic remedies. When it comes to treating anxiety or feelings of depression, aromatherapy often works best when paired with traditional therapy. We encourage you to seek medical advice as needed.
In the meantime, the essential oil is a good choice for supplementing your mental health journey by creating a calming environment for yourself at home or at work. Diffusing patchouli essential oil into the air can potentially increase the secretion of serotonin and dopamine, in turn helping to naturally boost your mood for the better.
Our Patchouli Oil
For your convenience, we recommend trying the WOW Skin Science Patchouli Essential Oil. Our product was extracted by steam distilling patchouli leaves, resulting in an exotic, musky fragrance popularly used for aromatherapy. Some find patchouli to be an aphrodisiac.
Our 100% pure patchouli essential oil can be safely used in several different ways, depending on your preference. If you would like to inhale the oil, you are welcome to diffuse a few drops in an aroma lamp or candle tea diffuser. For a simpler approach, you can even add a few drops to a spray bottle filled with water and spritz the scent into the air.
Some people enjoy essential oil blends to gain potential health benefits by incorporating other oils. Peppermint oil and patchouli are nice ways to support feelings of relaxation. Other scents that work well with patchouli include bergamot, geranium, vetiver, and frankincense.
For a more physical approach, you are welcome to put some drops in your bath, massage them into your soles, or rub them between your palms. Use patchouli after dilution in a carrier oil. In an easy DIY move, add patchouli to your favorite unscented skincare product for topical application.
The journey towards self-love and self-appreciation is not an easy one for any human, but it is necessary for a life well-lived.
Implementing essential oils like patchouli essential oil can work to improve your health and wellness. Every bit of progress helps.
If you are struggling to find a natural approach to improving the look and feel of your hair and skin, patchouli oil might be the right choice for you. Likewise, if you are on the lookout for a product that can help to brighten your mood and ease your mind, patchouli oil is worth the try.
If you find that patchouli oil is not the right fit for you, but you are still interested in exploring the world of essential oils, we invite you to examine other options here.
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