Ginger

Species name: Ginger essential oil is extracted from the plant Zingiberaceae officinale of the Zingiberaceae family.

Also known as: Ginger is also known as Common or Jamaica Ginger.

Essential Oil of Ginger ranges from a very light, yellowish hue to a rich, deep amber.  It is medium to thin in texture, and is processed from the peel and root of the ginger plant via steam distillation methods. 

Ginger has a strong, spicy scent.  Ginger is native to Africa, the West Indies, China and India.  It is believed to have come to Europe as early as the tenth century as part of the spice trade. 

Its growth pattern is somewhat unique in that, though it is a biennial plant, each growth cycle is marked by a fresh shoot growing directly from the ginger root, bearing white or pale yellow flowers.

Home Remedies using Ginger Essential Oil:

The use of ginger for medicinal purposes has been found recorded in very early Sanskrit.  It has also been mentioned in ancient literature of Greek, Arabic, and Roman cultures.

Ginger has been used medicinally in a variety of ways.  It is still used today to soothe nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, as well as other stomach related illnesses. 

It is also believed to enhance cardiac health, and expel mucus from the respiratory tract.

Benefits of Ginger Essential Oil:

Essential Oil of Ginger is used to treat all manner of stomach upsets, from morning sickness to motion sickness. 

It is very warming when used in food preparation, and has been a common ingredient in folk remedies when used as an ingredient in poultices for lung congestion.  

It is also a common ingredient used in poultices to help bruises go away more quickly.

The therapeutic properties of ginger oil are as a pain reliever, to reduce nausea and curtail vomiting (partly due to its ability to calm stomach and intestinal spasms) to clean wounds, has a laxative type effect, and many other therapeutic properties and uses.

Ginger oil has often been thought to speed healing of broken bones, and has been used for many other pains, not only for the analgesic effect, but for joint inflammation, common colds, colic, flu and fever. 

It is also thought to be a good antiseptic when used to clean sores and abrasions on the skin.  It is also believed to aid in circulation and neuralgia, which makes it effective for diabetes related conditions.

In vapor therapy, ginger essential oil can be used with a oil diffuser, lamp rings, in steam therapy, or diluted in warm baths. It is thought to be an aphrodisiac and help increase libido.

• This essential oil can be used in combination with other essential oils, custom mixed for various treatments, and added to a carrier oil for massage, or it can be diluted in the bath, and used for muscle and joint disorders, aches and pains, colds and flu, poor circulation and various stomach ailments.
• This essential oil can be diluted in creams or lotions and still be effective massaged into muscles and joints to help alleviate pain from general body aches and joint inflammation.  Rubbing ginger oil enhanced lotion into the skin is also beneficial for those who have compromised circulation, and to help bruises heal and fade more quickly. It can also be used for these conditions on hot compresses or the wet method using heating pads.
• For ease of use, a drop of oil can be placed on a tissue or cloth, so that at the first sign of nausea from causes such as motion sickness or morning sickness, the ginger oil vapor can be inhaled.

Side Effects of Ginger Essential Oil:

Except when used in very strong concentrations, essential oil of ginger is non-toxic and non-irritating. 

It has been known to cause reactions on sensitive skin, and for that reason, as with all essential oils, it should be diluted, and a patch test should be done before initial use. 

When applying ginger oil mixtures topically avoid exposure to the sun.