how to use essential oils to manage stress at any age?

Our modern life often rhymes with stress, both for children and adults. Seasonal changes too, which are for some the source of a drop in energy and repeated anxiety. Here's how to use essential oils to manage stress at any age.

Tell me about the stress

Stress has become the number one enemy: it affects everyone, at all times and everywhere. He has a good back, stress! A common situation in medical practices is to conclude, after trying several unsuccessful treatments for a pathology, that the disease is due to “stress”. This is a typical case in case of psoriasis or fibromyalgia.

It is therefore essential to understand your state of stress and define it before considering solutions. In truth, there are several types of stress, and not all of them are pathological. Occasional stress can be beneficial. It corresponds to a mobilization of the energies of the body to face external stimuli perceived as threatening. It is the survival instinct that originally drives our body to produce adrenaline and react physiologically to adapt or resist.

But stress becomes problematic if it is permanent. In a situation of resistance, the body is affected at the cardiovascular, digestive, endocrine and nervous levels. Adrenaline is no longer a friend and negatively influences all body functions. In the worst case, stress leads to the famous “burn-out”, after unbearable situations of anxiety.

Children are also affected by chronic stress, right from the start of school. The factors of chronic stress in children would be linked to the pressure of performance, or to the repetition of quarrels, disruption of habits or ill-treatment.

Aromas to balance body and mind

Managing stress as well as possible consists in aiming for a situation of equilibrium of all the functions of the body, which can be described as homeostasis. This balance is achieved through the combination of several relaxation techniques, meditation, possible medical treatment, but also through aromatherapy.

 Essential oils give off a powerful aroma, due to the presence of highly volatile aromatic and terpene molecules. When we inhale an essential oil or an aromatic mixture, it is the limbic brain that receives a message, before transmitting it to the central nervous system, and triggering a physiological reaction.

It has been scientifically demonstrated* that the essence of bergamot (Citrus bergamia), inhaled during several short diffusion sessions per day, helps balance the activity of the autonomic nervous system. There is thus a decrease in heart rate and blood pressure, as well as an increase in parasympathetic nervous activity.

Diffuse or inhale essential oils

To take full advantage of the olfactory benefits of essential oils, it is important to choose the right aromatic diffuser. It is preferred electric and cold, that is to say without a heat source likely to distribute harmful compounds in the air. The latest generation ultrasonic diffusers seem to be the ideal choice for living rooms and the office. 

To flavor a room of about 30 m2, place about fifteen drops of essential oils in a container filled with water. For 1 hour, or more depending on the model, the silent motor distributes molecules in the air in the form of an aromatic mist loaded with aromas and negative ions that improve air quality.

Electric pump diffusers, called nebulizers, are also indicated but require the use of more essential oils to work (up to 100 drops in the glassware to fill it to the required level) and must be used more carefully , for short diffusion periods (30 minutes are generally sufficient to saturate approximately 30 m2).

An anti-stress massage

Essential oils can also bring certain and almost immediate comfort in the event of blocking anxiety or severe stress.

 We then use an aromatic synergy to massage depending on the solar plexus (energy crossroads placed just below the sternum) or on the entire spine. We use essential oils rich in terpene esters to defuse the body and relax, but also more tonic essential oils to get off to a good start without stimulating the mood.

Essential oils (EO)

• An anti-stress formula that is suitable for any type of stress or anxiety is possible (for a bottle of about 10 ml, or about 250 drops in total).

• Essential oil (EO) of garden marjoram (Origanum majorana) 1 ml

• Bigarade petit grain HE (Citrus aurantium amara leaf) 2 ml

• Bergamot Essence (Citrus bergamia) 7ml

Preperation :

In a 10 ml anti-UV glass bottle fitted with a dropper, pour the essential oils. Shake gently and store at room temperature for up to 3 years.

Use :

In case of chronic stress, this synergy with citrus aromas can be diffused 2 to 3 times a day for 30 minutes in the room where you live the most, or once in the evening in the bedroom, 30 minutes before bedtime. 

 Warning: it should not be diffused during sleep.

The synergy can also be poured at the rate of 3 drops in a dose of shower gel or neutral shampoo for a relaxing moment during the shower or bath, both for children (from 3 years old) and for adults. Rest assured, there is no risk of photosensitization at these doses and for this use, despite the presence of bergamot essence that is usually avoided on the skin.

For children particularly under stress, hyperactive or nervous at bedtime, simply replace bergamot with mandarin essence (Citrus reticulata), deemed more sedative. The aromatized diffusion or bath then becomes euphoric, for a very slight drowsiness. We also find the essence of green mandarin as a star ingredient in several essential oil complexes in capsules sold in pharmacies or herbalists. Essential oils are then taken orally and are only suitable for adults. It has a beneficial effect on sleep disorders.

Essential oils (EO)

A formula to immediately rebalance nervous functions and find serenity more easily (for a bottle of approximately 15 ml):

Essential Oil (EO) of mandravasarotra (Cinnamosma fragrans) 30 drops

• HE of ylang-ylang (Cananga odorata) 25 drops

• Roman chamomile HE (Chamaemelum nobile) 20 drops

• Vegetable oil of sweet almond or hazelnut, about 12 ml of your choice, i.e. a little more than a recent tablespoon.

Preperation :

In a 15 ml anti-UV glass bottle, pour the essential oils then add the vegetable oil (possibly using a very clean funnel). Shake and store away from heat for 9-12 months.

Use :

This aromatic oil is dosed at approximately 20%, which makes it ideal for a localized massage of the solar plexus or the spine in cases of acute stress. On the plexus, simply massage 3 to 5 drops of the preparation using the thumb while breathing deeply. This gesture can be performed up to 6 times a day if necessary. For the massage of the spine, it is advisable to lie on your stomach or on your side and ask for help from a loved one. 

We will choose a favorable moment during the day, avoiding bedtime. We only rub the column with about ten drops, without massaging the entire back because the synergy is then too concentrated. The synergy can be used on a child from about 4 years old. It can be inhaled directly from the bottle in case of unexplained anxiety, by everyone.