Nurture Joy
Ingredients
Rosewood
INCI Name
Properties
Aniba rosaeodora
Rosewood has not been widely used in traditional medicine
systems, rather as a material for making furniture. However, its
essential oil is reportedly useful for the relief of nervous tension.
Linalool is the major constituent of rosewood oil constituting 8295% (Price and Price, 2011). In support of these claims, research
has shown linalool to exert a relaxant effect on the central nervous
system in a mouse model (de Fatima et al., 2012) and an anxiolytic
effect in a small trial of 24 human subjects using physiological
parameters of heart rate, blood pressure, electrodermal activity
and salivary cortisol (Hofel, Christ and Buchbauer, 2006).
Furthermore, rosewood oil is reportedly stimulating and uplifting
for fatigue and useful for depression (Price and Price 2011).
Bergamot
Citrus bergamia
Eucalyptus
stageriana
Eucalyptus
stageriana
Rose
Absolute
Rosa damascena
Bergamot is traditionally used as a folk medicine in its native Italy
for fever and parasitic worms, however, more recently bergamot
has been recommended in aromatherapy for the treatment of
stress induced anxiety and depression (Lawless, 1997). Limonene
constitutes 26.7-42.5% of bergamot. It has been shown to exert
sedative and anxiolytic effects in rats (de Almeida et al., 2012),
which may explain their reported calming effects. Furthermore,
Linalool constitutes 11% of bergamot oil (Price and Price, 2011),
which may contribute to its anxiolytic effect. In a study of rats,
bergamot oil was found to exert a stimulant effect on both brain
activity, as measured by EEG, and behaviour, as measured by
increases in exploratory behaviour (Bagetta et al., 2010).
Stimulants reduce fatigue, which may be uplifting and help in
improving the mood.
The medicinal properties of eucalyptus staigeriana, besides its
antibacterial activity, are not well reported or studied. However, in
aromatherapy it has been used to calm anxiety (Price and Price,
2011). This could be due to its content of limonene, which makes
up between 1 and 14% of eucalyptus stageriana oil (Price and
Price, 2011), which was found to exert an anxiolytic effect upon
rats (de Almedia et al., 2012). Futhermore, citral is a major
component of Eucalyptus staigeriana. Citral has been shown in
animal studies to exert antidepressant effects (Komori et al., 1995),
so may be useful in improving mood.
Rose absolute has been an important part of traditional Eastern
culture for centuries, for example it has been scattered at Iranian
marriages to ensure happiness and symbolise love. Furthermore, it
has been used in meditation and prayer, suggesting rose is also
calming. These uses are also reflected in their use in traditional
Eastern medicine, where rose has been used to relieve nervous
tension and lift depression (Boskabady et al., 2011). A clinical trial
found that inhalation of 2% rose absolute solution for 3-7 minutes
resulted in an approximate 40% decrease in sympathetic nervous
system activity (measured by systolic blood pressure, heart rate
and blood catecholamine levels) (Haze, Sakai and Gozu, 2002).
Sympathetic nervous system activity increases in stressful
situations so its decrease supports rose’s use for relaxation.