Naomi, a qualified aromatherapist and founder of heka aromatherapy loves sharing her knowledge of essential oils. Here are her top 3 essential oils for preparing for a restful night.
Essential oils can play a key role in helping you to prepare for a good night’s sleep. Whether you vaporise them, add them to your bath, massage them into your body, spritz them in your room or onto your pillow, they really can work wonders in helping you reach the land of nod. Here are 3 of my favourites;
Neroli
One of the most beautiful essential oils in my opinion. I use it a lot both in both relaxing blends and face oils. You’ll see it crop up in both my Serene Skies pulse point oil and in my Nefertiti Face Oil I. It’s known as the ‘rescue remedy’ and is mainly used for it’s antidepressant and sedative properties, especially when stress affects the skin and heart. When I was pregnant with my 2nd child, I was never without it during my (frequent) overnight hospital stays, to calm me down. It has a beautiful floral aroma that whisks you away to a sunny Mediterranean orange grove! You could try a facial massage with it before you go to bed, zoning in on where you hold tension in the day e.g. around the eye and mouth area.
Lavender
The most well known and often the most hated too! I love Lavender because it’s literally a one stop shop for many common ailments from inflamed skin to anxiety to insomnia. Unbelievably, there are 450 types of lavender but I usually use Lavender angustifolia or English Lavender. Try putting a few drops in your bath or in a diffuser 5 minutes before you go to bed to create an oasis of calm.
Frankincense
Harvested from sacred trees, it’s been used for centuries in meditations and rituals to encourage deep breathing and relaxation and was particularly loved by the Ancient Egyptians where I draw a lot of aromatherapy inspiration from. It works well in a room spray to set the tone for restorative, expansive breathing which is why we’ve included it in our Neteru Yoga Mist.
*Always consult with an aromatherapist before blending oils. Never apply neat essential oils to the skin.
