Managing PMS Symptoms with Essential Oils

There's no joy in menstrual pain, but you dont have to just put up with it.

There are as many variations and levels of severity of Pre Menstrual Syndrome as there are women and therefore many different ways of managing them.

Some women have little or no symptoms and a small number of women may experience more severe symptoms of PMS known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).

According to the NHS website, it's not fully understood why women experience PMS but it may be because of changes in your hormone levels during the menstrual cycle.

Some women may be more affected by these changes than others.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF PMS?

Each woman's symptoms are different and can vary from month to month.

The most common symptoms of PMS include:

mood swings
feeling upset, anxious or irritable
tiredness or trouble sleeping
bloating or tummy pain
breast tenderness
headaches
spotty skin or greasy hair
changes in appetite and sex drive

There are things you can do to try to manage or lessen the effects of PMS including:

taking regular exercise
eat a healthy, balanced diet
get plenty of sleep – 7 to 8 hours is recommended
try reducing your stress by doing yoga or meditation
take painkillers such as ibuprofen or paracetamol to ease the pain
keep a diary of your symptoms for at least 2 to 3 menstrual cycles – you can take this to a GP appointment

ESSENTIAL OILS & PMS

Essential oils have been clinically proven to lessen the effects of pain associated with menstrual cramps or dysmenhorroea (difficult periods) and the pain relief comes from essential oils that have high levels of analgesic (Pain Relieving) components including linalyl acetate, linalool, eucalyptol, and β-caryophyllene. (naturally ocurring chemical components of essential oils)

Safe and effective ways to use essential oils to help with the painful symptoms of PMS include massage, bath or compress.

Be sure to understand how to use essential oils safely, using safe dilutions and never put essential oils neat in the bath or on your skin. Also be sure to understand each oil and ensure you don't have any conditions which will be affected by specific essential oils such as epilepsy or high blood pressure.

Essential Oils that may be helpful for pain relief associated with menstrual cramps include:

Chamomile
Cypress
Frankincense
Lavender
Clary Sage
Sweet Marjoram
Rose
Rosemary

TO MAKE A PMS RELIEVING BATH OIL

Click this link to diffuserblends.com for more recipes using this blend including hand cleanser, sugar scrub, diy reed diffuser, bath bombs and more

Add the oils into a bottle or bowl first and swirl to combine, add the carrier oil and gently mix until combined.

10ml Sweet Almond Oil or Jojoba Oil
2 drops Lavender
2 Drops Sweet Marjoram
2 Drops Rose

Massage over your tummy and all over your body BEFORE getting into a warm bath.

Ensure safe dilutions - a normal healthy individual 3% essential oil to carrier oil is considered safe without any underlying health conditions.
3% = 6 drops per 10 ml carrier.

Oils which are found to be an Emmenagogue, that is oils which induce or assist menstruation include;

Basil
Dill
Sweet Fennel
Hyssop
Juniper
Lavender
Sweet Marjoram
Myrrh
Rose
Rosemary
Clary Sage

To help improve your mood, uplift your spirits essential oils which are know to be antidepressent in nature and improve symptoms of tension and stress. You could make a massage oil as above, a compress or you could diffuse the oils in an ultrasonic diffuser, an oil burner, a nasal inhaler, a car diffuser, or simply put on a tissue and hold under your nose (not on your skin).

Bergamot
Jasmine
Neroli
Rose
Clary Sage
Patchouli
Sandalwood
Vetiver
Ylang Ylang

MOOD LIFTING DIFFUSER BLEND FOR WOMEN

Add this blend to your diffuser or oil burner for an instant uplift.

PRE BLENDED MASSAGE AND BATH OIL FOR PMT

For a ready to go massage blend that supports PMS Symptoms try this Ancient Wisdom PMT Rescue with Rosemary, Geranium & Bergamot, designed to help with menstrual cramps and improving your mood. Use it to massage your tummy any time, or use it as a bath oil by massaging it into your skin before you hop in the bath.

With a little self care and support from your GP if you need it, PMS symptoms can be managed and improved.

For thousands more diffuserblends and recipes check out this brilliant app. If you'd like a free trial just email me using the email in the website footer, or message me on my social media channels and I will send you a code.