Essential oil of the month - Manuka
Manuka is a flowering, bushy shrub from the Myrtaceae family. It is native to both New Zealand and Australia and is particularly attractive to bees – Manuka honey comes from the bees that pollinate the Manuka bush.
Manuka essential oil (Leptospermum scoparium), sometimes known as New Zealand Tea Tree, is steam distilled from the shrub’s leaves and twigs. It is a middle note oil, with a sweet and spicy, fresh, herbal aroma. The essential oil has been used for centuries by the New Zealand Maori people to treat coughs, colds, wounds, and skin ailments. It has similar properties to Tea Tree essential oil but is considered a nicer alternative by those who don’t like Tea Tree's strong scent. Unsurprisingly, Manuka honey also has similar therapeutic properties as it contains traces of the same chemicals found in the essential oil.
Soothing for the skin, Manuka is a great oil for summer as it can be used as an insect repellent, to ease bites and stings as well alleviating other summer skincare issues! Having said that, it’s a great winter oil, too, because it's antiseptic and antibacterial, meaning it helps fight bugs faster. It’s an all-round multi-purpose oil to have in your aromatherapy kit!
For head to toe Summer skincare
One of Manuka’s biggest benefits is in its skincare properties! It’s great for use anytime, but we particularly love it for ‘head to toe’ Summer beauty – after all, it’s the time of year our hair could do with a bit of extra care, and the only time we get our toes out!
Blend suggestions:
To give your hair a boost, try a hair mask made from Manuka honey and Manuka essential oil! Dissolve 1 tablespoon of Manuka honey in 50ml warm water and add 3 drops of Manuka and 2 drops of Ylang Ylang essential oil. Apply from the scalp to the ends of your hair as a mask and rinse out after 10 minutes!
If your feet are in need of some TLC, try this beautiful foot soak. Get a large bowl (big enough for your feet – I love the wooden bowls) and fill it with warm water. Grab 15ml of SLS free Bath & Shower Gel and mix in 2 drops of Manuka essential oil, 2 drops of Geranium and 2 drops of Lavender! Add this to your bowl for a really cleansing and relaxing foot soak – you can even add some pretty rose petals to make it a proper Instagram moment! Follow this up with a file and polish and your feet will be fit for Summer!
For skin problems
Because Manuka is extremely antiseptic, anti-fungal and antibacterial, you can use it as you would Tea Tree – for treating wounds, cuts and scratches, insect bites, acne, athlete’s foot, boils and cold sores. The oil has even been shown to be more effective than antibiotics in treating MRSA – a skin disease that can prove fatal.
Blend suggestions:
For any surface skin issues, add 1 drop of Manuka essential oil to 5ml of Aloe Vera Gel and apply to the area to cleanse and soothe (avoid use on deep, open wounds).
To create a natural insect repellent spray, add 15 drops of Manuka essential oil, 10 drops of Citronella and 5 drops of Peppermint to 100ml of Witch Hazel Hydrolat. Keep the bottle in the fridge and spritz onto skin as needed!
For decongesting and fighting infection
The oil’s antibacterial, anti-viral and expectorant properties are ideal for coughs, colds, flu, and other infections. It is also thought to have immuno-stimulant properties, albeit not as effective as Tea Tree.
Blend suggestion:
To help with breathing and chest congestion, add 3 drops of Manuka, 2 drops of Peppermint, and 2 drops of Lavender to a bowl of boiling hot water, cover your head with a towel, close your eyes, lean over the bowl and inhale the scent for up to 10 minutes at a time.
For muscle and joint pain
Manuka’s gentle pain-relieving properties make it lovely for use in massage blends for aches and pains.
Blend suggestion:
Mix 15ml Grapeseed oil, with 3 drops of Manuka, 2 drops of Sweet Marjoram and 1 drop of Clary Sage and massage into problematic areas in a direction towards your heart.
For balancing the nervous system
As well as all these wonderful physical effects, Manuka is also great for stabilising the nervous system and boosting the mood. It is a nice oil to use while meditating to help promote emotional balance.
Blend suggestion:
Try diffusing a relaxing blend of 2 drops Manuka, 2 drops Geranium and 2 drops Tangerine, in an electrical diffuser or candle burner.
Alternative oils you may also love:
Tea Tree, Ravensara.
Manuka oil combines well with:
Basil, Bergamot, Chamomile, Citronella, Clary Sage, Clove, Eucalyptus, Geranium, Grapefruit, Lavender, Lemon, Peppermint, Ravensara, Sweet Marjoram, Sweet Orange, Tangerine, Tea Tree and Ylang Ylang.
Safety note:
Do not use Manuka during pregnancy.
Overall, Manuka is a lovely year-round oil for skincare, anything that needs cleansing, and lifting the mood! It’s one of those aromatherapy oils that can be easily overlooked but is really useful to have in your kit!
Nicole Barton
Consultant Aromatherapist
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