Ingredients (use vegan versions):
- 30 ml carrier oil (e.g. grapeseed) incl. 6 drops wheatgerm oil
- 5 drops lavender essential oil
- 5 drops sweet marjoram e.o.
- 5 drops clary sage e.o.
- 2 drops basil e.o.
Directions:
Gives a 3% dilution. May also be made up in a plain,
vegetable oil-based lotion. The wheatgerm oil is necessary
to preserve the life of your blend; if you intend to use it
up quickly, then this is not necessary. You can also
purchase ready-blended carrier oil bases, which usually
include the correct amount of wheatgerm oil already.
This blend was formulated with menstrually-related
migraines in mind, since these are the ones I principally
suffer from. As a result, the oils chosen also have
hormone-balancing properties as well as being good general
analgesics and muscle relaxants. This oil is also useful
for menstrual cramping.
Migraine tends to affect one's sense of smell and often
causes nausea; hence what may be perfect for one person may
not be acceptable for another. This blend has a herby,
somewhat heavy aroma that I find is absolutely fine, but if
you want something sharper, try:
5 drops lavender
5 drops rosemary
5 drops grapefruit
30ml carrier oil
If your headache is due to having a cold, eucalyptus would
be a particularly useful oil to use (instead of grapefruit,
say; same quantity).
If you feel a migraine descending, rub this oil on your
face, neck and shoulders, put some of the essential oils on
an oil burner if you have one, drink a glass or two of
water (mint tea is also useful), eat something starchy, and
a lot of the time this will do the trick (if it doesn't,
rest in a darkened room).
Aromatherapy is very successful in treating migraine, where
conventional painkillers often aren't. This is because the
essential oils get directly into the bloodstream, either
through the capillary network if applied to the skin, or
through the lungs if inhaled. They do not need to pass
through the digestive system first, which is just as well
since digestion tends to "shut down" during migraine, which
is why painkillers often do not work.
Drinking gallons of water and eating regularly makes an
enormous difference to migraine attacks. If you suffer
from nausea, try eating pickled ginger, the thin pink
strips that are used in sushi. Then go and eat some toast
or something dry, whether you feel like it or not: not
eating will only worsen both the nausea and the migraine.
Serves:
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