fast FACTS
ORIGIN
Mediterranean Basin
EXTRACTION
Distillation
MAY HELP WITH
Anxiety
Breathing
Digestion
Heart regulation
Spasms
fast FACTS
ORIGIN
Mediterranean Basin
EXTRACTION
Distillation
MAY HELP WITH
Anxiety
Breathing
Digestion
Heart regulation
Spasms
People seem to have a love-it-or-leave-it attitude toward fennel, mostly due to its licorice-like scent and flavor as a food spice. Fennel’s benefits far outweigh any dislike of its aroma. This essential oil has the potential to ease fear and anxiety, regulate breathing and heart rate, support healthy digestion, and relieve aches, pains, and menstrual cramps.
Fennel grows wild in the Mediterranean, where ancient Romans and Egyptians used the plant to remedy everything from earaches to snake bites. Its seeds are crushed and distilled to create this extremely health-rewarding oil.
Fennel is antispasmodic, helping to bring relief to aching bodies.
You might recognize fennel’s strong stalks and feathery leaves from the produce section of the grocery store—it’s a common ingredient in cooking. Its seeds are distilled to create a pale-yellow oil with its distinctive black-licorice scent.
This sweet tonic oil may help you:
• Perk up. Inhaling fennel’s aroma helps relieve fear and anxiety and regulates mood swings.
• Relieve aches and pains. Fennel is antispasmodic, helping to soothe cramps and spasms and bring relief to aching bodies.
• Ease digestive troubles. Add 2 drops of fennel oil to a carrier oil and massage it onto your stomach to support digestion and help relieve bloating, constipation, and diarrhea.
• Breathe easy. Adding fennel to a diffuser or chest rub supports slow, steady breathing.
A Win for Women
Thanks to antispasmodic and hormone-balancing effects, fennel is especially beneficial for women:
• During the menstrual cycle, fennel may help ease cramps, relieve water retention, and regulate flow.
• After childbirth, fennel may help increase the production of breast milk.
• During menopause, fennel may help balance fluctuating hormones.
You’ll find several ways to use this ancient oil by using it in:
• Massage oils. Add fennel to a base oil and massage it onto your stomach to help with digestion or cramps.
• Compresses. Add a few drops of fennel to a hot compress for any aches and pains.
• Diffusers or inhalers. Inhale fennel to help curb your appetite, release fear, or balance your mood.
• Soaps and lotions. Add 1 or 2 drops of fennel to unscented face washes or moisturizers to help relieve oily skin and prevent anxiety-caused wrinkles.
Add fennel to moisturizers to potentially prevent wrinkles.
Curtail Food Cravings
Fennel’s scent can help you maintain a healthy weight. Add a few drops to a diffuser or inhaler and breathe deeply to help curb hunger and prevent cravings for addictive processed foods and sweets.
Some blending combinations for fennel oil include: cedarwood, geranium, grapefruit, lavender, lemon, lime, myrrh, orange, sandalwood, and vetiver.
Keep these tips in mind when using and storing fennel oil:
• Talk to your healthcare practitioner.
Fennel may negatively affect certain diseases and disorders, such as endometriosis and estrogen-dependent cancers.
• Avoid when pregnant. Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding should not use fennel oil.
• Use caution with kids. Children younger than 5 years old should avoid fennel oil.