The Good Scents God Gave Us

5 Unexpected Uses for Myrrh Essential Oil Much love to our must-have Myrrh!

Aloysia citrodora, lemon verbena, is a species of flowering plant in the verbena family, Verbenaceae, native to the rainforests of Chile, South America. Another common name is lemon beebrush. It was brought to Europe by the Spanish and the Portuguese in the 17th century and cultivated for its oil.
By the 1760s, verbena had been introduced to North Africa, Caribbean, Australia and Europe, where it was more commonly known as Devil’s Bane or Holy Herb. Historians believe the Ancient Egyptians used verbena and called it ‘Tears of Isis.'

The oil produced by the verbena plant is typically yellow or green and offers a fruity citrus scent, which is why it is commonly called lemon verbena. True lemon verbena essential oil is rare and costly. Leaves produce little essential oil during distillation. The oil has green lemon notes and sophisticated floral and mint back notes. Verbena is a classic top note in fragrances, perfectly setting off formulations that use patchouli, rose, lavender, sandalwood, neroli and bergamot.

Lemon Verbena Benefits:

· A powerful room freshener that helps remove stale odors from the air.

· Has a lemony citrus smell that mosquitoes tend to avoid. It works by masking the smells that mosquitoes use to locate humans.

· Often included in many recipes for perfume, soap and body lotion.

· Diffuse it to lift spirits and to inspire and stimulate the mind, or when you are feeling stressed or anxious.

· Contains high amounts of antioxidant compounds, including citral, geraniol, nerol, and verbascoside. Verbascoside is a phenyl with proven benefits for the immune system and the body’s inflammatory response.

· With its antioxidant properties, it is known for lowering stress by increasing white blood cell activity.

· Stimulates the metabolic system and helps detoxify the body.

· Other chemical compounds that make up the plant stave off the desire to snack between meals.

· A powerful anti-inflammatory suited to skin care for reducing puffiness around the eyes. Add it to your face serum, but use it diluted on the skin.

· High in antiseptic content and emollient properties, making it a fantastic tonic for your skin. These dual benefits of verbena help to fight clogging within the pores as the oil penetrates deeply to soften and moisturize the skin.

· Has the ability to help strengthen muscles by decreasing and maintaining levels of serum transaminases. This offers protection from damage to white blood cells caused by exercise.

· Naturally elevated antioxidant levels make it a fantastic element in muscle-soothing products. Add it to your favorite massage oil to sooth muscles, but like Lemongrass, Verbena can cause skin sensitivity, so it is recommended to dilute it when applied to the skin.

· Can clear congestion and soothe throats while loosening phlegm

· Boosts libido.

· The herb has a citrus smell and flavor that make it popular for culinary use.

Here are some recipes I found online that I am excited to try once I get my bottle:

ROLLER:

Liver Detox Roller: 5d Lemon Verbena + 10d Carrot Seed + 10d Grapefruit + V-6

PERFUME:

Add to perfume bottle with witch hazel or Vodka and distilled water.

Gone with the Wind inspired Victorian Lavender Verbena: 30d Verbena + 20d Lavender + 20d Bergamot

Citrus Groves: 10d Bergamot + 5d Melissa + 10d Petitgrain + 5d Verbena

Fruitwood Tree: 15d Lemon + 10d Grapefruit + 10d Lemongrass + 2d Onycha + 3d Cedarwood + 5d Neroli + 10d Verbena

DIFFUSER IDEAS:

Sauna: 8d Cedarwood + 6d Lemon + 4d Eucalyptus + 3d Verbena + 2d Juniper

Summer Vibes: 3d Tangerine + 3d Verbena + 2d Jasmine

Corelli: 4d Verbena + 3d Elemi + 3d Neroli + 2d Jasmine

Limoncello: 5d Lemon + 3d Lime + 3d Verbena + 2d Spearmint + 1d Neroli + 3d Vanilla (optional)

Fresh Perspective: 5d Verbena + 3d Palmarosa + 3d Frankincense

Lemonade: 4d Lemon + 2d Verbena + 1d Basil + 1d Spearmint

Trick or Treat: 3d Verbena + 2d Frankincense + 2d Cassia

Citrus Forest: 2d Lime + 2d Lemon + 2d Verbena + 1d Orange + 1d Bergamot + 2d Fir

BATHROOM DIY:

BATH SOAK: 4 oz coarse Himalayan salt/Epsom Salt + 2d Lemon + 2d Verbena + 1d Carrot Seed

LEMON VERBENA GINGERBREAD BATH BOMBS

Ingredients:
2 c. baking soda*
1 c. citric acid*
1 c tapioca starch*
2 tbsp. shea butter, melted
15 drops cinnamon essential oil
15 drops ginger essential oil
8 Lemon Verbena Essential Oil
8 drops clove essential oil
Spray bottle of witch hazel

Directions:
Sift dry* ingredients together in a large glass bowl. Combine shea butter and essential oils, drizzle over dry mixture and mix with hands. Spritz with witch hazel as needed to hold mixture together. Pack into molds, pressing firmly.

Allow to dry 24 – 48 hours before decorating.

* Thanks to a crossline friend.