This beautiful blue aromatic is my favorite essential oil for cooling hot, swollen, and painful muscles and joints.
She is also terrific to invite rest and sleep into your bedroom.
.
Essential Oil of German Chamomile
Matricaria chamomilla
(I’m giving a cuddle to German Chamomile flowers just before adding them to the still to make essential oil and hydrosol.)
My Personal Relationship with German Chamomile
As a massage therapist and aromatherapist, I adore German Chamomile for all the amazing things it does to make our bodies feel better. Heck, I even love the aroma though many of my students make a face when they smell it, though I’m not sure why. Like many of the “precious” essential oils, German Chamomile is expensive but well worth every penny. It will cool a hot and inflamed joint in under 10 minutes and lull you to sleep if you’re struggling with insomnia. Along with Helichrysum, Lavender and Tea Tree, German Chamomile has a fixed place in my first aid kit!
Foundational Information
Don’t Confuse Your Chamomiles: It’s easy for newbies to the world of essential oils to confuse Roman Chamomile and German Chamomile. Always check the Latin names on the bottle. Even though the flowers look nearly identical, the actions of the oils are quite different. Last week I write this blog post on Roman Chamomile.
Geographical source: England, Europe, Northern Asia
Plant Part: Flowers
Oil Characteristics: German Chamomile is a lovely indigo blue color as you can see from the photograph above. The aroma is sweet and herbaceous, but not as popular as the lovely fragrance of Roman Chamomile.
Chemical Families: Sesquiterpenes, Sesquiterpenols, Oxides
Therapeutic Properties: (There are SO many!!) (Here’s a glossary of therapeutic terms)
- Provides pain relief
- A powerful anti-inflammatory oil
- Anti-allergenic (help to prevent and relieve allergies)
- Antihistaminic – reduces histamine
- Helps relieve spasms and cramps
- Calming to the central nervous system
- Skin healing – supports the skin to heal
Some Suggested Uses: (To learn more about blending guidelines, check out my popular blog post Blending Guidelines and Dilutions or listen to the Aromatic Wisdom Podcast 022 called Blending Guidelines for Making Aromatherapy Products.
- Use to cool hot inflamed muscles and joints (It’s wonderful for any type of “-itis” inflammation like arthritis or bursitis
- Add to Roman Chamomile and Lavender in your bath after a stressful day to help you relax and sleep
- Use with Trauma Oil in a 3% dilution to treat superficial inflammations such as rashes, insect bites and burns
Blends well with Lavender and Helichrysum
Subtle Properties (vibrational and energetic): Just as German Chamomile is a great rescue for hot and inflamed tissues in our body, it is terrific oil to cool hot issues like anger and frustration by reducing energetic heat. The blue color corresponds with the Throat Chakra making it a good oil to support communication. A good affirmation with this oil is “I feel cool, calm, and at peace. I speak my truth with love and compassion.”
A Recipe Using German Chamomile:
Painful Joint and Muscle Relief
8 drops German Chamomile
3 drops Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
3 drops Helichrysum (Helichrysum italicum)
2 drops Black Pepper (Piper nigrum)
2 drops Sweet Marjoram (Origanum majorana)
Blend into 1 oz (28 gm) unscented cream or carrier oil. Rub into the painful area as often as needed.
Fun Facts: The word chamomile comes from two Greek words translating to “earth apple”.
Safety Information: Non-toxic, non-irritating unless oxidized.
Nice article, great blog!!
I may try chamomille to relive my muscles.
I just came across your blog, is so interesting.
Thanks for sharing so valuable information, really appreciated.
All the best!!