Learn more about essential oils at a Wanderlust 108, or at our inaugural wellness conference, Wellspring in Palm Springs October 26–28.
We use essential oils for a myriad of uses, be it an upset tummy or a thought-swollen mind—but are you aware of the power of essential oils in the bedroom? Whether it’s due to stress, medication, or any other factor, a majority of humans experience a low or sluggish sex drive. If you can relate to this, know that natural therapies are a great option for adding some spice into your sexy time.
It deserves reiteration: low sex drives are completely normal. Women can experience sporadic sex drives in all ages of life (thanks, fluctuating hormones) and men tend to see low libido in the form of erectile dysfunction as they get older. There are two things we suggest: One, talk about it! Talk to your friends, other women, or find a community. It truly helps to know you aren’t alone… Because trust us, you aren’t!
The second way is, as we mentioned, natural therapies. For instance, finding ways to decrease your stress levels, get more sleep, exercising, and adding healthy aphrodisiacs into your meals are all ways to boost libido naturally.
Essential oils are beneficial for many reasons: cooling oils help to calm the nervous system and clear a chaotic mind, while warming oils can excite and open space for passion and communication. Scent, like sex, is sensual. It helps to ease the mind and body, making you more readily available to a physical experience.
Belonging and Connection
Helichrysum – Promotes the transformation of shock and trauma, promotes emotional security and strength, and promotes emotional stability and calm.
Ylang Ylang – Disinhibits and sensualizes, enhances self-esteem, and promotes euphoria and optimism;
Cedarwood – Known as “the oil of community, » cedarwood inspires the feeling of belonging and assists the heart in opening to receive love and support.
Belonging and connection are essential in establishing a healthy sex life. These feelings help draw you into your partner and establish comfort and communication. Some people find the scent of Helichrysum straight-up funky, but the therapeutic value of this yellow flower’s essential oil is impressive (as well as its incredible litany of uses to clarify and restore skin), and has been associated with a sense of belonging. When blended with the highly sweet aroma of Ylang Ylang, prepare to be bowled over the heady floral combo. Cedarwood cuts the sweetness slightly, and gives a tonic base note that grounds you in the midst of that floral swoon.
Suggested Use: For a very real world scenario, let’s say you and your partner are both swept up with busy schedules, working until 8pm and barely having a chance to talk until you hit the hay. Put a drop of each scent in your palm with a teaspoon of carrier oil, rub hands together, inhale deeply, and then spread the blend on the nape of your neck and shoulders, giving yourself a slight massage to ease tension, then get outside for a quick walk to invigorate your body and change your focus. The aroma of this blend is so utterly pleasant that when used methodically, you’ll soon train your brain to switch tracks and switch to a sense of connection. Absorb the scent, breathe in your partner, and carry on.
Sensuality
Jasmine – Known as “the oil of sexual purity and balance”, jasmine nurtures healthy sexuality and helps to balance sexual forces. Arouses dormant passions, and is said to cultivate positive intimate experiences by encouraging self-acceptance, trust, and safety.
Clary Sage – Calms the mind, promotes relaxation and mild euphoria; the antidote to sexual disinterest.
Cinnamon – Considered “the oil of sexual harmony”, cinnamon supports the reproductive system, dispels fear of rejection and nurtures healthy sexuality. Rekindles sexual energy, and promotes letting go of jealousy or control.
It’s really all about the jasmine here. Known for centuries as one of the most intoxicating scents on earth, it has rightly been lauded as an aphrodisiac and a general feel-good aroma. But it is also very precious (my euphemism for very expensive), due to the fact that jasmine flowers have to be harvested early in the morning before the buds have had time to fully open, else the flowers rapidly lose their volatile aromatic compounds upon blossoming. Even a single hour can result in a dramatic loss of the overall essential oil content of jasmine’s petals. When we blend it with the feminine scent of clary sage (whose main chemical component, linalyl acetate, makes it a master for soothing and relaxing) and just a hint of cinnamon (for metabolic boost and circulatory warmth), this combo should deliver the sensual mindset you’re seeking.
Suggested use: You could use this trio of oils either aromatically or topically. Keep in mind that aromatic usage (ie. via diffuser, a homemade spray or applied to palms and inhaled) will first affect the brain, which will signal responses in the hormonal system. Applying topically will actually create a warming sensation, due largely to the cinnemaldehyde content of cinnamon, increasing blood flow and skin sensitivity. Be sure to dilute the trio of oils above in a carrier oil before applying them, and the aroma resonates best at a 3-2-1 ratio of jasmine, clary sage and cinnamon. Once diluted in a carrier oil, apply to pulse points and across the lower belly, to activate the second chakra, seat of sensuality.
If you would like to procure the oils mentioned above, click over here to Chop Wood Carry Baby.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease.
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Karina Mackenzie has pursued many passions at Wanderlust HQ, including producing the Speakeasy Lecture Series and running all-things-digital back in the day. Currently, she is proud to be launching Chop Wood Carry Baby, a website offering some honest and raw reflections on the balance of parenthood and the “path,” as well as sharing some nature-based, essential oil-focused tools for mindful mamas as they chop and carry their way through the day. Follow Chop Wood Carry Baby on Facebook and Instagram.