Juniper

Juniper a very versatile oil and very underrated in this country. I mainly use it for beauty treatments, but there are a whole host of other uses too. Juniper EO is made from the berries (which are probably best known for flavouring gin!) and has a bright, clean and fresh smell, not unlike gin. Its main properties are that it is purifying, antiseptic, a tonic, astringent, diuretic and has an anti-parastitic action. My favourite use is as an anti-cellulite treatment. A few drops in some sunflower oil (10 drops to about 25ml of oil) makes a very high quality anti-cellulite treatment. You could make it even better by adding a drop of cypress and ...

Because of Juniper's 'cleansing' properties, it is to be used with extreme caution during pregnancy in case it brings about premature labour. It is an extremely useful emmenagogue, which means it promotes the onset of menstruation. Used in ancient Greece to combat epidemics, oil of Juniper was also supposedly used in a cholera outbreak in 1856 and smallpox epidemic in 1870. For physical ailments it is useful in the treatment of rheumatism or sports injuries becasue of it's analgesic properties. It also has an antiseptic action. (It is used in men's aftershave / toners). Juniper does have rather an unpleasant, or at least, unusual ...

There are more than fifty different species of juniper tree so you need to know the latin name of the one that produces genuine, quality, juniper essential oil, before you go to buy it. It is very common to find this oil mixed with other oils, or even turps to make it go further. Smell the oil and only buy from a reputable dealer (this rule applies to all essential oils.) This oil is steam distilled from the berries of the juniperis communis tree. The aroma is clear, sharp and spicey and it is often used commercially as a base for aftershaves. The oil is colourless to pale yellow but darkens with age. USES: +++++ Purifying and ...