I am sure most of you would have heard of chamomile tea, as it is the most popular form of this ancient medicinal herb known to mankind, which is known to be able to calm and destress you after a tiring and exhausting day so as to induce a peaceful and restful sleep. However, did you know that chamomile can also come in the form of essential oils?

There are two types of chamomile essential oil - the German chamomile and the Roman chamomile oil. In this article, we will be focusing on Roman chamomile oil instead. It has been in use since the ancient Roman times, as soldiers and warriors used the oil to give them a sense of courage, valour and focus as they prepared for battle.

However, its historical uses extend far beyond Ancient Rome, with Greek doctors prescribing it for female troubles and for fevers as well! Now, roman chamomile tea is known to have much calming benefits and various other medicinal properties that can help alleviate a variety of conditions. Read on to find out more!

Health Benefits of Roman Chamomile Essential Oil:

1. Soothes the Mind

Roman chamomile oil, with its sedative properties, is able to induce a sense of calmness and tranquility to the mind and helps alleviate tense nerves, stress and anxiety. It soothes the mind and promotes relaxation, thus making it ideal for anxiety and depression. Its aromatic fragrance is directly transported to the brain as it triggers the abovementioned therapeutic benefits.

A 2013 study published in the Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that a blend of lavender, roman chamomile and neroli essential oils actually helped to reduce anxiety levels and improve sleep quality of patients who were in intensive care unit, thus showing how aromatherapy can be used as an independent nursing intervention.

As such, with its soothing and relaxing properties, roman chamomile is a great natural remedy for those suffering from insomnia! It promotes a healthy and restful sleep, which is undoubtedly vital for the smooth functioning of your mind and physical body.

A 2006 research study published in International Journal of Aromatherapy demonstrated how roman chamomile oil actually helps to reduce subjective alertness as the aroma induces a sedative effect on the volunteers, thus showing how they experienced more drowsiness and calmness. As such, this reveals how roman chamomile helps to improve sleep.

2. Provides Menstrual Relief

Its relaxant and antispasmodic properties also provide an effective natural remedy for menstrual symptoms such as menstrual cramps and mood swings. It helps to soothe menstrual cramps as it relaxes the muscles and prevents them from contracting too much. Moreover, it helps to alleviate feelings of depression or annoyance, commonly described as PMS symptoms. Thus, roman chamomile is great for women who suffer from such menstrual discomforts during the time of their month.

3. Promotes Healthy Skin

Besides its relaxant and sedative properties, roman chamomile also has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, thus making it an effective agent to heal various skin problems and disorders such as acne, eczema, wounds, open sores, bruises, cuts, scrapes and ulcers. It kills off bacteria and prevents them from lingering on your skin, thus reducing the chances of infections or complications.

Also, it helps to soothe red and inflamed skin brought about by these conditions. A 2011 study published in Moi Med Report found that chamomile extracts are able to penetrate below the skin surface to reach the deeper skin layers, thus making its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties more salient and effective.

It can also help to provide relief from skin conditions such as cracked nipples, chicken pox, ear and eye infections, diaper rash and poison ivy.

4. Provides Pain Relief from Arthritis

As abovementioned, chamomile flavonoids and its oils are able to penetrate deep into the skin layers and this quality of the herb makes it quite potent for arthritis. Its anti-inflammatory quality to soothe inflamed skin makes it a good topical aid to give pain relief from such conditions.

5. Promotes Digestive Health

Roman chamomile also has various useful properties that augments digestive health. With its anti-spasmodic qualities, it is able to alleviate any involuntary convulsions, cramps and contractions of the gastro-intestinal walls, thus relieving any stomach or intestinal pain. Furthermore, its carminative qualities allows roman chamomile to expel out any excess gas and prevents the formation and buildup of gas, thus relieving any indigestion, acid reflux, bloating or diarrhea.

Thus, it can help to facilitate a much smoother digestion process as food can be broken down easily and readily absorbed into the bloodstream.

6. Promotes Heart Health

Additionally, roman chamomile contains high flavonoid content, which means it provides protection to the cardiovascular system and organs. A 1993 study carried out by researchers from the National Institute of Public Health and Environment Protection in Netherlands revealed how flavonoid intake can help to significantly decrease the risks of coronary heart disease by decreasing blood pressure and inducing a relaxing effect on the heart.

7. Helps to Relieve Allergies

It can also help to provide a natural remedy for allergies because of its antioxidant and bactericidal properties. If you are suffering from hay fever or common seasonal allergies such as colds, coughs, flu or any allergic skin conditions, then you can try using roman chamomile to help manage such conditions.

8. Exhibits Anticancer Activity

Also, like some essential oils out there in the market, roman chamomile oil also exhibits anticancer activity. A 2007 research study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry revealed how chamomile extracts actually led to a significant decrease in cell viability of various human cancer cell lines, while leaving the normal cells unaffected.

Thus, this shows how chamomile actually resulted in differential apoptosis in cancer cells but not in normal cells, demonstrating how it can potentially isolate the dangerous cancer cells and effectively combat them while leaving the healthy, normal cells unaffected.

Although more research still needs to be carried out to find out how roman chamomile can potentially be used in cancer prevention treatments, such initial and preliminary results are no doubt promising, and can hopefully be one day used to revolutionize cancer treatments everywhere!

How to Use Roman Chamomile Essential Oil?

Now that you have read about the wonderful health benefits of roman chamomile essential oil, find out how you can use the oil in your everyday life to reap its benefits safely!

• To soothe your mind and alleviate feelings of depression, you can diffuse 5 drops into a diffuser or vaporizer and inhale the aromatic wafts. Alternatively, you can inhale directly from the bottle.

• To induce a restful sleep, try massaging 1-2 drops of the oil, mixed with a carrier oil prior to massaging, onto your temples. You can also inhale directly from the bottle.

• For heart health, try mixing roman chamomile oil with a carrier oil first (such as jojoba oil) in a 1:1 ratio and massage 2-4 drops of it directly onto the heart.

• For digestive health and for menstrual relief, rub 2-4 drops of it directly onto the abdominal area, but be sure to mix it with a carrier oil first.

• To treat various skin conditions, apply 2-3 drops of the oil onto a clean cotton ball and apply onto the affected areas. You can also add 5 drops of it to a face wash to treat skin problems such as acne or eczema. Prior to application, dilute the oil with a carrier oil such as jojoba or coconut oil in a 1:1 ratio.

• To help ease nausea, you can inhale the oil directly from the bottle or mix it with ginger, peppermint and lavender oil in your diffuser.

Safety Precautions:

Roman chamomile is non-toxic and non-irritant. In fact, it is mild enough to be used on children as a colic natural remedy and to treat upset stomachs. Simply diffuse the oil in your homes.

If you wish to apply it topically onto your children or even on yourself, especially if you have sensitive skin, it is wise to dilute it with a carrier oil first in a 1:1 ratio and perform a skin patch test first. Only apply 1-2 drops of the oil onto your children.

Roman chamomile essential oil also contains emmenagogue properties, which means it is not safe for pregnant women and nursing mother as it stimulates menstruation and blood flow.

If you are looking to ingest roman chamomile essential oil, only add a drop of it to a glass of water and ensure proper dilution first. Always use a high-grade and 100% pure, authentic roman chamomile oil that is purchased from a reputable seller. Do consult your doctor before proceeding to ingest and only take it for up to 2 weeks at a time.

References:

Mi-Yeon Cho, et al., “Effects of Aromatherapy on the Anxiety, Vital Signs, and Sleep Quality of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Patients in Intensive Care Units”, Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2013)

M. Moss, et al., “Expectancy and the aroma of Roman chamomile influence mood and cognition in healthy volunteers”, International Journal of Aromatherapy (2006); 16(2)

Janmejai K Srivastava, Eswar Shankar, Sanjay Gupta, “Chamomile: A herbal medicine of the past with bright future”, Moi Med Report (2010); 3(6)

Hertog MG, et al., “Dietary antioxidant flavonoids and risk of coronary heart disease: the Zutphen Elderly Study”, PubMed (1993)

Srivastava JK, Gupta S, “Antiproliferative and apoptotic effects of chamomile extract in various human cancer cells”, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (2007); 55(23)