Who would’ve thought that a Christmas tree can actually yield an essential oil that is so rich in medicinal properties and used to combat a variety of ailments? Yes, the fir needle essential oil is derived from the “silver fir” tree that is commonly used as a Christmas tree now! The oil is extracted through a steam distillation process of its fir needles.

Fir needle essential oil has a herbaceous, woody and fresh aroma, much like the tree itself! It has numerous medicinal benefits and it is actually commonly used as an alternative western and Ayurvedic medicine.

Its use extends back to history, as native Americans used it to promote relaxation and induce restful sleep while the ancient Egyptians used it to promote scalp health and induce hair growth.

Besides these, there are other health benefits of the fir needle essential oil. Read on to find out more, and you just might be convinced to get one vial of it for yourself and for your household.

Health Benefits of Fir Needle Essential Oil:

1. A Powerful Antibacterial Agent

Like most essential oils out there in the market, the fir needle essential oil is a potent antiseptic. It contains high concentrations of antibacterial organic compounds that helps to kill off bacteria and other toxic substances, thereby preventing infections from taking place. As such, this oil can serve as an effective first aid remedy that is completely natural and safe to be applied on wounds and cuts.

Not only can it protect the body from external wounds, it also promotes the interior health of the body by killing off various bacterial infections within your body, thus helping to strengthen your immune system in the process.

For example, a 2006 study published in Phytotherapy Research concluded that fir needle essential oil was active against combating Staphylococcus aureus, a type of bacteria.

A 2015 research published in the World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology also found that fir needle essential oil and other essential oils contain antimicrobial and antioxidant agents which serve to greatly benefit the user.

How to Use it: Simply apply 1-2 drops of fir needle essential oil that is mixed with carrier oil in a 1:1 ratio to create a massage blend and apply it topically onto the affected area to clean wounds and cuts.

2. A Powerful Pain Reliever Agent

Fir needle essential oil has stimulating and analgesic properties that make it an effective agent to provide pain relief to sore and aching muscles and joints. It stimulates blood circulation and it is extremely soothing to strained and tense muscles and joints.

As such, it is able to treat various conditions such as arthritis, rheumatism and muscular tensions as its anti-inflammatory properties provide the user with a much needed therapeutic treatment. It is also able to flush out any excess toxins, thus increasing healing and recovery times.

How to Use it: Simply add 3 drops of fir needle essential oil with 1.5ml of sesame oil to create a massage blend and apply onto the affected areas. Alternatively, you can add 3-4 drops of the oil in hot compress or to your warm bathing water as you feel your muscles become increasingly relaxed and less sore.

3. A Powerful Detoxification Agent

Fir needle essential oil is extremely helpful in flushing out toxins and other harmful substances within your body. As it is a diurectic, it is able to flush out uric acid, urea, excess fats, salts and fluids out of your body. It can also induce sweating, further facilitating the removal of such toxic substances too. Overall, it has a lot of active compounds that promotes detoxification and purifies the body.

It also stimulates the body to boost metabolic rates, thus improving digestion in the most natural and safest way possible!

How to Use it: You can massage your body with a massage blend created by using 10 drops of fir needle essential oil and 10ml of coconut oil to improve the health of your various organs, such as the kidneys, liver and digestive system so as to prevent the formation of kidney stones or renal calculi, urinary infections or even food poisoning.

4. A Powerful Respiratory Function

Fir needle essential oil has expectorant properties which means it helps to loosen excess mucus and phlegm lodged within your respiratory and nasal passageways, hence providing much relief as the sinuses clear up and your breathing difficulties are eased, facilitating unobstructed airflow.

As such, fir needle essential oil can treat a variety of respiratory diseases such as bronchitis, asthma, coughs, flu and the common cold!

Coupled with its antitussive and antibacterial properties, the essential oil is a powerful cough suppressant and helps to nip infections in the bud, which serves to speed up recovery processes and provides much pain relief.

In fact, a 2009 study published in the Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition found that fir needle essential oil, given its chemical compositions, proved to be effective in treating respiratory problems.

How to Use it: Put in 2 drops of fir needle essential oil into your steam inhalation or diffuser and proceed to inhale the aroma to clear blocked respiratory passageways. Alternatively, you can also mix 2 drops of the oil with coconut oil and gently rub it over the chest, back and throat to help with nasal congestion. You can also add in 3-4 drops of the oil into warm bathing water.

5. A Powerful Anti-Body Odour Agent

With its pine-like, fresh, herbaceous and woody aroma, fir needle essential oil helps to get rid of the unpleasant smell of body odour. Not only that, its antiseptic and antibacterial properties help to kill off any bacteria or infection that may be causing the bodily odours in the first place. As such, fir needle essential oil offers a viable and much better alternative to the chemical deodorants available in the market as it is an all-natural remedy to curing bodily odours.

How to Use it: Simply mix fir needle essential oil with a carrier oil in a 1:1 ratio and apply it on your wrists, temples and neck area to ensure that you smell fresh and nice always!

6. A Powerful Aromatherapy Agent

Like most essential oils out there, fir needle essential oil is an excellent aromatherapy tool to be diffused at your home or workplace. Not only does it purify the air with its aromatic fragrance, but it also serves as a boon to your emotional health as it is invigorating and rejuvenating as well as energizing to your mind and soul.

It helps to provide mental clarity as it soothes tense nerves, stress and anxiety away. Fir needle essential oil is able to revitalize your mind and uplifts your emotional spirits, thus contributing to emotional stability as it induces an empowering effect on you.

How to Use it: Whenever you are feeling stressed, tired or exhausted, simply add 2-3 drops of the fir oil to your diffuser or distiller and breathe in the aroma for no longer than 20 minutes. It greatly helps to refresh your emotional and mental health as it provides a boost to your mood and energizes you!

7. A Powerful Skin Care Agent

Fir needle essential oil also contains astringent properties, meaning it can treat a variety of skin conditions such as acne, psoriasis, itching, eczema and other skin diseases. With its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, fir needle essential oil can also help to solve these problems and prevent these skin conditions from worsening. As such, the complexion of your skin can be maintained!

Moreover, being an antioxidant, fir needle essential oil can also help to fight against free radicals that leads to the onset of premature ageing. As such, it is able to target and stop the formation of wrinkles and other signs of ageing. This helps to maintain your skin’s youthful and radiant glow!

How to Use it: To promote skin health, simply mix 2 drops of fir needle essential oil with 1ml of jojoba oil and apply onto the affected areas. You can alternatively add around 1-2 drops of the fir needle oil to your daily skin care cream.

There you have it! 7 health benefits that can convince you to get fir needle essential oil! Besides that, other uses of the oil include being able to heal broken bones and prevent them from being too brittle, thus keeping osteoporosis at bay and possibly combating cancer since it also contains anti-tumor and antioxidant compounds. For treatment of osteoporosis, you can dilute the oil with a carrier oil like coconut oil in a 1:1 ratio and apply it topically. Other essential oils that can greatly help in strengthening bones would be cypress and helichrysum essential oils. Also, even though initial results are promising, more research still needs to be done to fully understand its anticancer potential.

Safety Precautions:

• Always mix fir needle essential oil with a carrier oil before applying it topically onto the skin as concentrated essential oils can be harmful for your skin.

• Be sure to do a skin patch test first before topical application.

• If you are pregnant, nursing or undergoing treatment for any medical conditions, be sure to speak with a medical professional for consult before using fir needle essential oil (and other essential oils) as a form of treatment.

• Avoid direct contact with the eyes or other mucus membranes when using essential oils.

• Do not ingest fir needle essential oil.

References:

Pichette A, et al., “Composition and antibacterial activity of Abies balsamea essential oil”, Phytotherapy Research (2006); 20(5)

Poaty B, et al., “Composition, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of seven essential oils from the North American boreal forest”, World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology (2015); 31(6)

Seun-Ah Yang, et al., “Radical Scavenging Activity of the Essential Oil of Silver Fir (Abies alba)” Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition (2009); 44(3)