The essential oil of ravensara is extracted from a tree that is located in Madagascar, scientifically known as Ravensara aromatica. Specifically, it is extracted by the steam distillation of its leaves and it is widely revered and highly regarded in Madagascar, just like how the tea tree plant is accorded great value in Australia.

However, not many people know of the benefits and uses of ravensara essential oil, as it is a largely obscure and rare essential oil. Yet, it is actually widely used in the traditional medicinal world in Madagascar as a form of tonic and for fighting infections.

Indeed, it has a number of benefits for your health and while you might not know about the existence or potency of ravensara oil, then fret not because this article is sure to shed some light on this obscure, rare yet highly useful oil! Who knows, you might even be tempted to get one for yourself to add to your essential oils arsenal.

Health Benefits of Ravensara Essential Oil:

1. Offers Pain Relief

Ravensara oil is a potent analgesic agent, thus helping to provide much pain relief arising from sore joints and aching muscles from a tough and strenuous workout session for example. It helps to soothe the inflamed muscles and its antispasmodic and relaxant properties helps to alleviate muscle spasms, cramps and any tensions in your muscles.

As such, if you are suffering from unbearable and discomforting muscle aches and stiff joints, try using ravensara essential oil as an effective pain relief remedy! Also, it offers pain relief to other parts of the body as well, such as headaches and toothaches.

How to Use it: Simply add about 5-6 drops of ravensara oil into a tub of warm, bathing water and soak your tense and aching muscles in for a few minutes. This helps your muscles relax. Alternatively, you can also create a massage blend by combining 3-4 drops of the oil with equal amounts of a carrier oil (such as rosehip, coconut or almond oil) and massage onto the desired areas which are aching. To relieve toothaches, add 2-3 drops of the oil in a cup of water to be used as a gargle mixture. However, be careful not to ingest the mixture.

2. Offers Respiratory Relief

As it is an expectorant agent, ravensara oil is also great for loosening up excess phlegm and mucus that is deposited in your respiratory passageways. This hence helps to clear congestion along your respiratory tracts, allowing for freer and an unobstructed breathing flow that will offer you much relief.

Coupled with its antibacterial and antiviral properties, it also helps to kill any bacteria or infections in your respiratory system, thus helping to treat a range of respiratory ailments which includes colds, coughs, flu, bronchitis, pneumonia and tuberculosis.

How to Use it: Add a few drops of the oil into your diffuser or vaporizer and inhale the aromatic wafts. Alternatively, you can also create a steam inhalation by adding 3-4 drops of the oil in a bowl of hot, steaming water and inhale the steam vapors emanating out. For an effective cold remedy, mix tea tree, lavender, eucalyptus, and thyme essential oils together in the diffuser.

3. Supports Emotional Health

Like many essential oils out there, ravensara also helps to boost our emotional spirits as it produces a very uplifting effect on our moods. Thus, it helps to get rid of negative thoughts and depressive feelings and soothes the mind. You would feel rejuvenated and livelier.

Additionally, ravensara is great for easing stress, anxiety and tension as well as nervous afflictions as it is a relaxant that induces peace, tranquility and calmness into your minds. Thus, it helps to promote a calm and restful sleep, perfect for those who suffer from insomnia and trouble sleeping. As such, it is a great aromatherapy agent to be used for improving your moods and supporting your emotional health.

How to Use it: Simply diffuse a few drops of the oil in a diffuser or vaporizer and let the therapeutic wafts engulf you. For an enhanced experience, try mixing calendula and chamomile essential oils together in the diffuser. Alternatively, you can add a few drops of the oil in warm, bathing water for a truly relaxing experience.

4. Stimulates Detoxification

As it is a diuretic agent, ravensara essential oil also helps to remove unwanted and harmful toxins out from your body through increased frequency and quantity of urination. Urination is extremely beneficial for your health (even though it is uncomfortable and sometimes a hassle) as it removes toxic substances such as urea, uric acid, excess fats, salts and bile from the body.

As such, there will be no accumulation of toxic substances in your body, thus helping to alleviate conditions of arthritis, gout, rheumatism and even cases of acne which are partly caused by a buildup and an accumulation of such toxic deposits in the body. It also helps to prevent dangerous cases of water and salt retention in the body if it is not flushed out in time.

How to Use it: Simply diffuse a few drops of the oil in a diffuser to breathe in or add it in warm, bathing water.

5. Helps to Heal Skin Conditions

Ravensara essential oil is also a potent antiseptic and antibacterial agent. It helps to cleanse wounds, cuts and scrapes and gets rid of bacteria, thus preventing infections from forming and preventing wounds from becoming septic.

In fact, ravensara oil can also be used to treat shingles lesions and cold sores naturally. It facilitates healing of such skin conditions and provides pain relief. Yet, it is very good because it does not dry the skin out excessively nor does it produce any irritant reactions on sensitive or delicate skin.

Additionally, ravensara is a good antifungal agent, which helps to get rid of skin fungal infections as it inhibits their growth and even kills their spores. Thus, it can greatly help in alleviating fungal problems and fungal infections in the ears, nose, skin, head and even nails.

How to Use it: You can combine ravensara oil with tea tree oil and mix the blend with a carrier oil such as coconut oil (as coconut oil has its own antibacterial properties as well) and apply it directly onto the affected areas.

6. Helps to Treat Allergies

Ravensara essential oil can also help to treat a number of allergies. For example, a 2016 study published in the Journal of Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that when sandalwood, geranium and ravensara essential oils were combined together to be inhaled, the blend helped to relieve perennial allergic rhinitis symptoms and reduce fatigue in patients who have that allergy, resulting in significant relief from nasal obstruction.

How to Use it: Just as what the experiment did, you can try blending sandalwood, geranium and ravensara essential oils together to be diffused in your diffuser or vaporizer to help alleviate such nasal allergies.

7. Powerful Disinfectant Agent

As has been emphasized earlier, ravensara oil contains much antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal qualities and this hence makes it an effective disinfecting agent for your households! It helps to rid your homes of harmful and pesky bacteria as well as molds that may be growing in the corners. As such, it disinfects your households and makes it clean, free from any bacteria and germs!

This provides a viable option than synthetic-based cleaners which might contain harmful chemicals.

How to Use it: You can add ravensara oil into your diffuser to be diffused to kill off any bacteria and prevent the spread of germs in the environment. Alternatively, you can also add a few drops of the oil in a spritz bottle containing water and spray on kitchen tops and surfaces.

Safety Precautions:

• Do not ingest ravensara essential oil.

• If you are pregnant or nursing, it is wise to avoid ravensara oil as not enough research has been done on the safety of the oil on these groups of people.

• Always be sure to dilute the oil with a carrier oil in a 1:1 ratio if you wish to apply the oil topically onto the skin.

• Perform a skin patch test first on a non-sensitive area of your skin to ensure there are no sensitive or allergic reactions.

• If you have a pre-existing medical condition and are under the prescription of drugs by your physician, please consult your doctor for expert, professional advice before using ravensara oil, or any other essential oils, as a form of treatment as it might interfere with the prescribed medication.

Ravensara essential oil blends well with clove, black pepper, tea tree, eucalyptus, lavender and rosemary essential oils. You can even blend ravensara oil with oregano, frankincense and cinnamon essential oils if you are looking for an enhanced boost to your immune system.

References:

Seo Yeon Choi, Kyungsook Park, “Effect of Inhalation of Aromatherapy Oil on Patients with Perennial Allergic Rhinitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial”, Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2016)