Jasmine essential oil uses include calming the nerves, improving breathing, as well as alleviating depression and nervous anxiety. The euphoria-inducing quality is just one of the benefits.
Got a couple essential oils (EOs) in your natural medicine cabinet? If so, you probably have a couple popular stalwarts like lavender and tea tree.
You might want to make room for another: jasmine.
If you’ve ever taken a whiff of the flower, you know how soothing it can be. Of course, it’s hard to put into writing something that tickles the olfactory system.
But for some people, it’s one of the best scents on Earth.
It’s no wonder then that jasmine essential oil (JEO) is one of the best EOs for lowering blood pressure.
What else can it do? What does the research say about it and can it even enhance beauty?
Let’s find out….
Health Benefits of Jasmine Essential Oil
One study from 2010 looks at how it acts on several physiological functions.
Specifically, the research looks at how JEO affects blood pressure, pulse rate, blood oxygen saturation, breathing rate, and skin temperature.
In addition, the study analyzes how JEO affects the 40 human participants’ levels of relaxation, vigor, calmness, attentiveness, mood, and alertness.
To assess these parameters, JEO was applied to each of the participants’ abdomens.
The findings: mostly good with a bit of a surprise.
In comparison to the placebo, JEO caused significant increases in breathing rate. Also increased was the blood oxygen saturation.
But the surprising result from this study is that it raises both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Wait, what? Isn’t jasmine essential oil one of the best to take if you have high blood pressure?
Does that mean it’s not a good idea to take it if you have clinical hypertension?
Unfortunately, there’s just not enough research to say yes or no.
However, the study findings offer other promising results. The participants rated themselves as more alert, and more vigorous.
Moreover, emotionally, the researchers believe it can relieve depression and uplift mood in humans.
So which is it … is jasmine essential oil a stimulant or relaxant?
Maybe it’s a bit of both.
When you inhale wild jasmine, it excites your senses. But maybe in the long run, it helps calm you down.
Germ Fighter
As long as your JEO is safe for topical use, maybe you can make a DIY natural hand sanitizer?
That’s because this study concludes it can kill e. Coli bacteria. (At least a specific strain of it.)
An overgrowth of this bacteria can cause illness in humans.
Another potentially-deadly bacteria jasmine can help neutralize is MRSA, finds this study. MRSA is an infection that’s caused by a resistance to bacteria; it’s a superbug.
And this research shows that it can also help kill fungi.
Regulates Stress
A side effect of some antipsychotic drugs is an increase of a specific hormone, prolactin.
Although it’s associated with producing breast milk, it plays other functions in the human body.
For example, it also synthesizes in response to stress.
And stress is thought to play an important role in the onset and relapse of the mental disorder, schizophrenia.
Prolactin may play a role of prolactin in the development of psychosis. And stress, in turn, can cause your body to have too much prolactin hormone. (It usually affects women more than men.)
An extract of the plant was used in this study to see if it can reduce prolactin.
The results: Ten out of 35 women had a significant drop in prolactin levels. The others who did not were already on higher doses of antipsychotic drugs.
Thus, perhaps for those with mild emerging psychosis, it can help keep stress levels down?
Furthermore, if it can keep stress levels down, then maybe jasmine essential oil can indeed lower blood pressure?
Until more research is done, this is just speculative.
Holistic uses
According to this research, the plant’s holistic treatment uses are for apathy, hysteria, uterine disorders and childbirth, muscle relaxation and coughs.
It can also stop spasms (at least in guinea pigs and rats).
The research study might explain its dual nature. In lab tests, it acts similar to geranium, lavender and peppermint oils; it encourages relaxation.
However, in human and animal trials, the plant produces a stimulatory effect.
Jasminum grandiflorum, the botanical name of it, also might help block pain. In addition, it’s possible it might relieve epileptic fits or convulsions.
Both of these actions are suggested in this research study.
Jasmine essential oil for hair
Piedra, is a fungal infection of the hair shaft. It results in the formation of nodules of different hardness on the infected hair. In this study, JEO was one of several natural remedies that show promise in treating this infection.
But can it benefit your hair if you don’t have piedra? Yes.
According to NaturallyCurly.com, it’s able to penetrate the hair shafts and cuticles. Because of this, it provides your hair with a deep conditioning.
Moreover, claims the website, it maintains your natural moisture and elasticity.
And remember those studies from above that proves it’s a germ fighter?
Well, it turns out that because of this, it can help with dandruff and scalp infections.
As a matter of fact, if you have dandruff, the source at NaturallyCurly.com recommends adding a few drops of JEO to your scalp oil. Or, as an alternative, use it during your pre-shampooing routine.
Lots of natural hair remedies hydrate. But not all also help your hair and scalp retain the moisture.
JEO accomplishes both.
If your curly-cues get frizzy, it can help tame the frizzle, for shizzle!
The source recommends taming your frizzy curls with coconut oil and JEO. Do this after you have moisturized or conditioned your hair.
Jasmine essential oil for skin
According to this beauty blog, the plant has historically been used to soothe, hydrate, and add fragrance.
Furthermore, it possesses anti-aging benefits that, the website says, have been recently discovered [although the post does not support this claim with any references].
If you’ll suspend your element of disbelief, though, it’s for this reason that skin care creams and treatments contain it.
The blog recommends two products containing it: Eminence’s Jasmine Tangerine Age-Defying Night Cream or Alba Vitamin E Moisture Cream. Both of these help with absorption and overnight moisturizing.
Furthermore, contemporary beauty claims include being beneficial for treating sun spots.
And because it won’t clog pores, it’s a good choice as a skin moisturizer. It’s also a safe ingredient in a beauty regimen for those with sensitive skin.
Jasmine essential oil for acne
Let’s revisit the plant’s power to fight germs, especially bacteria.
Acne is an expression of bacteria. Therefore, if you make a DIY acne prevention or treatment mask with it, perhaps it can help.
According to this organic natural health website, it can indeed help with acne. At least with scars from it.
The website references a study. It suggests that it can help heal wounds.
It also mentions that it’s good for dry, brittle, or dehydrated skin.
The article, however, cautions against using it on open acne scars or other wounds.
Do you use jasmine essential oil? Leave a comment.
