Essential Oils for Warmth, Better Sleep, and Easing Digestion in Winter

As winter allies, essential oils are easy to use and offer a variety of benefits to body and mind.

(Esin Deniz/Shutter stock）

In winter, people often feel depressed when the days become shorter and the temperature drops. This is when essential oils can work wonders. Wei Chenyi, a TÜV Rheinland-certified health coordinator, recommends essential oils that foster sleep and warmth and soothe the gastrointestinal tract. These oils help relax the body and mind for an enjoyable and cozy winter.

Fragrance Can Affect Emotions

Among our five senses, smell has the most direct connection with the brain and leaves a deep impression on memory. Wei said that while it takes 0.9 seconds to sense touch on the body, it takes just 0.12 seconds for the sense of smell to respond. Therefore, the first thing that a new baby remembers before opening his eyes is his mother’s smell.

Essential oils have natural compounds that can cross the blood-brain barrier to quickly reach the hippocampus and amygdala areas of the brain so that the scent becomes an emotional memory—just like when a student studying abroad smells certain foods, the image of his grandmother back home will emerge automatically.

Wei said the amygdala is responsible for negative memories such as sadness, worry, self-accusation, doubt, and suspicion. Some people will develop depression when faced with stress. In general, she said, the amygdala is more active in those people. Especially in postpartum women, where the amygdala has become enlarged, depression is an emotional change caused by physiological changes.

Wei explained that postpartum moodiness can be improved through the scent of one’s favorite fragrance. Essential oil fragrances work very much like Chinese medicine, which can help the body achieve balance. She said that a favorite scent is one that makes you feel better, and preferences vary from person to person.

Essential Oils for Better Sleep

Lavender is a most soothing scent for sleep. Wei said that lavender can effectively bring a sense of relaxation. Studies have shown that lavender aromatherapy can reduce anxiety, blood pressure, heart rate, and serum cortisol levels and works well for those with hypertension and anxiety disorders.

Woody scents such as frankincense are also effective in relieving anxiety. Frankincense is a fragrant resin produced by boswellia trees. After the resin dries and solidifies, it is steam distilled to make frankincense essential oil. Essential oils often embody the characteristics of the plants that they come from. Much like the “tree-hugging stress relief” method in psychology, connecting with trees through their oils can bring a sense of calm, emotional balance, and relaxation.

Wei recommends vetiver as another calming scent option. Vetiver is a grass with stable and deep roots. In addition, some relaxing essential oil blends are also good choices. She suggests adding three drops of your favorite essential oil, three drops of lavender, and three drops of vetiver into a diffuser to diffuse fragrance throughout the night for a great sleeping experience.

Essential Oil for Body Warming

Keeping the body warm can also improve the quality of sleep. Soaking your feet before bed is an effective way to warm up. Wei recommends ginger essential oil for warming. In addition, essential oils with warming and soreness-relieving effects, such as wintergreen and cinnamon, are also good choices.

The Best Method for Bathing or Soaking With Essential Oils

The correct way to bathe or soak your feet with essential oils is to apply the essential oils to your body or feet before bathing or soaking in water. Wei explained that because oils and water don’t mix, essential oils dropped directly into the water, even if stirred by hand, cannot dissolve or be absorbed by the skin. When first applied to the skin, the essential oils will directly enter the skin with the hot water.

Wei said that when she takes baths with essential oil, her sweat flows out as droplets, and she feels that the pores all over her body become unblocked. As a result, she can sleep deeply and sweetly at night.

Essential Oil for Stomach Soothing

Eating too late or too much can affect sleep quality, and massaging the abdomen with essential oils can promote gastrointestinal motility. Wei said essential oils from seeds, such as coriander, are most suitable for relieving bloating and abdominal pain. She said that before applying essential oils, we must first apply a layer of carrier oil, such as almond or jojoba.

The simplest abdominal massage routine is to massage in a clockwise direction with the navel as the center, moving along the ascending colon, transverse, descending colon, and then down to the sigmoid colon. Wei emphasized that the massage should be done lying down so that the effect can reach deeply, to the intestines and stomach, to achieve the best result.

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