Many people are unaware that yarrow, Achillea millifolium, a common plant growing abundantly in British country side, actually produces a very powerful, useful and rather beautiful essential oil.
It’s an oil that stands out when you see its striking, ink blue colour, which is very unusual for an essential oil. The plant itself is made up of an umbrella of little white flowers, sometimes pink, but during the production of the essential oil a chemical called chamazulene is produced during steam distillation which gives yarrow essential oils its bright blue colour.
Most essential oils come in tinted glass bottles as they are sensitive to light, so it’s rare to see such amazing colours as in the below photo.
Chamazulene is also the particular component that makes yarrow so useful as it is anti-inflammatory in effect and therefore useful for any condition where inflammation is present, for example:
- arthritis,
- allergies,
- bumps & bruises,
- breaks,
- gout,
- skin rashes,
- strains & sprains.
Even conditions such as period pain and back ache can be helped by using yarrow because of the presence of inflammation.
Yarrow & Lavender Balm Recipe – for pain and inflammation.
A balm is a very practical method of application for areas of inflammation. I would recommend applying this simple balm, made with yarrow and lavender essential oil, twice daily. Massage in very gentle anti-clockwise circles to the affected area, if the area is too tender to touch, or is an open wound then apply the balm as close to the site as is comfortable.
Ingredients ~ to make 100 ml pot:
- 10g beeswax
- 10g shea butter
- 80g or ml of base oil, e.g. Olive oil or Almond oil
- yarrow essential oil – 40 drops (2ml)
- lavender essential oil – 60 drops (3ml)
- vitamin E (optional)
Caution ~ yarrow can contain a varying amount of camphor in it, which means it is advisable to avoid with epilepsy, in pregnancy, and could cause sensitisation in ragweed allergy sufferers.
See my blog on ‘How to make a Massage or Body Balm’ for full recipe instructions.
Blue chamomile essential oil, Matricaria recutita (also known as German chamomile) also appears blue in colour, it contains the same anti-inflammatory agent chamazulene and would be suitable for all of the above inflammatory conditions. Click here to purchase this essential oil.
See my blog on Lavender & Chamomile for Hay fever for more details.
Essential Oils and You 
I have never seen yarrow essential oil before but have always liked the plant and have several varieties in my garden. What a gorgeous colour, and thank you Elena for the painting, just lovely. I used to use blue chamomile a lot when I was working with oils and found it especially effective in treatments of the skin. There were a few occasions when clients had long term psoriasis and it cleared up completely. These clients were also becoming more aware of what in their life they needed to change to support their healing so I would not want to put the whole responsibility of “cure” onto this amazing oil but I do feel it is very powerful and a lovely oil to use or develop a relationship with.
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This is just how I feel about using essential oils too Elaine, hence the ‘You’ in Essential Oils and You : )
Essential oils can be a very powerful tool to support true healing, and I find that they are particularly helpful for many symptoms, from depression and wounds to pain and insomnia. But ‘You’ play a big part too, your intention, the way you go about using the oils and your willingness to learn from what your body presents is the real key, this can be applied to any modality, wether it be diet, exercise or prescription medication. What I love about using essential oils is that you almost can’t help but bring a level of awareness to your body and a deeper level of care because of the nature of the way you use them, ‘you’ play a part in applying a cream, or choosing a bath oil, taking the time to sprinkle oils in a room, it is a really lovely way to build a relationship with your self and learn about your body.
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