I recently ordered my first bottle of elemi essential oil. This woodsy, lemony slightly lemony scented oil is not a well-known aromatic. But I was looking for something new to try.
I’m a firm believer in rotating natural remedies. I’ve found this makes them work better. Consequently, I own an assortment of essential oils. That’s why I decided to add elemi to my collection. Plus, I’d never tried it before. So I was curious.
Only a handful of essential oil companies sell elemi. But Edens Garden does. This is one of the companies I recommend on this site. I use Edens Garden essential oils myself. I’ve always been very pleased with the quality. So I feel comfortable recommending this brand to my readers.
Just so you know, Edens Garden is not a multilevel marketing company. I like to shop outside of these networks. I assume many of my readers do as well. Several years ago, I realized I didn’t need to buy MLM oils. That’s because I could find high-quality products elsewhere.
What is Elemi Essential Oil Used For?
This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase anything, I receive a referral fee, at no extra cost to you.)
Elemi is considered a good skin remedy. It’s used to fight the visible signs of aging, similar to frankincense oil, another aromatic derived from a tree.
However, elemi essential oil comes from the Philippines, instead of the Middle East. It smells a little like a mix of frankincense, myrrh and fir oils. The lemony undertones definitely remind me of myrrh.
How To Use Elemi Essential Oil
I’ve used both frankincense essential oil and myrrh essential oil on my face. I love what they do for my skin. They make it glow. It looks like I’m wearing a light layer of foundation when I’m not. But there’s a catch. After a while, they stop working. So I need to use them periodically.
Elemi essential oil is believed to have skin affinity properties similar to frankincense. So it’s now part of my skincare rotation. Actually, you could probably substitute elemi for frankincense in various essential oil recipes. If you’re on a budget, this might be a good idea. Elemi is not a precious oil. So you shouldn’t have to pay much for elemi essential oil.
Elemi Essential Oil Skin Benefits
Like other aromatic oils, elemi essential oil must be mixed with a carrier oil before you put it on your skin. Essential oils are too strong to use straight. Carrier oils serve several purposes. One is that they protect your skin from an aromatic oil that’s too potent to use alone. They also function as natural emollients.
Despite their name, essential oils are not oily. They’re volatile plant extracts. Used alone, they don’t work as moisturizers. But carrier oils do. For skincare, two of my favorite carrier oils are grapeseed oil and avocado oil. They’re especially good for dry skin and mature skin.
Carrier oils also help “carry” the healing compounds found in essential oils into your body. Without a carrier oil, it’s possible an essential oil would evaporate before its beneficial substances reach your bloodstream.
Elemi Essential Oil Skin Recipe
When making an essential oil skincare recipe, go easy on the aromatic. For your face, a commonly recommended dilution ratio is 1 percent or less. This means you need only about 1 drop of essential oil to a teaspoon of carrier oil. For your face, I highly recommend avocado oil. This carrier also gives my skin a healthy glow, above and beyond whatever essential oil I use.
2 teaspoons of avocado oil (You can get it here)
1 drop of elemi essential oil (You can get it here)
1 drop of lavender essential oil (You can get it here)
Mix these ingredients together and apply to your skin. You’ll probably have some left over. So you can store it in a clean glass jar with a lid. Keep this mixture away from light and heat.
Elemi Essential Oil Benefits
Elemi essential oil is also considered good for drug-free pain relief. This is a plus for those of us living with chronic pain. (I started this site after using a variety of natural remedies for my nerve inflammation. I’m so happy to report that I’ve recovered to the point of being able to live a normal life again.)
You can mix elemi with other essential oils noted for their natural analgesic properties, such as frankincense and copaiba essential oil, which comes from a tree that grows in South America.
My Experience With Elemi Essential Oil
Please remember, though, that I’m not a healthcare professional. I need to stress that I don’t claim that any natural remedy will solve your health problems. All I can do is share my experience of how I personally use elemi and other essential oils. Earlier, I wrote another post on how to use copaiba essential oil as a natural analgesic.
I’m so grateful we live in an age where it’s possible to obtain plant medicines from all over the world. I’m in awe that I can make a recipe using essential oils that come from trees that grow on three continents. Below, is a my natural pain relief recipe made from elemi, frankincense and copaiba essential oils.
Elemi Oil for Pain Relief
1 teaspoon of fractionated coconut oil (You can get it here)
1 drop of elemi essential oil (You can get it here)
1 drop of frankincense essential oil (You can get it here)
1 drop of copaiba essential oil (You can get it here)
Mix these oils together and apply to the area that hurts. In my case, it’s usually my lower back. Don’t put this mixture near your eyes.
Elemi Essential Oil Experience
Elemi is one of the rarer oils. It’s only sold by only a few companies.
Derived from resin that comes from a tree, which grows primarily in the Philippines, elemi is believed to have attributes similar to frankincense and myrrh. However, it’s less expensive than either of these two precious oils. Since it blends well with these two pricier oils, it can also be used to stretch them.
Here are more potential health benefits of elemi essential oil.
- Elemi may be able to fight infections. It likely contains natural antimicrobial compounds. So you can use when you’re fighting a cold or the flu. However, always keep in mind that no essential oil should replace proper medical care.
- It’s believed elemi essential oil may boost your immunity. This may be why one of its traditional uses is to treat upper respiratory infections.
- Elemi is sometimes used in as a health tonic to stimulate and help balance our immune and endocrine systems.
- As I mentioned earlier, elemi oil is also used to relieve pain and inflammation.
Elemi Essential Oil Reviews
If you’re looking for something different, I’d definitely recommend elemi essential oil. It’s rare. But it’s not considered a precious oil. So it doesn’t come with an exorbitant price tag. Or, at least it shouldn’t. It’s one of the more reasonably priced oils, and if’s pretty versatile. (I also put elemi essential oil and lavender essential oil on a cloth. I place this by my pillow to help me sleep.)
Elemi does have a fairly harsh smell if you sniff it out of the bottle. But it smells nice when you diffuse it and adds an interesting note to various blends. Elemi is an evergreen. So you can also detect a fir-like quality. Out of the bottle, fir needle essential oil can also smell harsh, unless it’s diffused and mixed with something else.
One of the main reasons I use my essential oils is for pain control. In that instance, I’m less interested in a sweet smell than I am in natural analgesic properties. So I’m happy to have found another aromatic to rotate into the mix.
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Disclaimer
These statements have not been approved by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not use essential oils unless directed to do so by a healthcare professional.
