Essential oils have been used for centuries, but do you really know what they contain, and how they are obtained? Have you ever heard of hemp essential oil? Let’s take a look at this plant elixir that is rather difficult to find.
Hemp essential oil: composition and properties
Essential oils have become very trendy in recent years and represent a natural and powerful alternative for taking care of our body and mind on a daily basis. Essential oil is a substance concentrated in volatile aromatic extracts of a plant. Despite its name, it does not contain oil.
Our essential oil of hemp is obtained by the method of steam distillation. This method consists of passing steam through the selected part of the plant, taking the aromatic plant molecules with it. A mixture of steam and different biochemical components is obtained. This mixture is then condensed, i.e. it is cooled to allow the separation of the water and the essential oil because these two fractions cannot mix in the liquid state (they are said to be “immiscible”). We recover the essential oil that is on the surface because its density is lower than that of water. The remaining water is called hydrolat or floral water.
It takes about one ton of hemp, from French production, to obtain one liter of essential oil. This explains its rarity and its price on the market, comparable to that of rose or immortelle essential oil!
Our hemp essential oil contains more than 200 compounds, some of which are recognized in aromatherapy for their very interesting biochemical properties such as sesquiterpenes, monoterpenes, and terpene oxides. Hemp oils are not soluble in water, so our essential oil does not contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive molecule of Hemp.
What are the benefits of hemp essential oil?
Hemp essential oil is mainly used by skin, diluted in vegetable oil, and in diffusion or olfaction.
Helps muscular comfort
Thanks to the properties of β-myrcene and β-caryophyllene, the essential oil of hemp can be first advised in massage always diluted in vegetable oil on the zones concerned by the muscular or articular tensions, at the sportsmen in particular. It thus makes it possible to find comfort and well-being naturally, support the recovery after the effort and alleviate the cramps.
For women, the essential oil of hemp applied in massage on the lower abdomen allows for limiting the tensions due to the painful periods. Head over to Hemponix for more info on hemp oil.
Facilitates relaxation
In diffusion alone or in association with other essential oils, hemp essential oil also helps to find a feeling of well-being and relaxation in case of stress or nervousness. To promote restful sleep, you can diffuse it in the room for about 20 minutes, one hour before bedtime.
To accentuate the general relaxation of the body and the spirit, you can also apply 1 drop of essential oil diluted in vegetable oil on your wrists, then rub them delicately before breathing this perfumed mixture.
Goodbye to the stress of the day!