There’s a little known secret in natural therapeutics — the profound healing pain relief of Helichrysum italicum essential oil. Its action is nothing short of amazing, though this information is rarely offered directly by aromatherapy companies due to advertising restrictions. Throughout the medical aromatherapy texts however, this fantastic oil is lauded for its broad range of healing effects on the body’s tissues. Here’s a quick primer on using this oil for yourself and your loved ones.

Helichrysum is a totally unique pain reliever and wound healer — not only just in the world of aromatherapy, but in the big picture of the entire world of medicine. It rates exceptionally highly in the two most important criteria, safety and efficacy. In terms of safety, it is sometimes prescribed for direct application to the skin at 100% strength (unlike some other pain relieving oils such as Wintergreen). Very conservative therapists do not recommend the oil to be used during pregnancy or by children under 12. It would be a shame however to discard the use of the oil for young children with injuries — like any essential oil, it should be used with respect as a medicine, only using as much as needed to produce the desired healing effect. The classic and important aromatherapy text ‘Essential Oil Safety’, lists the oil as non-toxic, non-irritating and non-sensitizing.

Its efficacy is unsurpassed. Most folks who use it find the pain relief nearly immediate — “it just makes the pain go away”, “it’s amazing” and other similar comments are frequently uttered when the oil is used. The oil is recommended for ANY kind of pain: joint pain, muscular aches and pains, back pain, neck pain, nerve pain, and pain resulting from surgery and trauma. In most cases, a simple preparation of the oil in any common aromatherapy carrier oil is the formula of choice. Jojoba is commonly used for aches and pains; Rosehip seed oil and Tamanu are selected when healing skin damage (or reducing scarring).

Making our own formulation is very easy to do. It is recommended to start of with lower dilutions and work your way up only if necessary; this helps you conserve the precious oil by only using as much as required for the desired results. Forty drops of Helicrysum in each ounce of carrier oil will create an approximate 5 percent dilution; eighty drops for a 10 percent dilution; etc. The pure essential oil, not diluted in any carrier oil, is recommended when a trauma has just occurred, to prevent further tissue damage due to swelling and oxidative free-radicals. For example, a twisted ankle could receive a few drops of the pure oil from a fingertip, massaged into the painful region immediately after the injury, and several times over the next 24 hours.

Beyond simple pain relief, Helichrysum is known to actually speed the healing of injuries through its antioxidant, anti-inflammation and regenerative actions. This is helpful for not only ‘common’ bumps and bruises, but for surgical sutures and burns as well. Further, the oil is found in 3-5 percent concentrations in skin care recipes to reduce the appearance of skin aging, and to reduce and eliminate scars of all kinds.

The finest of Helichrysum essential oil varieties is considered to be that distilled from plants grown on the island of Corsica, France. The environmental conditions and sub-species genetics result in a unique natural chemical composition of the essential oil with strong anti-inflammate, analgesic and regenerative properties. This oil may be listed as Helicrysum italicum sub-species ‘serotinum’. You may find that other varieties work as well for your needs, and can experiment as you see fit.

The profoundly effective action for pain relief provided by Helichrysum italicum essential oil is one of natural medicine’s most wonderful treasures. With its exceptional ratings for safety, efficacy and ease-of-use, the oil is unsurpassed as a healing agent for all sorts of pain. Its quick, gentle action is appreciated by the great majority of users, and is worth investigating for your own needs.