Love Pumpkin Spice? Try this Fall Inspired Citrus & Spice Immune Support Lotion Recipe

As we enter into fall each year I notice pumpkin spice everywhere and the smell of cinnamon infused pinecones wafting through the air at my local stores. Spices like ginger, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, sage, and rosemary influence our fall and winter cooking -- and with good reason. They are excellent at supporting our immune health, warming the body, supporting digestive health, and fighting germs. And spicy essential oils offer these wonderful benefits as well.

When using essential oils like ginger, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg you do have to know your limits -- dermal limits that is. While cinnamon bark essential oil smells divine it you use it in a lotion you could end up with some very irritated skin. Let's look at the dermal limits of some of our pumpkin spice kind of essential oils and then create a safe recipe to enjoy them.

Cinnamomum zeylanicum BARK: cinnamon BARK essential oil smells amazing but it is particularly rich in cinnamaldehyde which can be very irritating to the skin and cause sensitization or dermatitis. If used topically it should be kept to 1 drop per 40 ml (1.35 oz). My advice is stick to cinnamon LEAF and use cinnamon BARK in small amounts in diffuser blends. It's a fantastic antimicrobial, excellent for cleaning, warming, and uplifting. It also supports digestive health.

Cinnamomum zeylanicum LEAF : cinnamon LEAF essential oil smells wonderful and is rich in eugenol. It should also be used in low dilution but can used topically at 0.5% or less (so 2-3 drops per 30ml or oz of carrier). Cinnamon leaf oil is NOT recommended for babies or children. Tisserand and Young suggest eugenol rich oils be used with caution by those with impaired liver function or and avoided by those clotting disorders. Cinnamon leaf is warming, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and fights germs. Its sweet uplifting aroma is like a warm hug.

Zingiber officinale : Ginger is sweet and spicy and adds a warm, uplifting aroma to blends. Like the other spice oils it should be used in low dilution topically. Ginger is a wonderful analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, soothes digestive issues, and supports immune and respiratory health. It's great for warming and soothing achy muscles appropriately diluted in a massage oil.

Eugenia caryophyllata : Clove bud essential oil is another spice powerhouse that need to be used in low dilution. Clove bud is warming, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, fights germs, and supports digestive health. Use at or less than 2-3 drops per ounce of carrier (0.5%). This essential oil is also rich in eugenol and carries the same safety concerns as cinnamon leaf.

Myristica fragrans: I adore nutmeg essential oil and fresh grated nutmeg! Nutmeg is warming, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and supports digestive health. Like the other spice oils (no relation to the spice girls) nutmeg should be used in low dilution 2-3 drops per ounce.

Now that we've learned a bit about using spice oils safely, let's make our fall spice lotion. I'm going to add Citrus sinensis or orange essential oil to the party because it blends so well with spice oils. Orange supports immune health, offers analgesic and anti-inflammatory benefits, digestive support, and it smells sweet, bright, and uplifiting.

Fall Spice Lotion Blend:

This blend smells sweet and spicy, perfect for fall. I've kept the dilution low but you could double the essential oils and still keep the dermal limits within a safe range.

What You'll Need:

2 oz of unscented lotion base (I'm using my handcrafted organic lotion)

one 2 to 4 oz jar

4 drops of Citrus sinensis or orange essential oil

2 drops of Cinnamomum zeylanicum LEAF: cinnamon leaf essential oil

2 drops of Zingiber officinale: ginger essential oil

2 drops of Myristica fragrans: nutmeg essential oil

Add the essential oils to the unscented lotion base and stir well to incorporate essential oils into the lotion. Use to soothe dry skin, to ease aches, support digestion, or support immune health.

If you have questions about essential oils or aromatherapy please contact me. I hope you've enjoyed this post and will try this recipe.

Aromatic blessings my friends,

Tricia

When using essential oils it's important to be aware of any contraindication for pregnancy, children, or health concerns in addition to dermal limits. Check with an aromatherapist, an essential oil supplier that provides safety data, or Essential Oil Safety by Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young.