Ginger Essential Oil (China) - 10 ml (100% pure concentrated)

Holisticshop own brand oils - Essential oils
Originally the Holisticshop range of essential oils went under the name of Windflowers. This company was founded by a qualified aromatherapist, selling high quality oils to shops and aromatherapists throughout UK and the world. In October 2003 the opportunity came up for Holisticshop to buy Windflowers, which we did. This acquisition has meant Holisticshop customers can now buy high quality oils at the price professional aromatherapists would expect to pay. These are aromatherapist quality oils. Lower quality oils are available on the market but we continue to pick the best quality source for every oil. For example Windflowers lavender oil is "High Alpine" lavender from Mount Ventoux in the Pyrennes and the ylang ylang is the "complete" oil, not the ylang ylang II or III which come from a different stage in the distillation process.

Ginger - Warming, stimulating
Name: Ginger, Zingiber officinale

Grounding and strengthening for your body and emotions while igniting passions and gently enveloping you entirely in warmth

Essential information: Spice up your life with this unusual yet appealing, enlivening scent. A valuable aid for numerous ills, it warms and cheers the mind and emotions, helps a myriad of aches and pains and relieves digestive upsets.

Description of aroma: Unlike the dried or preserved ginger we are familiar with, oil of ginger smells 'alive', spicy, pleasantly sharp, fresh, citrussy and camphorous with a hint of pepper and lemon - like fresh green root ginger.

Ruling planet: Mars

Properties beneficial to the mind, emotions and spirit: Ginger is especially warming to the emotions if you are feeling cold or 'flat'. It can be very cheering if you are tired, and is said to 'jump start' the brain, reducing drowsiness and irritability. Both stimulating and grounding, it has long been hailed as an aphrodisiac, and is specifically recommended for male impotence.

Of interest: Ginger has been a highly esteemed spice since antiquity. Said to be native to India, China and Java, it has been utilized for thousands of years in these countries, and Japan, for its remarkable medicinal properties - such as for treating malaria - and its variety of culinary applications, especially as a condiment.
It is included in the ancient Greek and Arab pharmacopoeias, where the Greeks referred to it as 'Ziggiber', considering it warming to the stomach and an antidote to poison. It is reputed to have acquired the name ginger from the later Latin variation 'Zingiber'. In Sanskrit writings ginger was referred to as 'Srngavera'. Another variation on the origin of its name is that it was derived from the Gingi district of India, where ginger tea is drunk to relieve stomach upsets.

There is some uncertainty concerning the introduction of ginger to Europe. Some sources say it could have been either the 10th or 15th centuries, while others state it came via the Spice Route in the middle ages, and was introduced to South America by the Spaniards. Ginger is actually mentioned in the Middle Ages as a stimulant, tonic, and medicine for fevers, and as an ingredient in balm of Fioraventa.

This piquant herb is still one of the major remedies prescribed by Chinese doctors and macrobiotic therapists. According to Chinese medicine, ginger regulates moisture and raises the body's temperature, so it is prescribed for illnesses caused by cold and dampness. Yet curiously it can also reduce a fever.

In the past distilled ginger water has been considered an effective ophthalmic remedy, especially for cataracts. It is also a renowned aphrodisiac, in fact women in Senegal and Fouta-Djalon use the pounded ginger plant tubers, or roots, to weave belts, with the intention of arousing the 'dormant senses' of their husbands - if interest is flagging in the romantic department! Powdered ginger has another rather unique application, it has been applied to horses nether regions to keep their tails high - a sign of strength and good breeding. (Although this may seems like cheating to the non-equestrian among us.)

Employed widely in pharmacy and medicinal preparations, this spice also still has many uses in the food and beverage industry: A popular ingredient for seasoning cooking and pastry making in England, Germany and many eastern countries, and of course Indian curries, ginger is added to drinks such as ginger beer, ginger ale, ginger brandy and Jamaican ginger. Nowadays Jamaica boasts the best aroma.

Properties beneficial to the physical body: The warming, healing and strengthening power of ginger is diverse and can help a plethora of ailments. Its analgesic properties are useful for arthritis, headaches, muscle tension, fatigue, pains, cramps, and also rheumatism, due to its ability to heal winter ills caused by external damp. You may find it helpful if you suffer from an inability to deal with moisture, such as diarrhoea and catarrh, and it also relieves respiratory disorders such as colds and flu.

Ginger tones and settles the digestive system, so it is a valuable aid for problems such as flatulence, loss of appetite, and particularly nausea - including motion and morning sickness and hangovers. It is a preventative agent for infectious diseases, its ability to increase sweat gland activity can lower a fever, and as it stimulates the circulation it may help angina. It is also recommended for high cholesterol, varicose veins, bruises, sores and carbuncles.

Scentsual blending suggestions: Ginger mixes beautifully with many other oils, especially those derived from citrus fruits, woods and resins. You may like to try it with bay, cajeput, caraway, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, clove, elemi, eucalyptus and frankincense. Alternatively experiment with geranium, lemon, lime, myrtle orange, rosemary, spearmint and verbena.

Alternative suggestions for use: Why not diffuse in the bedroom to enhance the mood…

Essential safety precautions: May irritate the skin in high concentration, so always use well-diluted. Generally considered a very safe oil.

Do not use essential oils undiluted or take internally without the guidance of a qualified practitioner. The information contained here is for general interest and is not intended to replace medical diagnosis or treatment.