Flower Power

All the green Winters

Rose Morley

There are many plants known as Wintergreen. It’s a name that gets you in the autumn mood, curled up snug on the sofa. But it also brings to mind the aches and pains that winter weather can bring. The essential oil of this month’s herb has many applications but is particularly used to ease the aches and pains of bones, to help alleviate the symptoms of arthritis or rheumatism, to soothe those winter chills.

The oil is steam distilled from the leaves of the small, evergreen herb (Gaultheria procumbens) that has been used for many years in herbal and folk tradition. It smells amazing and, when mixed into a cream, works on the joints and bones to reduce inflammation and pain. Of course, you’ll know that Wintergreen essential oil shouldn’t be ingested, nor applied neat to the skin. Always pop your essential oils into either a base oil or cream before applying to the skin. When the oil blend or cream is rubbed into the affected area, the oil is absorbed through the skin and the methyl salicylate (a naturally occurring active ingredient which makes up around 85% of Wintergreen essential oil) performs its anaesthetic effect on the nerves, inducing a feeling of mild numbness. It also increases blood circulation, so can bring a feeling of warmth to the area. It’s no surprise, then, that Wintergreen essential oil can also be useful in the treatment of headaches and colds. In fact, 1ml (twenty drops) of Wintergreen oil is equivalent to approximately 1800mg of Aspirin. That’s almost six times the strength of an average Aspirin tablet. A note of caution, then: don’t use this oil if you are on prescribed medicines that act to thin the blood, like Aspirin, or Warfarin, nor if you are haemophiliac, pregnant, or breastfeeding.

The oil blends well with the oils of Peppermint (Mentha x piperita), Vanilla (V. spp) and, my favourite, Ylang Ylang (Cananga odorata). Wintergreen is a top note oil, which means it’s a thinner oil that will come out of the bottle fairly quickly, so be careful when you start to use it.

Wintergreen flower essence is useful for the emotional side of things— but here we’re talking about another Wintergreen altogether. This one is Moneses uniflora, also known as One-flowered Wintergreen, Wood Nymph, Single Delight, Waxflower, Shy Maiden, or Star of Bethlehem. This flower essence is useful for alleviating despair; for spiritual crisis or emergency, for the fear of collapse or breakdown, or when you need to find hope again. It can help you open up to love and support from others; assisting you in letting go of old habits, surrendering to others, and trusting in the process of life.

Stress and despair bring physical pain as well as emotional pain, and the Wintergreens— whether essential oil of Gaultheria procumbens or flower essence of Moneses uniflora —can help us release, and lean into spiritual understanding.

‘I gladly embrace all the challenges life brings. I am positive in myself’, as Leigh (2012) has it.

References

draxe.com/essential-oils/wintergreen-oil healthline.com/health/wintergreen-oil

Leigh, M. (2012) The Findhorn Flower Essences Handbook. Nature Spirit Publishing: Findhorn. organicfacts.com