Spikenard Oil: Uses & Benefits

Do you need to relieve intense stress?

Has your skin been looking and feeling dull and dry?

Does your perfume scent lack a woody or musky quality?

Spikenard  is extracted from the roots of a flowering plant via steam distillation. The plant is found only in high altitudes of the subalpine and alpine regions of the Himalayan mountains. Its historical background reveals that it has been used for centuries, and was originally used to anoint people of high honor in Indian health practices. It is typically used now for its calming and relaxation properties, by applying topically or aromatically. It can also be added to beauty products and rubbed into the skin to give dull or aging skin a healthy glow. Its purifying powers promote cleanliness and smooth skin. It is also sought after for its woody and musky scent, and it’s frequently added to floral scents in perfumes.

What is Spikenard Essential Oil?

Principal Benefits

• Used for grounding properties in meditation
• Creates calmness and relaxation in diffusion or topical application
• Added to beauty products for cleansing properties and to promote smooth, shiny skin and hair

How to Use Spikenard Essential Oil

This oil has many qualities to promote health externally and within the mind. You may focus on one healing property, or you take advantage of all the benefits and use it every day.

Spikenard Essential Oil Uses

• Aromatic Use: Apply to a store-bought diffuser, and inhale its aromatic components to relieve stress and anxiety. Diffusing is also great for meditation, as it has been known to have strong grounding powers. It can also be applied in a couple of drops to the back of the neck or behind the ear to deliver the same calming effects, and it also works as a great perfume, due to its woody and musky scent.

• Topical Use: It is known for purifying qualities, which is great for cleansing the skin. Add a couple of drops to your body cleanser to the bright and clear skin. It can also be added to shampoo to promote healthy, shiny hair. It can even be added to a thick body lotion, which will increase the moisture soaked into the skin. This is particularly beneficial during cold weather, when skin is extra dry.

• Internal Use: There are no known internal uses, and it should never be ingested.

Directions for Use:

For aromatic use, place three to four drops in a diffuser, or combine it with similar essential oils, and inhale during meditation or any time you want to relax. Apply one to two drops to the back of the neck, or apply a single drop behind each ear, to carry the scent with you all day. Apply only one to two drops every time you use a body cleanser, shampoo or moisturizer for the purifying benefits.

Spikenard Essential Oil Health Benefits

• If your mood has been feeling low, or you’ve been stressed or anxious, use it in a diffuser to uplift the spirits and create a happier mood. Regular use can aid in resolving anxiety or avoid frequent stress.
• For meditation, use in a diffuser or on your temples if you are having trouble feeling grounded. It will create a clear mind for successful meditation.
• Has a naturally earthy and woody scent, and it makes a great combination with floral scented oils in perfumes or other fragrance products. Combine it with clove, lavender or rose to create a natural and appealing scent.
• Has skin purifying qualities, and it can be added to many skin products. Apply one to two drops to a body cleanser, and massage it into the skin to help promote naturally clear and clean skin. It can also improve dull or flaky skin by adding it to a thick moisturizer.
• Great for renewing dull hair. Similar to the body cleanser, add it in one to two drops to shampoo, and massage it into the scalp to bring lackluster hair back to life.
• If you’re using massage oils, add one or two drops. The woody scent will create a relaxing a therapeutic aroma in the air.

Spikenard – Nardostachys jatamansi

Spikenard Essential Oil Research

In 2014, a research was conducted to discover any healing qualities of the essential oil. Test subjects inhaled the essential oil, and it was learned that the oil may help protect the heart muscles and cells from oxidative stress. This is a huge factor in heart disease. It is now theorized that regularly inhaled doses of it can possibly aid in regulating the nervous system and heart. Studies have also been conducted to test the healing properties of topical applications of it. By spraying diluted onto the skin, it can possibly help in regenerating skin cells in wounds. These studies have been inconclusive, but continuous research may help prove the full healing powers of it. The FDA has not approved these claims.

Spikenard Essential Oil Nutrition

This essential oil should not be ingested internally, but topical and aromatic applications can still help improve the health in certain areas of the body. Using it in a diffuser is great for calming anxiety, promoting relaxation and improving a bad mood. If you are feeling low, meditate with the essential oil to feel grounded and more positive. You may also apply it on the back of the neck or on the temples in one to two drops, to carry the scent with you all day. Inconclusive studies have shown that regularly inhaling it may improve heart health and protect your heart from oxidative stress. Combine it with other massage oils to create an aromatic atmosphere of relaxation and to soothe muscles. It can be added to body cleanser, moisturizers and hair wash in one to two drops per use to promote glowing, younger looking skin and shiny, healthy hair.

Spikenard Essential Oil Safety

Spikenard is not safe for ingesting: it will upset and irritate the sensitive tissues of the digestive tract. It also will not taste good. It should never be applied directly to the skin, and it should never be used in particularly sensitive places, such as the eyes, nose or inner ears. When using it aromatically, apply three or four drops to a store-bought diffuser. If applying it to the skin, combine it with a carrier oil first. Then, apply it to the areas you want to feel relaxed. Always combine this essential oil in one or two drops per use in body washes, lotions, and hair cleansers.

Spikenard Essential Oil Substitute

Spikenard cannot be ingested for health benefits, so it should not be used as a replacement for prescribed medications to treat internal ailments. However, regularly using it in aromatic uses may improve heart health and increase protection for heart disease, so you may not need to purchase overpriced vitamins with unrecognizable ingredients used to promote heart health. Instead of investing in overpriced massage oils, combine it with a carrier oil for a relaxing massage. Instead of paying up to hundreds of dollars for expensive perfumes, update any floral spray with a drop of it to add complexity and musk. You can also add it to your face lotion to purify the skin and create a healthy glow, instead of paying for overpriced anti-aging products.

Spikenard Essential Oil Blends Well With

Spikenard has a naturally earthy and musky scent that is quite strong. It can be combined with multiple other essential oils to create a harmonious fragrance, as well as with other essential oils to increase relaxation and meditation. In perfumes, combine spikenard with clove, geranium, juniper berry, lavender, or rose for a delightful smell that you can wear anywhere. If you’re using spikenard in a diffuser, combine it with lavender, chamomile or cinnamon to create a sense of clarity and to relieve stress. Spikenard, cinnamon, and cardamom work well together when mixed with a carrier oil, as a massage oil to relax muscles and to create an aromatic atmosphere of calmness. In a body cleanser, combine it with frankincense essential oil to purify and promote clear, smooth skin.

Conclusion

Spikenard has been available for centuries, and it has a historical background of being used in meditation and to anoint people of high honor. This natural oil, extracted from the roots of a plant in the Himalayan mountains, is most popularly used for its relaxation and calming qualities, which can be administered through aromatic and topical applications. It can also regenerate damaged skin cells to improve dull hair and dry skin. Further studies are beginning to prove its higher healing powers of regulating a healthy heart and preventing heart disease, but these studies have yet to be concluded.

Disclaimer

Spikenard has many wonderful qualities that can improve your mental health, as well as promote healthy skin and hair growth. Its purifying qualities are sought after by anyone who wants clean, ageless skin. Spikenard should never be ingested, and you should always consult with a doctor before using it as a regular aid in your health. If you are pregnant or nursing, talk to your doctor about any health concerns before using it. It should not be used as a treatment, cure or preventative measure for any disease or ailment.