Warming spices are easily found in every pantry at home. These include cinnamon, ginger, clove, nutmeg, cardamom as well as thyme and rosemary. But did you know that in addition to adding that comforting, spicy aroma and flavor to your favorite baked goods and recipes, the warming spices all impart amazing healing benefits? You can reap these benefits, especially during cold and flu season by incorporating warming essential oils of these spice plants into your daily routine.
Warming essential oils are like a cozy hug for your senses—they bring a comforting and soothing sensation when inhaled or applied to the skin. These oils often have rich, spicy, or resinous notes that create a feeling of warmth and relaxation.
It only takes a few drops of warming essential oils to deliver a big burst of immune benefits to your body. You will know by the powerful aroma that’s apparent immediately, just how amazingly potent and effective oils like cinnamon and clove really are.
Warming Essential Oils and Their Benefits
- Cinnamon Bark: Known for its sweet and spicy aroma, cinnamon bark essential oil is not only warming but also invigorating. It adds a touch of spice that can uplift your mood.
- Ginger: With its zesty and warm fragrance, ginger essential oil is a popular choice for promoting feelings of comfort and ease. It’s also known for its potential to support digestion.
- Black Pepper: This oil carries a subtle heat, making it an excellent choice for promoting circulation and providing a warming sensation when applied topically.
- Cardamom: With a sweet and spicy aroma, cardamom essential oil brings a comforting and grounding influence. It’s often used to promote a sense of relaxation.
- Clove: Rich and spicy, clove essential oil is not just a kitchen staple; it’s a warming oil that can be used to create a cozy atmosphere and promote a sense of well-being.
- Nutmeg: Warm and slightly sweet, nutmeg essential oil adds a comforting touch. It’s often used for its calming properties and to create a cozy ambiance.
- Rosemary: While known for its herbaceous scent, rosemary essential oil also has warming properties that can help soothe tired muscles and joints.
- Thyme: With its strong, herbaceous aroma, thyme essential oil has warming qualities that make it a great addition to massage blends or diffuser blends during cooler seasons.
These warming essential oils can be blended to create a customized aromatic experience that fills you with a sense of warmth and relaxation. Whether diffused in the air or applied topically, they bring a touch of warmth and healing to your self-care routine
How to Use These Spicy Essential Oils
How to Use Clove Oil to Boost Immunity
Clove oil is known to be antimicrobial, antifungal, antiseptic, antiviral, aphrodisiac, and stimulating. It’s so powerful that if you use clove oil for popular dental applications such as to ease the pain of a toothache, you might feel that tingly sensation of your lips going numb as this oil quickly takes action.
In addition to clove (as a spice) being one of the healing ingredients that you can add to a homemade chai blend used to prepare the body to battle against cold germs, you can also use clove essential oil in aromatherapy and skin applications.
Please be aware that as a warming spice that also works to speed up heart rate and breathing, clove can be overwhelming to some sensitive individuals and should be used with caution. If you are prone to skin reactions, you may choose to avoid using clove on the skin, especially in sensitive areas.
Warm Spicy Essential Oil Blends – Immunity Diffuser Blend
Your essential oils diffuser will be of great help if you want to avoid mold problems that can sometimes result from prolonged vaporizer use during cold and flu season. This is because the mist stays at a cooler temperature which does not promote mold growth. To your essential oils mister, add:
- 5 drops lemon oil
- 3 drops clove oil
- 2 drops cinnamon leaf oil
- 2 drops Rosemary oil
This is an intoxicating blend that will open up your sinuses and promote clear thinking which can often be a problem when you’re stuffed up from a head cold. Add to your diffuser, fill to the safety line, and inhale.
Using Ginger Oil as an Immune Booster
Ginger oil contains high concentrations of sesquiterpenes and gingerols, which are antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiseptic, expectorant, tonic, laxative, and stimulant in nature.
With its natural gift for fighting yeast, ridding the body of bad bacteria and balancing the gut flora, ginger strengthens the body’s immunity on a holistic level. A healthy digestive system is the first line of defense that ensures your body will be able to do battle against bacteria and viruses on its own.
Not only is ginger a popular ingredient in herbal teas that are formulated to relieve cold symptoms, expectorate mucous, and speed healing – ginger essential oil can be used in a variety of applications that will also fortify your body against cold and flu germs.
Cinnamon Essential Oil as an Immune Booster
Cinnamon oil is analgesic, antiseptic, antibiotic, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, astringent, cardiac, carminative, emmenagogue, insecticide, stimulant, stomachic, tonic and vermifuge.
There are two types of cinnamon essential oil available for aromatherapy and personal use. One is the more potent cinnamon bark oil, which should be used with caution as high levels can be toxic and even result in convulsions. Cinnamon leaf oil is the non-toxic and more popular version.
Cinnamon oil is well known for delivering healing benefits to the body that facilitate quick recovery from cold and flu viruses. It is known to fight bacteria, heal infections, calm the nervous system, purify the intestines, fight intestinal yeast, purify the blood and much, much more.
Take care when using cinnamon oil, as a small amount goes a long way and it can be over-stimulating or produce skin reactions in sensitive individuals. Avoid using cinnamon oil on or near the mucous membranes.
Nutmeg Oil for Immune Boosting Benefits
Nutmeg oil is surprisingly effective as an immune booster – offering the following properties to fuel the body against illness and disease: antiseptic, digestive, laxative, emmenagogue, analgesic, anti-rheumatic, stimulant, carminative, antispasmodic, parturient, tonic, sedative, bactericide, anti-inflammatory and relaxant.
If you have contracted flu, look to nutmeg oil for powerful immune-boosting benefits. This miraculous oil is known to fight infection, reduce fever, relieve pain, ease asthma symptoms, soothe the digestive system, steady the nerves and much more.
Nutmeg is high in magnesium so it can provide relief from flu-related joint and muscle aches as it relaxes the muscles and soothes the nerves.
If your cold and flu symptoms are keeping you up at night, try nutmeg essential oil in your cold-relief diffuser blend as a way to promote a restful night’s sleep so that healing can begin.
Orange Nutmeg Eucalyptus Immunity Foot Rub
- 3 drops orange oil
- 3 drops nutmeg oil
- 3 drops eucalyptus oil
- 1/2 cup carrier oil such as sweet almond
Sweet almond and nutmeg make a fragrant and healing rub for the feet. You can also massage some Epsom salts into the feet and rinse in warm water to exfoliate. Finish with another layer of the foot oil, get under the warm blankets, and then ease into a soothing sleep.
Spicy Essential Oil Blend for Sinus Congestion, Cough, Fever
Put your flu and cold germs to bed with this healing and relaxing diffuser blend that will work its magic while you sleep. Nutmeg soothes aching muscles and eases nervous tension so you can wind down for the evening. Orange delivers immune-boosting benefits, and eucalyptus is famous for clearing congested airways.
- 3 drops orange oil
- 3 drops nutmeg oil
- 3 drops eucalyptus oil
- 1 drop ginger oil
- 1 drop black pepper oil (optional)
Add to your diffuser, fill to the safety line with purified water and enjoy some natural cold relief while ensuring a restful and restorative sleep.
More Essential Oil Recipes for Immunity
DIY Cold and Flu Roller Blend:
- 5 drops of Thyme oil
- 4 drops of Eucalyptus oil
- 4 drops of Tea Tree oil
- 2 drops of Lemon oil
- 2 tablespoons of carrier oil
Combine in a roller bottle and apply to pulse points or chest for relief.
Ginger-Lemon Immune Booster:
- 3 drops of Ginger oil
- 3 drops of Lemon oil
- 2 drops of Peppermint oil
- 1 drop of clove oil
Combine oils in a diffuser.
Soothing Essential Oil Chest Rub:
- 5 drops of Eucalyptus oil
- 4 drops of Lavender oil
- 3 drops of Frankincense oil
- 4 tablespoons of carrier oil (such as coconut or almond oil)
Mix the oils with a carrier oil and rub on your chest for respiratory relief.
Cold Relief Inhalation:
- 3 drops of Eucalyptus oil
- 2 drops of Peppermint oil
- 2 drops of Tea Tree oil
Inhale the steam from a bowl of hot water with these oils to clear nasal passages.
Conclusion
Whether diffused in the air, added to massage blends, or incorporated into daily rituals, the power of these warming essential oils lies in their ability to create an atmosphere of coziness and promote healing.
