How 5 Peppery Essential Oils Soothe Sore Muscles
An essential oil muscle massage blend
Essential oils can help soothe sore, achy muscles in a variety of ways—especially when used during a massage. They can help:
Reduce inflammation
Encourage circulation
Release knots of tension
Relieve spasms (cramps)
This muscle massage oil recipe includes five essential oils to cover all of those important points!
Each essential oil in this recipe also has a distinct peppery or spicy note in its aroma. First I'll share the recipe, then I'll share why I chose to include each oil.
Peppery Muscle Massage Oil
Powerful massage oil to help release tension and reduce pain.
Ingredients
1 oz (30 ml) Jojoba oil (Simmondsia chinensis)
5 drops Elemi essential oil (Canarium luzonicum)
5 drops Black Pepper essential oil (Piper nigrum)
4 drops Sweet Basil essential oil (Ocimum basilicum ct. linalool)
2 drops Plai essential oil (Zingiber cassumunar)
2 drops Anise essential oil (Pimpinella anisum)
Equipment
One 1 oz (30 ml) Amber Glass Bottle with Coned Cap
Directions
Pour the Jojoba oil into the glass bottle.
Add the essential oils and tighten the cap.
Gently shake the bottle to combine.
Make this blend in a 1 oz (30 ml) bottle. Combine the jojoba and essential oils, and then shake the bottle gently to blend.
Massage your sore, tight muscles as needed!
This blend is especially soothing on chilly days when your muscles feel tense and cold. It can help warm them and loosen them up.
About the ingredients in this essential oil muscle massage oil
Elemi essential oil
Canarium luzonicum
Elemi has a lemon-peppery scent. It's distilled from a resin that's expressed when the Elemi tree sprouts its broad evergreen leaves. The resin hardens on contact with the air, and is distilled to produce this gorgeous essential oil!
Elemi is rich in d-limonene. In studies, d-limonene has been shown to calm inflammation and release tension.
Black Pepper essential oil
Piper nigrum
Black Pepper essential oil is distilled from sun-dried peppercorns, and smells just like the kitchen spice!
Black Pepper oil is chock-full of beta-caryophyllene. That's one reason it's so useful for easing muscle spasms (cramps), and calming sore, tender spots. And Black Pepper's heat stimulates a fresh flow of energy where it's applied—perfect for loosening up muscles!
Sweet Basil essential oil
Ocimum basilicum ct. linalool
Sweet and herbal with gentle hints of pepper, Sweet Basil oil contains over 50% linalool.
We have a TON of research on linalool! It's a deeply soothing component, both physically and emotionally. In our Peppery Muscle Massage Oil, the linalool helps to work out tension, calm inflammation, and ease pain.
Plai essential oil
Zingiber cassumunar
Plai essential oil is a member of the Ginger family.
Where Ginger oil soothes pain by bringing warmth to an area, Plai is actually cooling. It adds balance to this blend. Plai also contains sabinene, which is where some of its inflammation calming talents come from.
Anise essential oil
Pimpinella anisum
Anise's sweet, spicy, licorice-like scent is unmistakable!
Just a few drops of Anise pack a potent punch—it can ease spasms and inflammation like a charm! This is largely thanks to its ether component, trans-anethole.
However, there are some safety considerations you should be aware of about trans-anethole.
In Essential Oil Safety, Second Edition, Tisserand and Young recommend avoiding anise essential oil if you're pregnant, breastfeeding, or if you have endometriosis, estrogen-related cancer, or a bleeding disorder.
Anise is also contraindicated if you're on anticoagulant medications. It's too strong for sensitive skin and for children under 5 years old.
If you'd like to leave Anise oil out of this blend, go right ahead. You could also substitute it with one of the three tension-soothing oils in this blog post: Which Essential Oils Help Tight Muscles?
Expand your bodywork practice by learning to use essential oils safely and effectively. Our course, Aromatherapy for Massage Therapists, will teach you new ways to benefit your clients and grow your practice with aromatherapy. You’ll learn how to make blends that increase relaxation, ease muscle tension, and deliver pain-relieving benefits, as well as how to incorporate them into your practice.
REFERENCES
Hirota, R., Roger, N.N., Nakamura, H., Song, H.-S., Sawamura, M., and Suganuma, N. (2010) Anti-inflammatory effects of limonene from yuzu (Citrus junos Tanaka) essential oil on eosinophils. Journal of Food Science 75, 87-92.
Baylac S, Racine P (2003) Inhibition of 5-lipoxygenase by essential oils and other natural fragrant extracts. International Journal of Aromatherapy 13 (2/3): 138-142
Peanna, A.T., D'Aquila, P.S., Panin, F., Serra, G., Pippia, P. and Moretti, M.D. (2002) Anti-inflammatory activity of linalool and linalyl acetate constituents of essential oils. Phytomedicine 9, 721-726.
Albuquerque AA, Sorenson AL, Leal-Cardoso JH (1995) Effects of essential oil of Croton zehntneri, and of anethole and estragole on skeletal muscles. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 49 (1): 41-49. Cited by Bowles EJ (2003) The Chemistry of Aromatherapeutic Oils 3rd Edition. Crows Nest: Allen and Unwin
