The leaves of the Bay (pimento racemosa) Rum tree are commonly used for Carribean rice, soup, and even tea. Like the leaves, the essential oil has a very strong fragrance and is used in aromatherapy. These have various properties that aid in hair care, relieve stress, and muscle pain. The oil’s soothing and refreshing scent helps in calming down, reducing stress, and fighting depression. This same property also assists in improving sleep.
Bay Essential Oil has a distinctly refreshing and strong spicy scent that makes it suitable for cosmetics catering to men. Aside from keeping hair and skin healthy, Bay Essential Oil is also found to relieve nerves, treat muscle pain, and improve sleep.
The healthy benefits of Bay Essential Oil are acquired simply by using it topically. The beneficial properties of the oil seep through the layers of the skin. By helping improve blood circulation inside the body, Bay Essential Oil lowers blood pressure and prevents diseases caused by such. Additionally, the oil relieves pain caused by muscles and nerves.
Bay Essential Oil Benefits
Although Bay Essential Oil is commonly used for personal care and/or beautification for men, it also has medicinal properties that are good for the body’s circulatory system. Some of the Bay Essential Oil benefits include:
- Lowers blood pressure
- Helps improve blood circulation
- Reduces muscle pain
- Relieves headaches
- Fights dandruff
- Keeps hair shiny and healthy
- Prevents hair loss
- Promotes undisturbed sleep
- Fights depression
- Treats cough and common colds
- Cures infection caused by bacteria
- Has sedative properties
- Has natural stimulant properties
Bay Essential Oil Uses
- Bay Essential Oil as a Pain Reliever. When applied on affected areas like arms, stomach, or the temples, Bay Essential Oil serves as an excellent analgesic medicine. It treats any form of muscular pain, strains, or bruises, and reduces blood circulation problems.
- Bay Essential Oil for Hair Care. Bay Essential Oil is usually mixed with other hair products or other oils to create a mixture applicable to the hair. It remedies early hair loss, and can stop baldness for men altogether.
- Bay Essential Oil as a Cleanser. The oil has natural antiseptic properties that can be used to cleanse both wounds caused by bacterial infection as well as the general processes of the body. The hot feeling of Bay Essential Oil promotes perspiration, which can be used both for cleansing purposes and for lowering body temperature.
- Bay Essential Oil as an Antidepressant. As a natural sedative, Bay Essential Oil serves as an antidepressant that soothes tense nerves. Thus, it may be used to replenish the fatigue caused by prolonged stress.
- Bay Essential Oil for Menstruation. Because the oil improves the circulation of blood and soothes muscles, it may also be used for women suffering from menstrual cramps, as well as those experiencing irregular cycles.
Bay Essential Oil Side Effects
Bay Essential Oil naturally contains high levels of eugenol, which, although being the chemical compound responsible for preventing hair loss, may cause allergic reactions to skin when used in large amounts. It is therefore advised to use Bay Essential Oil moderately, and be mixed with other base oils.
How to Use Bay Essential Oil
For topical use. For relieving muscle and nerve pain, place a small amount of Bay Essential Oil on palm and massage in affected area. For hair care, mix a two drops to your shampoo and use like the usual.
For inhaling. Smell directly from bottle at a safe distance. Alternatively, diffuse a few drops and leave in room where you plan to sleep for relaxation. Bay Essential Oil blends well with citrus (lemon or orange), rosemary, and cedarwood oils.
How to Make Bay Oil
Bay Essential Oil is extracted from steam-distilled leaves. The oils’ properties, including its high content of eugenol, come from the Bay Rum tree. Commercial companies are often particular about selecting the origin of the leaves, but this part may be skipped for those who want to make the oil at home.
Bay Essential Oil Recipe
The process of creating essential oils is hard to achieve at home, because steam distillation requires a machine. However, a few methods can be done to closely replicate this process.
Here is a simple procedure that requires thoroughly dried bay leaves and base oil (preferably pure olive oil). Materials needed are: dried bay leaves, pan, stirrer, a filter, and a sterilized glass jar.
- Heat your selected base oil in a pan and bring to a boil. Olive oil is the most preferred base oil for bay leaves.
- Mix in the thoroughly dried bay leaves and lower the heat.
- Simmer the mixture for two hours, stirring occasionally with the stirrer. You will know the mixture is ready when the oil starts to change color and the leaves look spent.
- Filter the mixture repeatedly until no more leaf debris and other materials can be found.
- Store in a sterilized glass jar away from sunlight.
Where to Buy Bay Essential Oil
There are several online stores aside from Amazon that sell Bay Essential Oil. Some are stand-alone shops that sell essential oils with the same name. Examples of these include Lala Essential Oils and idAromatics. These two shops sell a whole range of oils, including Bay Essential Oil.
Before purchasing Bay Essential Oil, make sure that the botanical or scientific name is pimento racemosa, as this is commonly interchanged with the laurus nobilis species, a similar but completely different essential oil.
More Information on Bay Essential Oil
Although the leaves are used in certain dishes, the essential oil derived from the leaves are not edible, so it should not be mixed with food or drinks in any way. The use of this oil should only be limited to external applications and aromatherapy.
Pregnant women should avoid the use of this oil as well. Since it promotes the circulation of blood, it might cause adverse effects to the woman’s pelvic area. For the same reason, people with high blood pressure should not use Bay Essential Oil.
Bay Essential Oil FAQs
Question: Can Bay Essential Oil be used on children?
Answer: No. Bay Essential Oil contains high levels of eugenol which may only be tolerated by healthy adults. Since children are also sensitive, the oil may cause skin irritation to them.
Question: Can Bay Essential Oil be used without being diluted?
Answer: For inhalation and analgesic purposes, Bay Essential Oil may be used as is. However, for cleaning wounds, it is not advised to use the oil purely as it may cause irritation for damaged skin in large amounts. It should be mixed with other oils like coconut or almond.
