Name: Vitex - Inshanti - Pure Essential Oils
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Vitex

Vitex agnus-castus L.

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Regulate your hormones and find relief from the symptoms that can make your life miserable on a monthly basis. Popular in Europe, vitex essential oil has been shown in clinical studies to provide effective treatment for PMS, painful periods, and menopause symptoms.

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You don’t need to suffer every month from the pain and discomfort brought on by your menstrual cycle. Vitex, also known as “chasteberry” and “monk’s pepper,” has been recognized as a medicinal plant for more than 2,500 years and is one of the most popular botanicals in Europe for treating menstrual disorders related to hormonal imbalances. Vitex has been used to address painful and irregular menstruation, ovarian cysts, infertility, and symptoms of PMS, such as anxiety, bloating, depression, irritability, headaches, and breast tenderness, as well as symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes and emotional imbalances.

Essential Facts

Plant Parts: Ripe Berries, Leaves
Botanical Family: Lamiaceae (was transferred from Verbenaceae to Lamiaceae in the 1990s)
Chemical Family: Monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and oxides
Country of Origin: Bosnia and Herzegovina
Method of Extraction: Steam distillation
Cultivation Method: Collected from wild growth sources under organic growing and processing conditions; certified organic by IMO-Swiss AG (USDA National Organic Program standards)
Aroma: Floral, peppery, spicy and sweet with lemon-like, woody undertones; warm but fresh
Note Classification: Top

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HOW TO USE

Inhaler: Hot flashes and headaches may respond to the use of 12– 15 drops of vitex added to a blank inhaler, which provides a quick and convenient method of delivery.

Menstrual issues: Most essential oils experts–including medical herbalist Janina Sørensen and chemist and essential oils expert Dr. Kurt Schnaubelt–agree that Vitex is not an acute remedy; rather, its effects are cumulative and a notable effect, though it may happen quickly, often results only from four to six weeks of regular use; some suggest that it must be taken for a minimum of three menstrual cycles to evaluate its efficacy.

In his book, The Healing Intelligence of Essential Oils, Schnaubelt wrote that one drop diluted in water can be ingested per day during the second half of the menstrual cycle to address premenstrual syndrome and perimenopausal issues without resulting in any noticeable adverse effects. The dose of one drop daily is equivalent to 1/25 of a milliliter, or about 35 milligrams).

Vitex oil, when diluted properly, can be applied in a whole-body, balancing massage or localized in problem areas such as sore breasts and on the abdomen, pelvis and back, at the site of menstrual cramps.

Skin care: Add a drop of vitex essential oil to a non-perfumed, non-oily skin care cream or a washing lotion or tonic and use daily to improve hormone-related skin conditions, such as acne.

More Info

In his book Medical Aromatherapy, chemist Kurt Schnaubelt, Ph.D., the founder and scientific director of Pacific Institute of Aromatherapy, says that Vitex creates “a proper estrogen-progesterone balance in the second half of the monthly cycle and therefore eases or eliminates PMS. In fact, it alleviates PMS more effectively than all other commonly suggested oils that mimic estrogen but do nothing to rectify the crucial balance between progesterone and estrogen.” Schnaubelt also notes that Vitex may exert “a distinct influence on the pituitary gland, which in turn generates proper equilibrium of estrogen and progesterone in the body.”

Characteristics and Uses

According to a 2005 scientific review published in American Family Physician, The German Commission E has approved the use of chasteberry for irregularities of the menstrual cycle, cyclical breast discomfort and premenstrual syndrome (PMS). The article acknowledges several clinical studies that document the benefits of Vitex.

Using Vitex has not been linked to the known side effects of hormone replacement therapy, such as estrogen dominance, reproductive cancers, osteoporosis and infertility. Many female ailments are related to an imbalance of estrogen and progesterone, especially estrogen domination.

Some people report that Vitex, applied topically, even improves hormone-related, pubertal acne among both females and males and that chronic skin disorders in adults can benefit. Acne and its underlying hormone imbalances still need to be evaluated by a health care practitioner to assess other symptoms and decide if a systemic approach is needed to accompany the topical treatment.

PROPERTIES

Emotional and Energetic Properties:

Medical herbalist Janina Sørensen says that Vitex reconnects women with their feminine energy, strength and balance. “This plant is a true helper and savior for female imbalances and ailments, because we have seen that it has helped so many women to reconnect with their female identity, energy and health.”

Therapeutic Properties:

American Aromatherapist Barbara Chopin Lucks described many of the therpeutic properties reported by Vitex users in the article, “Vitex agnus-castus essential oil and menopausal balance: a self-care survey,” published in the journal Complementary Therapies in Nursing and Midwifery in 2002. In 2003, the journal published Lucks’ follow-up research that supported the 2002 findings

Reported benefits of Vitex agnus-castus essential oil included:

Decrease in or elimination of hot flashes and night sweats
Improved emotional stability and cognitive ability
Reduced headaches
Improved vaginal tone and lubrication
Moderation of irregular periods and flooding

RECIPES

Hormonal Balance Massage Oil Blend:

5 drops vitex

1 drop clary sage

2 drops geranium

and blend them into one ounce of Jojoba oil. This blend can be used as a whole-body balancing massage oil for women or for localized issues, such as sore breasts and menstrual pains.

SAFETY

Caution must be taken with concurrent use of Vitex and antidepressant medications.

According to the book Essential Oils Safety, co-authored by essentail oils researcher, educator and developer Robert Tisserand and medicinal chemist Rodney Young, Ph.D., contraindications to the use of Vitex are for women that are using progesterone therapy, are pregnant, breast-feeding or attempting to conceive, and prepubertal children. Caution is also recommended for use among women undergoing estrogen replacement therapy or that are using oral contraceptives.

The 2002-2003 published research conducted by Barbara Chopin Lucks and her colleagues found that the following were reported as side effects of Vitex agnus-castus essential oil:

Headache
Nausea
Rash or sensation of ants crawling on the skin
Increased hot flashes or night sweats
Nightmares
Emotional crises, exacerbation of depression, suicidal ideation
Disorientation or lethargy
Unwanted or unexpected vaginal bleeding

If pregnant, nursing or under a doctor’s care, consult your physician or clinical certified aromatherapist. For external use only. Keep away from mucous membranes & eyes. Test a small amount on skin for allergic reaction. Keep out of reach of children. Avoid using on infants and small children under the age of five years old.

Always dilute essential oils with a carrier oil.

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