Helichrysum essential oil

Scientific name:  Helichrysum italicum

Family:  Asteraceae, daisy

Origin:  Croatia

Form:  steam-distilled essential oil

Parts:  flowers

Helichrysum italicum is a flowering plant of the daisy family, Asteraceae. It is sometimes called the curry plant because of the strong smell of its leaves. It grows on dry, rocky or sandy ground around the Mediterranean and North Africa and is cultivated in Southern France, Italy and former Yugoslavia. Helichrysum produces an essential oil from its blossoms that is used for medicinal purposes. This oil is steam-distilled from its flowers and is considered by some as the most anti-inflammatory of all the essential oils. It is also antimicrobial, cell regenerative and astringent. It soothes burns and raw chapped skin, fades bruises and scarring, treats infection, muscle pain and arthritis, aids the immune system and counters allergic reactions. Widely used in perfumery, Helichrysum is a middle note, acts as a fixative, and has a powerful, rich, herbaceous, honey-like scent with a delicate tea-like undertone. 

In aromatherapy it is considered by some to be one of the ‘sacred’ oils and is very mild but becomes most powerful when combined with other oils. This uplifting oil promotes emotional healing and encourages calm, acceptance, patience, perseverance, endurance and inner strength. Because of its particular emotional benefits, it is also commonly known as “everlasting” or “immortelle”. In clinical aromatherapy it is used to treat depression, lethargy, nervous exhaustion and stress. Its main constituents are neryl esters at 30-50% and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons at 30%. The high content of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons gives this oil potent anti-inflammatory and cell regenerative effects that make it such an incredible ingredient for use on acne, rosacea, mature skin, scarring, and wounds.

back to Helichrysum essential oil