How to Use Cardamom Essential Oil

How to Use Cardamom Essential Oil

I’m so in love with Cardamom essential oil right now. Have you ever tried it? Like so many other essential oils, it has several different properties, so there are many different ways you can use it.

But learning about essential oils isn’t just about knowing how to use the oils themselves. To really get to know an oil, we also need to learn about the plant it comes from. Recently, Cardamom taught me a very important lesson (another example of how plants can be such great teachers).

Have you ever thought you knew a plant or oil pretty well—just to find out you were mistaken?

It happens all the time, even to those of us that have studied essential oils for years!

For the Inner Sanctum Library’s Deep Dive on Cardamom, I was so excited because I have a Cardamom plant in my yard.

I even took a video of it to show it off and commented that, “I don’t know if it’s placebo or what, but I feel like I can smell something in the leaves.” Some part of me knew that this was a bit curious, but I brushed it off because hey, it’s a “Cardamom” plant.

There are two lessons to this story.

One is the importance of identifying plants using their Latin names … and the second is that you should always listen to your mother. 

I have to joke because she had just gifted me this mug for the holidays. And it turns out, that’s exactly what happened a few weeks later while I was studying Cardamom.

(Side note: My editor also told me that she had to correct the spelling of Cardamon a million times. She finally told me, “You mention in the Deep Dive that Cardamom has a maternal energy, so just remember that it ends in “mom.”)

The short of it is that I misidentified my plant. It’s actually part of the Alpinia genus and not Elettaria cardamomum. This is another example of why knowing your Latin names is so important.

But, let’s talk about Cardamom …

If you’re new to using Cardamom, here’s what you should know:

  • Cardamom is great in a diffuser for creating a homey and inviting scent. Many associate it with home-cooking.
  • Cardamom is nice in a massage blend (15 drops of essential oils total per ounce of carrier), and it has some antispasmodic properties.
  • Cardamom is stimulating but more subtle than Ginger or Rosemary; it’s most helpful for “picking up where you left off” and finishing something.
  • Cardamom blends delightfully well with Orange, Rose, Patchouli, and Eucalyptus—just to name a few.

Watch the video below to hear more about what I learned in this Deep Dive, and join me in a brief meditation with Cardamom.

 

 

After watching, I want to know, what do you enjoy using Cardamom for? What kinds of applications do you use it for, and what do you blend it with?

If you’ve never used Cardamom before, let me know what inspires you the most to go out and use this sweet spice. Leave me a comment below.

Want to dive into your aromatherapy studies without committing to a full program? Learn aromatherapy at home with us in the Inner Sanctum Library.

 

 

 

 

Reignite Your Passion with Cardamom

Reignite Your Passion with Cardamom

I’m going crazy …

about Cardamom.

Okay, I couldn’t help the alliteration, but I also do feel that way.

Ever since I started working with it to prepare for this month’s Deep Dive in the Inner Sanctum Membership, I haven’t been able to stop making blends with it. 

It all started when I put Cardamom and Orange in my diffuser a few weeks ago. After a few minutes I started saying, “Now that’s a recipe for a good day.” ☀️

Then my mom created a massage blend recipe for the Inner Sanctum featuring Cardamom and Rose. All I want is that as a perfume blend. (It works great either way!) 💐

Lastly, I was inspired to blend Cardamom with Patchouli, and oh my … this one is helping bring me into deep meditation. 🧘

I love how sometimes the simplest blends are the best!

Some of these I used in the diffuser, some topically (diluted 15 drops / 1 ounce), and some I inhaled from a scent strip.

In general, I find Cardamom to be a mild stimulant. It’s warming, grounding, and spicy enough to give you the oomph you need to finish something you’ve started.

I’m also now in the habit of chewing the seeds after meals because I can feel them helping to settle my stomach. Plus, they’re a natural breath freshener! 

But my favorite thing about this plant is:

Cardamom is the perfect oil to reignite your passions and stimulate your appetite for life. 

We all need that from time to time. 

So I want to know, do you use Cardamom? How do you like to use it? What do you blend it with?

Leave a comment because I’m always inspired by what you’re finding on your journey. 💖

If you want to dive deep with me into the study of Cardamom and 20 other essential oils, become a member of the Inner Sanctum. It’s the best aromatherapy education deal in town.

Get started today for only $15.99, and receive your very own on-demand virtual aromatherapy classroom. Cancel anytime. See why Robin Mattingly said, “OH MY GOSH!! This should have been done years ago.”

More Ways to Use Essential Oils Internally—Safely and Deliciously!

More Ways to Use Essential Oils Internally—Safely and Deliciously!

We discussed aromatic honey in our internal use blog, but we wanted to expand on that and share more variations.

This includes honey, jams, and chocolate! 

You can take honey with a drop of Peppermint by the tablespoon. Or you can make a larger batch with more Peppermint, to be used sparingly.

For the larger option, keep the mixture in a closed container once you’ve added the Peppermint (or other essential oil—depending on the purpose). Blend the honey and essential oil with a ratio of 1 drop essential oil per ounce of honey. Any container will work!

Stick a toothpick or tiny spoon in the honey and suck on the end of it, or add the honey to tea or hot water when you’re stuffed up or feeling queasy.

Alternatively, you can use essential oils for different purposes like:

  • Rose for an uplifting mix
  • Lavender and Sweet Marjoram for a sleepy-time mix
  • Rosemary, Spearmint, or Lime added to a blend, or used alone for a zingy, wake-up mix.

For anti-infectious honey to help you combat colds or illnesses, choose Tea Tree (although it doesn’t have the most pleasant taste). You can also combine the “big gun” essential oils for more germ-fighting ability.

Those include Clove, Cinnamon, Thyme, and others. Be aware that these oils are also the most potentially irritant oils, and they require caution. I suggest adding in tiny amounts to avoid burning your mouth. These should only be used for fighting off infection—no long-term use!

Essential Oils in Jam

I felt inspired when my new, wonderful friend Leslie (“La Grande Jam Dame”) gifted me homemade blackberry jam with a hint of lemon. She was perfecting her culinary skills and wanted to share!

After the jam had cooled, she added an awesome touch with a couple drops of Lemon essential oil. It was such a nice, subtle lemon taste in blackberry—the best combination!

NOTE: This jam is made to be savored and eaten sparingly.

And because this is our focus, here’s a little safety information about using essential oils in recipes:

Putting two drops of essential oil in a large batch of jam is perfectly safe according to the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) designation for Lemon oil. This means Lemon oil has been deemed safe as a food additive, to enhance flavor in minute amounts, like in this recipe.

All essential oils are considered GRAS, and it’s not an FDA approval. It’s just a list of flavorings and seasonings that are allowed in minute amounts in processed food. This does NOT mean that essential oils, extracts, etc. have nutrients or that they’re missing from our diet any more than salt or castoreum, which are also on the list.

See more info on GRAS designations here.

More Honey

Now, back to the topic at hand: Once I was inspired by the jam, I had to try creating my own honey flavoring. I already had some local, raw, raspberry-infused honey. Then I added 2 drops of Cardamon essential oil and 4 drops of Pink Grapefruit oil to 6 oz of this honey. After that, I stirred and tasted it, and WOW, what a treat!

It was an unusually tasty combo. I spread the mix on a hot croissant or nice bread with some fine cheesepreferably with cranberries! Once spread, reheat gently, then get a napkin and enjoy!

This is safe because it’s a small percentage of oil in honey1 drop per ounceand it’s made with safe, non-irritant oils. Remember, it’s an occasional treat.

Leslie provided me with this recipe (below). I thought I’d share it with all of you. It will be my next creative holiday project.

Have a CHERRY CHRISTMAS, y’all!

 

More yummy resources from our colleagues: