Essential oils for hives with their influential organic essence effectively provide relief from outbreak symptoms without harmful side effects.
Hives, medically also known as urticaria, are defined as an outbreak of protruding, swollen, and red welts on the skin that most commonly appear as a reaction to the particular allergens. Usually, itching, and, sometimes, even burning or stinging eruptions can appear anywhere on the body, including throat, ears, face, tongue, and lips.
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The welts vary in size, from a small pencil rubber proportion to large dinner plate dimensions. Singular spots may even join together and occupy larger areas on the body, creating plaques as a result. Even if the eruptions may at times seem visibly unpleasant and concerning, they usually fade within a few hours or in a day.
Here are the most common causes of hives:
- Exposure to allergens
- Chemicals
- Certain medications and allergy shots
- Particular foods such as nuts, shellfish, citrus fruits, milk, and eggs
- Pet allergies
- Insect bites and stings
- Stress
- Exposure to sun
NOTE: If you experience dizziness, wheezing, tightness in chest, difficult breathing or swelling of the face, lips or tongue as a symptom of hives immediately seek medical attention.
5 Essential oils for hives
- German chamomile essential oil
German chamomile essential oil extracted from white flowers of Matricaria Chamomilla plant carries anti-inflammatory properties due to the presence of the active organic compound called Azulene. These anti-inflammatory properties are excellent for treating various inflammatory skin conditions, including hives, eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea.
In addition, German chamomile essential oil is also an effective natural relaxant, a nervine and a tonic agent that will help you calm the nervous disturbances within inflamed skin tissue, as well as tone the protruding skin back into its the natural form, as soon as the outbreaks start fading away.
- Lavender essential oil
Lavender essential oil derived through the steam distillation preserves its powerful components, such as Linalool, Linalyl Acetate, and a-Terpineol, which give the oil powerful antioxidant value. Environmental toxins and chemicals not only irritate the skin but also cause premature aging. Fortunately, the antioxidant protection provided by lavender essence efficiently fights free radicals harmful to the entire body.
Lavender essential oil not only prevents the outbreaks but helps treat them as well. The pain-relief qualities of the oil help soothe discomfort, while the stimulating properties improve blood circulation for efficient oxygenation and faster regeneration.
- Peppermint essential oil
Peppermint essential oil enriched with Menthol and Menthone is a refrigerant substance capable of generating cooling sensation when in contact with the skin. This powerful personality of the oil is excellent for reducing fevers as well as relieving the pain, swelling, redness, inflammation, and itchiness associated with hives.
Peppermint essential oil is an excellent natural skin care product. It nourishes the skin and improves its texture and oiliness by boosting circulation as soon as the vapor touches the olfactory nerve endings. The establishment of efficient oxygen and nutrient supply is necessary for the regeneration of old skin cells as well as the growth of new ones.
- Myrrh essential oil
Myrrh essential oil derived from the resin of Commiphora myrrha tree native to Arabian Peninsula and Africa carries antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal healing properties suitable for preventing different bacterial and viral infections that may trigger outbreaks on the skin. Cold, as a viral infection, is often a cause of hives (Cold urticaria) in young adults.
The presence of active organic chemicals such as Alpha Pinene, Limonene, Cadienen, Sesquiterpenes, Eugenol etc. gives the oil powerful anti-inflammatory value capable of suppressing internal digestive inflammations as well as external inflammations of the skin, making the stinging pain and discomfort, in both cases, as a result, vanish away.
- Helichrysum essential oil
Helichrysum essential oil is an effective natural antiallergenic substance suitable for preventing and treating external signs of allergies in the form of rashes, breakouts (hives), and internal expressions, usually affecting the liver, lungs, spleen, intestines, and even heart.
Helichrysum essential oil with the help of its anti-inflammatory qualities soothes disturbed skin tissue and nerves helping the red welts, pain, soreness, and itchiness of hives fade away at a much higher pace. The cytophylactic activity of the essence additionally encourages the production of new skin cells for the effect of healthy and youthful looking skin.
5 Natural essential oil recipes that will help you soothe your skin
Cooling chamomile balm
Ingredients:
- 5 drops of German chamomile essential oil
- 1 ounce of coconut oil
Instructions:
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- Combine German chamomile essential oil with coconut oil.
- Store the balm in a small clean glass container.
- Cleanse your skin and apply the cooling balm on your hives.
Soothing lavender bath
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of oatmeal (colloidal or instant)
- 7 drops of lavender essential oil
Instructions:
- Fill your bathtub with warm water and add oatmeal and lavender essential oil to it.
- Disperse ingredients with your hand thoroughly.
- Soak in water for approximately 30 minutes.
Peppermint cooling mist
Ingredients:
- 3-5 drops of peppermint essential oil
- Distilled water
Instructions:
- Fill a 2-ounce spray bottle with distilled water and add peppermint essential oil to it.
- Shake the bottle to mix the ingredients thoroughly.
- Spray the mix on the hives to give yourself a relief from itchiness and pain.
Rejuvenating myrrh blend
Ingredients:
- 1 ounce of raw shea butter
- 5 drops of myrrh essential oil
Instructions:
- Place small mason jar filled with shea butter in a pan filled with a couple of inches of water.
- Gently heat the pan until the shea butter softens.
- Remove the pan from heat and stir in myrrh essential oil with a clean spatula.
- Allow the mixture to harden.
- After cleansing, apply the mixture onto the hives.
Cooling helichrysum Aloe Vera gel
Ingredients:
- 5-7 drops of helichrysum essential oil
- 2 ounces of Aloe Vera gel
Instructions:
- In a nonreactive bowl mix all ingredients together.
- Transfer the mixture into an amber glass container.
- Apply the gel to affected areas on the body to relieve the itchiness and pain.
- You can keep the created gel in the refrigerator for additional coldness.
Conclusion
Skin as the biggest human organ often informs us about our current health state. According to the statistics, each year approximately 15% of Americans experience hives or angioedema (swelling of the throat) due to allergic reactions.
The annual percentage can be easily lowered with the help of essential oils for hives. They not only help relieve the symptoms of outbreaks once they are visible on the skin but also help lower the frequency of new flare-up by helping the body build immunity towards both internal and external threats.
Here are the last tips that will help you exploit the healing benefits of listed essential oils in safe and effective manner:
- You can speed up the fading process of hives by applying cool compresses or wet cloths to affected areas, by working or sleeping in a cool room, and by wearing loose and lightweight clothing.
- Before introducing a new essential oil to your therapy do a skin test patch to make sure you are not allergic to the natural remedy.
- If you have been diagnosed with a skin condition or have other illness that may get compromised by the essential oil, make sure to consult your medical specialist beforehand.
- Don’t apply essential oil treatments to open wounds or cuts on your skin.
- If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, consult your medical specialist about the possible side effects.
- When making massage blends always dilute your essential oils with the carrier oil.
