We Found an Essential Oil Blend That Will Melt Away *All* of Your Muscle Tension
All hell breaks loose whenever I have a knot in my muscles. But it inevitably happens, since I'm a bona fide boot camp addict. There are things you can do to get that annoying AF tension out, like roll around on a tennis ball or blast a Theragun to the spot, or even slather on the CBD—but I never thought that something as simple as essential oils could do the trick too.
Then Jana Blankenship, beauty guru and founder of Captain Blankenship, schooled me—not that I'm surprised, considering essential oils can help with everything from stress to sleep. In her soon-to-be-released book, Wild Beauty ($18), she gives readers what I'd consider the dream essential oil blend: one that releases muscle tension.
“I created this powerful blend of essential oils to relieve anxiety, tension, headaches, migraines, and PMS," Blankenship tells me. The magic's in the minty extracts combined with certain botanicals that work together to get those knots some relief. "Stimulating peppermint essential oil is an ancient medicine for relieving tension. The scent of eucalyptus essential oil instantly clears your senses and helps ease anxiety. And Clary sage is a savior for PMS and tension release," she explains.
So that combo, blended with rosemary and lavender essential oils for "fresh air to ease your pain," can give CBD a run for its money. All you do is blend the oils together following Blankenship's recipe—into a rollerball, ideally—and close your eyes, lie down (if you can), and dab some onto your temples and wrist (or wherever you're feeling tension or knots). Keep scrolling to try out the muscle-relieving recipe for yourself.
Loosen the Knot Tension-Release Blend
Yields 1/2 oz
Ingredients
1 tablespoon carrier oil of choice
8 drops peppermint essential oil
7 drops eucalyptus essential oil
5 drops clary sage essential oil
3 drops rosemary essential oil
Optional: 5 drops lavender essential oil* (Use if you or your friends love lavender; some people don’t.)
1. Add carrier oil to small spouted measuring cup. With separate eyedroppers, add essential oils to carrier oil and combine with spoon. With funnel, pour slowly into roll-on bottles. Press on roll-on lid and screw on cap.
2. Use as needed. If stored out of direct sunlight, will keep for up to two years.
Reprinted with permission from Wild Beauty, by Jana Blankenship, copyright © 2019. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC.
Images copyright © by Julianna Blizzard
To use more of the powerful oils, here are the best essential oils for energy, and the essential oils that fight inflammation, according to the pros.
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