Episode 194: Florals for Summer and the Amazing Fennel

doTERRA: Did you know that several centuries ago in Holland, tulips were more valuable than gold? Now, you may not be able to use flowers as currency anymore, but we still think they're pretty precious. And today, we'll share some of our favorites with you.

Welcome back to Essential Oil Solutions with doTERRA, the podcast where you'll hear exciting, useful, and simple everyday uses for essential oils from experts in the field.

Today's episode is brought to you by the On Guard Protective Blend. A powerful blend of essential oils, On Guard provides a natural and effective alternative for immune support when used internally. Your body does a lot for you, so why not get your guard up? Check out the link in our episode description to learn more.

Today, we're excited to talk to Samantha Lewis, a member of the doTERRA product marketing team, about the best florals for summertime. Plus, we'll look at the fascinating history of fennel. Remember, if you're interested in any of the products we talk about today, make sure to click on the link in the episode description. Samantha, thank you so much for being here with us today.

Samantha Lewis: Thanks for having me!

doTERRA: This is a topic I'm very excited to talk about because sometimes I don't feel like it gets enough attention. So florals are such an amazing group of oils. Can you tell us a little bit about what makes them different from some of the other essential oils we have?

Samantha: I totally agree. This is such an incredible topic, and I do think it needs a little bit more attention. I mean, woods and herbs and grasses all are talked about quite a bit, but I love talking about florals.

So floral essential oils, from a chemistry perspective, are all very unique. Most have a monoterpene backbone, but span across the chemistry wheel, containing alcohols, esters and aldehydes, which means their chemistry is diverse, resulting in diverse benefits across a floral category. From restoring and smoothing to clarifying and calming, floral essential oils span many uses and could be incorporated into your daily routine at different times.

My favorite feature about floral oils is they are traditionally a fairly dainty and fragile plant, but once distilled, provide powerful and strong chemistry, aromas and benefits. And once you've experienced that power in essential oil or absolute form, you'll never underestimate a delicate flower petal again.

Now, flower oils are currently not a highly researched category for their internal benefits, but we know how powerful they can be topically, from hair care to skin care, even the emotions. We'll talk through some of the powerful benefits these oils can have.

doTERRA: Absolutely. Before we go into some of the benefits, I just want to know, what are some of your personal go-to floral oils?

Samantha: Yeah, so Yarrow and Blue Tansy. Those are some of my favorite skin health oils. You're probably familiar with the Yarrow|Pom Nutritive Duo, and that was easily my favorite product to launch here at doTERRA. I've experienced some incredible benefits from this combination and have loved seeing how it's blessed the lives of all of you.

And then my next go-to has to be Rose. Now, this precious love of mine is something I first learned to love, thanks to Dr. Hill. A few years ago, I had the pleasure of talking with him about some of our university and hospital partnerships, and Rose is one of the oils that had been studied at the time.

The topical benefits are incredible, both to help reduce the appearance of skin imperfections, but also to promote healthy skin when compromised. This is an oil I'd recommend doing some individual research on. It's such a powerful essential oil even in the touch format, which is perfectly combined with FCO for an efficacious, on-the-go, use any time whenever you need support, really.

doTERRA: Yes. And it doesn't hurt that it smells amazing.

Samantha: It's incredible. Yeah, I love it!

doTERRA: Now, you mentioned that there isn’t a ton of research around using flora oils internally, but we do have a little bit. So what are some of your floral oils that you like to use internally?

Samantha: Yeah, so there definitely is some out there, and I feel like the obvious for internal use in florals is Lavender. Just to be totally frank, Lavender is easily my deserted island oil. Now, although many other floral oils have not been highly studied like we talked about, Lavender is arguably one of the most studied essential oils, or at least among the most of the essential oils in the world.

Not only does doTERRA have some powerful studies behind its purity and potency that we talked about at Convention 2021, but there are probably hundreds of studies by third-party researchers proving time and time again its efficacy aromatically, topically, and especially internally.

Another floral, which I feel like is kind of an unsung hero, is Geranium. Now, I know the aroma of Geranium can be a bit polarizing, but it has some unique internal benefits that, when added to a veggie cap, might surprise you. So you don't have to experience the taste or the aroma, just drop it in a veggie cap. Now, much of the research is still pretty experimental, but Geranium shows some promise with internal use by calming and soothing thanks to the high levels of geraniol, which is the main constituent of Geranium essential oil.

doTERRA: Yes. And like you said, that internal use can be so beneficial, especially if it's an essential oil where you don't really like the smell or don't want the smell around all day.

Samantha: Yeah, I totally agree. Just kind of almost hide it in a soft gel in a veggie cap and reap the benefits. It's pretty incredible.

doTERRA: Absolutely. Now, my last question for you, Samantha, is how do I incorporate all of these amazing floral oils into my daily routine?

Samantha: So outside of the internal use that we've already talked about with Lavender and Geranium, I think the most simple way to incorporate floral oils on a daily basis is aromatically, whether that's diffusing, to add a calming environment or even as a room fragrance. The floral Touches are easy to use when creating your own personal aroma as well. I personally love a bit of Magnolia and Neroli with just a touch of Jasmine—especially if you've got your hands on the Jasmine essential oil last year—and then Vanilla to create a subtly sweet, captivating personal fragrance. It's one of my go-to personal aromas that I feel like lasts all day and just, I don't know, it's kind of delicious.

And then floral oils add a sort of sophistication, I'd say, to diffuser blends when trying to scent your home. I love combining deep base notes like Myrrh and Vetiver with fresh Ylang Ylang or a bit of Rose to create a deep and inspirational signature home scent. Florals are also very complementary to the Hygge blend if you are able to get your hands on that.

doTERRA: All of that sounds so incredible, and I can't wait to try them myself. Samantha, thank you for talking with us today and sharing about the power of these amazing floral essential oils.

Samantha: Of course! I have a huge passion for these floral essential oils, and I really think that there's so many benefits. I look forward to seeing how everyone's using them in their daily routines.

doTERRA: Fennel has woven its way throughout history as an herb legendary for its many benefits.

In the language of flowers, it symbolizes force and strength. Now, fennel may not be the first thing that springs to your mind when you think of a powerhouse herb, but this humble plant has a long, storied history stretching from Ancient Greece, to Charlemagne, and beyond.

Fennel is a perennial herb, which, in the simplest sense, means that it’s a plant that lives more than two years. It stands tall, with a hollow stalk, gray-ish green leaves, and can grow up to heights of eight feet.

History of Fennel

Fennel is known by more than 100 different names and has been held in high esteem throughout history. In fact, a traditional Welsh saying disparages anyone who would pass by fennel without picking it up. It says, “He who sees fennel and gathers it not, is not a man, but a devil.”

In Greek the name for fennel is marathon or marathos. And fennel is actually associated with the origin of the marathon. The ancient Athenian Pheidippides carried a fennel stalk on his 150-mile, two-day run to Sparta to gather soldiers for the battle of Marathon with Persia in 490 BC. The place of the famous battle of Marathon literally means a plain with fennel and after the battle the Athenians used woven fennel stalks as a symbol of victory.

Greek warriors also believed that drinking a fennel tea before battle would give them courage. But the significance of Fennel in Greek culture goes back even further than the battle of Marathon or Greek soldiers.

Fennel in the Myth of Prometheus

In Hesiod's poem “Theogony” (meaning the genealogy or birth of the gods) he tells the story of Prometheus stealing the ember of fire from the gods.

In Greek mythology Zeus assigned Prometheus the task of forming man from water and earth, which Prometheus did, but in the process, he became fonder of men than Zeus had ever anticipated. Zeus didn't share Prometheus' feelings and wanted to prevent men from having power, especially over fire. Prometheus cared more for man than for the wrath of Zeus, so he stole fire from Zeus' lightning. Prometheus concealed the fire in a hollow stalk of fennel and brought it to man.

Fennel in Ancient Rome

Roman gladiators had some similar traditions surrounding fennel. They mixed fennel with their food in order to be successful in the arena and if a gladiator won, he was crowned with a fennel garland. Also, Roman accounts state that snakes were fond of fennel, and when consumed it allowed them to be restored to their youth and thus were able to cast off their old skin.

Fennel in Antiquity and the Middle-Ages

In antiquity and up to the middle-ages fennel seeds were considered, like garlic, a deterrent of evil spirits; people draped little sacks with sprigs and seeds over their doors and stuffed their keyholes with fennel seeds in order to block out ghosts and malevolent apparitions.

Fennel also made an appearance in many ancient wellness practices. It was one of the nine plants invoked in the pagan Anglo-Saxon Nine Herbs Charm, recorded in the 10th century. The charm is intended to help with the preparation of nine herbs. The numbers nine and three, significant in Germanic paganism and later Germanic folklore, are mentioned frequently within the charm. Further, the charm directs the reader to sing the charm three times over each of the herbs before they are prepared.

The Anglo-Saxons also held the herb as sacred, and Charlemagne, the great emperor, declared in 812 AD that fennel was essential in every garden because of its beneficial properties. He required the cultivation of fennel on all imperial farms.

Additionally, during Shakespeare’s time fennel also had large cultural relevance. It served as an emblem of flattery and Italians of the era would say Dare Finocchio, “to give fennel” or “to flatter.”

Fennel in the Middle East and Asia

Many cultures in India, Afghanistan, Iran, and the Middle East use fennel fruits in cooking. It’s an essential ingredient in many spice mixtures, including the Chinese five-spice powders. In many parts of India, roasted fennel fruits are consumed as an after-meal digestive and breath freshener. Fennel water has also been utilized in many cultures. It has properties similar to those of anise and dill water.

From Greek mythology to fennel tea, fennel has played a part in innumerable areas of history. This workhorse herb has impacted the lives of people all around the world and we hope that you have a chance to feel the impact in your home as well.

Thanks for joining us and congratulations on living a healthier lifestyle with essential oils. If you liked what you heard today, rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen. Also, if you want to try any of the products you learned about, go to doterra.com or find a Wellness Advocate near you to place an order today.