I’m turning 55 next month and while looking back over the last ten years, I reflect on the fact that I’ve had a quite a bumpy ride through my perimenopause and menopause transition.
Menopause is a significant phase in a woman’s life, a rite of passage, marking the end of her reproductive years. While it is a natural transition, it often brings with it a host of physical and emotional challenges, including hot flushes, night sweats, mood swings, sleep disturbances, brain fog, loss of confidence, anxiety, muscle pain, but so many more symptoms too.
Thankfully, in recent years there is more information and support available, from both the medical profession and the holistic world. I have certainly learnt a lot over the past few years about how to support myself and others through the ups and downs of the menopause.
Aromatherapy is a wonderful tool for managing menopause symptoms and promoting health and well-being. I’ve been more grateful now than ever for my natural toolkit and I’ll share here some practical tips for incorporating essential oils into your daily routine, I’ve also created products for both New Forest Aromatics and The Menopause Boutique designed specifically for perimenopause, the menopause and beyond.
Perimenopause
Perimenopause, or the menopausal transition, is the period leading up to menopause when a woman’s body begins to undergo hormonal changes. This phase can start several years before menopause and is characterised by fluctuations in oestrogen and progesterone levels, women may still be having periods during this time, but they may become more irregular or sporadic. Many of the symptoms known during the menopause listed below, actually start during these years leading up to menopause.
Menopause
Menopause typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, though it can happen earlier or later. It is officially diagnosed after 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period. The symptoms of menopause result from the body’s decreasing production of oestrogen and progesterone, which affect every system in the body and can lead to a wide range of symptoms, especially as the mind and body adjust to this new life phase:
- Hot Flushes and Night Sweats: Sudden feelings of heat, often accompanied by sweating.
- Sleep Disturbances: Difficulty falling or staying asleep
- Mood Swings: Increased irritability, anxiety, or depression.
- Brain Fog: Difficulty concentrating, memory lapses, and reduced mental clarity.
- Vaginal Dryness: Reduced moisture and elasticity in the vaginal tissues.
- Reduced Libido: Decreased sexual desire.
- Migraines
- Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM)
These are some of the most common symptoms, but I’ve learned that there are so many others too!
Aromatherapy: A Natural Ally for Menopause Relief
Essential oils extracted from plants, are one of nature’s most powerful healers and support and promote physical and emotional well-being. These oils can be inhaled, applied topically, or used in baths and massages. For women experiencing menopause, aromatherapy offers a gentle, non-invasive way to manage symptoms and improve overall quality of life. Here are some of my favourite oils:
Essential Oils for Menopause Relief
- Clary Sage: Known for its hormone-balancing properties, clary sage can help reduce hot flushes and night sweats. It also has calming effects, which can alleviate mood swings and anxiety. Eases aches and pains.
- Geranium: This essential oil is beneficial for balancing surging hormones and can help with mood swings, hot flushes, and irritability. Also, for fluid retention, poor
circulation, stress, nervous tension, erratic menstruation - Spanish Marjoram: Lifts feeling of lethargy and eases aches and pains and cramps. Great to ease pre-menstrual cramps, restless leg, headaches. A good all round pain reliever and balancer, helps us to be more in rhythm with our nature cycles, ideal for irregular or heavy periods, etc
- Copaiba: Known for its anti-inflammatory properties, copaiba oil can help alleviate joint pain and discomfort, which some women experience during menopause. It also promotes relaxation.
- Linden Blossom – Eases nervous tension, cramps and indigestion. Very feminine, brings a sense of grace, gentleness, and mercy, when we are challenged from all that life throws at us.
- Ylang Ylang – harmonising, aphrodisiac, anti-depressant, eases hypertension and irritability, helps us love our bodies and ourselves, through the changing times of our lives.
- Bergamot – Citrussy and elevating, useful to lift depression, and bring back a sense of joy. For low mood and to ease the day’s anxieties.
- Lavender: Soothing and calming effects, lavender oil can promote relaxation and improve sleep quality. It is also effective in reducing anxiety and irritability.
- Rose: Rose oil is excellent for emotional balance and can alleviate feelings of sadness and anxiety. It is also beneficial for skin health, helping to maintain hydration and elasticity.
- Roman Chamomile: Calming properties that can help reduce stress, anxiety, and improve sleep quality.
Incorporating Aromatherapy into Your Routine for Menopause Relief
Inhalation
One of the simplest ways to use essential oils is through inhalation. Add a few drops of your chosen oil to a diffuser or a bowl of hot water and breathe in the soothing vapours. You can also place a few drops on a tissue or cotton ball and inhale as needed. A great addition to a meditation ritual, or just when you need a quick reset.
Topical Application
Essential oils can be applied to the skin, but they should always be well diluted with a carrier oil or cream.
Aromatherapy Baths
Adding a few drops of essential oils to your bathwater can create a relaxing and therapeutic experience. Combine the oils with a carrier oil or bath salts to disperse them evenly in the water.
Massage
Aromatherapy massages combine the healing benefits of touch and scent. Use a blend of essential oils diluted in a carrier oil to massage areas of tension and promote relaxation. Massage is so nurturing and supporting as our body experiences change over this time of
life.
Women’s Harmony Products from New Forest Aromatics
Our Women’s Harmony range includes carefully crafted blends including essential oils: clary sage, geranium, marjoram, ylang ylang, copaiba, linden blossom and bergamot. These oils are known for their hormone-balancing and mood-enhancing properties that support the ebbs and flows of life and overall well-being.
Women’s Harmony Roller Scent
The Women’s Harmony Rollerscent is a portable and easy-to-use blend designed to help balance hormones and manage menopause symptoms on the go. Simply apply the rollerball to pulse points such as the wrists, temples, and neck, and breathe for instant relief and a harmonising effect.
Women’s Harmony Bath Salts
The Women’s Harmony Bath Salts contains our beautiful essential oils in Himalayan
Magnesium and Himalayan rock salts. Perfect to give you a soothing bath experience. The
salts help to ease tensions, aches, pains and restless legs, while the scent carries you away
and then brings you back to your sense of true self.
Women’s Harmony Body Butter
Our deeply nourishing body butter is very special! It includes our Women’s Harmony blend of essential oils, plus mango, shea and cocoa butters whipped together with deeply nourishing and regenerating rosehip, camellia, calendula, apricot oils and locally sourced rapeseed oil. Amazing for dry, maturing, stretched or sagging skin.
Our …And Sleep range of products are a wonderful support for sleep issues during perimenopause and menopause, read my previous blog for more advice.
Time for Me Products from The Menopause Boutique
I also developed a range of body and hair oils for Lynda Allison of the Menopause Boutique. I particularly love their Nourishing Hair Oil, great for fizzy, brittle, thinning hair, or itchy scalp (menopause just keeps on giving)!
Beyond Menopause.
As many of you know who are going through their menopause years or who have come out the other side, this transition can be relatively smooth or full of bumps in the road. But there is help, support and light at the end of the tunnel. Beyond menopause, beyond raising children, or beyond the people pleasing and caring years, we move into our wise woman phase. This is a time for ‘me’, a time to care less about what other people think and to truly step into our power. This is the time, after so much life experience, we become the experts, mentors, consultants, advisors, we can speak our truth with authority and without fear! So, there is much to look forward to and to embrace as we step beyond the menopause.
My expertise is in sharing the benefits of essential oils and creating natural products that support women through the ebbs and flows of life, and I hope this has given you some tips. There will be more products and aromatherapy advice coming for the wise woman phase, I’ll keep you posted…
I’ve read books, listened to podcasts, watched Instagram lives, spoken to lovely GPs, gynaecologists, nutritional therapists and holistic women’s health experts, all of whom have supported my menopause journey and I’m very grateful to them all. Here are some resources below that I recommend if you would like to know more.
I loved Davina McCall and Dr. Naomi Potter’s Book Menopausing. (My husband read it too)
Dr. Louise Newson is such an inspiration and wealth of knowledge on all things women’s health. She has a team of menopause trained doctors around the country too.
Dr. Louise Newson also has a regular podcast on women’s health and the menopause.
Lynda Allison is an expert nutritionist and has a wealth of knowledge and advice.
A book by Alexandra Pope and Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer. This is a trailblazing guide to menopause, filled with nourishing wisdom and practical advice to help you thrive as your empowered, confident self.
Safety Considerations
While aromatherapy is generally safe, it is essential to use essential oils properly:
- Dilution: Always dilute essential oils with a carrier oil before applying them to your skin.
- Consult a Professional: If you have any underlying health conditions or are If you are taking medication, consult with a healthcare provider before using essential oils.
- Patch Test: Perform a patch test to check for any allergic reactions. Quality: Use high-quality, pure essential oils from reputable sources.
