Fennel
Foeniculum vulgare

Fennel has a herbaceous, sweet scent rather like anise. Sweet fennel, which is used for aromatherapy, is a perennial plant with blue-green feathery leaves and yellow flowers. It is the seeds that are crushed and then steam distilled to produce the essential oil. Fennel has been used since ancient times as a spice, a sacred plant and for its medicinal properties.

The main action of fennel is freeing, calming, and stimulating the bowels and digestive system to function well. It encourages food to be properly digested, particularly when you have eaten too fast or after a large, heavy meal and it can reduce water retention and detoxify the body as when treating cellulite. Fennel has natural plant hormones that can help to increase the milk flow of nursing mothers and, used as a compress, may help to relieve engorged or painful breasts.

PROPERTIES: Detoxifying, digestive stimulant, balancing, cleansing, diuretic.

BLENDS WELL WITH: Geranium, Marjoram, Lavender, Grapefruit, Lemon, Orange.

PRECAUTIONS: Avoid use if you are pregnant or suffer from epilepsy. Use Fennel in moderation and in concentrations of no more than 1%.

For a regenerating bath: Add five drops Fennel to warm water for a bath that helps to balance and refresh the body and mind during times of emotional instability.

For a refreshing room fragrance: Burn six drops Fennel in the diffuser during meal time to encourage proper digestion as well as deodorize the atmosphere of cooking odors.

For nursing mothers: Fennel’s properties are known to increase the milk flow. Dilute two drops Fennel in a bowl of water for use in a cold compress.

For the treatment of cellulite: Combine three drops Fennel with four drops Grapefruit in one oz. unscented massage oil. Massage affected areas daily to increase circulation and tone the skin.