Puberty Bliss: How Essential Oils Can Help Teenagers

by Stephanie Chambers

Too often we associate our teen years with angst and emotional turmoil rather than positive emotions like joy and bliss. Growing up in Australia, where a lot of emphasis is put on our final exam at school, I remember my fellow teens bursting into tears due the stress involved.

I also remember the peer pressures and how often personal identities were sacrificed due to infatuations with boyfriends and girlfriends and our quest for love. Late nights, binge drinking, drugs and other influences certainly didn’t help. I was just lucky that I had taken up Transcendental Meditation and yoga and wasn’t as influenced as my peers by all of this.

Our bodies change rapidly during this period and, naturally our minds are influenced by these changes. But the teenage years don’t have to be stressful. Finding your identity and your way in life can be a spiritual journey of learning and discovery and essential oils can help bring the balance so desperately needed during this tumultuous time. Here are a few tips which you as a teen may find useful, or as a parent, you might like to suggest to your teens.

BALANCING KAPHA

According to Ayurveda, nature influences us and in our youth, Kapha dosha tends to predominate. Kapha is that aspect of stability and in the body it is associated with bones and structure. When our bones are still growing, that’s because of Kapha.

A balanced Kapha is friendly, serene and steady. But when Kapha is out of balance, it can lead to weight gain, too much mucus and sometimes to allergies, asthma, depression and diabetes. It can also give rise to an apathy and lack of interest.

The best and easiest way to keep Kapha balanced is to engage in vigorous daily exercise. This used to be part of teenage life with school sports and so on, but often these days due to excess obsessions with technology, sometimes this can be forgotten. Try and find an exercise you (or your teen) enjoy as this can make it easier to push yourself to do it.

Essential oils which can help balance Kapha (and reduce apathy) are:

• Grapefruit – Pink Grapefruit or White Grapefruit. You can diffuse it, or dilute it 2% in a carrier oil (10 drops per tablespoon) or unscented skin care product and massage in after a shower or dilute and spritz it.
• Lime – diffuse it
• Lemon – diffuse it.

BUILDING SELF-CONFIDENCE

The following essential oils can help build self-esteem:

• Basil – Tropical, Sweet Linalool or Holy – diffuse it or dilute 2% in any carrier oil (10 drops per tablespoon) and apply to the whole frontal line (this runs from the heart area upwards and downwards extending from the front of the neck to the pubic bone, parallel to the spine) ordilute and use in a bath
• Bergamot – diffuse it or dilute 2% in a carrier oil (10 drops per tablespoon) and apply to the heart and chest area or dilute and use in a bath.
• Spice oils – Cardamom (diffuse or dilute 2% in any carrier oil and apply on the forehead), Cinnamon Leaf (diffuse or dilute 2-3% in any carrier oil (10-15 drops per tablespoon) and apply on the whole frontal line), Cinnamon Bark (diffuse) or Ginger (diffuse). Note that Cardamom and Cinnamon are also aphrodisiac.
• Courage and Confidence Synergy – diffuse it or dilute it 2% in any carrier oil (10 drops per tablespoon) and do a whole body massage or dilute it 3-5% in any carrier oil (15-25 drops per tablespoon) and apply to the heart and chest area or dilute and use in a bath.

DEALING WITH TEEN ISSUES

Here are some common problems faced by teens. Please refer to the page we have for how to use essential oils for these issues:

• Acne – see Essential Oils For Acne
• ADD/ADHD – see ADD/ADHD: Finding Your Center Using Essential Oils
• Allergies – see Essential Oils For Allergies & Hayfever
• Anxiety – see Essential Oils For Anxiety and Stress
• Asthma – see Essential Oils For Asthma
• Concentration issues – see Essential Oils And The Mind
• Depression – see Essential Oils For Depression
• Obesity – see Essential Oils For Weight Loss And Obesity
• Period Pain – see Can You Use Essential Oils For Period Pain?
• Sleep issues – see Essential Oils For Sleep And Insomnia.

For girls, we would also recommend A Woman’s Balance Roll-On Relief. This contains clary sage and other essential oils that will help balance female hormones.

For boys, we would recommend diluting Sandalwood 2% in carrier oil (10 drops per tablespoon) and applying it to the skin as it creates an upward energy flow and is grounding and relaxing. Or diffusing Atlas Cedarwood or Himalayan Cedar or diluting it 3-5% in a carrier oil and applying it to the heart and chest area (15-25 drops per tablespoon) or diluting it and using it in a bath. Or diffusing Nutmeg which is warming and anxiety relieving.

LOVING TOUCH

At this time when you are no longer likely to ask your mother or father for a hug or a cuddle, it is important to still find a way to experience healthy touch. We would recommend that you book yourself (or your teen) in for regular aromatherapy massages. This will also help reduce stress and help bring the bliss that should be part of puberty and teen years.

We hope you have found these tips of value. Please let us know which essential oils have helped your teenage life experience or your child’s teen issues by commenting below, so that all can benefit.

Disclaimer: The statements made in this blog have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They are not intended to diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. If a condition persists, please contact your physician or healthcare provider. The information provided is not a substitute for a face-to-face consultation with a healthcare provider, and should not be construed as medical advice.

Original Published: 2015-08-26 / Last Modified: 2021-10-05