Ravintsara Essential Oil

Like Geranium, Ravintsara Essential Oil is one of several oils found on practitioners’ shelves today that comes to us courtesy of the historical French colonial islands of the Indian Ocean, Réunion, the Comores and Madagascar. This oil is distilled from the leaves of a species of camphor tree that is considered native to Madagascar. It is just one of many oils produced from the amazing diversity of Madagascar’s tropical flora, which includes Basil, Saro, Ylang ylang and various species of Helichrysum. Ravintsara oil should not be confused with the similar leaf oil, Aromatic ravensara, which is distilled from Ravensara aromatica, also in the laurel family (see the Related oils section above).

Ravintsara; "the good leaf"

Ravintsara in Malagasy means ‘good leaf ’ and has been an indigenous folk remedy since pre-history for treating colds, coughs, digestive symptoms and epidemic infections in general. From the perspective of both energetic usage and chemical composition, Ravintsara in fact has much in common with Cajeput. Very high in 1,8 cineole and monoterpenes, it is an outstanding pungent-fresh oil that is essentially stimulant, warming and drying. Clinical usage therefore revolves around the treatment of weak and cold conditions. A stimulant to both the arterial circulation and the respiratory system when absorbed internally, Ravintsara is a versatile aromatic remedy.

Some common benefits of this essential oil are:

• nervous and cerebral restorative: hypotonic (weak) conditions with cerebral deficiency, mental and physical fatigue, debility, memory or concentration loss, somnolence; neurasthenia, CFS, postviral depression
• immune restorative: chronic immune deficiency with recurrent infections
• arterial circulatory stimulant: a wide range of asthenic (cold) conditions with poor circulation, cold skin
• respiratory stimulant: mucolytic expectorant: congestive upper and lower respiratory conditions, esp. bronchitis, sinusitis
• lymphatic stimulant and decongestant, detoxicant, diuretic: toxicosis with general eliminatory deficiency, esp. with swollen lymph glands
• musculoskeletal stimulant/restorative: antirheumatic, anti-inflammatory,
• analgesic: rheumatic and arthritic pain and inflammation, fibromyalgia; neuromuscular atony, muscle weakness
  
  
   

Ravintsara is a brilliant stimulant expectorant

Again like Cajeput and other pungent-fresh oils, Ravintsara is a brilliant stimulant expectorant and mucolytic aromatic that will dry up and decongest mucus in both the upper and lower airways. Being immune stimulant, anti-inflammatory and highly antiviral, this oil is especially indicated for the onset of all ear, nose, throat and respiratory infections. It can also be used successfully as a general antiviral agent, regardless of the type or location of infection. Ravintsara combines easily with other oils of this kind.In the energetic terms of Chinese medicine, this aromatic treats both external windcold invasion and the later, often chronic stage of phlegm-cold in the Lung.

In distinction to Cajeput, however, and in common with Niaouli, Ravintsara also exerts a deeply restoring action on nervous, cerebral and immune functions. This is a warming Qi and Yang tonic from the Chinese medicine perspective. It is clearly
indicated for individuals tending to chronic neurasthenia with fatigue, symptoms of cold and ongoing or recurrent infections. Here its lymphatic stimulant, detoxicant and diuretic actions will support the treatment of any infection, viral or bacterial, acute or chronic, that requires successful resolution. Paradoxically, Ravintsara can also be useful as a mild sedative to the nervous system for insomnia, which points to a possible regulating effect of some kind on cerebral functions. This certainly comes as no surprise in view of its significant content in monoterpenols.

With its clean, pungent fragrance underpinned by a hint of spiciness (note the phenols present), Ravintsara is invigorating to the mind and soul as much as to the body. Uplifting, refreshing and motivating, it will treat not only the usual mental deficiencies that pungent oils are known to target, but will be found especially useful for individuals suffering from low self-esteem, low self-confidence, pessimism and so on that is underpinned by a fundamental lack of motivating power. The ‘good leaf ’ holds much promise yet for weak conditions of the soul.

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