Ginger. It’s a classic feminine name that easily pictures a lovely redhead or a dancing movie star. Ginger oil makes me think of Melissa oil in this one way: after learning about the oil, I like the name even more!
Like a friend by this name you might already be thinking of — isn’t it interesting how our names just seem to fit us? — Ginger oil has a spicy, energizing flair. Sourced from multiple locations including Kenya, Madagascar, Tanzania, and Vietnam, it’s no surprise that dōTERRA® Ginger is made from the world’s most widely cultivated spice. People have been putting the ginger rhizome to use for several thousand years. This fresh rhizome, or underground stem that shoots out the plant’s roots, is what produces Ginger oil when distilled. It takes about one pound of fresh rhizome to produce one bottle of this hot essential oil.
Earthy, warming Ginger comes from a plant related to both cardamom and turmeric. As you’re surely already aware, Ginger is a tried-and-true digestive aid that helps ease occasional nausea and indigestion. It’s also popular to breathe in during long or uncomfortable car or plane rides when the motion doesn’t agree with you. Place a drop in the hands and breathe deeply during times like this; and you might even want to keep some Ginger Digestive Drops in the car glovebox, if this is a common occurrence for anyone in your traveling party.
Diffuse Ginger to enjoy the aroma’s warming and revitalizing effect. Ginger pairs perfectly with Frankincense, Cinnamon, and Grapefruit, among others.
First Blossom
• 3 drops Wild Orange
• 2 drops Ginger
• 2 drops Ylang Ylang
Use Ginger oil in place of dried or fresh ginger in many recipes that call for the spice. In the East, ginger is featured in Asian dishes from curries and soups to stir fries. In the West, we tend to reserve it for sweets; but don’t hold back and relegate it to that one area. Traditional Chinese health practices suggest ginger for its warming and stimulating capabilities, while Ayurvedic practices focus on the spice’s digestive benefits. Either way you cut it, these cultures are onto something. It’s high time to look beyond those adorably cut cookie people when incorporating Ginger oil in the kitchen.
A fun fact is that the idea of gingerbread may have originated in ancient Greece, where people ate thin slices of ginger wrapped in bread to aid digestion. Later on down the road, Europeans modified this idea by grating the ginger rhizome into their bread dough, thereby introducing gingerbread to the West. Ginger’s digestive-supporting abilities actually made gingerbread quite a valuable medieval snack!
These days, you can also apply Ginger oil over the lower abdomen to help support healthy digestion and combat bloated feelings. Ginger is a pretty popular gal; she shows up in a dozen dōTERRA products, from blends to supplements, and perhaps most notably in the beloved DigestZen® blend.
The paradox of Ginger is that she’s so surprisingly soothing, for being so hot and spicy. Beautiful and practical, invite dōTERRA Ginger to dance into your daily routine in the kitchen, the car, and wherever else the day takes you.