Wintergreen Oil

Botanical Name of Wintergreen:  Gaultheria procumbens

Synonyms:  checkerberry, teaberry and gaultheria

About Wintergreen: As the name suggests one of the characteristics of this plant is that it remains green throughout the winter and continues with the process of photosynthesis throughout the year. Wintergreen plant is basically shrub which belongs to Ericaceae family. This plant bear bell shaped white or pink colour flowers from May till September which are followed by fruit in form of berries. Wintergreen plant is cultivated mainly because of its requirement of a flavouring agent and its essential oil.

History of Wintergreen: This shrub is traditionally known to have been used by Native Americans as a drug to get relief from headache, sore throat, fever and various other aches. Wintergreen tea was also popular in this region and mainly used by hunters as it increased lungs capacity and helped the hunters to carry weight for longer duration of time. Due to its therapeutic properties the wintergreen essential oil was listed in the American Pharmacopeia from 1820 to 1894.  In the modern ear still wintergreen oil is used to treat many different ailments.

Properties of Wintergreen Oil: Wintergreen essential oil contains about 98% methyl esters and methyl salicylate. The oil is extracted from steam distillation of leaves of Gaultheria procumbens. These leaves are pre macerated before putting them through the steam distillation process. One should be very careful while using this oil, any excessive intake of this oil can cause serious damage to liver and kidneys.

Health Benefits and Applications Wintergreen Oil:

Wintergreen Oil is known to have number of benefits, some of the important ones include:

Analgesic: As majority of Wintergreen essential oil is nothing but methyl salicylate it is best known for its analgesic properties. When rubbed on the skin it induces numbness around the area of application thus giving relief from any pains. It also induces blood circulation on this effected area and brings warmth to it.

Anodyne: This is a special property by virtue of which pain diminishes and relaxation is induced. So it has best of two things: analgesic and relaxant. It will not only take away your pain but also leave in better mood.

Anti Rheumatic and Anti Arthritic: This essential oil also has lot of stimulating properties by virtue of which it penetrates deep inside the skin and stimulated circulation of blood. Not only it brings warmth to the affected area but also clears any obstruction to the blood circulation there. This process is very effective in treating patients with arthritis and rheumatic pains.

Anti Spasmodic: Pains caused in our body which are due to spasms can also be effectively cured by use of wintergreen essential oil. This is best for patients suffering from asthma, congested chest, breathing troubles, digestive disorders, muscular pains, etc.

Astringent: It also works as an astringent and makes your cells and tissues firmer, making your skin look younger.

Other therapeutic properties of Wintergreen Oil that make it useful are: anti septic, aromatic, carminative, diuretic, stimulant, etc.

Contact Us for more details on Wintergreen Oil and your commercial requirements for it.