Joy® Essential Oil Blend

This article is the first in our "Living the Essential Life" series by Danielle McElroy.  Danielle is an oil enthusiast who enjoys living the natural life with her cat in a cozy cottage in the Boonies.  We are very fortunate to have Danielle as a part of our team applying her excellent research skills to the field of aromatherapy and essential oils.  

Who couldn't use a little more Joy in their life?  We love using the Young Living essential oil blend called Joy and since you can receive a free bottle of Joy as part of Young Living's September promotion for the Canadian market (see all the details here) we thought it would be the perfect time to talk about this amazing blend.   

Joy is a combination of a number of different essential oils, including: bergamot, rose, geranium, lemon, palmarosa, ylang ylang, jasmine, roman chamomile, coriander and tangerine.  Joy's fragrance is beautiful and uplifting, like walking through an exotic flower garden after a spring rain.  Not only does it smell terrific, Joy has a variety of practical health uses.  Here are a few tips on how to use Joy:

 

 Emotional Well-being

Just as it's name implies, Joy helps to support feelings of emotional wellness.  Simply apply a few drops topically over your heart area.  If you are having a get-together with friends or are hosting a party, you can diffuse Joy in a Young Living diffuser for up to 20 minutes before your guests arrive.  It will help freshen the air and lift everyone's spirits from the moment they enter the door.

Chase away Everyday Stress, Anxiety and Irritability

Feeling down?  Many of the oils in Joy help provide support for the nervous system.   Scientific evidence shows that bergamot and lemon reduce the stress response, [i]  [ii] while ylang ylang helps increase a sense of calmness.[iii]  Keep Joy handy in your purse or pocket during your day, so you can take a few deep breaths from the bottle whenever you need it.  Or try a few drops in your bath to help you de-stress after a tough day at work or with the kids. 

Reduce High Blood Pressure

Joy essential oil blend contains ylang-ylang, an oil that helps support and maintain healthy blood pressure.  Research published in 2013 shows that ylang ylang was able to significantly reduce blood pressure and heart rate in male subjects. [iv] 

Immune System Support

Joy contains a number of oils that help support the immune system and keep the body healthy, including rose and bergamot.  Studies show that these two oils help inhibit the inflammatory COX-2 enzyme in a fashion that mimics the health benefits of red wine. [v]  Not only does Joy smell great, but it can help you stay healthy, too.

Create a Romantic Mood

Herbalists traditionally have used ylang ylang to rejuvenates a sense of passion.  Want to inspire a mood of romance?  Try dotting some Joy along your wrists or at your temples.

Natural Fragrance or Cologne

Unlike many perfumes and colognes on the market, Joy is a natural fragrance that does not contain loads of chemicals that are toxic to the body.  Try wearing it instead of your usual perfume or cologne.  You can also put a few drops of Joy onto a cotton ball and place inside your closet, or in your car–any place where the air needs freshening.  Not a fan of Joy's floral fragrance?  You can still enjoy Joy's health benefits by applying it to the bottoms of your feet. 

Joy is:

✔     okay to be used neat (without dilution)

✔     okay for kids (but dilute for little ones)

✗     not okay for internal consumption

✗     photosensitive – do not expose skin to sunlight for 12 to 48 hours after application.  (Try applying Joy under your clothing or to the bottoms of your feet instead)

Tip: 

Kids love Joy!  If your kids are cranky, apply a little diluted Joy to the souls of their feet.  Or even more fun, try adding a drop or two of Joy to their favorite homemade playdough recipe.  The kids will absorb the Joy into their hands and will breathe it in as they play with the dough.  Pretty soon, everyone will be smiling! 

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Please see our Research page for full abstracts. 

[i]Saiyudthong S, Marsden CA. Acute effects of bergamot oil on anxiety-related behaviour and corticosterone level in rats. Phytother Res. 2011;25(6):858-862.

[ii]Komiya M, Takeuchi T, and E Harada.  Lemon oil vapor causes an anti-stress effect via modulating the 5-HT and DA activities in mice .Behav Brain Res. 2006 Sep 25;172(2):240-9. Epub 2006 Jun 15.

[iii]  Moss M, Hewitt S, Moss L, et al. Modulation of cognitive performance and mood by aromas of peppermint and ylang-

     ylang. Int J Neurosci. 2008;118(1):59-77.

[iv]Jung DJ, Cha JY, Kim SE, et al.  Effects of Ylang-Ylang aroma on blood pressure and heart rate in healthy men.J Exerc Rehabil. 2013 Apr;9(2):250-5. doi: 10.12965/jer.130007. Epub 2013 Apr 25.

[v]Hotta M, Nakata R, Katsukawa M, et al. Carvacrol, a component of thyme oil, activates PPARα and γ and suppresses COX-2 expression. J of Lipid Res, 2010; 51(1): 132-139.