An essential oil for September

September is one of my favourite months. I love the slight chill in the mornings, the dew on the cobwebs, mist, unexpected warm spells, and the trees beginning to show their autumn colours. I know that some of you may struggle with September and that's OK.

I've chosen a floral oil for September to draw out the last of the summer and transport you to warm evenings. It's jasmine this month - the 'king of oils' - and great for a mood boost if you do find yourself feeling a bit down as the seasons change.

It's really rich, floral and quite heady. It's not to everyone's taste and, although I love the scent of a flowering jasmine, I actually found the oil quite overpowering at first. Now, though, I really love it. The scent of it transports me to a warm evening, somewhere Mediterranean.

The essential oil is extracted from highly scented white jasmine flowers, which are gathered at night when the perfume is strongest. It's another oil which is labour-intensive to produce and takes a large quantity of flowers to produce a small quantity of oil, so Jasmine is one of the more expensive essential oils.

Traditionally, in China jasmine flowers were used in the treatment of hepatitis and cirrhosis and the root used to treat headaches, insomnia and pain. In the West, jasmine is used to facilitate childbirth.

I was really surprised by how much the use of jasmine oil has been researched, and I've listed some of the more interesting studies below.

A small study found that aromatherapy massage once a week for eight weeks improved menopause symptoms, when using a combination of jasmine, lavender, rose, and rose geranium essential oils.

A pilot study found that jasmine oil, inhaled for 5 minutes a day over days 10 found that jasmine oil helped to calm and improve symptoms such as insomnia, palpitations, and irritability in people with generalised anxiety disorder.

Jasmine was found to be stimulating and activating: study participants reported feeling more alert after the use of jasmine oil, which suggests that it could be useful for relieving depression and boosting mood.

When participants in another study inhaled jasmine oil, they reported feeling more positive and energetic.

Jasmine may also have wound healing, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, and a study found it sped up healing of chronic wounds,

How to use jasmine at home:

2 drops on a tissue to inhale to lift your mood, boost positivity, increase energy and ease anxiety.

1 or 2 drops jasmine essential oil in 5ml carrier oil and apply to the skin.

Baths are a great way to use essential oils. A jasmine essential oil bath would be very luxurious, but you have to treat yourself sometimes! I would recommend blending jasmine with another oil such as geranium, clary sage, or a citrus oil. Choose 2 oils and start with 10ml carrier oil, full fat milk or unscented bath foam and add 2 drops of each of your chosen oils. Add more of either oil to blend to your taste up to a maximum of 6 drops in total. Add your mixture to warm running water.

Jasmine tea has been found to have some of the benefits of the essential oil - a study found that the aroma of jasmine tea improves mood and calms the nervous system. Jasmine flowers are usually combined with green tea which contains anti-oxidants. Teabags and loose leaf tea are available in larger supermarkets and specialist tea shops.

(Don't apply neat essential oil directly to the skin, use in the recommended concentrations and don't use in pregnancy. Always buy your essential oils from a reputable supplier.)

September is whizzing by - enjoy the rest of the month! Let's hope this sunshine continues.