Eucalyptus is promoted as a natural remedy for a range of different problems from allergies and nasal congestion to stress—and it smells gorgeous. It’s usually applied either to the skin as a balm or as a nasal spray. But did you know you can use eucalyptus in the shower? When hung from the shower fitting, eucalyptus looks lovely, and the hot water causes the smell and essential oils to be released, providing the benefits we describe below.
Stress Relief
The smell of eucalyptus oil is calming, and adding that into your shower, itself a relaxing experience, can have a profound effect on your stress levels. This is backed up by recent medical studies, in which eucalyptus has been shown to help with stress relief.
For example, one study resulted in 62 healthy people experiencing significant reductions in pre-surgery anxiety after inhaling eucalyptus oil. Here’s the science behind that: eucalyptus contains eucalyptol, which possesses anti-anxiety properties. In addition, inhaling eucalyptus oil for 30 minutes has been linked with lower blood pressure in patients after knee surgery, suggesting that it has a calming effect. The researchers behind these studies believe that it decreases the activity of your stress response system while increasing the activity of your parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes relaxation.
Of course, it’s not usual to shower for 30 minutes, but you should get some calming effects even in your regular 10-minute shower.
Allergies
Using eucalyptus in the shower, you will find that allergy symptoms, such as a blocked or runny nose and lung irritation leading to coughing, have been significantly reduced. This is because eucalyptus oil in the air opens up the sinus and lungs improving circulation. In addition, the oil acts on receptors in your mucous membranes, reducing nasal stuffiness, and has anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, which should also clear up your itchy eyes.
Pain Relief
While it is usually used in a balm or salve for this purpose, eucalyptus in the shower can help to relieve pain. Much of this is due to its anti-inflammatory properties, which can help significantly with joint pain or post-operative discomfort. It also lowers blood pressure which might be causing headaches or even chest and arm pain. (Note: you should consult your physician if you are suffering from high blood pressure as eucalyptus will only treat the symptoms, and this can be a dangerous condition.)
Eucalyptus Makes Your Bathroom Smell Amazing
A final significant benefit of having eucalyptus in your shower is its natural ability to eliminate bad bathroom odors, leaving your bathroom smelling fresh for days or even weeks. No matter how good your cleaning schedule, some smells will sometimes linger in your bathroom, so this benefit is very welcome!
How Do I Use Eucalyptus in My Shower?
There are several ways to use eucalyptus in your shower. The first method involves using fresh branches. First, gather together some branches of leaves. Depending on how lush you want your eucalyptus bouquet to look, you can use anywhere between three and twelve branches. If you’re lucky enough to have a tree in your garden or growing locally, you can gather your own. Alternatively, flower shops may stock them, and you can purchase them online from stores such as Etsy.
Next, clear leaves from the end of the stems and tie the ends of the branches together using twine, string or ribbon, leaving enough spare so you can then tie it to your shower head or another part of the shower—a 24-inch length should be enough. When you do this, ensure that the water flow won’t directly hit the eucalyptus leaves. The heat and steam will release the oils from the eucalyptus, and you will soon be smelling its refreshing odor. You will need to replace the branches when there is no longer a detectable odor, which is usually after around three weeks.
Of course, you may not have ready access to eucalyptus branches, or you might simply not like having them dangling in your shower. In that case, there are alternative ways to use eucalyptus in the shower. For example, eucalyptus-based body washes and soaps are available, or you could use an essential oil diffuser or humidifier.
Why You Should Use Eucalyptus—Key Takeaways
Eucalyptus has many benefits, all of which come from the plant’s natural properties, whether you use the intact leaves or essential oil derived from the plant. Using eucalyptus in the shower is one way to take advantage of these benefits, from relieving stress, pain and allergies to repelling annoying insects. Of course, you might simply be looking for a non-toxic odor eliminator, and if that’s what you need, Fresh Wave has you covered.
Our range of non-toxic products to remove unwanted bathroom odors includes:
- Gels: Simply place one of our gels on a shelf, and it will discreetly remove odors 24/7
- Candles: Burning one of our odor-eliminating candles will keep your bathroom smelling fresh for you or any other visitor.
- Sprays: Fresh Wave odor sprays can be applied directly to the sink, toilet, or into the air to remove those annoying smells.
