Helichrysum Italicum vs Gymnocephalum
There are several varieties of the popular helichrysum essential oil, and I often get questions about which one to choose for specific conditions. I decided to write down a quick and simple guide to help you out in case you are interested in helichrysum and you want to choose a variety that’s right for you.
A bit of background: helichrysum is a family of small daisy-like flowers, found around the Mediterranean, in Africa, and in western Asia. Varieties of helichrysum have been used for millennia for medicinal purposes, particularly for help with wound healing.
Today, helichrysum is famous for its unusual and strong aroma, for the wound healing properties, and for its many uses in skincare (particularly anti-aging).
While the different varieties of helichrysum share much in common, each variety has its own aroma and chemical makeup. The resulting essential oils contain different therapeutic compounds and might be useful for different health uses. Heres a breakdown of the Helichrysum varieties we offer.
Helichrysum Italicum
Helichrysum Italicum grows all around the Mediterranean. It has a strong scent, reminiscent of hay mixed with honey, or alternately caramelized sugar and ham (yes, you read that right).
We have two varieties of Helichrysum Italicum, one that’s grown in Corsica and another that’s grown in Italy. Both varieties also known as Immortelle and Everlasting. The Helichrysum Italicum varieties that we carry contain a very high level (30% or more) of neryl acetate, a compound originally discovered in neroli essential oil. Neryl acetate is one of the main skin-benefitting compounds in helichrysum italicum, and it’s responsible for the skin cell regeneration and anti-aging properties that helichrysum is famous for.
In addition to neryl acetate, our Helichrysum Italicum essential oils contain significant amounts of alpha-pinene, a powerful anti-microbial compound present in rosemary and pine essential oils, and gamma-curcumene, an anti-inflammatory. These two compounds give our Italicums their wound healing and pain relief properties.
Helichrysum Italicum is also calming and relaxing for the mind as well as for the body.
The Difference between Corsican and Italian Helichrysum:
The main chemical difference between our two varieties of Helichrysum Italicum is that the one from Corsica contains significantly more b-caryophyllene, a constituent of cannabis and copaiba, which is known for its potential to reduce alcohol consumption, for being anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant.
The same chemical component has also been shown to be a possible therapy for treating inflammatory bowel disease, anxiety and depression.
Our Italian variety contains significantly more alpha-Terpineol and Italidones. alpha-Terpineol is known to have anti-cancer and anti-hypertensive (high blood pressure), plus it’s known to have significant antioxidant activity.
Italidones are recognized for their incredible ability to regenerate skin tissue and promote cell turnover, making it a great option for skincare.
Helichrysum Gymnocephalum
The essential oil of Helichrysum Gymnocephalum has a very high concentration of 1,8 cineole, also known as eucalyptol, one of the main components of eucalyptus essential oil. As a consequence, Helichrysum Gymnocephalum is a great remedy for bronchitis, clearing congestion, and healing the respiratory system.
In addition, this oil is anti-inflammatory, it can reduce pain, and it helps relieve many kinds of infections. Unlike the Italicum varieties, which tend to be calming, our Helichrysum Gymnocephalum essential oil is stimulating and energizing.
Combining the Two Varieties
Many of our customers have reported great results for tinnitis and other nerve related issues from combining both varieties of Helichrysum. For tinnitis, people have put a few drops of each variety on a cotton ball and put that over the opening to the ear canal. For other nerve related issues, use the massage method, bath method or diffuse the oils. For more information on how to use essential oil, please see This Page.