Yarrow What did the ancient Chinese see in this plant? They recognized in its shape, fragrance, and radiance the harmony of the dual energies of yin and yang. The stem, for instance, is hard and strong, a yang quality; the hollow inside, however, is filled with a soft substance, a yin quality. The outside also conforms to the yin-yang concept of duality—the round stem has vertical, square markings.
Aromatherapists today are aware that the essential oil of the yarrow plant, also known as milfoil, helps bring these two energies into balance within a person. The fragrance, it has been said, makes possible the meeting of heaven and earth.

When feeling torn, the oil helps us reconcile opposing forces. It balances highs and lows, internal and external, so that our thoughts may be in heaven while our feet remain solidly on the ground. This makes the oil a perfect companion in times of major life changes (like mid-life crisis, menopause, or other times of transition) or when intense emotions become overwhelming.

Yarrow strengthens intuitive energies and deepens our understanding of the earth’s energies. This results in preventing an overemphasis on the purely intellectual while at the same time keeping our imagination in check. According to Chinese wisdom: people who stay centered during life’s highs and lows are healthy and whole. A plant that supports this stability is indeed more precious than gold.
Adrop of the essential oil on a piece of paper reveals, when held against the light, the oil’s color, which varies from sky blue to nearly blue green. This color is due to the oil’s high azulen content; azulen is an antiinflammatory substance also present in chamomile. Since yarrow contains more azulen than German chamomile, it is often added to chamomile. Azulen is produced during distillation; the plant itself only contains proazulen. The azulen in the essential yarrow oil makes yarrow an effective remedy for infections.

For medicinal purposes, yarrow may be used for gynecological problems. Here, again, the balancing quality of yarrow oil helps regularize irregular menstrual cycles. The oil may also be helpful for painful menstruation. Methods of application include massages, compresses, foot baths, and the aroma lamp.

Dysmenorrhea—painful or heavy menstruation—may be relieved with use of this oil. Apply 3 to 4 drops of yarrow oil—with 2 parts yarrow to
1 part mint—to the inner portion of a sanitary napkin (cut napkin open on the side). Caution: Do not use this mixture on the outside of the sanitary napkin next to the skin, since it may cause skin irritation.

Yarrow is known as a balancing remedy during menopause. During hormonal system changes the oil helps keep psychological equilibrium intact and supports reorganization of shifting energies. In menopause, women redirect their energies from care-giving and life-creating (outer- directed) tasks to cosmic energies, thereby revitalizing, strengthening, and balancing the body (inner-directed tasks). The essential oils of yarrow and balm are complementary. Both are useful in an aroma lamp, as inhalants, in the bath, and when added to perfumes.

For infections in the pelvic region, yarrow may be used in a sitz bath, compress, or poultice to aid ongoing therapy. For vaginal infections and irritations, make a douche by adding 2 to 3 drops of yarrow oil to a pint of rosewater, also an anti-inflammatory oil. The essential oil of the yarrow plant may be beneficial for stomach cramps and gallbladder pain. Here the oil may be taken orally in small doses, mixed in honey. The oil also may be effective for treating flatulence, applied as a compress or added to a massage oil. Nightly foot massages of 1 tablespoon St.-John’s-wort oil and 10 drops of yarrow oil may help.

For headaches, apply the undiluted oil to the forehead and neck. The botanical name for the yarrow plant is Achillea millefolium, which suggests the Greek Achilles, hero of the Trojan Wars. Achilles valued this plant for its healing properties and was said to have cured injury to his Achilles tendon with this herb. Germanic tribes considered yarrow a magical herb, particularly helpful for treating battle wounds.
Yarrow is highly valued for its treatment of wounds, in part because of its astringent, antiseptic, styptic, and anti-inflammatory properties. It may be applied as a compress, a salve, or in a therapeutic bath.

It also makes a good poultice for wounds, injuries, eczemas, ulcers, allergic skin reactions, open leg sores, and bed sores. For bleeding hemorrhoids yarrow may be used with cypress oil in a salve or a sitz bath. The oil is very beneficial for treating varicose veins, rheumatic pain, and neuralgia—use it as a compress or in liniments. For a compress, dilute the oil in water. For a poultice, mix the oil into healing earth, and for a liniment add the oil to a fatty oil. Do not expose the skin area treated to sunlight, which may cause skin irritation.

Yarrow is an excellent addition to natural cosmetic preparations. It soothes irritated skin, heals infections, and makes a good cleanser and disinfectant for acne. It helps clear up blemished skin. Added to aloe vera and St.-John’s-wort oil, it becomes a quick remedy for sunburned skin. Yarrow oil is also used in preparations for treating cellulite. Added to shampoos or used in combination with rosemary and birch oil, yarrow supports new hair growth.