This Body Oil Makes Me Fall Asleep

That ever elusive sleep. We all want more of it, yet no one seems to be getting enough. So much so there is an entire billion dollar industry focused just on getting you some Zs. At this point, we’ve got to go out of our way to make sure we’re prioritizing sleep on the daily. One way I soundly hit the hay is with a multi-tasking body oil that is solely focused on chilling me the f*** out.

Jiva Apoha Zeppelin Body Oil ($60) is handmade in Brooklyn by Angela Shore, where she finds the highest quality ingredients, assuring every drop of carrier and essential oils in a bottle are going to do you good.

The Zeppelin blend is meant to do is calm your entire body down, from your senses to your stomach to your mind—it’s a reset for your entire system. Shore says the blend of Andean mint, silver fir, rosemary, sage, and Ayurvedic sesame oil can ease anxiety and stress, calm stomach aches and hormonal imbalances, and even encourage restful and dream-enhancing sleep.

The reason why all those magical calming qualities are possible is the essential oil blend in the bottle. It smells and feels like a walk through a magical, moss-covered forest (and thanks to the powerful Andean mint, it has a mild cooling effect that makes it especially nice during warmer months). The clary sage base has a woodsy, herbaceous scent that has been used for centuries in ancient cultures for menstrual discomfort, insomnia, circulatory issues, and hormonal imbalances because of its calming, stress-relieving and dream-enhancing effects. The rosemary and silver fir oils add soft, evergreen notes, and are known for their calming and relieving qualities.

These ingredients are nothing new, which is exactly the point of why Shore uses them in Jiva, studying and pulling upon ancient practices that our ancestors swore by centuries ago. Native Americans used clary sage in salves and teas to treat colds, and silver fir trees for protection and spirituality. Andean Mint, or Muna-Muna, is an aromatic herb native to Peruvian Andes, known for its medicinal values.

The slight spice note in the blend is from ravensara, which is known in its native Madagascar as “the oil that heals” and has been used for centuries as a pain-reducing cure-all oil. Even rosemary was considered sacred by the ancient Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, and Hebrews, and was used in the 15th century plague to ward off evil spirits and burned for protection against infection.

This is all to say that sometimes you’ve got to go back in time to ancient practices to gain a little R&R.

There are a couple ways to use any oil blend, but especially a potent one like Zeppelin. I love to use it at night, after getting out the shower or bath, right before bedtime. I slather on a generous amount (you and I are worth it, don’t be shy) from my neck down to the bottom of my feet. The trick to body oil absorbing is to put it on damp skin, so I never towel off, preferring to step out of the shower and then start massaging the oil into my skin.

Not a night showerer? You can also use this blend as aromatherapy come nighttime, sans shower. Rub your hands together, and take several really deep, calming breaths. Then rub the blend behind your neck, and clockwise around your chest and stomach to help relax any tension or aches. Shore suggest using the blend before yoga or a run around the park so it can slowly release to calm your senses.

Maybe it’s the routine of it, or the heady scent, or the powerful ancient herbs, but this baby lulls me to sleep every time. Give it a try and let me how it goes for you.

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