We conducted a randomized controlled trial to examine the effect of continuously using essential oils for indefinite complaints, psychological states , the skin and hair condition, and endocrine system in women during the menopausal transition.

Thirty-five women who are in their 40s and 50s and have irregular menstrual cycles were divided into 3 groups; each used either purified water (control group), 1% diluted roman chamomile essential oil (chamomile group), or 1% diluted geranium essential oil (geranium group) for approximately 4 weeks.

We measured the participants’ Simplified Menopausal Index (SMI) score; anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, STAI); mood states (Profile of Mood State 2nd edition, POMS 2); feelings about the condition of their skin and hair; and blood (serum) hormone concentration before and after the intervention. In addition, doctors evaluated the degree of improvement in indefinite complaints after the intervention period. The data of 28 participants, whose degree of menopausal indefinite complaints were mild based on their pre-intervention SMI scores, were used for analysis.

The SMI scores decreased in all groups after the intervention. However, a significant decrease in STAI score, significant increase in POMS 2 “vigor-activity” and “friendliness” scores after the intervention were observed only in the geranium group. The subjective feeling scores for “skin moisture” and “hair moisture” increased significantly in both the essential oil intervention groups, whereas the “low hair-loss” score increased significantly only in the geranium group. The use of essential oil did not significantly affect blood hormone concentration. The degree of improvement in indefinite complaints was significantly greater in the two essential oil intervention groups than in the control group.

In conclusion, although the results indicated that essential oil did not affect SMI scores, significant improvements in the score of multiple psychological scales, subjective feelings about skin and hair condition, and degree of improvement in indefinite complaints were observed as a result of the essential oil interventions. These results warrant a detailed examination of the effect of aromatherapy on the mind and body of menopausal women.

This study aimed to determine and measure the presence of flavonoids and limonoids in yuzu (Citrus junos Sieb. ex Tanaka) seed oils and various commercial carrier oils. An extraction method for such compounds from oil samples was first used. A mixture of 5 g of oil sample and 5 mL of methanol-dimethyl sulfoxide (1 : 1) with naringenin as an internal standard was shaken and centrifuged to obtain the lower layer for analysis. Qualitative and quantitative determinations of flavonoids and limonoids were carried out using high-performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Flavonoids were not observed in the purified yuzu seed oil. By contrast, limonoids, such as limonin, nomilin, and obacunone, were observed at a concentration of 12.2, 3.6, and 21.3 mg/kg, respectively. Moreover, these compounds were also detected in the crude yuzu seed oil prepared at the laboratory at high concentrations of 636, 757, and 43.6 mg/kg, respectively. A total of 20 types of flavonoids and limonoids analyzed in the present study were not detected in 15 commercial carrier oils. However, nomilin and tangeretin were detected only in sesame oil at a concentration of 1,290 and 155 mg/kg, respectively. The present analytical method involving the extraction step was also applied for common oil products.