Category Archives: Personal Care

Aromatherapy gift ideas: 6 essential oil recipes for personal grooming

With aromatherapy, you can try almost anything. Apart form self and family use, essential oil recipes can be made into personal gifts and gifted to near and dear ones. Friends and family members who have not had a taste of aromatherapy can be given gifts made from essential oils like shaving cream, scrubber, bath salt, mouth freshener, soap etc. and introduced to the benefits of aromatherapy. This article will provide a few essential oil recipes that can be used to make personal care products.

Aromatherapy gift ideas –  Personal Care: Before trying out each and every recipe, make sure that you know about each and every essential oil you use, their aroma profiles, notes, chemical and physical properties and the healing benefits they offer when diffused, massaged or used as bath water. Similarly, while choosing oils for blends, try with a small amount of the oils to avoid waste of money or time if your oils turn out bad. Work with oils that lend a beautiful aroma and also have a soothing effect on your body.


1. Skin soother:
If you are one who thinks salt scrubs are too hard or rough for you, try this skin soother blend. You will avoid the salt scratches and will also get rid of dead skin. To make the skin soother, mix a generous scoop of brown sugar with two drops of Sandalwood oil. The aroma will be smooth and relaxing. Gently rub the scrub on the skin and wipe out dull winter or dead skin cells.

2. Shaving soap: All your male friends would love this. You can try different blends and make a shaving soap gel that is aromatic and at the same time, antiviral and antimicrobial. Try this shaving soap recipe: ½ cup of grated soap, 2/3 cups of distilled water (boiled), 2 tbsp of melted coconut oil, 3 tbsp of Almond oil, and 1 tbsp of borax. Dissolve the soap in water and put in blender. Add all the remaining ingredients and whip till you get a fluffy consistency. Add scent and start using. If you are making shaving soap using a homemade soap, add more soap for better lather.

3. Shaving cream: This would come with excellent lather and do a good cleansing job. To make the cream, add ¼ oz of stearic acid with 2 tbsp of Olive or Almond oil and melt both together. Then, combine with the mixture, 1 cup of hot water, 1 tsp of borax, and 2 tbsp of grated soap. Beat the ingredients in stearic acid and whip till you get a creamy consistency.

4. Hand lotion: This hand lotion is the simplest you can ever make. Maybe you can surprise your guests by gifting them a bottle of this lotion while they visit your place. You will make them happy and as well as earn the name of a good aromatherapist. To make a hand lotion, blend Vegetable Glycerine and Rose Hydrosol in a pretty jar. See to it both are blended well and start using the lotion.

5. Lip balm: Ingredients you will need – 1 oz of Beeswax Beads, 1 oz of Shea Butter, Mango Butter or Virgin Coconut and 1 oz of liquid coconut carrier oil like Jojoba, Kukui, Avocado etc. Use herbal infused oils like Chamomile for skin soothing and add essential oils for Peppermint, Lime etc. If you want to clean your baby’s diaper rash, add Lavender and German Chamomile. For a softer balm, use less beeswax or less liquid oil.

6. Body Powder: To make body powder, mix 15 to 20 drops of your essential oil blend per one ounce of cornstarch and unscented talc.

Beat the dread of winter: 4 ways to combat winter blues with essential oils

Winter can be frigid and downright bleak sometimes. This is possible especially in the United States where winters are becoming colder than ever. But winter is not an all-bleak season. It is actually the season of holidays and festivities. A season where we get together with friends and family to celebrate life and love. But this also is the season where people can fight with depression, mood changes or blues. Devoid of the natural light of the sun, people can lack the pep and energy to do things or be as active as they are in summer time. No wonder Shakespeare asked his lover, “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” With so much scope for seasonal stress, it is better to be prepared to beat the winter blues. This article will elaborate on how to use essential oil blends to combat depression that strikes during winter.

Essential oils for winter blues: Winter blues do not strike all and sundry. It is mostly caused due to heavy stress, jam-packed schedules, overeating of unhealthy food, lack of exercise, reduced sleeping hours or too much of traveling. People who are away from families (during Christmas) or those who have lost their loved ones, or ones who have painful memories of the past, stressful health issues or financial stress etc. may also go through winter blues. In brief, the cause can be overdoing the holiday season or not being able to be enjoy well or physiological changes on account of bleak weather and dropping temperatures. The shorter daylight hours can too have a huge impact on your psyche and body.
Beating the winter blues is possible with aromatherapy. By aromatherapy, we do not mean the fragrance oils that are shelfed neatly in stores, we mean the essential oils that are pure extracts from plants, herbs, barks, flowers and other plant parts. Why is aromatherapy useful? There are several reasons. Aromatherapy gives instant relief from body pain or any other problem in the physiology due its close communion with the limbic system of the brain. Essential oils for stress or fatigue, relax you, uplift you and energize you with liveliness. Aromatherapy can warm up your spirits and fight out any blues syndrome you may have. Above all, they are natural, pure and do not have any side effects, whatsoever.

Blends for beating winter blues: When you live in a gray-skied, bleak winter world, you can naturally become subject of blues. Blues do not mean depression, but lack of energy, activity or vivacity in life. You feel moody, unwilling to do tasks and unhappy or down in the dumps. To fight the sadness, your first respite should be Citrus oils. Essential oils like Orange, Lemon and Grapefruit are ideal to rejuvenate you with enthusiasm and life. You can use such oils in diffusers or add them in bath water or  as massage oil.

1. Winter Blues Blend 1: Add 3 drops of Orange to 2 drops of Grapefruit and combine well. Mix with carrier oil if you want to massage on to body. A total of 10 drops of the blend will do for massaging, while you will need about 20 drops for diffuser use.

2. Winter Blues Blend 2: Orange is the prime ingredient here. Combine 4 drops of Orange with 1 drop of Ylang Ylang. You will be refreshed and ebullient on using this blend.

3. Winter Blues Blend 3: This is a Bergamot special. Use 3 drops of Bergamot oil with 1 drop of Neroli and 1 drop of Jasmine. Add to a carrier oil for use as massage oil. Or, pour into diffuser and perfume your living space.

4. Winter Blues Blend 4: Add 3 drops of Grapefruit to 2 drops of Cypress. Combine well and add the blend in your diffuser for your advantage.

Age cannot wither you: 6 anti-aging essential oils you can use

Stressful times and 24/7 routines make people age early and this brings a drastic shift in the psychology of individuals. In order to reduce wrinkles and reduce aging signs, many seek commercial anti-aging cosmetics and products. Though such products are a big hit in today’s world, they come with a load of other disasters – commercial products contain harsh chemicals such as mineral oils and skincare products which take their toll on skin health in the long run. What’s more, these skin products (like anti-aging or anti-wrinkle creams) clog skin pores, making it difficult to breathe freely and eliminate toxins through skin. This results in a lot of skin conditions like acne breakouts, allergies and inflamed or irritated skin due to accumulated toxins.


Essential oils for anti-aging: Aromatherapy offers remarkable anti-aging solutions. Many essential oils treat wrinkles in a natural and safe way, without skin disorders. The following oils are ideal for removing wrinkles and offering you a rejuvenated skin:

1. Olive oil: When it comes to skin nourishment, Olive oil has topped the preferred list of oils right from the ancient times. It can be remembered that Greeks and Romans used Olive oil to anoint their heads on a daily basis. Olive oil helps in removing wrinkles and treating skin problems. It is also a great skincare product which moisturizes and rejuvenates skin naturally. Its essential nutrients soften skin and help it glow.

2. Jojoba oil:
Though popular as a carrier oil, Jojoba oil is one of the best natural moisturizing oils. A powerful pore cleanser, it is used in many anti-aging skin products. It can be used along with Castor oil to give an extra cleansing effect and with Lavender oil to have a soothing effect on the skin. Jojoba also balances the production of sebum on the skin, thereby, reducing excessive oil production in oily skin. In brief, it acts based on your skin type to keep your skin replenished and healthy.

3. Grape seed oil: An antioxidant, Grape seed oil moisturizes the skin on a deep level, getting rid of wrinkles on the surface. It works by revitalizing the skin and preventing it from aging. It makes the skin  supple and young too.

4. Walnut oil: Walnut oil is great for regeneration of skin. It moisturizes damaged skin and helps prevent wrinkles at an early age. Applying Walnut oil with carrier oil will be of use for eliminating wrinkles.

5. Marula oil: This is a remarkable oil with antioxidant properties. It penetrates deep into the skin and works wonderfully on damaged or lifeless skin cells. Rich in nutrients, it coats the skin with a peerless glow and softness.

6. Other oils:
Lavender and Rose are two other oils which work well in treating skin problems. Other than these, fish oil, which is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, is     also effective in preventing wrinkles. Fish oil works by stimulating the growth of a vital collagen protein in the body, which, in turn, makes the skin wrinkle-free and youthful.

Skin can be damaged or wrinkled on account of several disorders too. If you want a blemish-free skin, you need to use essential oil blends that can cure skin disorders like psoriasis, acne and other skin conditions. Some essential oils are great moisturizers. Adding such oils to your bath water can make a huge step toward personal care.

No more ouchs or aches: Aromatherapy for arthritis and joint pain relief

Joint pain can be one of the most debilitating of illnesses that can affect any human being. This is more so if you are suffering from arthritis, gout or other syndromes. The first thing that comes to your mind while you are in pain is – “what can I do to get instant relief from this?” Since arthritis is a major illness that affects many Americans, you cannot go in for buying OTC drugs for it. You need to consult a physician and take only prescription drugs. This would normally take time and your pain will grow unbearable by that time. Aromatherapy essential oils can give instant relief from such excruciating pain. Though not all essential oils are good in treating joints, some are very good in alleviating the inflammation and sickness when massaged on to the affected areas. This article will focus on the essential oils which will offer instant relief from joint pain.


Why aromatherapy for joint pain? Arthritis is basically inflammation of the joints and occurs in several types in affected patients. The most common among them is osteoarthritis which affects the bones very badly. Natural remedies in the form of aromatherapy can help treat this condition. As an alternative treatment for arthritis, aromatherapy works with liniments. A liniment heats the skin and underlying muscles to relieve one of joint pain. Often the base of a liniment is rubbing or drinking alcohol. However, this has been changing since the advent of the benefits of essential oils. From rubbing alcohol, people have shifted to vegetable oils/essential oils as base. This is because oils heat up faster and stimulate the muscles (underlying the joints) to act well. Essential oils also stay on the skin for longer time, making it suitable for massaging.

Essential oils for arthritis and joint pain relief:
Some of the essential oils which are used for arthritis and joint pain relief: Rosemary, Marjoram, Lavender, Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Cedarwood, Nutmeg, Yarrow, Clove bud and Sage. These oils should not be applied directly to the skin and should be mixed with carrier oils (1% to 3%) before use. You can massage this mixture in 2 or more times daily. To make a dilution of 1% , mix 6 drops of essential oil to 1 oz of carrier oil.

Another way is to stimulate skin is through liniments. To do that, include Tiger Balm, White Flower oil and Peppermint/Camphor in the preparation. These stimulate both hot and cold reactions in the nerve endings of the skin which makes the liniment hotter than it is and that in turn stimulates healing. To be the most effective, liniments should contain Rosemary, Marjoram and Lavender. For arthritis and other joint pain relief, you can add the following oils in your massage recipe or hot water bath – Chamomile, Marjoram, Birch, Ginger etc. Cinnamon, Eucalyptus, Clove and Peppermint make the best liniments.

How to make liniment?
This recipe will help you make a liniment that would cure your pain readily. Mix 8 drops of Eucalyptus oil with 8 drops of Peppermint, 8 drops of Rosemary, 4 drops of Cinnamon Leaf, 4 drops of Juniper Berry, 4 drops of Marjoram and 2 oz of alcohol. Stir the combination two or three times daily to disperse the oils in alcohol. Since the recipe is a bit stronger that the usual massage recipe, never use it over a large area of the body. You can also use this as a warm-up treatment before heavy exercising or physical work. This would prevent the bones from cramping or painful areas.

Steel yourself: Aromatherapy for a healthy immune system

In this modern world of chronic diseases, frequent ailments and epidemic health problems, it is important to keep your body fit and strong. Not many have good health conditions and not many can afford a disease-free environment. To speak the truth, only the FDA knows how many millions of Americans live on prescription drugs. Life has grown so complex that people find it difficult to even find time for health and well-being. We fail to listen to our bodies and stop to take care of them. We lack the wisdom of our ancestors (who were very considerate about maintaining day to day health and hygiene) though we know how important our health is to us. Owing to lack of personal health care, many succumb to a lot of chronic disorders like diabetes, cancer etc. today.

Every other ailment start with the immune system. Building a strong immune system is crucial to day to day personal health. Essential oils can help improve immune system and support the process of healing in many kinds of immunity-related disorders. This article will throw light on how the immune system can be revved up using powerful essential oils.


Essential oils for a healthy immune system: Essential oils can induce vigorous functioning of your immune system. They have the power to re-energize your weakened immunities and make you hale and healthy once again. Without disturbing any of your body’s chemical activities, essential oils help your immune system to recover on its own. They allow free, unobstructed flow of natural processes, which in turn motivate the immune system to function better.

Essential oils work on your immune system in three ways. Below is a gist of them:

1. Stimulation of WBCs: One of the primary functions of essential oils in fighting infection is to increase the count of white blood corpuscles in the body. Since these cells are part of the body’s core defense elements, increasing their count means improving immunity.

2. Faster cell growth: Another way in which they work is through faster cell growth. Essential oils induce cell growth at a phenomenal rate. This cures burns, wounds, cuts and other ailments or conditions which require cell regeneration. By the acceleration of cell growth, healing happens quickly and efficiently.

3. Improvement of overall condition: Essential oils are great levelers. They balance any imbalances  in the body in order to maintain health. They motivate skin growth and improve skin tone. All skin problems can be eliminated with the continuous use of therapeutic-grade essential oils. Added to this, they relax the body, inducing sleep and rest. This gives the immune system time to regroup and strengthen itself again.

Massaging, essential oils and immunity: If you want to rev up your immune system, the best way out is to do a relaxing lymphatic massage. By lymphatic massage, we mean massaging of all the lymph nodes in the body. Lymph nodes are nodes that remove the body’s metabolic toxins. They are present in several parts of the body like the armpits, groins, breasts, throat etc. A soothing massagein long strokes can invigorate the lymph nodes and make them function without any obstacles. Clearing up the toxins can, in turn, boost the functioning of the immune system. Lemon, Rosemary and Grapefruit are some essential oils which are good at stimulating movement in the lymph nodes.

Some other essential oils that help in improve a weakened immune system are Bergamot, Lavender, Lemon, Myrrh, Rosemary, Tea Tree, Thyme etc.

Essential oils Immune Tonic Blend: Rubbing this blend on to your body can revitalize your immune system and help with proper functioning of the body. To prepare the blend, add 6 drops of Lavender with 6 drops of Bergamot, 3 drops of Lemon, 3 drops of Tea Tree, 2 drops of Myrrh and 2 oz of vegetable oil. Massage this blend on to the affected part of the body to see best results. For instance, if you have cold and flu, rub it on to your chest. If you are working at curing a foot infection, add it to your bath water or foot bath preparation. You can even inhale the blend using an aromatherapy diffuser.

Ears ringing? 4 aromatherapy tips for earache and ear infections

Are your ears ringing always? Do you have earaches often? Is that ear infection paralyzing you and your day to day routine? Never worry, you can use aromatherapy for instant relief. Yes, essential oils can help in treating earaches, ear-related infections and other ear problems on account of their soothing and relaxing properties. This article will explore the possibilities of treating ear infections using essential oils.

Essential oils for earaches: Stinging pain in the ears or ear related infections are often caused by problems in the middle ear. If your middle-ear is infected, it is likely that your outer ear will also be affected, as a result of which, you will have aching pain in your ears. Other symptoms of such an earache will include shooting pains in the ears, fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and noises or what is called ringing in the ears. Sometimes for less severe pains, an aromatherapy massage oil rubbed against the back of the ears is sufficient. An ideal oil for preparation of this rub is Lavender. Any other antiseptic will also work well. But ensure that the oil helps in reducing the inflammation and alleviating your symptoms. Gently rub diluted Lavender oil on to the back of your neck, around the outside of your ear lobes and along the lymph nodes. Do not put this into the ear. It can have serious consequences. If you want to treat the infection directly, make a warm compress and then, use it directly over the ear. Also, when you treat ears, apply your remedy on both the ears even if only one ear hurts. Continue your remedy for a couple days even if your infection is gone after one-dose of your essential oil cure.


1. Aromatherapy Ear Rub: An antiseptic aromatherapy ear rub can help cure any kind of ear infection. Add 3 drops of Lavender oil to 3 drops of Tea Tree oil and 1 tbsp of Vegetable oil. Combine  the ingredients well and rub around your ear lobes and along your lymph nodes. For children, you can use just half of this blend (that is, 3 drops of total essential oil to 1 tbsp of carrier oil). You can apply on both ears two to four times a day. Never fail to apply before bedtime.

2. Antiseptic Ear Rub: This is a slight variation from the previous recipe. You can use Lavender, Tea Tree  oils and blend them on to Olive oil and rub around your ears. Sometimes an ear problem can be caused by a throat infection. In that case, you can gargle a diluted antiseptic oil. You can also use compress to soothe the pain in your ears. To prepare an ear rub, add 3 drops of Lavender to 3 drops of Tea Tree oil, 6 drops of Roman Chamomile and 1 oz Carrier oil. Blend the ingredients and rub around the ear and down the side of the neck. You can apply to a piece of cotton, which you can place in the ears for therapeutic effect.

3. Herbal Ear oil: Add ½ oz of Garlic-infused oil, Calendula-infused oil and mullein blossom-infused oil and blend the ingredients well. Use Olive oil as a carrier oil for this recipe. Warm the oil before dropping into the ear. But first drop the oil onto a completely dried spoon. Now, use a dropper to draw the drops and place one or two in the ears.

4. Garlic for swimmer’s ears: Garlic is a great antibacterial oil which can reduce pain and inflammation of swimmer’s ears syndrome. The remedy is choice for the fungal infection and can alleviate itching in the ears.

7 all-time-useful aromatherapy blends for self and family

Aromatherapy is not an one-time remedy for ailments. It is an ongoing therapy wherein we use essential oils to alleviate symptoms or treat disorders and thereby, reduce our pain or suffering or health related problems. Aromatherapy blends are used in  skin care, personal care, as cure for major diseases, as aromatic air fresheners, bath salts and for massaging purposes. It is a diverse field comprising of oils made from plant substances like extracts, herbs, barks, resins, roots and other plant parts.  It takes a lot of time to analyze and use such a multifarious science and hence, a novice may need guidance on which oils are important and which cure the common ailments. This article will throw light on the most commonly used essential oil blends for emotional, physical and family well being.

All-time-useful essential oil blends: All these blends are formulated by Dr. Carolyn Selby. These are essential oils blends which help with common conditions like emotional downs, physical stress or body pain, disruptions in family relationships or infected home environment etc.


1. Stress Buster blend: This blend is ideal for improving your emotional well being and is best used as a massage oil. Add 2 drops of Clary Sage to 2 drops of Frankincense and 1 drop of Sandalwood. Blend with 1 tbsp of Almond or Grapeseed oil and mix the ingredients well. Apply the prepared blend on the back, neck and shoulders for a relaxing and soothing effect.

2. Relaxing Bath blend: If you are down with the blues, nothing can cheer you up as a well-prepared aromatic bath. For a stress-buster bath, mix 4 drops of Bergamot with 4 drops of Geranium and 2 drops of Vetiver and disperse the oils well in a warm bath water. For unscented bubble bath, blend the oils with 1 tbsp of Grapeseed. Soak for about 15-20 minutes in the bath water and inhale the vapors that emanate. You will feel extraordinarily refreshed and stress-free after the bath. Do not let the water get into your eyes as it may sometimes cause irritation.

3. Concentration Tonic: The power of focus is a gift not found in many. To improve your power of concentration and clear your head of worries and fears before exams or interviews, put 1 or 2 drops of Basil or Rosemary in a tissue and sniff before the event/exam/interview.  You will feel confident and focused on the job at hand.

4. Nasal Congestion clearance: For clearing nasal congestion (a common condition with many), use 4 drops of Niaouli with 2 drops of Rosemary and 2 drops of Tea Tree oil and disperse into warm bath water. Soak for 15 to 20 minutes and inhale the vapors. Your nostrils will be cleared and you will feel relieved after this.

5. Headache Relief Massage Blend: Headache is one of the most common ailments with everyone in the family. Aromatherapy can help treat headaches with essential oils. Add 2 drops of Lavender with 2 drops of Marjoram and 1 drop of Peppermint. Blend the mixture with 1 tbsp of Almond or Grapeseed oil and massage on to the upper back, neck and shoulders. Apply to temples and other painful areas. You can alternatively put these on a tissue and also inhale.

6. For Insomnia Relief: Many people are afflicted with the insomnia bug. To cure sleeplessness, add 4 drops of Roman Chamomile to 4 drops of Clary Sage and 2 drops of Neroli and disperse in warm bath water. Soak for 15 to 20 minutes, inhaling the vapors. You will feel sleepy after this treatment.

7. Anti-aging Cure: Aging is a chief skin care issue these  days. This aromatherapy blend can help in reducing wrinkles and act as a base cream for nourishing skin. To prepare the cream, add 4 drops of Frankincense with 4 drops of Petitgrain and 3 drops of Rose Otto. Mix the oils with 5 ml of Evening Primrose oil, 5 ml of Wheatgram oil and 25 ml of plain base cream. When the blend is done, store in an airtight glass jar and apply to the face and neck daily in the morning and night.

Aromatherapy for Mr. Fit: 6 workout blends for fitness gurus

To be fit is to be healthy, they say. Fitness is often achieved by workouts, stringent diet plans and other relaxing techniques. But a new way to achieve fitness or boost your workout schedule is through aromatherapy. You can use essential oils to gain a positive attitude about fitness and workouts and thereby, use them to get into perfect shape. Essential oils can aid in boosting your confidence and increasing your sense of commitment to a workout. Some oils are activating, while others are soothing or odor-fighting.

Essential oil workout blends: You can use the following workout blends to improve your exercise regime or inspire you to perform a thorough workout.

1. Inspiring blends: These essential oil blends can inspire and invigorate you to perform a thorough workout. You can use any of the following oils to prepare a blend – Basil, Cypress, Eucalyptus, Fir Needle, Ginger, Grapefruit, Juniper Berry, Petitgrain, Orange, Lime, Rosemary, Thyme, Lemongrass, Lemon, Lavender and others.


2. Relaxing blends: After a workout, you are left with sore or tender muscles which need relaxation. To soothe your muscles after relaxation, use the following oils – Cedarwood, Chamomile, Jasmine, Frankincense, Lavender, Neroli, Rose, Rosewood, Sandalwood, Ylang Ylang and Patchouli.

3. Anti-odor and Refreshing blends: When it comes to anti-odor oils or refreshing oils, Citrus oils stand out of the crowd. You can use Bergamot, Grapefruit, Lemon, Lime, Orange, Fir needle, Juniper Berry, Lavender, Orange, Tangerine etc. Essential oils like Coriander, Fir needle, Juniper Berry, and Lavender annihilate odors and refresh yourself.

Application of essential oils:
You need to be careful before applying essential oils on to your skin. This is because, though healers, essential oils are concentrated plant substances that should not be applied to skin directly. In order to be safe with essential oils, you need to add essential oils with carrier oils. This would avoid the aromas from distracting you from work outs and from fellow gym users. Even a light dose of the essential oils can become stronger as you work out. Body heat can react vigorously with your oil dose and produce an overwhelming effect.

To include essential oils in your workout regimes, add 1% of the chosen oil to carrier oils like vegetable oils, mineral salts, pure water, unscented bath products (like shampoos, conditioners, gels etc). You can also use a water spray mister to enjoy workout blends. You can spray the blends on to your workout towel for inhalation and other purposes.

4. Workout Blend: If you are not inspired to go for your regular workout, use this blend of energizing oils – Lemon, Lavender, Petitgrain, Rosemary and Eucalyptus.

5. After Workout Blend: When you are out of a workout, you will be tired and will have sore muscles. This After-Workout Blend will have a soothing and therapeutic effect of your body. You can use Cedarwood, Chamomile, Jasmine, Lavender and Rose to prepare this blend and then, massage it on to your body.

6. After Workout Shower Blend: This is ideal for use during an after workout shower. You can wash away the grime and sweat you have accumulated after your workout with this aromatic blend. Use refreshing oils like Lavender, Coriander, Grapefruit and Tangerine to prepare a blend and apply while showering.

When the head hurts: 4 ways to use aromatherapy for headaches

It can be really painful when it hurts in the head. Headaches and migraines can paralyze your daily routine and havoc your schedules, meetings or office work. You will become stressed and physically inactive when you have a severe migraine or a cluster headache. Though many oral medications offer relief, nothing works better like aromatherapy. Rubbing your favorite essential oil or inhaling a blend or adding a relaxing essential oil blend to your bath can alleviate the pain and stress caused by headaches and migraines.

Essential oils for headaches/migraines: Choosing a particular essential oil for your headaches can be very tough. Your body needs to respond to the oil and the oil’s properties should relax and de-stress you from headache pain. Normally, the following carrier oils and essential oils are used for preparing headache/migraine blends:

Carrier Oils: Sweet Almond, Apricot Kernel, Avocado, Coconut, Sesame
Essential Oils: Lavender, Peppermint, Melissa, Jasmine, Eucalyptus, Rosemary and Bay


Before you start using an oil or preparing an essential oil blend, you need to understand how intense and difficult your headache is. If you feel depressed, panicked or anxious because your migraines, you need to use oils that treat depression and anxiety. On the other hand, if you feel troubled or sleepless because of the headaches, use oils that induce sleeping or relaxing effect. Below are a few ways to use essential oils for headaches/migraines:

1. Migraine Blend: Add Sweet Almond oil to two-thirds of a bottle and mix the following with the Almond oil – 6 drops of Lavender, 6 drops of Clary Sage, 6 drops Chamomile, 12 drops Peppermint and shake the blend well. Check the fragrance of the blend. If it is unpleasant to you, add whichever oil pleases you or whichever will make the blend more pleasant. Apply the blend on temples and areas that are painful. Don’t overdo the massaging part. Keep it light. You can also rub some on to your palm and inhale it.

2. Relaxing Blend:
A relaxing blend can help you stay calm and soothe your pain. Use this recipe to prepare a sleep blend of essential oils for your headaches/migraines. Like the previous recipes, add 2/3s  of Sweet Almond oil in a bottle and mix the following with the carrier oil – 6 drops Lavender, 6 drops of Bergamot and 6 drops of Chamomile. If the bottle is still not full, add Jasmine oil (mixed with 10% of Jojoba oil). You can also substitute this with Mandarin oil to make the fragrance pleasant. Mix everything by shaking the bottle. You can apply the blend on your temples or even sprinkle on your pillow etc. to induce a calm and sleepy environment. When you go to sleep, your headache will be gone.

3. Compress for headache: Add 5 drops of Eucalyptus or Lavender oil to 1 cup of cold water. Swish a soft cloth in the blend. Wring out the cloth and place it on your forehead and eyes. Use throughout the day as much as you can. The pain and severity will be reduced.

4. Migraine/Headache hand soak: Add 5 drops of Lavender oil to 5 drops of Ginger oil in 1 quart of hot water (at about 110 degrees F). Soak your hands in the blend for at least 3 minutes. You will feel relieved and relaxed when you do this. You can repeat the therapy if required.

Diffuse to defend: 6 aromatherapy diffuser blends to guard against infection

Diffusing essential oils in your home environment is useful in many ways than one. Though many tend to think of diffusing as a laborious or unnecessary thing, it is not so. When you diffuse a micro-fine, vaporized mist of essential oil blends in a room or enclosed atmosphere, you defend yourself and your family against potentially life-threatening bacteria and viruses.

Why should you diffuse oils? A diffuser is a special air pump designed to disburse essential oils in a micro-fine vapor in an enclosed space. The vapors stay suspended in the area for several hours, killing or paralyzing infectious organisms. Such diffused oils not just freshen the room with natural fragrances but also kill the pathogens that live in the environment. By using a diffuser, you protect your living atmosphere from dangerous infectious germs, fungus and microbes.


You may ask how diffusing can help with regard to infections outside the home environment. It may not help with infections contracted from outside environment, but it will certainly aid in not letting the infection spread to others in your home. Breathing in air diffused with essential oils will kill and clear any virus or bacteria lining your respiratory tract. It creates a defense mechanism inside you, guarding you against all kinds of possible future infections too. Though there are many devices available to diffuse essential oils at home, not many use it on account of their lack of knowledge in using diffusers and blending oils. This article will give you six most common and easy recipes on how to blend oils to be used in a diffuser.

Diffusing essential oils – tips: Diffusing essential oils releases negative ions which kill microbes and prevent them from infecting people. So, you need to be careful with the amount of oils used in a diffuser pump. Thicker essential oils, in general, diffuse slowly than thinner oils. A 15 ml bottle of a thicker oil like Sandalwood may take about 48 hours to diffuse completely, while a thinner oil like Lemon will diffuse within 8 hours. Oils that can be diffused on a daily basis include – Lavender, Lemon, Patchouli, Ylang Ylang, Cedarwood etc. You can blend oils and diffuse them for greater benefits. Below are some of the most popular diffuser blends used at homes:

1. Blend 1: Use 4 drops of Rosewood with 5 drops of Lavender and  1 drop of Ylang Ylang.

2. Blend 2: Use 5 drops of Rosemary with 1 drop of Peppermint, 3 drops of Lavender and 1 drop of Roman Chamomile

3. Blend 3: Add 2 drops of Grapefruit and 2 drops of Ylang Ylang to 2 drops of Lemon and create a blend.

4. Blend 4: Mix 7 drops of Sweet Orange with 4 drops of Ylang Ylang to create an aromatic blend

5. Blend 5: Add 8 drops of Sweet Orange to 4 drops of Patchouli to make a nice blend and use it in your home environment, especially living area.

6. Blend 6: Use 5 drops of Peppermint with 5 drops of Lavender and 9 drops of Sweet Orange to make a light blend. This may diffuse faster, but will definitely lend a cozy feel to your home.

When you prepare a blend, remember to read through the instructions of the manufacturer. Add only required drops of essential oils to each blend, else you may end up making a highly concentrated essential oil or a very light diffuser blend.