Category Archives: Uses of Essential Oils

Personal Care, Uses of Essential Oils

When bathing is healing: 6 tips to make aromatherapy bath salts

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Imagine the warmth of a nice bath. Imagine how it would be to soak yourself in healing waters that brush aside your dirt and  pain. Bathing can be a real healing experience when you use aromatherapy with hydrotherapy. A good bath made with essential oil bath salts is not just relaxing but motivating too. With knowledge about aromatherapy gaining ground, personalized aromatherapeutic healing has come into vogue. More people are engaged in preparing their own essential oils, bath salts and other aromatic cures. You can make bath salts with just a few ingredients at home. This article will elaborate on how to make bath salts using essential oils and salts.

How to make aromatherapy bath salts: Making bath salts is going to cause you just pennies. You need not spend too much on ingredients or equipments. You just need to mix the right things in the right proportions. This is because bath salts are basically made from two basic salts – Dead Sea salt and Epsom salts. Sea salts from the Dead Sea have long been revered as a remarkable healing salt. It is a therapeutic grade salt which has 26 essential minerals and moisturizing properties. It is used for rejuvenating the body and relaxing tensed muscles. Epsom salts, on the other hand, are used in the treatment of sore muscles, sprains, bruises etc. The magnesium sulfate in the salts reacts with lactic acid and reduces stiffness in muscles and joints. You will need to mix essential oils with the salts to prepare a curing bath salt.

Below is a step-by-step guide on how to make bath salts for use in aromatherapy:

1. Supplies required: You would need salts – Dead Sea or Epsom kind – depending on your purpose. If you want the properties of both the salts, use both in equal proportions. You will need baking soda, dried herbs, vegetable glycerin, food coloring materials and essential oils to make bath salts.

2. Choose your essential oils: Essential oils are very crucial in the making of bath salts. It is the oils which enhance the healing and aromatic properties of your salts. So, choose your essential oils with care. Here are a few tips with regard to essential oils: Lavender oil has calming and anti-microbial properties. Rose oil has romantic and soothing properties. Chamomile, Clary Sage and Ylang Ylang are very relaxing. Eucalyptus oil can cure your respiratory problems while peppermint can uplift and invigorate your moody self. Ginger and Rosemary oils are very stimulating and relaxing. Use the oil which suits your purpose or which can address your ailment or condition.

3. Choose your herbs: You can make aromatherapy blends if you mix two or more oils or add herbs to oils. Use mortar and pestle to finely ground your herbs and mix them with essential oils. Fine-ground herbs save you from plumbing problems and also, blend well with oils. You can probably blend lavender and clary sage for a relaxing effect or ginger and sweet orange  for a soothing effect. Mixing eucalyptus and rosemary can have a stimulating effect on your body.

4. Take safety measures: Remember that essential oils are not child’s play. Some essential oils can be very harmful on your skin. To avoid trouble store them in glass jars out of reach of children and pets.

5. Mix all the ingredients: The basic recipe comprises of 1 cup of salts, 1 cup of baking soda, 2 tbsps of vegetable glycerin, 2 tbsps of dried ground herbs and 20-30 drops of essential oils (for every 2 cup of the ingredients) and 4 drops of coloring materials. To start, mix all your salts in a bowl and add glycerin. Then, add essential oils and mash everything together with fork. Once this is done, add food coloring and end your preparation. Store your salt in the a glass jar away from heat and moisture.

6. How to use your salt: It is enough if you use 2 tbsps of salt in running water. Using bath salts once a day is sufficient to address your need.



Uses of Essential Oils

Dog-tired always? Try aromatherapy for chronic fatigue syndrome

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Do you sleep over at work? Do you feel sapped and drained of all your energy? Do you look dull and dog-tired always? If your answer to the above questions is an yes, then maybe you need to check yourself for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or CFS. Many people often underestimate the syndrome, thinking it is something akin to the regular fatigue we have every day. No. CFS is different from regular, day-to-day tiredness. It is severe and chronic and can paralyze your life terribly if you are not wary of its presence.

What exactly is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? Chronic fatigue can happen to anyone, irrespective of their age or race or sex. It is an illness marked by chronic lack of energy with complaints of persistent, unexplained bouts of fatigue. Sometimes Chronic Fatigue Syndrome occurs with various combinations of joint and muscle pain, depression, low-grade fever, lack of concentration, throat or headache. Most of the time, CFS patients experience irritability, burn-outs and swollen lymph nodes. The problem with chronic fatigue is that you cannot diagnose it that easily. Doctors diagnose CFS only by eliminating other diseases from the suspected illnesses list. It is said that Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is caused by a virus or immune system’s malfunctioning due to chronic physical or emotional stress.


Cure for CFS Syndrome: There is relatively no definite cure for CFS. Doctors treat patients by suggesting medications for muscle and joint pain, physical illnesses, headaches and psychiatric help for depression. Stress reduction, combined with exercises, massage therapy and rest has proven effective in treating Chronic Fatigue in patients. Another easy cure is aromatherapy. The science of smell can bring about any change in a CFS patient. Following a holistic approach, aromatherapy aids recovery by using an array of soothing and relaxing essential oils.

Essential Oils for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: There are a number of essential oils which can treat patients and support in the healing process of CFS. Though not many know aromatherapy’s value, it has been proved to be successful than herbs in alleviating the pain of the syndrome. Specifically, essential oils like Chamomile, Peppermint, Rosewood, Lavender, Lemon, Marjoram, Geranium etc. can be helpful in relaxing the body and easing out pain from the joints and muscles. Not only are these oils easy to reduce pains, they also help in lifting a patient’s moods and improve his sleep quality.

Practical Essential Oil Therapy: When you use essential oils, you should be careful that they are of the food grade type. Get the ingredients ready – Lavender oil, Petitgrain oil, Frankincense and others. Use 3 drops of lavender oil, 2 drops of petitgrain oil and 1 drop of frankincense. It would ideal if you mix the oils in your bath water as bathing would give instant relief from pressure. Allow the bath water to be lukewarm and then add the mixture of essential oils to your bath water. Never spill the bath water in your eyes as the oils will sting or cause irritation. After mixing your bath water with oils, slowly place your feet into them and step into your bath tub. Rest in the water for about 10-20 minutes. After the bath, drain your water and refill it. You can use this mixture once a day, for about 3 to 4 days for over a three week period.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is also called Myalgic Encephalomyelits or ME.



Uses of Essential Oils, Women's Health

The ‘pause’ button in a woman’s life: 10 essential oils for menopausal troubles

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Menopause is a significant stage in the lives of women. It is an end which signals a new beginning, accompanied by a series of emotional, physical, psychological and hormonal changes. The word menopause is derived from Greek and means “monthly halt”, meaning the end or halt of a monthly process (menstruation). Menopause can set off a lot of changes in women like hot flushes, depression, physical pain, irritability, fatigue and changes in skin, hair and sexual desire. Though there are medications to treat menopause, modern women find it increasingly difficult to cope with the issue. Aromatherapists opine that menopausal women’s troubles can be alleviated using essential oils.

Essential oils for menopause: Essential oils are used to treat a variety of symptoms and conditions in women and menopause is no exception to this. The best thing about using essential oils to treat menopause is, it alleviates problems without side effects (often caused by oral consumption of drugs). Menopause is a phase marked by several conditions, of which the most prominent are depression, insomnia, hot flushes, lack of sexual desire, increased fatigue and a frail existence.


Depression is one of the most common of menopausal ailments. Not able to withstand the change, many women go into a state of serious depression. This leads to lack of concentration, failure to perform and very low self-esteem. Women start failing in their roles as mothers, wives and friends. They get frenzied and touchy in their interpersonal relationships, which in turn lead to several break-ups and social problems. Anxiety is also a common denominator in such cases. The following oils can be used to treat depression in women:

1. Frankincense oil: A great anti-depressant which works extraordinarily well on any human being, leave alone a menopausal woman.

2. Basil oil: Basil is always a healing oil. It is not just an anti-depressant but also a mental healer which helps cure mental fatigue.

3. Sweet marjoram: This oil can cure nervous depression, irritability and anxiety to a great extent.

Insomnia is another common condition in menopausal women and the following essential oils aid in treating sleep problems during menopause:

4. Lavender oil: The best of all sleep-inducing oils, lavender oil can soothe and calm the mind to sleep. It can also be very relaxing and reduce the physical and mental stress in women.

5. Clary Sage oil: Another great essential oil to treat nervousness and mental fatigue in women. This would alleviate the tendency to be irritable also.

6. Roman Chamomile: Chamomile oils always work great in helping with insomnia and depression. Roman Chamomile is the best of the kind and helps reduce irritability too.

Hot flushes are another headache with menopause. They make women feel low and are irritating to the core. Essential oils which help alleviate this problem are:

7. Peppermint: This oil cools a woman’s body and reduces the sudden hot flushes that happen now and then.

8. Cypress oil: Women can benefit by taking Cypress oil. It helps avoid excessive sweating and minimizes hot flushes.

Sexual life takes a back seat when women are through menopausal stage. Menopausal women lose interest in sex, have painful intercourses or labored orgasms. Essential oils can be aphrodisiacs in uplifting the sexual lives of women during these days.

9. Ylang Ylang oil can be a great aphrodisiac that help alleviate painful sexual intercourses. It can also invigorates the sexual life of menopausal women.

10. Rosemary oil: Apart from being a beneficial oil for relaxation, rosemary also uplifts one’s mood and encourages sexual participation.



Skin Care, Uses of Essential Oils

Exfoliate with essential oils: How to make a natural facial scrub at home

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Skin is one of the least-cared for, but most exposed parts of the body. Whether you are a youngster or a middle-aged aging adult, you need to exfoliate your skin regularly to look young and fresh. But exfoliation is not that easy. Now, with the advent of modern technology, too many exfoliating products clog the market place and the customer often does not know which one to choose and which one to leave out. It is always better to choose a natural option to synthetic or company-manufactured options. This article will focus on how to exfoliate skin using a natural facial scrub.

Why exfoliate? Before we proceed to make a recipe, we need to first understand why we need to exfoliate. Exfoliation is removing off dead skin on the surface to bring out the young, healthy skin to the top. You exfoliate if you find your skin dull, dry or flaky or old. Yes, exfoliation is a great anti-aging cure too. All you need to do to avoid aging of skin is to exfoliate regularly and keep the shine of your skin in top form. But there are certain issues to be faced while exfoliating. People with problem skin need to careful while engaging in skin exfoliation. This is because, instead of removing dead skin, exfoliation may irritate existing skin and end up aggravating your existing skin condition.

However, for the aged, skin exfoliation helps by increasing blood circulation and thereby, proper functioning of the skin and body. Generally, exfoliation can be done every 14 days. In cases of problem skin, you need to avoid frequent exfoliation.

Exfoliation and essential oils: What do essential oils got to do with skin exfoliation? Well, they do have a major role to play. The chief ingredient in a facial scrub is often an essential oil. Even commercial scrubs have essential oils in their ingredients list. This is because of the natural skin-healing properties of some essential oils. Owing to their herbal properties, essential oils are soft and tender on skin when used in the appropriate proportion. They not just invigorate the skin, but leave it glowing and healthy. This is why essential oils find a lot of usage in body massaging, hair anointing and bathing.

How to make natural, facial scrub: In a market looming large with commercial products, natural facial scrubs stand out of the crowd. Though not all advertised herbal products are 100% herbal, a homemade facial scrub is completely herbal and natural. Below is a recipe on how to make a natural, facial scrub:

Ingredients: Raw oats, honey, basil oil, tea tree oil, apple, cider, vinegar etc.

Process: Crush 2 to 3 teaspoonfuls of raw oats in a grinder. Add pure honey and ¼  teaspoon of apple, cider, vinegar to the crushed dry oats. Mix all the ingredients to form a smooth mixture. Add honey if needed and add basil oil (1 drop) to the mixture. If you have a problem skin, you can replace the basil oil with tea tree oil to promote aggressive healing.

How to use: When the paste-like facial scrub is ready, wash and towel-dry your face and apply the scrub on it. Use circular motions for application and let it rest for about 15 minutes. After the particular timeframe, wash with lots of tepid water and towel dry the face again. You will notice your face to be fresh and young than before.



Uses of Essential Oils

The age past innocence: 5 ways to use aromatherapy for teens

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Coping with the transition from childhood to adolescence is not an easy joke. Teens have to suffer through it, parents have to labor through it. Though a dynamic period, the phase is marked by a series of physical, emotional and psychological changes. Children start realizing they are no more children and learn to cope with the adult world. Apart from changes in the self, teens face emotional issues and conflicts raised due to expectations from parents, peers and society. This makes teens go through physical and emotional ailments like sleeplessness, fatigue, anxiety and depression. There are also weight and skin issues which affects a teen’s personality among his or her peers.

Dealing with all these teen issues, demands patience and proper therapy. Aromatherapy can be a great respite for parents and teens dealing with adolescence. This article seeks to offer the various ways in which aromatherapy can be used to address teens’ problems.



Aromatherapy for teens: Teenagers, as a way of coping with their problems, try to shutdown from the outside world and recline into themselves. They often become angry, irritated, impatient, provocative, aggressive so much so that they resort to drugs and alcohol to cope with these problems. You can use aromatic blends made using essential oils to help teens cope with their adolescent issues. To create these aromatic blends, mix the essential oils in a 10 oz container of vegetable oil.

1. Communication: Add 3 drops of Sage oil, 4 drops of Lavender, and 2 drops of German Chamomile with vegetable oil. To aid teens in communication, apply this aromatic blend on the neck and shoulders or add 20 drops of it in bath water. Better, ask your teen to rub it on to palm and inhale deeply.

2. Anti-depressant: Add 3 drops of Ylang Ylang, 4 drops of Orange, 4 drops of Grapefruit with vegetable oil base and massage on to your teen’s solar plexus. This is an invigorating blend which will help your teen open up to problems and develop a positive attitude.

3. Sleep Problems: If your teen is having insomnia problems, prepare a blend with 2 drops of Roman Chamomile, 4 drops of Petitgrain, and 4 drops of basil with vegetable base oil. Massage the blend on  to neck, shoulders, temples and forehead or pour 20 drops of it into warm bath water and make your teen soak for at least 15 minutes.

4. Anger suppressant: If your teen is impatient, angry or aggressive more than usual, add 4 drops of Marjoram, 1 drop of Rose and 1 drop of Jasmine otto with vegetable base oil and massage on the heart chakra, sacrum and solar plexus.

5. Escapism: Encourage your teen to perform confidently and face issues with faith and hope with this blend. Add 4 drops of cedarwood, 3 drops of cypress and 3 drops of rosemary with base oil and massage on to sacrum and solar plexus. If possible, ask your teen to pour a few drops on the hands and inhale deeply.



Emotional Well-being, Uses of Essential Oils

At your wit’s end? Aromatherapy for relief from stress and insomnia

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Are you tensed, overstressed and drained out completely? Do you wake up in the middle of nights never to sleep again? Are you anxious about what will happen next even when you know that it is silly to be anxious? Maybe you are caught in the web most Americans are in – the vicious cycle of stress, insomnia and anxiety which occur mostly in hyperactive and over-worked individuals who do not know what it is to relax. In this post-modern era, we are constantly working to exceed ourselves. We strive, slog and do everything in our capacity (and not in our capacity) to achieve what we deem to be phenomenal at the expense of our health.

Stress and insomnia cure: Traditional medicine recommends oral drugs for the cure of stressful conditions and sleeplessness. Though these drugs work, the problem with them is, they inflict a curse of side effects on patients who take them. The medications actually cause more stress than what was already there. Some medications also take patients into a chain reaction, where they are helpless without a particular drug. This causes acute withdrawal symptoms in drugs.


Aromatherapy is a god-send medicine when it comes to curing illnesses or relieving stressful conditions. An effective pain relief therapy, aromatic essential oils work wonders on your body, without any side effects.

Aromatherapy for stress relief: As you all know, aromatherapy oils are natural essence oils that can relieve you of physical, emotional, chemical and mental stress. It alleviates muscular fatigue, combats physiological pain and fights stress-related insomnia in patients.

1. Physical stress: Physical stress is caused by the over-exertion of the body, physically. Though complete rest would rejuvenate a tired body, essential oils aid in such revival. You can try clary sage, cypress, eucalyptus, thyme, peppermint and rosemary oils for relieving physical stress.

2. Environmental stress caused by loud noise, bright light, drive through heavy traffic, constant annoyances, pollution etc. can be treated with oils like basil, cedarwood, chamomile, geranium and coriander.

3. Chemical stress can occur when you overeat or subject yourself to a lot of medications. Abuse of drugs or over-use of oral medications can result in chemical stress due to the accumulation of toxins in the body. This can be cleared off by inhaling clary sage, lavender, lemon, rosemary, grapefruit, geranium and lemon.

4. Emotional/mental stress is caused by depressive thoughts, sufferance of painful emotional problems for a prolonged time and very low self-esteem. Basil, chamomile, bergamot, grapefruit, sandalwood and geranium can be used to get relief from mental stress.

You can use essential oils to even clear unwanted materials or substances in your environment. Cypress, eucalyptus lemon, grapefruit, lavender and rosemary oils can cleanse stale air at your home or office and help you breathe aromatic air. Basil, bergamot, birch, coriander, geranium, grapefruit and neroli can improve concentration and make you more creative.

Essential oils for insomnia: Tisserand, an aromatherapist, studied the effect of several oils in hospital patients and found the following essential oils to be effective in treating insomnia: lavender, marjoram, geranium, mandarin, and cardamom. With sedative properties, these oils induced sleep in insomniacs.



Uses of Essential Oils

Get back on your feet: How to use essential oils in foot care

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Feet is an important part of our body. They carry us all through our lifetime, for thousands of miles. But we hardly take care of them unless they are affected by fungal infections or are sore, tired, cracked, dry or itchy. Foot care is a must in today’s fast paced world as we are always on the move and hardly heed to our body, leave alone the feet. Aromatherapy essential oils are a great way to treat your feet. They not only soothe sore or tired feet, but also cure infection caused by fungi or viruses.

Essential oils and foot care: There are certain common essential oils that are used in foot care. Here are a few:

1. Peppermint oil: Peppermint is an anti-inflammatory oil that can soothe the skin and produce a relaxing effect. It is also a decongestant.


2. Rosemary oil: Used for many therapies, rosemary oil is a mild stimulant which is good for rheumatic aches or pain.

3. Eucalyptus oil: A strong aromatic oil, eucalyptus is an all-time oil for pain relief. Its anti-viral and bactericidal properties make it a great oil for the feet.

4. Lavender oil: A naturally soothing and relaxing oil, lavender is highly efficient in soothing your feet and helping it relax better. An excellent remedy for tired, hard-working feet.

5. Lemon oil: Like lemon, lemon oil is also refreshing, reviving and stimulating. It enhances circulation and relieves the body of pain and aches. A rejuvenating oil for sore or tired feet.

Toenail fungus: Essential oils can cure a lot of conditions related to feet. One of them is Toenail Fungal infection. Caused by fungus, this is a common infection among the Americans. Almost 30 million people in the United States are infected by nail fungus. This occurs mostly in men and women aged between 40 to 65, though some kinds of fungal infections happen in children also. Oral medications are not that effective in treating toenail fungus. This is because oral medications work only wherever blood circulates and toenail infection is concentrated mainly on the nail and the cuticle. Since there is no chance of blood reaching the interior of the nail, toenail infection cannot be effectively treated with oral drugs. Topical creams do work, but nothing works better than essential oils.

Three essential oils play a key role in treating toenail fungus. They are: 1. Tea Tree Oil, 2. Lavender Oil and 3. Oregano Oil. Tea Tree oil is an antiseptic that is used in several infections, especially skin related ones. Oregano oil has antiviral, antiseptic and anti-parasitical properties which reduces pain and inflammation in the body.

Essential oil remedies for problem feet: Aromatic oils can be used to treat Athlete’s foot, sore feet and burning feet. Here are a few remedies for different foot conditions:

Foot bath blend for tired feet: An essential foot bath blend should comprise of the following components: 3 drops of lavender oil, 3 drops of rosemary oil, 4 drops of lemon oil mixed with 2 gallons of warm water. While lavender soothes your feet, lemon and rosemary re-energize and revive it with increased blood circulation.

Essential oils for athlete’s foot: Add 4 drops of tea tree oil, 4 drops of lavender oil and 2 drops of sandalwood oil with 2 gallons of warm water and soak your feet in the blend. Tea tree oil combats the fungus, while sandalwood oil softens and smoothens the cracks and sores in the feet. You can even substitute sandalwood with patchouli oil.



Uses of Essential Oils

Incensed with fear? 10 aromatherapy oils for emotional transformation

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In ancient times, physicians used the sense of smell as a diagnostic tool. They knew that particular diseases caused particular smells or odor changes in the body. Arthritis and rheumatism carry an acid smell, diabetes has an acetone smell in the urine, perspiration odors can tell about the functioning of kidneys, while the odor of feces can say which part of your digestive tract is affected. The sense of smell is something native to the human body. It is said that the human nose has the ability to distinguish even thousand different smells in its subconscious mind. This is why aromatherapy works for human beings.

How do aromatic oils affect emotions? A smell can bring up a vivid memory of things. Be it the scent of a flower or the aroma of an apple pie, your subconscious mind rises up the memory associated with that particular smell even after so many years. This is followed by a string of emotions associated with the memory (good or bad). With such a deep connection between the olfactory nerves and emotions, one cannot doubt the effect of aromas on our emotional wellbeing.

Everything starts with the sensory nerve endings in the nose. When these sensory nerve endings sense odoriferous molecules (aromas), they immediately relay the nerve impulses to the part of the brain called the Limbic System. Since the Limbic System activates the pituitary gland (the seat of hormones) and the hypothalamus (the part which controls body functions and endocrine system), the aromas affect the emotional and physiological wellbeing of an individual. Unlike the skin which processes impulses in a much complex way, the nose or the olfactory system relays impulses readily, making aromatherapy one of the best and quickest ways to set right your emotions.

Healing oils for emotional balance: Emotional transformation cannot happen in split seconds – psychoanalysts know it is a complex process that involves rationalization and acceptance of an individual’s situation. But aromatherapy is different. It overpowers the rational mind, bringing a sudden surge of happy and peaceful emotions. It can even affect the memory aspects of your body. However, one should understand that reaction or response to aromas vary from individual to individual. Though lavender is a calming oil, if an individual has an unpleasant memory about it, he may not respond to it in the expected way. In which case, a different oil is to be tried on him.

The below list can help in easing emotions with the appropriate essential oils:

1. Depression: Essential oils like basil, bergamot, chamomile, rose, sandalwood, ylang-ylang, lavender, neroli, geranium and jasmine can be used in treatment of depression.

2. Anger: Anger or aggressive behavior can be controlled or managed with chamomile, jasmine, marjoram, ylang-ylang, rosemary, palma rosa, melissa, bergamot, lemon, juniper etc.

3. Fear: Fear can be crippling if left untreated. Oils like cedarwood, fennel, ginger, thyme, pachouli, sandalwood, clary, jasmine and basil can be used to reduce your fear palpitations and relax your mind.

4. Hypertension or hysteria can be treated with chamomile, lavender, neroli, orange, tea tree and melissa.

5. Impatience, irritability, disturbed state of mind can be treated with chamomile, camphor, marjoram, frankincense, clary and lavender.

6. Grief or sorrow can be alleviated if hyssop, marjoram, rose, benzoin, jasmine, rose and rosewood oils are used.

7. Stress: Stress is a constant in everyone’s life. To reduce stress, you can use bergamot, atlas cedarwood, geranium, lavender, sweet marjoram, sandalwood, vetiver, ylang-ylang, petitgrain, rose, melissa, clary sage and all citrus oils.

8. Aphrodisiacs: Clary sage, jasmine, patchouli, ylang-ylang increase the secretion of endorphins and increase sex hormone activity.

9. Memory stimulators: Black pepper, lemon, peppermint, rosemary and other such oils stimulate the Amygdala and hippocampus in the brain to improve functions related to thought and memory.

10. Sedatives: Oils like chamomile, lavender, marjoram and orange blossom aid in sleep by secreting serotonin in the brain.



Uses of Essential Oils

Smell relief: 4 natural pain relief remedies using essential oils

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The agony of pain can be unbearable. It can be taxing, distressing and debilitating. It can wreck your daily routine, making you victims of suffering. Every time you experience pain, you hunt for a painkiller to seek instant relief. You think you can surpass the agony of painful moments by taking a simple pill. You get temporary relief and then, the pain pounces on you again. You resort to the cycle of painkiller-pain-relief-painkiller to keep pain at bay. This process can make you tired and weary, especially if you are the kind suffering from migraines, constant headaches or chronic pain like  arthritic pain.

Nasty painkillers: All praise and credits to the medical world for discovering painkillers. Sure, they are wonder drugs that ward off pain from your body and give you relaxation and relief. But they are pretty nasty too. Almost all painkillers come with a load of side effects. Some can be debilitating and fatal. Some can lead you to an addiction system, making you addictive to the drug and result in serious withdrawal symptoms. The pain point in this is, you take painkillers to get complete relief, but all they do is provide you temporary, instant relief (where the pain comes back after sometime).


How are essential oils different? So how are essential oils different from painkillers? The first and foremost difference is, they do not cause any side effects, whatsoever. Even those rare skin irritations can be avoided if you mix your essential oil with a carrier oil and apply it. Another marked difference is in the way they function. Since essential oils are applied topically, they do not metabolize in the body, causing you indigestion problems or liver or kidney disorders associated with oral consumption of drugs. Third factor, essential oils are completely herbal and natural. They provide instant relief, mood changes and create a calm and peaceful ‘you’ without pain. They are also completely safe to use.

Essential oils for pain relief: There are various essential oils which can be used in pain relief. However, only a few are most popular and successful. Below is a list of pure essential oils which are used as pain relief remedies:

1. Lavender oil: Lavender oil is extracted from the plant lavender vera. It is antiseptic, antimicrobial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory. Lavender is indicated for muscle spasms, sprains, strain, cramps, contractures and rheumatic pain. It has a soothing and relaxing effect on the body, relieving pain sensations completely out of the system. In spirituality, lavender is said to balance the physical, astral and ethereal planes and thereby bring peace to an individual.

2. Peppermint oil: Peppermint oil is extracted from Mentha Piperita. It has been extensively used in the treatment of pain through the ages – headaches, migraines, backache, shoulder pain, arthritic pain and other chronic pain from accidents or other ill-health conditions. A powerful anti-inflammatory, it is smooth and cooling on the skin.

3. Clove oil: Clove oil or Syzygium Aromaticum provides great relief from toothaches. Its analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties make it a good pain relief remedy with minimal or no irritation. Mixed with base oils, it works well when massaged on to the body.

4. Basil oil: A modest herbal wonder, Basil is a plant sets off miracle cures. Basil oil, from the ancient times, has been homemade and used for various ailments, even influenza, common cold etc. An anti-spasmodic and anti-inflammatory oil, Basil treats muscle and nerve pain readily. It is also an excellent muscle relaxant.

Caution is to be used while treating pain with essential oils. Some oils can be concentric absolutes which may cause skin irritation or skin problems. To avoid this, mix essential oils with base or carrier oils and then apply/massage on to the body.



Uses of Essential Oils

Use caution with essential oils: 8 safety guidelines to follow

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There is no doubt that aromatherapy and essential oils are great ways to enhance our health and lifestyles. But that does not mean that everything with aromatherapy is good. There are several toxic essential oils which can prove harmful or fatal to you. There are some essential oils which need to be used with caution. Also, you need to know how to keep your oils safe, preventing them from becoming rancid and keeping them out of reach of children.

Below are a list of safety guidelines you need to follow with essential oils:

1. Children and Pets: Essential oils are highly valuable, but they can be harmful if used improperly or when there is an overdose. Keep essential oils out of the reach of children or pets. Store them in a cool, dark place in tinted glass bottles as some oils are photosensitive (cannot stand sunlight). Check periodically on whether your oils are in good quality.

2. Strictly NO intake of oils: Avoid intake of essential oils unless suggested or recommended by a qualified and licensed aromatherapist or aromatherapy practitioner. Intake of toxic oils can even result in death.


3. Do skin patch test: Do skin patch test if you are applying an essential oil for the first time on your body. To do this, mix one drop of essential oil with a teaspoon of carrier oil and then, apply on the inside of the wrist. Leave the area dry for 24 hours and do not wash the oil off the skin. If there is no skin irritation, redness, swelling or inflammation in the oil-applied area, then you can be certain that the oil is compatible with your skin. If you are using a carrier oil for the first time, apply it and check before testing with essential oil.

4. Application procedures: When using undiluted essential oils, wash your hands immediately after usage. Do not apply essential oils on your eyes, mouth, insides of the nose, mucous membranes, sexual organs or other areas. Take great care when using essential oils on children. When nursing babies, take care to avoid skin transference

5. Carcinogenic oils: Some essential oils can be carcinogenic and are banned in aromatherapy. Such oils are calamus oil, sassafras oil, camphor oil etc. If you have cancer, follow these safety rules: keep massaging lightly, avoid deep massages over lymph glands, do not massage if you have skin cancer, and do not massage on areas that were subjected to radiation. Avoid the following oils if you have cancer: antiseed, bay, basil, clove, cinnamon, laurel, nutmeg, fennel etc.

6. Liver-toxic oils: Certain essential oils can have a toxic effect on the liver. Since liver is the seat of several activities like lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, bile juice secretion, protein synthesis etc., a toxic effect on the liver can be harmful to the body. To avoid this, do not take the following oils orally: antiseed, basil, bay, cassia, cinnamon, clove etc.

7. Oral, dermal toxicity-inducing oils: There are a few oils that cause oral and dermal toxicity, which include: bitter almond, boldo leaf, calamus, camphor, mugwort, rue, pennyroyal, sassafras, savin, tansy, thuja, wintergreen, wormseed, southernwood, mustard, nightshade and stinging nettles. You need to avoid certain oils like hyssop, rosemary, sage and thyme if you have hypertension. And never use rosemary, fennel, sage, spike lavender, tansy, thuja, wormweed, and camphor oils if you have epilepsy or other related problems.

8. General safety tips: Check for interaction of essential oils with prescription medications and use them accordingly. Abstain from alcohol when using essential oils. Avoid sunlight after essential oil massages as some oils can cause sun-sensitivity in people.