Essential oils have been used in wellness practices for as long as 5,000 years ago. Why do we still use them today? Because they come with an extensive list of benefits. Want to reduce your stress levels? There's an oil for that. Want to ease muscular pain? There's an oil for that. Because the world of essential oils is large and a little confusing to navigate, I’ve compiled an ultimate guide for you. Read on to find which essential oil is right for you and how you should use them.
What Are Essential Oils?
Essential oils are concentrated oils that have been extracted from beneficial plant parts (flowers, bark, leaves, or fruit). These plant parts go through a process called steam distillation to capture the plant’s scent or “essence.”
You’ll find that some oils are singular, and some can be blends of multiple oils.
Why Should You Use Essential Oils?
There is a great array of benefits that come with using essential oils. Research out there supports them helping your body in a multitude of ways. People find that they’re beneficial for memory, sleep, mood, pain, and inflammation.
How Do You Choose and Use Essential Oils?
Because each oil comes with its own list of intended benefits, it’s worth taking the time to explore which will match what you Use your intuition to select oils, noticing what you’re particularly drawn to or what your body needs.
There are several ways you can go about using essential oils. The best and safest way is by simply smelling them from the bottle. Our sense of smell is directly linked to our brain's limbic system, which processes memories, associations, and emotions. This is why you’ll find some scents so nostalgic and enjoyable or calming.
You can also use a diffuser to create a soothing or stimulating environment in your own home. With this method, you’ll want a well-ventilated room. 10 minutes on and 30 minutes off is the safest way, and make sure you research the dos and don'ts if you have a pet.
Another great way to use your oils is within a bath – it makes for a totally therapeutic experience in your own home and can easily influence your mood and upgrade your wellness routine. Simply add a few drops to your bath.
If you want to safely apply essential oils directly to your skin, you’ll need to use a carrier (jojoba, avocado, or coconut will do the job). One drop in a dime-sized amount of carrier oil is enough. Alternatively, many of my essential oils come skin ready in a roller bottle form.
When it comes to buying your oils, you should check that they’re high-quality therapeutic grade. You don’t want oils containing synthetics, fillers, additives, or bases. These all take away from the quality, potency, and benefits you can gain. Store them in a cool dark space.
Which Oil Should You Choose?
Want help falling (and staying) asleep? Use lavender, patchouli, sandalwood, ylang-ylang, chamomile, neroli, cedar, bergamot, frankincense, or rose. You can also try my Sweet Dreams blend.
Want to relieve your anxiety or stress? Use rose, clary sage, frankincense, lavender, bergamot, ylang-ylang, lemon, orange, sandalwood, or chamomile. You can also try my Stress Less Blend or my Happy Blend.
Want help concentrating? Try rosemary, basil, lime, peppermint, helichrysum, cedar, vetiver, grapefruit, pine, or juniper. You can also try my Focus Blend.
Want to feel energized (without the help of coffee)? Use lemon, orange, grapefruit, eucalyptus, cinnamon, peppermint, ginger, rosemary, spearmint, black pepper, or jasmine. You can also try my Energize Me Blend.
Want to ease a headache? Try peppermint, rosemary, lavender, chamomile, eucalyptus, or lemongrass. You could also use my Migraine Relief Blend.
Want to breathe a little easier or support a respiratory ailment? Try rosemary, eucalyptus, lemon, or peppermint. You can use my Breathe Easy Blend.
What You Need To Remember
With a vast collection of different oils to choose from, you’ll never struggle for options! To make an effective choice, think about what you need help with mentally or physically. From there, find an oil that provides this benefit alongside being pleasant to smell. Remember, a little goes a long way. Most importantly, don't be afraid to explore and try different things!
You can shop all my essential oils here. I’ve plenty of single oils and blends to choose from, available in bottles or in roller form.
