Essential Oils - What are they?
Essential oils form a prominent part of aromatherapy, which essentially works as alternative form of medicine where plant extracts are used for improved health and overall well-being. When used appropriately, these oils help reduce stress, anxiety, loss of energy, concentration. These oils also can help to reduce physical pain, sleep deprivation, inflammation, and more.
Understanding more about essential oils benefits, types, and how to use them.
Before you choose Essential oils, you must know what they are exactly. In essence, essential oils are the natural compounds removed from a variety of plants. The natural oil extracts captured from a plant's composition lend each oils its unique characteristic, benefits, and essence. These oil extracts can be obtained via the process of distillation or mechanical processes such as pressing. During this process, the plants natural organic compounds are removed then in some cases mixed with a carrier oil due to extract being in a highly concentrated form, which results in an essential oil product that can be used readily.
Essential Oil Types and Uses
There are over 90 different varieties of Essential oils that have their own unique smell as well as usage. Practitioners combine these oils to use them for alternative and natural health practices, such as naturopathy and aromatherapy.
Below, you will find a list of the most popular Essential Oils:
Lavender Oil: Lavender Essential oil is ideal for relieving insomnia.
Rose Oil: An expensive oil, the Rose oil is preferred for its calming floral fragrance that helps to get rid of anxiety and stress.
Sandalwood Oil: This is preferred for its fragrance and is also helpful in relieving anxiety and improving sleep.
Peppermint Oil: This oil is used for stomach problems (such as irritable bowel syndrome) and headaches.
Jasmin Oil: This oil smells sweet and is mostly used for relieving stress and can treat problems of dry skin and inflammation. The oil is also helpful in preventing aging signs.
Ylang-Ylang: This is primarily used for relieving pain, improving mood as well as lowering blood pressure.
Roman Chamomilla: This oil is ideal for relaxation as well as improving mood.
Lemon: This aids in digestion, boost mood, etc.
Basil Oil: This oil consists of essential herbs and helps to ease problems of cough and is also helpful in soothing sore muscles. The oil also makes an excellent choice for enhancing mood.
Tea Tree: It is effective in treating fungal infections as well as boosting immunity.
Natural Health Benefits
As already mentioned above, Essential oils offer numerous health benefits such as:
Stress and Anxiety: Studies have proved that Essential oils are excellent for reducing stress. When you inhale Essential oils, your brain signals certain emotions, and you feel hopeful and optimistic. Essential oils for anxiety are used as a massage that provides you with instant relief from all kinds of stress.
Sleep Problems: When you smell lavender oil, it helps to improve sleep quality, especially post-childbirth.
Headache: Several studies have shown that Essential oils help reduce headaches, especially when you combine lavender oil with peppermint oil.
Healthy Hair: Essential oils work wonders for your hair. While Peppermint oil helps to treat dry and greasy hair problems, it also improves blood flow in the scalp. Lavender Essential Oils help to condition the hair, thus keeping it shiny. It is also helpful in controlling dandruff.
Skin Nourishment: Essential oils help to heal your damaged skin. These oils offer deep nourishment to your skin. Lavender oils, as well as tea tree oils, offer anti-inflammatory benefits that help to minimize irritation and inflammation related to skin conditions, like eczema, acne, insect bite, or burn. It alleviates problems of wrinkles and thus improves the appearance of your skin.
Reducing Inflammation: Certain Essential oils help to reduce inflammation and irritation of the skin. When you directly apply Essential oils (after diluting them) to the impacted area, it helps reduce pain and swelling issues.
Using Essential Oils- What You Should Know?
There are many ways in which you can use or apply essential oils, such as:
By Inhaling: In this particular method, you must smell the oils by diffusing them in the diffuser or through steam inhalation or with a spray.
Through Skin: There are a few Essential oils that can be absorbed by your skin when you apply them topically. These oils in its concentrated form should not be applied to your skin directly and must always be diluted with a carrier oil before application.
Oil Burners: Another popular way of using Essential oils is with the help of the oil burner. Add a couple of drops to the burner for a lasting and excellent aroma. One can also combine different Essential oils to create a unique smell.
Bath: Adding a couple drops of the Essential oils to the bathtub can result in a pure, natural, and heavenly aroma. It is also a popular way to get the most out of these oils.
Massage: Add a few drops of Essential oil to carrier oils (like Grapeseed or Coconut oil), and then gently massage it on the forehead, neck, palms, feet, back, or other areas to experience the magic of these oils.
Make Your Own: You can also use Essential oils to create soaps, and beauty products. Some people also use Essential oils in candles for its relaxing effect. They offer therapeutic benefits and are pure and natural, and therefore excellent for creating your favorite products.
Apart from this, Essential oils can also be used for spritzing on the pillow before sleeping at night or as air fresheners in the car. Many people also use Essential oils for sauna baths and making their very own cleaning products.
Conclusion
To sum up, Essential oils offer many health and therapeutic benefits, which makes them an excellent choice for people who prefer the goodness of natural and organic oils. However, make sure that you always dilute them before using them. Also, look for the best quality Essential oils for your desired outcome.