Essential oils are all the rage these days.
Some people swear by them and insist they help do everything from cure allergies to provide instant stress relief.
Others claim they are all hype and don’t actually work.
So what’s the real deal with essential oils?
Well, both extremes have some truth – and here’s a simple guide on what you need to know.
Start With The Basics
The thing is – essential oils actually do work, if you know how to use them properly.
Critics often complain they “don’t work” – when in reality the error is usually with the user.
For example, if you put 20 drops of peppermint oil directly on your skin and wonder why your headache isn’t gone, not only is this method ineffective, but it can actually seriously burn your skin!
But with nearly 100 different types of essential oils, where should a person start?
I recommend purchasing a starter kit – or start off with the most popular essential oils that have many uses like peppermint, lavender, rose, tea tree, and cedarwood.
What They Do
The various uses of essential oil are really limitless.
Have a headache?
Many people find relief from rubbing peppermint or lavender essential oil on their temples.
But again don’t put the oil directly on your skin!
Essential oils are incredibly powerful, and putting them directly on your skin can cause serious burns.
Instead, make your own roller “headache relief” bottle with a few drops of peppermint oil combined with a carrier oil like jojoba oil.
If you feel a headache coming on, using the roller bottle on your temples can help take the edge away and provide some relief.
Diffuse Away
If you have trouble sleeping at night – try essential oils before you pick up the sleeping pills.
Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine conducted a randomized trial with a group of college studentsto see if sleep quality could be improved with lavender essential oil. Half of the group wore a lavender patch, the other group wore a blank patch.
As it turned out, the lavender group had better sleep quality, and woke up feeling refreshed!
If you struggle with insomnia, consider diffusing lavender oil in your diffuser before sleep.
You can even make your own lavender spray for your pillows and blankets for an added bonus!
When making the spray — keep it simple and just add 10-12 drops of lavender essential oil to distilled water. Some people choose to add rubbing alcohol to the mix, but it is optional.
The calming scent of lavender can even help reduce anxiety – and is yet another natural tool you can add to your list!
Have Fun But Don’t Expect A Miracle
Essential oils are a practical way to help treat many ailments and common health concerns like insomnia.
But don’t expect to have it be a miracle cure for cancer.
There are people who ingest essential oils (this topic is very controversial)– but definitely, don’t start off with this method as a beginner.
Some people have actually burned their esophagus from putting drops of oil on their tongue!
Ingestion of oils are for advanced users only who are trained.
Those that are safe will list on the bottle they are safe for internal use – but it’s still best to forgo this unless you’re under supervision of a trained essential oil expert.
Final Tips
From diffusing lavender in your room to sleep better, to making your very own headache roller – the options with essential oil are limitless.
And as Better Change Project previously reported, you can even make your own homemade products!
As a final tip, test out a small patch when using essential oils (mixed with a carrier) on your skin.
People are allergic to different things, and it’s best to know what your skin can tolerate.
And remember carrier oils are important when applying essential oils to the skin! Don’t let the little bottles of oil fool you – they are strong and potent.
The most common carrier oils are almond oil, argan oil, coconut oil, and my personal favorite – jojoba oil!
Making the switch away from toxic perfumes and entering the world of essential oils is a big step – but once you get the hang of it you’re bound to be a believer.
(h/t Better Change Project)