MOST POPULAR ESSENTIAL OILS. REVIEW

Essential oils, properties and uses at home

INNA CODRU , JANUARY 15, 2018

Essential oils are pure natural essence. These are concentrated natural oils that are extracted from plants, wood, bark, flowers, roots and seeds. They are powerful antioxidants and have been used by humans for thousands of years.

What are the healthiest essential oils? We hear this question quite often. Let's talk about some of them, and the rest you will determine for yourself.

Essential oils contain health-promoting plant substances that can be inhaled, sprayed, ingested, applied to areas of the body, and used in massage therapy (Read more about the Psychological Effects of Massage in this article ).

These oils are beneficial in many ways:

• They promote a positive mental state and a relaxing atmosphere.


• Improve skin health


• Clean up your house


• Promote overall physical health


• Help fight flu symptoms


• Reduce cellulite and wrinkles


• Improve digestion


• Helps balance hormones


• Successfully deal with pain

In this article, we will discuss the 6 most popular essential oils. We will also look at aromatherapy and its associated health benefits. Finally, we will discuss how to buy and store essential oils. This will give you a complete understanding of the essential oils discussed today.

SANDALWOOD ESSENTIAL OIL

The first thing we will introduce: sandalwood oil properties and uses. This essential oil is obtained from sandalwood wood, which should be between 40-80 years old.

This oil has a subtle and persistent exotic woody scent. The main components found in this oil are Santil Acetate, Santalol and Santalens.

It is an excellent antiseptic and is safe for both external and internal use. Sandalwood oil contains strong anti-inflammatory compounds. It is very effective in the treatment of the nervous system and the circulatory system.

It works wonders for the skin and greatly improves its health. This essential oil is used in a wide variety of skin care products.

Sandalwood oil aids in digestion as it helps to expel gas. It soothes inflammation in the genitourinary system and improves its functioning. Helps improve memory, reduces anxiety, and overall is great for improving overall health.

Sandalwood oil is effective in treating coughs and is a natural expectorant. It has antihypertensive properties. Sandalwood essential oil can be taken with milk or water to help reduce high blood pressure.

LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OIL

Lavender essential oil is obtained from the beautiful flowers of lavender plants. Fragrant lavender flowers have been used to create flower medleys for centuries.

The sweet scent of lavender oil evokes images of meadows with rows of beautiful blue-purple lavender flowers under summer skies.

If you suffer from insomnia, then lavender essential oil may be your best bet. It perfectly relieves the fatigue of the mind and helps you fall asleep.

It is also great for depression, migraines, emotional stress, headaches, and nervous tension.

Dermatologists say that lavender oil is very effective in treating acne. This is an excellent remedy for relieving muscle tension, rheumatism and back pain, sprains and lumbago.

Lavender oil reduces inflammation of the bladder, restores hormonal balance and reduces cramps.

It improves digestion, blood circulation, immunity and also significantly improves skin health.

PEPPERMINT ESSENTIAL OIL

It is the most versatile essential oil in the world, along with lavender. So, peppermint essential oil, properties and uses. It has a minty smell and is a symbol of hospitality.

The timely use of peppermint oil can relieve muscle pain, because it gives both a soothing and cooling effect.

It improves mental focus, increases energy, reduces abdominal pain, improves digestion, and perfectly clears the sinuses.

Peppermint oil is a natural pain reliever and muscle relaxant. It can be taken orally in dietary supplements or topically. It relieves the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and indigestion.

It has excellent antibacterial properties and fights bad breath. It also fights dangerous microbes on the teeth and gums.

Timely use of peppermint oil helps to get rid of fungal nail infections. It has lipophilic properties and is ideal for the treatment of recurrent herpes infection.

This oil is a good remedy for nausea. It can replace medications that reduce nausea caused by chemotherapy. Peppermint oil can be used to treat hot flashes in women undergoing breast cancer treatment.

Provides relief from stress, depression and mental exhaustion. This oil nourishes the skin well and helps maintain healthy hair (see the article "How to deal with hair loss, five effective ways" .

ROSEMARY ESSENTIAL OIL

Next - rosemary essential oil properties and uses. This oil has a mixed woody and citrus scent. Rosemary essential oil is very effective in combating flatulence, constipation, bloating and stomach cramps.

It also effectively reduces everyday stress. Inhaling rosemary oil for as little as 5 minutes significantly lowers Hydrocortisone (cortisone) according to recent research.

Herbalists confirm that massage and inhalation of rosemary oil increase free radical activity in the body. This means that it increases antioxidant activity and improves immunity.

Rosemary oil is effective in relieving pain and is used to treat both muscle and headache pains. Also used in the treatment of arthritis.

The scent of rosemary oil provides relief from congestion in the throat. This essential oil has antispasmodic properties and is used in the treatment of bronchial asthma.

ESSENTIAL OIL OF BERGAMOT

Bergamot tree. Often people are interested in what Bergamot is, what is in its composition, etc., and so, Bergamot is the result of crossing between a lemon tree and an orange tree.

This sweet-smelling oil is chock-full of beneficial compounds. Let's start with the fact that it has a unique, unlike anything else, fruity and spicy aroma.

You can also make a short note for yourself - "Bergamot essential oil properties" and note the following there: antibacterial, antiseptic, analgesic, antispasmodic and soothing properties of this oil. It is very effective in the treatment of urinary tract infections and meningitis.

Add bergamot oil to your bath, even if you are sitting in the bath, to prevent bacterial infections from spreading from your urethra to your bladder.

This essential oil can serve as a substitute for cholesterol-lowering drugs such as statins. It improves the healing process of external herpes and herpes sores in the mouth. It has amazing antifungal properties. Bergamot oil prevents and treats skin diseases caused by mycoses (fungi).

According to experts, when using bergamot oil in aromatherapy preparations, it is possible to reduce stress and anxiety of patients before surgery.

It reduces chronic fatigue syndrome and reduces the level of depression. It is one of the best natural pest repellants.

TEA TREE OIL

Tea tree oil has many of its health benefits. The properties of this essential oil were highly valued, for example, by the Australian Aborigines.

Aboriginal communities simply crushed tea tree leaves and applied them to cuts, burns and other infections, according to the University of Sydney.

We will also pay attention to the properties of tea tree essential oil and its use in a variety of situations.

This oil has a camphor aroma and has amazing healing properties. It is often used in the treatment of acne. It is just as effective as benzoyl peroxide, but without the side effects.

Tea tree essential oil is great for hair. It can be used to relieve irritation of dry, flaky skin, remove dandruff and treat lice. It has amazing antibacterial properties and, in addition, is a good household disinfectant.

This essential oil can be used to treat eczema and psoriasis. Dr. Ax (founder of the Functional Medicine Center in Nashville) created a recipe for an eczema lotion using tea tree oil:

Mix five drops of lavender oil and tea tree oil and add one teaspoon of coconut oil. Your amazing lotion is ready.

Tea tree oil can also be used for fungus or ringworm infections. It can be used in making homemade toothpaste to promote oral health:

Mix tea tree oil, coconut oil and baking soda - homemade toothpaste is ready.

Tea tree oil also has anti-cancer properties.

ESSENTIAL OILS AND AROMATHERAPY

When you inhale the pleasant aroma of essential oils, the molecules pass through your nose and affect your brain through various receptor sites. One of these parts is a part of our brain called the limbic system.

This system is directly connected to the parts of the brain that control blood pressure, breathing, heart rate, memory, hormone balance, and stress levels.

Therefore, we can assume that essential oil inhalation may have profound physiological and psychological effects.

Essential oils can be used externally and applied to various parts of the body. Oral use is NOT recommended unless approved by a healthcare professional.

ESSENTIAL OIL APPLICATIONS

massage oils

Massage oils are a combination of one or more vegetable oils with essential oils:

• 5% dilution = 30 drops of essential oil per 30 ml of vegetable oil (any oil you like).
• 2.5% dilution = 15 drops of essential oil per 30 ml of vegetable oil (any oil you like).
• For children, dilution 5-1% = 3-6 drops of essential oil per 30 ml of vegetable oil (any, to your taste).

Face creams and lotions

You can add essential oils to creams or lotions (they shouldn't have a strong scent). You can also make your own facial oil using vegetable or herbal oils by simply adding an essential oil:

For healthy skin 1-2.5% dilution = 6 to 15 drops per 30 ml.

Bathing

Depending on the essential oil, add 2 to 12 drops to a teaspoon of honey, whole milk, or vegetable oil, and then use it as soon as you soak in the bath.

Inhalation

Add 3-7 drops of essential oils to boiling water. Cover your head with a towel, close your eyes and inhale the fragrant fumes. You can use thyme, lemon, eucalyptus and tea tree essential oils for this inhalation. Sometimes steam inhalation can stop snoring!

Aroma Diffusers

It is a combination of essential oils and water. Aroma diffusers can be used as a room freshener, to create a specific, "necessary" :) aroma in the room.

To purify the air, to lift your spirits and your own energy in the end, and, of course, for aesthetic purposes.

ESSENTIAL OILS PROPERTIES AND APPLICATIONS IN AROMATHERAPY

Aromatherapy blends are useful for:

• For insomnia


• Under stress


• For arthritis and rheumatism


• With low immunity


• For various inflammations


• For chronic muscle or joint pain


• During pregnancy


• When it is necessary to relax the nervous system and


• When to relieve muscle spasms.

Face creams lotions with essential oils help:

• Improve the beauty of the skin and slow down its aging


• Boost the immunity of skin cells


• Clear skin


• Maintain a balanced oily skin


• Improve blood circulation


• Soften and soothe the skin


• Improve skin hydration and restore its beautiful color


• Eliminate emotional problems

• Reduce pain and stiffness in muscles


• Improve lymph circulation


• Relieve mental and physical fatigue


• stimulate blood circulation


• Reduce stress


• Improve detoxification and


• Enhance overall skin condition

• Improve respiratory function


• Treat nasal congestion and


• In the treatment of sinusitis

HOW TO CHOOSE A NATURAL AND QUALITY ESSENTIAL OIL

Price

It takes 100 to 120 kilograms of rose flowers to produce 30 ml of rose oil. That's enough to make you realize that good quality essential oils will NEVER be cheap.

You should not fall for the tricks of sellers that “oils are on sale today” or “supplied directly from suppliers”, etc. So, you will have to spend a little on real and high-quality oil.

But the good news is that you don't need much. Pure essential oils are highly concentrated and even a few drops can show their magical effect.

Purity

It is difficult to assess the purity of essential oils. But you can find trusted retailers that specialize in selling essential oils. They usually care a lot about the quality of the oil they sell. Because if they find out that their product is fake they will lose their business, at least most of the buyers.

To check the purity, you can try one test:

• Apply one drop of essential oil to white, clean printer paper and let dry.
• Check the sheet if there is a greasy stain left on it, vegetable fat has been added to your oil, that is, it is a fake.

The pure essential oil will completely evaporate, leaving only a slight stain, as some oils have their own color, but there should be no fat! True, there are a few exceptions to this, for example, sandalwood oil.

You can check the label to see if it contains the Latin name of the plant. Choose bottles with dark or amber hues because they protect against ultraviolet rays, which decompose the essential oil.

If you're buying organic essential oils from the US, look for those that have the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) seal on the label.

HOW TO STORE ESSENTIAL OIL

Storing essential oils is definitely an art that you can easily master. It should be stored in a dark glass container to filter out ultraviolet rays.

And even then, you should never leave it where it can be directly exposed to sunlight. This will speed up the oxidation process of the oil. Choose a dark place to store it.

Keep essential oils out of the reach of children. Citrus essential oils are more prone to oxidation. You can store them in the refrigerator. Set the temperature to 5-10 degrees Celsius.

Some essential oils may solidify at this temperature. It's okay, you can warm them up before use.

You can also store them in special aromatherapy storage boxes. Never store your concentrated essential oils in plastic bottles! Since most oils corrode plastic and in some cases even melt plastic bottles.

ARE ESSENTIAL OILS SAFE?

Most essential oils are safe, but you should be careful with dosage, frequency of use, method of application, and potential drug interactions.

Essential oils should be diluted before use. For infants and children, ALWAYS consult your doctor about how to use it.

To avoid any allergic reactions, perform a patch test. You must be careful when applying certain citrus oils. Therefore, it is better to avoid going out into the open sun after applying these essential oils externally.

Summing up

Essential oils can enliven your atmosphere, bring good health and uplift your spirit. Therefore, use these oils after proper dilution to enjoy their amazing properties.

The power of smell is a great way to naturally heal ourselves from the stress of our daily lives.

Essential oils increase the likelihood of the body's natural self-healing and getting rid of all the negative energy accumulated during the day. They perfectly cheer up and give confidence that life is a wonderful thing! ))