My Go-to Essential Oils and How I Use Them

So What Are Essential Oils?

Essential oils are compounds extracted from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils because they evaporate quickly after coming in contact with oxygen. Essential oils, which are obtained through mechanical pressing or distillation, are concentrated plant extracts that retain the natural smell and flavor of their source. Because of their antidepressant, stimulating, detoxifying, antibacterial, antiviral and calming properties, essential oils are recently gaining popularity as a natural, safe and cost-effective therapy for a number of health concerns.

How I Use Essential Oils

1 | For Homemade Beauty Products

I love using essential oils to make my own whipped body butters during the winter months and for lighter oil mixtures for my skin in the warmer months. They add a natural, light fragrance that you can switch up depending on your preferences or mood i.e. adding lavender for an oil you’d use near bedtime and a citrus oil blend for the mornings like grapefruit, sweet orange, lemon, etc. I also make homemade body scrubs and mix in my favorite essential oils for a nice fragrance.

2 | For Home Cleaning and Natural Fragrance

One way to feel assured that your cleaning and home fragrance products are non-toxic options are to just make your own. Essential oils can elevate the cleaning properties of various products and simply make them smell better. I make variations of the following recipes for my home cleaning and fragrance purposes:

3 | For Essential Oil Diffusers

Essential oil diffusers are an easy way to make your surroundings smell good and take care of the reputed benefits of certain essential oils. If you’re not a DIY person, you can purchase ready made blends from a variety of reputable places online for whatever mood or purpose. Here are a few essential oil blends to choose from, but there are an assortment of them available online:

4| For Haircare Treatments

Additions of essential oils like Rosemary and Peppermint can boost the benefits of hair conditioning treatments and oil treatments. One of my go-to hair oils is this oil that also includes organic Rosemary and Peppermint essential oils. I use it as a hot oil treatment before shampoos or add some of the oil to my regular deep conditioner.

5 | For Various Ailments

For Antibacterial Purposes - I use Tea Tree Oil for its antimicrobial properties. I’ve found that it works well as an addition to oil treatments for skin breakouts.
Headache Relief - I use Peppermint Oil on my temples when I get headaches and definitely see the benefits of using it in that way.
For Hormone Balancing (to address PMS Symptoms) - I use a women’s essential oil blend that includes Clary Sage for PMS symptoms and menstrual cramps.

My Go-To Essential Oils

A few of the key benefits for my go-to essential oils are listed below.

Lemongrass - Antibacterial and anti-fungal, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and can be a potent insect repellent.
Lavender - A sedative, antispasmodic, anti-anxiety, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antibacterial, anesthetic, anti-carcinogenic, immune boosting and antiviral.
Tea Tree Oil - Antiviral, anti-inflammatory and exhibits anti-cancer activity.
Rosemary - A stimulant and immune system booster.
Peppermint - Antispasmodic, antiviral, antimicrobial, anti-fungal and antioxidant.
Clary Sage - Antibacterial, astringent, antiseptic and can help improve circulation.
Sweet Orange - An anxiety reducer.
Eucalyptus - Aids in clearing congestion. Also an insect, parasite, and bacteria killer.
Frankincense - An anti-inflammatory.
Sandalwood - Anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antiseptic.