Essential Oils: What They Are and How They Are Used

Essential oils

Essential oils are an ancient tradition that have recently soared in popularity. Throughout history, essential oils have been known to be used for cosmetic benefits, dietary purpose, and even spiritual and religious uses. Jews and Egyptians made essential oils by soaking the plants in oil and then filtering the oil through a linen bag. It was the essential oils of frankincense, incense and myrrh that the three kings gave to Jesus when he was born in Bethlehem according to the New Testament.

This ancient tradition has made a modern day comeback. What is it that has so many people going crazy for these products? We thought we would take some time to dig into the essence of essential oils.

What is an essential Oil?

An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants. That means that all the amazing properties found in plants like: antioxidants, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory elements are present in concentrated forms.

When you walk into a field of lavender and smell the powerful scent, you are you are experiencing the aromatic qualities of essential oils, according to the DoTerra, an essential oil disturber.

Furthermore, it is the essential oils that gives each plant their distinctive smells. The oils are extracted through careful steam distillation, resin tapping, and cold pressing according to Youth Living.

What Are Essential Oils Used For

Essential oils can be used in many different ways. They can be used as cleaners, skin products, and culinary purposes. Author Dr. Josh Axe wrote a book called, “The King’s Medicine Cabinet” where he dives into the uses of essential oils. Dr. Axe gives over 101 ways to use essential oils.

For example, he states that three drops of lemon oil and three drops of tea tree oil with some warm water can be used as an all-purpose cleaner to spray onto counter tops.

Another example he offers is a recipe for sunscreen. He suggests to mix coconut oil, zinc oxide, Shea butter, helichrysum oil, and lavender essential oil.

Stress Relief

The uses do not stop there. There are countless of ways to use essential oils. One common use for essential oils is stress and anxiety relief. Taking a huge whiff of an essential oil might be enough to calm those nerves. Add your favorite essential oil to your shower. Drop a few of your favorite scent and put some on the floor of your shower. Also, place on your body as you scrub clean.

Another great option is to bring your favorite scent along with you throughout your day. Place a few drops of your favorite oil to your scarf, gloves, or just a simple cotton pad as you go about your day. People might even notice how good you smell. In addition, a popular way to use essential oils is buy using a diffuser. This is a product that will dispense the oil into the air.

Popular Essential Oils and How They Are Used

If you are interested in starting to use essential oils, it is always good to check with your doctor and make sure they are a good choice for you. In addition, there are many individuals who sell the products and would love to talk with you in more detail about how to use them. To get you thinking, here are 7 favorite essential oil options.

Lavender:

Lavender is a great essential oil to start with as its uses are versatile. This powerful oil is known to help with digestion, support skin health, stimulate hair growth, and help with anxiety and stress according to Wellness Mama.

In addition, lavender is one of the only essential oils that is okay to place directly on your skin without having to dilute it. The relaxing qualities and stress relief is one of the biggest properties that lavender is known for.

Lavender can also help with morning sickness. Place a few drops on your pillow, let the scent relax you and enjoy a good night sleep. Lavender is also a great choice to diffuse as an air freshener.

Peppermint:

This favorite essential oil is used to help with mental clarity. Many people use it as soon as they wake up to give them an energetic start to their day. It can also be used in toothpaste, and lotions.

Oregano

Oregano is powerful and needs to be diluted for topical use. It is known to have natural antibacterial, antiviral, anti-parasitic, and anti-fungal properties. Oregano is a great option to use when you or your family is struggling with sickness.

Marjaram

Marjoram is a popular essential oil because it is used to help relieve stress and anxiety. It can help fight depression, fatigue, and even helps with respiratory and circulatory issues.

It is known to help children with hyperactivity. You can add a few drops to a bath or a vaporizer to experience the effects. Furthermore, it can be used to help with digestion issues like constipation and cramps.

Rosemary

Rosemary is known as a mental stimulate and can help boost your memory, focus, and overall performance. It is also known to help as an antidepressant. Additionally, it is an antiseptic which means that it helps with digestive and liver infections.

Tea Tree

Tea Tree is a natural immune booster and helps to fight a variety of different infections. It can heal skin condition, soothe and treat cold sores, muscle aches, and the flu. So the next time you are feeling sick, the tea tree essential oil is one you want around.

Jasmine

Jasmine has some great benefits that run to spectrum. It is great at helping to ease depression and childbirth. It is also known to enhance libido, aid in respiratory problems, help with addiction issues, and reduce stress.

Wrapping Up

The ancient use of essential oils has a lot of reason to make a modern day come back. They have many natural benefits that can help from anxiety and depression, to fighting the flu and respiratory issues. It is good to talk with your doctor to make sure that if you choose to use essential oils that it is the best decision for you.

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