15 Ways to Use Essential Oils

1. Therapeutic massage. Add up to 8 drops of your chosen essential oils to 10ml of carrier oil and either massage yourself or get someone else to do it. Professional therapeutic massage is very relaxing and beneficial for many common ailments.

2. Inhalation. Add 4-6 drops of your chosen essential oils to hot water. Cover your head with a towel, lean your face over the bowl of hot water ensuring that your eyes are closed, and breathe deeply.

3. Baths. Add 6-8 drops of essential oils to the bath water just before you get in. For a foot bath, you will only need 4 drops. With both, add the essential oils to a teaspoon of milk or dispersing agent and stir well before adding it to the bath water.

4. Room sprays. Add 8-10 drops of your chosen essential oil to 250ml of water. Distilled water is best for this. Pour into a spray bottle, and shake well before use.

5. Potpourri. Add 4-6 drops of essential oils to dried flowers, petals, leaves, fruit, etc. and shake up in a plastic bag. Place in a bowl in the room you wish to fragrance. Also, if your old potpourri has lost its fragrance, add some essential oils as above to bring it back to life.

6. Oil burners. Oil burners can be used therapeutically or to fragrance a room. Learn how to use an oil burner .

7. Ring burners. These are an alternative to an oil burner and do not require water or a candle. A specially designed terracotta or metal ring is placed on top of a standard light bulb and you can add 2-3 drops of your favourite essential oil to it to fragrance the room.

8. Aroma-stream. These are quite expensive items but are excellent to use if you have children or pets as there is no need for a candle making it a safer option. Also they can be left on over night so you can use oils to help aid sleep, relieve congestion, or to relax while you are sleeping.

9. Car diffuser. This device plugs in to your car cigarette lighter and diffuses the essential oils in to the car. Only a couple drops are required. Use essential oils to keep you focused and alert such as rosemary or peppermint; or oils to wake you up in the morning such as grapefruit; or even lavender to help reduce anxiety levels when you are stuck in traffic.

10. Aroma-dough. Essential oil scented dough can be handled and squished about to help reduce stress and to help mobilise fingers and wrist joints.

11. Scented candles. Essential oils can be added to a lit candle (but not near flame) to fragrance the room.

12. Pillows and handkerchiefs. If you don’t have an oil burner, add 2-3 drops of essential oils to a cotton wool ball and place on top of the radiator. Place one drop of essential oil on to a handkerchief and breathe in deeply – this is especially good using Eucalyptus or other decongestant oil when you have a cold, sinus congestion, hayfever, or other respiratory problems. Add 3 drops of essential oil to your pillow (or on a tissue which you can place on your pillow) – this is great if you suffer with insomnia and headaches. Lavender is always a good choice for this.

13. Body and facial creams. Essential oils can be added to unscented cream for use as body and facial moisturisers and can also be added to aloe vera gel and applied to cuts, burns, and various aches and pains to help alleviate the pain and speed up healing. Add up to 8 drops of essential oil to 10ml of base cream or gel for use on the body, and up to 4 drops to 10ml for use on the face.

14. Toiletries. Essential Oils can be added to unscented base toiletry products such as shampoos, conditioners, bubble bath, and bath oils. Use in same dilutions as for the body and facial creams above.

15. Compresses. Add 5-8 drops of essential oils to either hot or cold water. Soak a flannel in the water, wring out, and apply to the affected area. This is great for aches and pains, inflammation, and headaches. Learn how to make a compress.

Stress Busting Essential Oils

“Today the use of essential oils is becoming increasingly popular as people realise the benefits the oils have in helping to de-stress the mind and body.” Francesca Gould writes in her book Aromatherapy for Holistic Therapists.

Stress can cause many physical and psychological health problems including: headaches, anxiety, can trigger asthma attacks, high blood pressure, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome, psoriasis, lowers the immune system making you more susceptible to colds and flu, nervous breakdown, indigestion, depression, menstrual problems, heart attacks, stomach aches and ulcers to name a few.

Following on from a previous post about combating stress during the economic downturn , I thought I would discuss a few essential oils you can use at home that can be very beneficial at stress busting and helping you to relax. I will also discuss in this post various ways to use these essential oils.

Top Note Essential Oils

Basil is an anti-depressant and neurotonic (helps strengthen the nervous system) and can be helpful for stress-related problems, insomnia, mental fatigue, and anxiety. It is also anti-spasmodic and digestive so can help with irritable bowel syndrome, indigestion, asthma, and muscle tension. It can also help with tension headaches and migraines as it is an analgesic. It helps poor memory by improving concentration something which tends to be a problem when we have a lot on our mind.

Bergamot is a nice oil which can be both uplifting and calming. It is excellent for anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, and stress-related problems. It is also a neurotonic and an anti-depressant. It is great for skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis which can be triggered by stress.

Clary sage is an anti-depressant, sedative and a relaxant. It can help with depression, anxiety, shock, hysteria, stress-related illness, and can help lower blood pressure which is often higher when we are stressed. It also helps to balance the hormones. More information on Clary sage can be found in the Essential Oil of the Week: Clary Sage post.

Middle Note Essential Oils

Lavender is a relaxant, sedative, and anti-depressant. It helps to lower blood pressure which can often be high when stressed. More information on lavender can be found in the Essential Oil of the Week: Lavender post.

Chamomile is sedative in nature and can be useful for insomnia, anxiety, stress and tension. It is also an anti-depressant. All forms of Chamomile can be beneficial for stress-related conditions. I personally prefer Roman Chamomile but it tends to be more expensive.

Geranium is a very balancing oil, especially for women. It is an anti-depressant and relaxant and stimulates the adrenal cortex of the adrenal glands helping to relieve stress, anxiety, fatigue, shock, depression, pre-menstrual syndrome, menopausal symptoms and other stress related conditions.

Base Note Essential Oils

Ylang-ylang is beneficial for over rapid breathing (hyperventilation) which can occur during anxiety/panic attacks or just from an increased level of stress. It also helps palpitations, insomnia, over rapid heart rate, and other stress related conditions. It is one of my favourite oils.

Frankincense is good for emotional problems, tiredness, anxiety, confidence problems, depression, headaches, irritability, hyperventilation, and stress-related conditions. More information on frankincense can be found in the posts Essential Oil in focus : Frankincense and the Frankincense – The New Antidepressant.

Patchouli is an anti-depressant and neuro-tonic

Ways of using the oils

Bath: Dilute the chosen essential oils (4-6 drops) first in a teaspoon of milk and then add to the bath just before you get in.

Oil Burners: Further information on how to use an oil burner can be found in a previous post. If you can’t find a suitable burner or don’t want to pay out for one, you could just add a couple drops of your chosen essential oil on to a piece of cotton wool or tissue and place on a radiator. The heat will cause the oil to evaporate and the relaxing aroma will be released into the room.

Massage: Add 5 drops of your chosen essential oils to 10ml (2 tsp) of carrier oil (grape seed oil or sweet almond oil are good choices). There are many self-massage techniques which you can use or you could get someone else to do it for you.

If you are not sure whether the oils are suitable for you or not, especially if you have any medical conditions, it is best to consult a qualified Aromatherapist first. Also, before using any essential oils on the skin, it is advisable to perform a patch test first.

Make Your House Smell Like Christmas!

Photo by just4you.

Pine, Cinnamon, Clove, Bay leaves, Nutmeg, Juniper Berries, Lime, Orange, Lemon, Apple – these are all aromas that I associate with Christmas.

Essential Oils are available in many of these festive aromas (except turkey, stuffing, brussel sprouts, and the like!) and can be used with a fragrance ring, oil burner, or diffuser.

My favourite winter spice blend is Orange, Clove, Cinnamon, and Lime.

Using aromatherapy essential oils around your home can add to the Christmas cheer and get everyone in the festive mood.

Using an Oil Burner

Oil burners are a great way to benefit from the healing properties of essential oils and fill your house with pleasing aromas. It has many uses – for healing, as an alternative to chemical-laden shop-bought air fresheners, as a room disinfectant in the case of colds and flu, as a room freshener, and to eliminate unpleasant odours.

With an increase in the use of aromatherapy and essential oils, oil burners have become very popular. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, colours, and materials, and can be purchased from health food stores, chemists, department stores, new age stores, and on the internet. The type of burner you choose comes down to personal preference.

You can get metal and ceramic oil burners. I have both at home but mainly use the metal one. They both have their advantages and disadvantages. I think as long as the bowl on top is quite large and is far enough away from the candle it doesn’t matter too much what the burner is made from.

Some oil burners have a removable bowl and others are all in one. I personally prefer the ones with a removable bowl so that you only have to take that part to the tap to fill with water rather than the whole burner plus it makes it easier to clean in between use.

If you don’t feel comfortable using candles especially if you have children or pets around, you can purchase an electric “burner” known as an Aroma-Stream, which works by blowing air through a pad which holds the essential oils. It also means that you can use it at night to help you get to sleep or if you are suffering from a blocked nose or cold. The downside to the electric “burners” is they are quite expensive to buy, uses electricity, and you have to buy replacement pads.

Once you have purchased your oil burner, you will also need some small tea-light candles. Make sure that these are unscented otherwise they may mask the smell of the essential oils when they are lit. You will also need some pure essential oils of your choice and a lighter or matches.

Fill the top bowl of the oil burner with water. Add 6 - 8 drops of essential oil to the water. If you have a small room use less drops than if you have a large room. Stand the wick up on the tea-light candle, light it, and place in the base of the oil burner. As soon as the candle starts to heat up the water above it, the essential oils in the water will start to evaporate and the aroma is diffused along with the water vapour into the room.

Don’t let the oil burner burn dry as this can cause ceramic and glass burners to crack. When the water and essential oils have evaporated, either put the candle out or refill with more water and add a few more drops of essential oils.

Lighter oils (top and middle notes), such as lemon and lavender diffuse quicker than thicker oils (base notes), such as sandalwood and rose. You may want to top up the oil after a little while to maintain the aroma.

Some safety precautions. Never leave a lit candle unattended. Ensure the oil burner is secure on a flat surface and out of the reach of children and pets when in use.

The essential oils that I purchased along with my very first oil burner (way before I trained as an aromatherapist) were Lavender, Ylang ylang, and Eucalyptus. I have listed below some example blends for you to use in your oil burner.

As an insect repellent, add 2 drops each of Lemongrass, Lavender, and Tea Tree essential oils to a little water in the top of your oil burner.

To mask the smell of cigarette smoke, use 4 drops of Peppermint essential oil.

To wake you up in the morning, add 3 drops Grapefruit, 2 drops Rosemary, and 1 drop Peppermint essential oils.

To relax after a hard day at work, use 2 drops each of Lavender, Chamomile (I prefer Roman Chamomile to German and Maroc but it depends on what you are using it for as they have slightly different properties), and Sandalwood essential oils.

To help you study and improve concentration, use 3 drops Rosemary, 2 drops Eucalyptus, and 1 drop Peppermint to your oil burner.

I hope you get as much pleasure and healing from your essential oils and oil burner as I do from mine!

If you would like to purchase any of the essential oils mentioned in this post, please contact me for more details.