Essential oils are therapeutic grade oils extracted from various botanicals, like plants. These oils have been used for therapeutic reasons for thousands of years. They offer many benefits, each dependent on the plant they are derived from. So, if you do not know the different ways to use essential oils to reap their benefits, this article is for you.
Different Ways to Use Essential Oils
There are different ways to apply essential oils. This varies based on the type of oil, what it’s being used to treat, and the tools you have available to you. Below is a walk-through of the different ways to use essential oils. This will help you figure out how to use essential oils best to suit your needs.
1. Aromatically
A common way to use essential oils is aromatically. There are several ways to do this. You can open the lid and smell the essential oils directly from the bottle, or put a few drops of the desired oil on the palm of your hands and then rub together and inhale.
You may also diffuse your essential oils in a special diffuser. If you use one that does not heat the oils, it will not damage the oils. This ensures that they will retain their maximum benefit.
Another way to use the essential oils aromatically is by filling a bowl with hot water, adding several drops of your desired oil, then covering your head with a towel and inhaling the steam. This is a common way to use eucalyptus oil when fighting a cold.
Grades of Essential Oils & Ways to Apply Essential Oils
2. Ingestion
Ingestion is another good option for absorbing your essential oils, however, you must be sure to do your research first. Not all oils can be ingested, so use caution when using your oils this way. If the brand and type of essential oil you are using does not specifically say that it can be ingested, then do not do so.
Certain essential oils, like oregano and clove, shouldn’t be taken orally for more than a week and should be diluted before ingestion, but oils like lemon and peppermint are fine to be taken in one to three drops when mixed with water.
For those oils which can be ingested safely, you can simply add a few drops to water and drink. You can also put the drops of the essential oil into capsules and consume like a vitamin or pill. You can even mix the essential oils into honey before eating.
3. Homemade Items
It’s becoming fairly trendy to make your own products containing essential oils. For example, you could make candles or bar soap containing a combination of essential oils and other good things. You enjoy the benefits of the essential oils when you use the soap and your skin absorbs the oils, or burn the candle and inhale. You could also make shampoos, toothpaste, household cleaners, body butter, bug spray, lip balm, and more.
4. Topically
You can apply essential oils to whichever area of your body that is in need of treatment. For example, lavender and ylang-ylang oils can be applied to the abdomen to relieve menstrual cramps. Peppermint oil may be applied to the temples, the crown of the head and behind the ears to help relieve headaches.
Essential oils can be absorbed through the skin and enter the bloodstream, offering their many healing benefits. You can either rub the essential oils yourself on the affected area or buy products containing the essential oils. There are many lotions, body washes, and shampoos made with essential oils in them that you can use.
You may also choose to add essential oils to your bath by dropping them on a sponge and placing the sponge in the bathwater with you. Be sure to only use the essential oils as indicated by the bottle, as using too much may become a problem.
Almost all essential oils must be diluted with a carrier oil, such as Jojoba, avocado, coconut, apricot, almond, walnut, or olive oil before applying them to the skin.
If you’re applying essential oils topically, you should test it out first. Apply a small amount of the diluted oil on your wrist to test for any adverse reaction. This is especially important for those with highly sensitive skin.
Ways to Use Essential Oils and Benefit From Them
Essential oils have a world of benefits to offer their users. For instance, lavender oil can help you to relax, peppermint oil can help you focus, and rosemary oil can help to minimize hair loss.
There are lots of essential oils offering different healing benefits. Each essential oil is different, however, and has unique properties; many have specific ways they need to be applied or taken and certain limitations. You need to do your research before using essential oils.
Essential oils offer many benefits that improve the health and appearance of your skin and hair, your digestion, treat your pain, help with inflammation, and even reduce the frequency and intensity of your headaches.
Conclusion
These are the main ways to use essential oils. All oils have specific rules about how they should and should not be used. Check out the guidelines on your type and brand of oil, and be sure to follow them when using the oils.
These different methods of application will give you a variety of ways to bring the health and healing of essential oils into your everyday life.
References:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32607090/
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2012.00012/full
