Alternative medicine enthusiasts have subscribed to the power of essential oils for years. But with their increasing availability (and claimed health benefits), they’re going mainstream.
“Essential oils are fantastic. They have many benefits,” says integrative medicine specialist Yufang Lin, MD. “The problem lies in how people use them.”
Here’s information on 11 essential oils, their benefits, and how best to use them.
What are essential oils?
Essential oils are concentrated plant extracts.
“Plants are made of structural materials and phytochemicals. These chemicals have properties that not only benefit the plant but benefit people, too.”
It takes a tremendous amount of plant material to make essential oils, which can make some of them expensive. For example:
- About 250 pounds of lavender flower make 1 pound of lavender essential oil.
- About 5,000 pounds of rose petals or lemon balm make 1 pound of rose or lemon balm essential oil.
“Because it takes so much of the plant to make an essential oil, it’s a powerful botanical medicine.”
Benefits of essential oils
Essential oils can be used in aromatherapy, a kind of complementary medicine that uses smell to improve your health, or applied topically to the skin.
Studies have shown that essential oils may help:
- Boost mood.
- Improve job performance through reduced stress and increased attentiveness.
- Improve sleep.
- Kill bacteria, funguses, and viruses.
- Reduce anxiety and pain.
- Reduce inflammation.
- Reduce nausea.
- Relieve headaches.
Here are some common essential oils and their benefits:
Lavender oil
Lavender is the go-to oil. “It’s gentle and has a lot of benefits. You can use it in a variety of ways.”
Try adding it to a bath or diffuser as aromatherapy, adding it to water to make a room spray or body spritzer, or combining it with a base oil to make body oil.
Lavender can help with stress, pain, and sleep. “Before the discovery of antiseptics, lavender was also used as a cleaning agent in hospitals.”
There have also been studies that show using lavender oil (and tea tree oil) can potentially disrupt hormones in young boys.
Tea tree oil
Most people use tea tree oil as an antiseptic, antimicrobial or antifungal. You can also use it to help with:
- Acne. “Take a cotton swab and dip it into tea tree essential oil. Then, apply it directly to the acne — this is one exception where you don’t have to dilute it. “It can help resolve acne faster.”
- Athlete’s foot and ringworms. “Dilute it with a carrier oil (a base or vegetable oil like coconut or jojoba oil that helps dilute essential oils) and put the blend on the affected skin.”
One note of caution: Since tea tree oil can be neurotoxic, you shouldn’t diffuse it if you have small children or animals at home.
Frankincense oil
Known as the “king of oils,” frankincense can help with inflammation, mood, and sleep. Studies have shown that it can also improve asthma and might prevent gum disease.
Frankincense oil has a woody, spicy scent and can be used as aromatherapy and can be found in skin creams. Makes sure you dilute frankincense oil before applying it to your skin.
Peppermint oil
Peppermint oil is known to:
- Be an anti-inflammatory, antifungal and antimicrobial.
- Ease headaches.
- Fight fatigue.
- Lift mood.
- Reduce gut spasms.
- Support digestion.
- Support memory.
“Peppermint tea can settle your stomach, too if you have irritable bowel syndrome or gastric irritation.” “It’s very gentle and easy to use.”
When using the oil topically, make sure you dilute it.
Peppermint oil
Eucalyptus is a great essential oil to have on hand during the cold season. It soothes a stuffed-up nose by opening your nasal passages so you can breathe easier. (Peppermint oil can also help with this.)
It can also relieve pain and fight against the herpes simplex virus thanks to its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.
Take precautions when using eucalyptus oil, making sure to dilute it before applying topically. It should not be ingested and can have dangerous side effects on children and pets.
lemon oil
Extracted from the peel of lemons, lemon oil can be diffused into the air or applied topically to your skin with a carrier oil.
Lemon oil is known to:
- Reduce anxiety and depression.
- Reduce pain.
- Ease nausea.
- Kill bacteria.
A study also states that aromatherapy of essential oils like lemon oil might improve the cognitive function of people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Lemon oil is safe for aromatherapy and topical use. But there have been some reports that lemon oil can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight and increase your risk of sunburn. Avoid direct sunlight exposure after use. This includes lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, lemongrass, and bergamot oils.
Lemongrass oil
Lemongrass oil has a strong citrus scent and is known to help relieve stress, anxiety, and depression.
Its antibacterial properties make it a good natural remedy to heal wounds and kill bacteria. It has been shown to prevent the growth of fungus found in athletes’ feet, ringworm, and jock itch.
A study found that using lemongrass oil can help reduce blood sugar in those with type 2 diabetes.
Be sure to use a carrier oil before applying it to your skin.
Orange oil
Orange oil is made from the rinds of citrus fruit. It can be diffused into the air, topically on the skin (with a carrier oil) or even used as a natural cleaner in your home.
Orange oil is known to:
- Kill bacteria.
- Reduce anxiety.
- Reduce pain.
Orange oil has the potential to make your skin more sensitive to sunlight, so be careful about using it on your skin and then going outside.
Rosemary oil
You’ve probably reached for rosemary to add flavor to some of your recipes. But using rosemary oil also has some additional benefits like improving brain function, promoting hair growth, reducing pain and stress, lifting your mood, and reducing joint inflammation.
Rosemary oil is safe to use in aromatherapy and topically on the skin with a carrier oil. If you’re pregnant or have epilepsy or high blood pressure, it’s advised to avoid using rosemary oil.
bergamot oil
What is bergamot? If you’re a fan of Earl Grey tea, then you have had bergamot. The oil, which has a fruity and floral aroma, can be diffused or applied topically with a carrier oil (but it can make your skin sensitive to the sun).
Bergamot oil is known to:
- Reduce anxiety.
- Lift mood.
- Lower blood pressure.
Cedarwood oil
Cedarwood oil, which has antioxidant and antibacterial properties, is a popular ingredient in insect repellent, shampoo, and deodorant with its woodsy scent. But you can also use cedarwood oil to help with sleep and anxiety.
You can use cedarwood oil as aromatherapy, as well as a topical treatment mixed with a carrier oil.
We hope you liked the information!
Choosing the best quality attar in India can be intimidating, especially if you are new to it. You must understand that there are many fragrances available in the market but not every fragrance has the original ingredients.
You must try to associate yourself with a particular fragrance first, before making the decision of investing in it. Buy from the best range of fragrances and take guidance from the experts, if needed. We, at Hasanoud value your money and emotions. Hence, we bring to you the best fragrances for you. So, come join us in our new scent journey and experiment with the fragrances.
