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Ways to Use Essential Oils: An Essential Oils Guide

Learn the basics of essential oils + 5 ways to use essential oils!

Ways Use Essential Oils An Essential Oils Guide

Essential oils have been used around the world for thousands of years. Interest in them has been revived recently do to aromatherapy and alternative medicines. With Ways to Use Essential Oils: A Essential Oils Guide, you will discover the multitude of ways you can use essential oils in your DIY projects.

What are essential oils? Essential oils, according to the Oxford Dictionary, are "a natural oil typically obtained by distillation and having the characteristic fragrance of the plant or other source from which it is extracted". An essential oil is obtained often by using steam at a precise temperature and pressure. The resulting essential oil is potent, 1-2 drops can have strong effects. An oil is "essential" in the sense that it contains the "essence of" the plant's fragrance; or in other words, the characteristic fragrance of the plant from which it is derived.

What are essential oils used for? Today, essential oils are used for several purposes from perfumes, cosmetics, and soaps to flavoring food and drinks to adding scents to incense and household cleaning products. They are also still used for medicinal purposes; from acne to anxiety and insomnia to stomach issues, essential oils are used for fast relief to an abundance of ailments.

How do you use essential oils? There are many ways to use essential oils. Some essential oils are inhaled, some are used topically, and some are mixed into lotions or cleaning solutions. As with all medicinal decisions and cosmetic choices, everyone's body is unique and different essential oils may work better for different individuals. So, even if you are sensitive to certain oils, there are many you can try. From beauty products and aromatherapy to pain management and homemade cleaning products, discover all of the ways you can learn how to use essentials oils and try out one (or more) of these exciting uses today.

The History of Essential Oils

Essentials oils have been used throughout history for quite a long time (some reports say nearly 6,000 years ago). The ancient Chinese, Indians, Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans used them in cosmetics, perfumes, and drugs. Throughout time, essential oils have been used for spiritual, therapeutic, hygienic, and ritualistic purposes

In the past century, a French chemist named René-Maurice Gattefossé analyzed the chemical properties of essential oils and how they were used to treat burns, skin infections, and more during World War I. In 1928, he founded the science of aromatherapy. There were massage therapists, beauticians, nurses, doctors, and more that started treating with essential oils in the 1950s, but essential oils did not rise in popularity until the 1980s. 

How to Use Essential Oils for Beauty

Natural Lavender Face Moisturizer

Essential oils are a centuries old secret for beauty products. They are used in DIY beauty products to help create glowing skin, lustrous hair, and a lovely complexion. Perfect for soothing away the appearance of spots and fine lines, essential oils are used as an anti-aging tool to restore a radiant complexion. In particular, Frankincense can help fade scars and stretch marks. Lavendar soothes skin irritation. They can also add volume, moisture, and natural scents to hair products and homemade lotions. Discover tutorials for how to make your own beauty products featured below.

How to Use Essentail Oils for Health and Protection

Peppermint Natural Whitening Toothpaste

In addition to beauty products, essential oils can be used preventative skin care and other health matters.

From natural bug repellents to DIY sunscreens to homemade toothpastes, essential oils are a key factor in natural versions of every day products. Use the DIY tutorials below to find out how you can use essential oils in your everyday health products.

How to Use Essential Oils for Healing and Pain Management

Homemade Vapor Rub

Essential oils can also help you combat aches and pains. Instead of reaching for the medicine cabinet, essential oils provide an alternative use to traditional medicines for pain management. Remember, only a couple of drops of essential oils has a powerful impact; so, these products can be a way to save money and time during a healing process. From wintergreen, which is known to reduce headaches, to geranium, which reduces arthritis-related inflammation, to peppermint, which is effective for relieving pain, lowering fevers, easing stomach pain, and reducing congestion, essential oils can be used for a mulitude of ailments and aches. Here are some examples of natural remedies and balms using essentials oils below.

How to Use Essential Oils for Cleaning

Homemade Laundry Detergent with Essential Oils

Essential oils are a safe and nontoxic way to help keep your home clean. They do not pollute the water supply, nor the environment, making them much healthier and safer to use than many other chemicals. Essential oils are a staple ingredient in making your own cleaning supplies.

Key essential oils for fighting off germs and keeping your home clean are oregano, lemon, peppermint, and rosemary. Oregano fights off viruses, fungus, bacteria, and mold. Peppermint is also used as an antibacterial, plus it deters spiders and ants (bonus!). Rosemary is primarily used for degreasing for cleaning purposes. Last but not least, lemon dissolves sticky substances, can polish wood and chrome, can remove marker, is an antibiotic and antimicrobial, and, if that was not enough, it just smells so clean! Below are some homemade cleaning products made using essential oils as a focal point.

How to Use Essential Oils for Mood Management

Good Vibes DIY Natural Freshener

Scent is one of our most powerful senses. Aromatic compounds from essential oils are deliverd to the olfactory bulb of our brain. This stimulizes the limbic system which leases a series of chemicals. The aromas trigger chemicals to help the body heal and soothe itself.

For example, lavender triggers serotonin, which helps the mind and body relax. Lemon triggers an anti-stress response. Orange can reduce anxiety and increase positivity. Below you will find ways to use essential oils in diffusers and air freshners for your home, DIY body sprays to help your mood, and more.

Uses for Essential Oils: When to Use Specific Essential Oils

Essential Oils and Uses for Essential Oils

As you can see above, there are so many ways to use essential oils and benefit from them!

But which essential oils do you use? What essential oils is best for if you are feeling tired, feeling stressed, if you have a headache, if you have insomnia? It's hard to know the best oil to use; but, we are here to help!  

This printable guide for essential oils can help you know which essential to use for your specific ailments. Check out our infographic below to learn about the most popular essential oils and the benefits they can have!

Click Here to Download our Essential Oils and Uses for Essential Oils Infographic!

Essential Oils for Beginners

Here are some basic scents for getting started with essential oils:

1. Peppermint: Cooling, energizing, natural bug repellent
2. Lavendar: Soothing and calming
3. Lemon: Cleansing, revitalizing, uplifting

Additional Advice Provided in this Article By:

1. Jessica Kielman from Mom 4 Real

2. Jill Nystul from One Good Thing By Jillee

Bonus: How to Bake with Essential Oils

Baking with Essential Oils: 6 Tips You Should Know

Wait...there's more: As an added bonus, you can learn how to bake with essential oils! Check out this guide from our friends at TheBestDessertRecipes.com

Remember: You can't just use any old essential oils in your sweet treats; food grade essential oils are made specifically to be used in the kitchen. Other kinds of essential oils are not safe for consumption. Check out the guide featured her to see if your essential oils are safe for consumption: Baking with Essential Oils: 6 Tips You Should Know

What is your favorite essential oil? 

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I have been using essential a lot for about 8 months now for mood and health and have used only in speghetti sauch so far for cooking and I love them. I have not really used much in beauty yet except I put some Frankensence in my face cream for complection. I diffuse too and the lavender helps for relaxation. It is important to use 100% oils not any with other chemicals in them.

My favorite essential oil is lavender! I have a small spray bottle of slightly diluted lavender essential oil that I spray on my yoga mat for maximum relaxation )

This is a great article on the use of essential oils. There is so much to learn about essential oils, but this article makes it easy. The author has separated the recipes into five different categories, such as beauty, health and cleaning, and she has provided links for making different essential oil products in each category. Very nicely done!

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