Essential oil use goes back thousands of years, but there’s no denying its increasing popularity in the last decade. Let’s face it if its good enough for Gwyneth Paltrow its good enough for us.
If the research I’ve done has shown me anything is that no matter what you need to achieve there’s an oil to make it possible, everything from balancing hormones to DIY hangover cures. With all the cleaning, cooking and beauty products you can imagine in between.
But how do you get started with such an in depth topic? You would be forgiven for feeling a little overwhelmed. So we have done the research for you.
Here’s our top 4 beginner’s oils.
A fairly obvious but extremely versatile choice. Lavender oil is known mainly for its sleep enhancing properties. It also helps with eczema and psoriasis and other skin complaints.
It has also been shown to alleviate symptoms of depression, anxiety and PTSD. Diffuse before bed or when you feel stressed or maybe add a few drops to your hands and inhale as needed. Lavender is also suitable for use with children.
Other oils to aid sleep
Jasmine, ylang ylang, chamomile, rose
Citrus scents are without fail my go to for diffusing at home, there incredibly uplifting and leave a beautiful fresh scent throughout the home.
There also great to add to your cleaning regime and I don’t know about you but the right scent in a cleaning spray makes me much more positive about completing the tasks at hand.
It’s also beautiful added to a bath or used for a massage with some carrier oil.
Sweet orange is also known for its anti-anxiety properties and can also sooth blemish prone skin. It is useful however to be careful when applying citrus oils topically even with carrier oil they can cause photosensitivity.
Other oils to uplift
Neroli, lime, lemongrass, rosemary
Peppermint oil is a great oil for improving symptoms of cough, colds and other respiratory issues. Diffuse it in your home to clear congestion and headaches.
Another little known use for peppermint is as an insect repellent which is especially good for wasps and spiders.
Other oils to clear your airways
Eucalyptus, lemon, cinnamon and frankincense.
Tea tree is an excellent addition to your medicine cabinet at home. When mixed with a small amount of carrier oil it can be used to disinfect minor cuts and scrapes and has even been known to speed up healing time.
It can also be used as a salve for skin issues like contact dermatitis or even as a lice repellent for hair.
Other medicinal oils
Lavender, eucalyptus, bergamot, Roman chamomile.
Some of my favourite easy uses for essential oils.
- Diffuse
- Add a few drops to cotton balls and use to scent your drawers.
- Add a few drops to wool dryer balls to soften and scent your clean washing.
- Add a few drops to a tissue and hoover it up (the scent will be released through the air expelled from the hoover.)
- Mix with carrier oil (like coconut) for a simple scented body oil.
- Use lavender to make a homemade pillow spray or simply put a few drops on a tissue under your pillow.
- Add a few drops of tea tree to your child’s normal detangling spray to repel head lice.
So that’s my top 4 essential oils and a few simple uses to get you started.
Researching other oils and their uses is relatively easy on the internet but you could also pop in or send us a message and have a chat with us about more specific uses.