Alternative medicine enthusiasts have subscribed to the power of essential oils for years. These products are easier to find now. People are also sharing their health benefits. As a result, they are going mainstream. This is like how platforms are making wellness resources easier to use with tools like Spinando login.
“Essential oils are fantastic. “Essential oils offer a wide range of advantages,” notes integrative medicine expert Dr. Yufang Lin. “The problem lies in how people use them.”
What are Essential Oils?
Concentrated plant extracts are essential oils.
“Structural materials and phytochemicals make up plants.” “These chemicals help both plants and people,” says Dr. Lin.
Producing essential oils requires an enormous amount of raw plant matter. This can make some oils quite pricey. For example:
- About 250 pounds of lavender makes fewer. 1 pound of lavender essential oil.
- For example, it will take nearly 5,000 pounds of lemon balm or rose petals to obtain one pound of essential oil.
Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils to help improve your well-being or health.
Benefits of Essential Oils
Aromatherapists utilize essential oils. Alternative medicine based on this uses the sense of smell in an attempt to improve your health. They can also be put on your skin.
Scientific research has established that essential oils are able to produce various health benefits.
- Boost mood
- Improve job performance through reduced stress and increased attentiveness.
- Improve sleep
- Kill bacteria, fungi and viruses
- Reduce anxiety and pain.
- Reduce inflammation
- Reduce nausea
- Relieve headaches
Let’s take a closer look at several well-known essential oils and what they can do for you.
Lavender Oil
Lavender is Dr. Lin’s go-to oil. “It’s gentle and has a lot of benefits. You can use it in a variety of ways,” she says.
Try adding it to a bath or diffuser for aromatherapy. You can also mix it with water to create a room spray or body spritzer. Another option is to combine 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,” Dr. Lin says.
Frankincense Oil
Frankincense is also called the “king of oils.” Frankincense can lower inflammation, improve mood, and lead to better sleep. It has even been known to reduce asthma and even stop gum disease.
Frankincense essential oil has a woody and spicy aroma. You are able to apply it in aromatherapy or blend it into skin creams.
Peppermint Oil
People know peppermint oil as:
- Be an anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and antimicrobial.
- Ease headaches
- Fight fatigue
- Lift mood
- Reduce gut spasms.
- Support digestion
- Support memory
When using the oil topically, make sure you dilute it.
Eucalyptus Oil
Eucalyptus oil is especially useful to keep on hand during the cold and flu season. It decongests a congested nose by opening up your nasal passages so you can breathe better. (Peppermint oil has the same effect.)
It can ease pain and tackle the herpes simplex virus. This is because of its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects.
Dilute the eucalyptus oil before applying it to your skin. Use care handling it. Don’t consume it, as it has unsafe side effects on animals and children.
Lemon Oil
Lemon oil is obtained from lemon peels. Diffuse or mix with a carrier oil for use on your skin.
Lemon oil is known to:
- Reduce anxiety and depression.
- Reduce pain
- Ease nausea
- Kill bacteria
A study shows that lemon oil in aromatherapy might boost cognitive function for those with Alzheimer’s disease.
Lemon oil is safe for use on the skin and in aromatherapy. Lemon oil, according to some reports, can cause your skin to become sun-sensitive. Sensitivity can increase your likelihood of becoming sunburned. When applying, use care when allowing yourself to be exposed to sunlight. Examples of these oils include lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, and bergamot.
Lemongrass Oil
Lemongrass oil has a strong citrus smell. It’s great in relieving stress, anxiety, and depression.
Its antibacterial qualities make it an excellent natural cure. It heals wounds and destroys bacteria. It was capable of inhibiting the growth of fungus that is found in athlete’s foot, ringworm, and jock itch.
Research found that lemongrass oil application can lower blood sugar in type 2 diabetic patients.
Be sure to use a carrier oil before applying it to your skin.
Rosemary Oil
You’ve probably reached for rosemary to add flavor to some of your recipes. Using rosemary oil offers extra benefits. It can improve brain function, promote hair growth, and reduce pain. It also helps lower stress, lift your mood, and decrease 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.
Diffuse Them
Diffusing essential oils is probably the simplest way of benefiting from them. A few drops of oil dissolved in water and a diffuser can immediately change the atmosphere of a room and calm everyone down. Always consult your diffuser manual. Don’t use undiluted oils directly.
Roll Directly on Your Skin
Another method is to apply essential oils topically so they can be absorbed through the skin. Dr. Lin warns you not to use most essential oils on your skin without dilution.
“Unless otherwise noted, it’s best to mix the essential oil with a carrier oil, like coconut or jojoba oil. This helps prevent skin irritation,” she says.
Many people use a small rollerball bottle for their essential oil blend. It makes applying the oil easier.
Ingest Them
Some individuals also consume essential oils—whether in teas, capsules, or by placing a drop or two directly on the tongue.
“Unless you’re directed by a trained herbalist, I recommend against using them this way. Because of their potency, Dr. Lin cautions that improper use could be dangerous. “Even with a few drops of essential oil, you’re taking a lot of plant material without realizing it. In fact, concentrated oils may even cause burns or irritation to the delicate lining of the mouth.
You have to exercise caution when using essential oils on children, individuals with a compromised immune system, expectant mothers, and the aged.
“Some essential oils can be harmful to the liver and nervous system when used in excess. Tea tree and eucalyptus oil have also been known to cause seizures,” warns Dr. Lin. “They’re toxic for animals as well.”