Essential Oils: Various Applications for Personal and Environmental Uses

Those of you who use essential oils know how potent they are. In most instances, depending upon the circumstances and the use, only a couple of drops are needed. I use these wonderful oils for almost everything. Just like I use EFT (emotional freedom technique) for everything. My belief is if you find something that works, that is effective, use it, especially if it is natural and healthy for you.

In addition, using essential oils can reduce your expenses since they are used in small quantities (by the drop). Purchasing numerous products to clean the bathroom and kitchen can be quite costly considering the initial cost and the cost to repurchase the same products over the long run. If they are made with chemicals, they are also toxic to your health and well being.

Using essential oils saves you in the long run because several 32 oz. spray bottles can be made with a few essential oils and the same concoction can be used in both the bathroom and the kitchen. Add in some baking soda at fifty cents for a one pound box and you have a scrubber for the sinks and the tubs and it's also great for getting grease off the stove and counter tops.

Here are a few of my own creative uses for essential oils as well as some from master aromatherapists Jeanne Rose and Kurt Schnaubelt, Ph.D.

For mouthwash, mix two drops of tea tree in about a quarter cup of water and rinse before and after brushing. Kills bacteria and assists with gum disease.

Revive potpourri or sachets by adding a few drops of your favorite essential oil.

Apply one to two drops of lavender or tea tree to cuts, scrapes, scratches, insect bites, or burns.

A blend of lavender, geranium, and bergamot alleviates anxiety and depression. Use in a room diffuser or place 6-8 drops in a bath. Can also carry it with you on a tissue and use it throughout the day.

Place five drops lemon essential oil in a mixture of one-half water and one-half vinegar to clean windows and mirrors.

Use a spray of basil and lavender in water to get rid of flies or place 3-4 drops of each on a decorative piece of cloth or ribbon and hang.

Place your favorite essential oil on stationery and envelopes when sending letters and cards.

Saturate a cord or soft rope with pennyroyal or tea tree to make a natural flea collar. Roll it up in a handkerchief and tie loosely around your pet's neck.

Rub a drop of rosemary, lavender, peppermint, or basil onto the back of the neck or temple to ease headache pain. A friend of mine told me she also rubbed it on her forehead when she had a migraine headache and it took the pain away without the use of drugs which she normally used.

Place a few drops of peppermint on a cotton ball or directly on the area where ants come in (provided you are not concerned about the oil damaging the flooring or carpet or the counter if placed directly on it). Peppermint essential oil is also good for keeping out roaches. It's also great for opening the sinus passages and helping you breathe.

Add 10 drops of essential oil to a box of baking soda or corn starch to alleviate odors from carpets, mix, let set for a day or two, sprinkle over carpets, let set for one hour, then vacuum.

Put a few drops of citronella in a candle or hot coals of a barbeque to ward off mosquitoes.

Place a few drops of essential oil on a piece of terry cloth or cheese cloth and toss into clothes dryer while drying.

For aching muscles or arthritis mix one part cajeput, sage, and basil to four parts vegetable oil and massage into the affected area.

Elizabeth Ocean, MA LPC is a psychotherapist with 11 years experience integrating energy psychology and aromatherapy into the process of healing the mind/body connection. She encourages healing through holistic channels. She has formulated and prepared her own natural care products through the use of essential oils and other natural ingredients for physical and emotional relief. You can contact her at http://www.concoctionsbyocean.com/ - Elizabeth's blog is http://www.concoctionsbyocean.com/blog/

Original article

An Introduction to Aromatherapy - Various Techniques

The science of aromatherapy is very old, as people used essential oils from ancient times to treat their health problems and improve their appearance. Still, the term was only introduced in the 20th Century, when this science was officially recognized as extremely efficient in promoting the psychical and physical well-being.

Thus, an introduction to aromatherapy should start with the ancient times, when Chinese and Egyptians used plants extracts for cosmetic purposes but also for balancing their mind. The first perfumes were made of essential oils mixed with different vegetal extracts and lots of ancient civilizations used these products for embalming the dead people.

Nowadays, aromatherapy is mainly used for treating various health problems and relaxing the body and mind. The main forms of practicing this science are through inhalation and topical application. While in the first technique the patient doesn't have a direct contact with the oil in the second practice the product is applied on the skin, being quickly absorbed and starting to exert its effect inside the body as well.

Regardless of the chosen method, it's important for the used oils to be perfectly pure and undiluted, as through this process their properties may be affected. However, for financial reasons, lots of producers mix the essential oils with different chemicals, making them less efficient.

An introduction to Aromatherapy techniques

• Inhalation involves smelling the oils directly from the bottle or mixing them with hot water and putting the liquid in an opened bowl in the aromatherapy room.

Another technique involves lowering your face over the bowl, covering your head with a bowel and maintaining this posture for few minutes. During the procedure you have to breathe deeply in order for the oil to do its action.

Then, you can use a device for dispersing the oil into the air or you can opt for a humidifier, which should be used together with a tissue on which you sprinkled a few drops of essential oil.

• Topical application in aromatherapy involves applying the oil directly on certain areas of the body, such as the neck, upper back, on the crown of the head, temples or abdomen. Also, the essential oils can be applied on ankles and over the vital organs, depending on the purpose for which aromatherapy is used.

Usually, 2-3 drops of natural oil are place in the palm of the practitioner and then applied through circular motions on the skin. Rubbing and other massage techniques are also efficient in speeding up the absorption of the oil into the skin.

The particularity of this technique is that the oil has to be diluted and never applied in its concentrated form, as it passes into the bloodstream very fast and may lead to an allergic reaction. Although most essential aromatherapy oils are safe, this problem is quite common among uninformed users.

Then, essential oils applied locally make the skin absorb the ultraviolet rays faster than normal and this also causes various problems, among which sunburn is the most common. This side effect is called photo toxicity and can be easily avoided by diluting the oil before applying it on the skin.

Welcome to the home of the best aromatherapy oils you'll ever need!

If you're looking for information on aromatherapy or simply need to know more, then this is the place to visit!

http://bestaromatherapyoils.com/

Original article