Why Essential Oils?
Essential oils were an enigma to me until I started university. My mom thought they were great, and I had read about all their abilities, but honestly, I just didn’t buy it. It wasn’t until my sophomore year that I started having panic attacks, and I had no idea what to do. Desperately, I started using peony essential oil I was given as a gift, just to see if it made a difference…and then I was hooked. It was amazing how a scent could impact my mental, emotional, and even physical state. I have more essential oils in my room that I know what to do with now, but I used every single one of them. I realized that originally I was skeptical only because I wasn’t giving essential oils a chance to prove to me that they are what they’re named: essential!
Why “Essential” Oils?
The number of mental and physical health problems that can be just about solved with essential oils is astounding. From soothing anxiety, to helping with depression, to aiding in allergy relief, essential oils have a variety of functions. And different types of oils have different personalities and fantastic healing abilities that go along with them. There are lots of super comprehensive overviews of everything you’ve ever wanted to learn about essential oils (from uses to history to the science behind aromatherapy) online, and they’re totally worth checking out if you want to learn more about this in-depth and in a super scientific way!
And, if you’re thinking about starting to use any essential oils for the first time in your aromatherapy practice, make sure you do your research first. People have different reactions to different types of oils, and whether you diffuse them or apply them directly to your skin can lead to alterations in the amount you should use and how frequently.
Essential Oils for Being Healthy
Essential oils can be used for maintaining health in a whole variety of ways. For starters, like I already mentioned, they can be life-savers for people who suffer from seasonal allergies. You know, those allergies that creep up on you in the morning and then suddenly keep you sneezing, sniffling, and blowing your nose for the ENTIRE day? And really, who has time for all that. So when the nasal sprays and decongestants just aren’t doing the trick: lemon, eucalyptus, and lavender essential oils have got your back. I apply any mixture of these three to my wrists as well as the back of my neck on days my allergies are giving me a hard time and almost immediately notice a difference. But, of course, if you’re allergic to eucalyptus or lavender, this particular mixture might not be the one for you. Thankfully, there are lots of lists of different essential oils for soothing allergies all over the internet!
Essential oils are also wonderful for relaxing after a long day. I know I have the hardest time falling asleep after really busy days, it’s like my body knows how late it is but my mind still thinks it’s noon! Rather than taking sleeping medicine, I find a combination of lavender and peony essential oils really helps me unwind. Upon doing a little more research on this subject, I also discovered that the science behind aromatherapy helping with relaxation is crazy! So much so that there have actually been studies that have found it helps with things like panic disorder and dementia. If you’re curious about some of this insane science going on behind-the-scenes of essential oils, there are lots of great scientific journal articles about aromatherapy for sleep, relaxation, and pain relief.
Essential Oils for Being Simply Gorgeous
Being healthy is by far the best thing you can do for your body, but what about looking as fabulous as you look? Again, essential oils are there to help you maintain silky hair and soft skin in a totally natural way. Tea tree oil is commonly used in shampoos, conditioners, and face cleansers, and that’s because its wonderful at simultaneously cleaning and moisturizing your face and hair.
You can also make yourself personalized conditioner super easily with essential oils. All this takes is water, apple cider vinegar, and a couple drops of your favorite essential oils. If you have a dry scalp, like me, geranium essential oil is one of the best options for leaving your hair follicles fabulously moisturized and your whole head smelling like a garden. And of course, there are tons of ways to customize your conditioner depending on what type of hair you have and what you want your conditioner to target.
Well there you have it folks! Essential oils are mother nature’s little gift to us to keep us feeling, looking, and smelling out best. Whether you use them to stay beautiful, happy, healthy, or (hopefully) all three, in their own way each oil has absolutely proven itself to be essential!!