Essential oils have been increasingly popular among people of all ages. Not only does the aroma attract people, but the psychological and health benefits that come along with use do as well. Essential oils can help in times of stress, anxiety, and can even help boost your energy levels throughout the day.
There are so many types of essential oils that offer different benefits. For example, lavender is commonly used to relieve stress, and chamomile is commonly used to reduce anxiety. With the endless variety of options and the ease of use, essential oils are a great product to incorporate into your daily life.
What Are Essential Oils?
Essential oils are all-natural liquids that are extracted from different parts of a plant, such as the flower, stem, leaves, fruit, etc. The oils are considered the “immune system” of a plant. The oils are extracted through steam distillation so that all the important benefits in the oil remain intact.
They contain beneficial, therapeutic properties that can then provide support to essentially any body system, even down to emotional support. They provide a calming effect that can improve one’s mind, body, and soul. There’s essentially an oil for everything, and it’s even possible to blend different combinations to promote health and wellness.
What Are Essential Oils Used For?
Essential oils have been used in medicine, psychology, therapy, and much more. The benefits associated with all the different extracts provide an immense amount of advantages. Essential oils have effects on various systems throughout the body, from the limbic system, which controls all your feel-good hormones, to the immune system, which helps fight off sickness and infections. For example, essential oils may have properties such as:
- Anti-inflammatory
- Anti-anxiety
- Anti-aging
- Anti-fatigue
- Anti-fungal
- Analgesic
- Anti-histamine
- Anti-tumor
- Anti-convulsant
6 Great Essential Oils for Relaxation
There are more than 90 different essential oils, each with possible benefits that can really impact your everyday life. After a long day in the office or if you’re taking a personal day, here are some great essential oils that you can use to help relax:
- Lavender: A combination of a fresh and floral aroma that is full of multifaceted benefits, lavender has been known to help reduce anxious feelings and release tension and stress from the body. Incorporating lavender into your nighttime regimen can even help support a good night’s sleep. Lavender is one of the most versatile essential oils that mainly benefits relaxation, but can also help improve skin conditions, inflammatory problems, and much more.
- Chamomile: Also known as Roman Chamomile, this essential oil is extracted from a flower family related to daisies. Filled with fruity and friendly tones, chamomile contains elements that can contribute to helping improve anxiety, depression, sleep, and can even help relieve headaches. This essential oil is also great to use with children to help calm them at home and keep them from bouncing off the walls.
- Jasmine: A romantic floral note that can instantly bring about joyful and peaceful moods throughout the room. Jasmine releases a soothing scent that promotes relaxation and uplifting moods even down to your joints and muscles.
- Rose: Who doesn’t love roses? This essential oil smells nearly as beautiful as the bouquet itself. The extracts from the delicate petals of roses help to release endorphins throughout your body that can instantly make you feel better. Integrating this essential oil can help decrease the negative effects of anxiety, stress, and depression. As the flower itself is known for its romantic nature, the essential oil can also help stimulate sexual gratification by releasing dopamine within the brain.
- Bergamot: Named after a little town in Italy, Bergamot brings about a warm citrus aroma that is refreshing to your senses. Its extract from the rind of a pear-shaped fruit aids in uplifting and refreshing your mood throughout the day. Bergamot is commonly used in massage therapy due to its effect on easing tension throughout the body and its soothing aroma.
- Basil: A staple ingredient commonly seen in the kitchen, the oils extracted from this plant induces a warm, herbal scent that is known for creating a calming and relaxing environment. The health benefits associated with cooking with basil play hand in hand with its aromatic effects as it can help improve feelings of depression, fatigue, and apprehension.
- Frankincense: From its origins in the Middle East, frankincense continues to have a wide range of use as an essential oil. It is known for its earthy notes with a hint of citrus and pine. On top of its use to help relieve anxiety and stress, it is also commonly seen in practices of meditation and healing.
Ways to Use Essential Oils to Relax
There are so many different ways to incorporate essential oils into your daily routine. The next time you take a shower, simply wet the walls with water before you get in and spritz some essential oils right on top. As you get to enjoy your shower, you will be able to breathe in the wonderful effects of the oil.
You can also incorporate a safe amount into the tub as you prepare a nice, relaxing bath. The warmth of the water and bubbles helps the essential oil absorb into your skin while simultaneously benefiting from their therapeutic fragrance. Make sure to follow all directions on the safe and appropriate amount of essential oils to use.
A very common and simple way to start using essential oils is by using an essential oil diffuser, like ours at Everlasting Comfort. Thankfully, these diffusers have a high capacity unit, enough to last you for an entire day! They also come in two different colors with a beautiful shape that makes decorating any room easy. Diffusers help to evenly distribute the essential oil into the air to enjoy throughout the day. Simply pour in water and a few drops of whichever essential oil you want, and you are set!
You can also use essential oils directly on your skin. Carefully rub the essential oil of your choice into areas such as the crown of your head, near your temples, along your neck, or at the soles of your feet as your skin slowly absorbs the oil into your body. Before doing this, check safety instructions, as many essential oils must be diluted before touching your bare skin. You can also use them as massage oils, especially after a long workout or busy day at the office.
How to Use Essential Oils Safely
I’m sure you must be wondering, with all of these benefits with essential oils, there must be some sort of safety risk involved. Actually, most essential oils are extremely safe to use as long as they are being used correctly and moderated. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when utilizing essential oils throughout the day:
- If you have any underlying medical conditions or are taking certain medications, it is always recommended to consult with your physician to see if a specific oil is beneficial or not based on your age and health status.
- Essential oils usually come in super-concentrated doses, so it is important to keep in mind that you may need to dilute these oils with a carrier oil or water to prevent any type of unfavorable reactions. For example, a general guideline you can follow is diluting six drops of essential oils per 1 ounce of carrier oil. If you are using our Essential Comfort Essential Oil Diffuser, it is recommended to use 2-3 drops of essential oil for each 100 mL.
- If you think you have sensitive skin, it doesn’t hurt to do a patch test on your skin to see how your skin will react. Simply wash and dry the area of skin you want to test with water and unscented soap, rub a small amount of the essential oil on the area, and cover the area with either gauze or a bandage for about 24 hours.
After 24 hours, uncover and check to see if your skin has reacted favorably or not. In the meantime, if any discomfort occurs in the area exposed to the essential oil, uncover immediately and wash off completely.
- Essential oils are usually not intended for ingestion or internal application.
- Always follow proper dilution guidelines from the manufacturer and make certain you are diffusing in a well-ventilated area. It is recommended to diffuse intermittently from 30-60 minute intervals, as inhaling concentrated aromas may alter the benefits initially intended from the essential oil. Generally, less is more. Thankfully, the Essential Comfort Essential Oil Diffuser has multiple time options to pre-set your diffuser!
In Summary
Generally speaking, essential oils have a multitude of uses and benefits that can easily be incorporated into your lifestyle. From simply affecting one’s mood to affecting different systems throughout your body, the versatility of essential oils makes it easily accessible for everyone to use. The wonderful fragrances that essential oils provide make it effortless to utilize throughout all the rooms in your home.
Now that you are familiar with the basics of essential oils, try it out! You can even get a little creative and combine different oils to make your own scent! And now that it’s fall, try out the combination of cypress, white fir, and sandalwood for some fresh autumn air.
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