The power of essential oils!
How many products over the years I’ve tried! How about you?
Sugar-free, gluten-free, low calorie, no calorie, free, GMO, organic, non-processed, natural, simple, you name it, it’s been in my house.
I’ve used all of them, some just to try on a trial basis, and some I’ve stuck with over the years. I’m the first to admit I love sweet things! Cakes, cookies, ice cream; all those so-called foods that aren’t good for you.
Yet, most are made from natural ingredients like sugar and cream and butter.
Those are good things. So is black tea and regular coffee, both of which I can’t live without and don’t intend to.
When I was an innkeeper in New Hampshire
back about 12 years ago, I loved bringing beautiful scents into my Inn. Every morning before our first guests came down, I would go through my dining rooms, checking that silverware was on the tables, lighting tealights, adjusting the volume on the radio for the classical music station I loved, and dropping a few drops of rose or cinnamon oils into a metal ring that sat on the light bulbs of the lamps throughout those common rooms.
Then, when guests would appear, the first thing they would notice was the gorgeous scent permeating the rooms! I can still recall those scents; how they make you feel, the thoughts that come into your head, the memories they will leave. Coupled with the comfortable, timely essences of rooms that were over 150 years old, it made for memorable mornings.
How often people would ask where was that scent coming from? I never told. Although once one of my guests did happen to see me refilling the metal light bulb holder and the secret was out!
Since then, I’ve been a willing captive of Essential Oils.
They are so aptly named, aren’t they? Because they are essential to good, simple living. 🙂
What’s so special about Essential Oils?
Essential oils do so many things for us, but here’s a quick review:
- Essential oils connect your body and your mind. That’s a powerful interchange. We ALL want to feel good every day in all situations and circumstances. Peace of mind is something essential oils can help with.
- Essential oils have many uses. These oils are botanicals, which mean these oils are obtained from plants. You can diffuse them, inhale them, take them internally (more on that in a later post), and use them in massages or apply them topically.
- Essential oils go back thousands of years, so they have been put to good purposes throughout the centuries. They really are nature’s true essences; and isn’t that a good thing?
- Fragrance is one of our best ways to lift spirits. Did you know that an overwhelming amount of emotions are triggered by smell alone?
Here’s a little history for you, too.
Essential oils, or aromatic oils, as they were once known, have been around for millennia. Just about every culture under the sun, from the ancient Egyptians, to Persians, Greeks, India, China, et. al., have used essential oils for everything from religious ceremonies to ways of dealing with sickness and disease.
Just think about the tombs of the Pharaohs when they were discovered. Inside the burial chambers were found lots of things thought important to leaving this life and traveling to the next.
Gold, furniture, jewelry, pottery, statuary, perfumes and essential oils were all found in these chambers. Even the ancients knew and appreciated the value of these botanicals.
Finally, back in 1928, a French chemist named Rene-Maurice Gattefossé coined the unique term “Aromatherapie”, when he went looking into the healing properties of these very important oils. His book on how essential oils are indispensable to helping with the healing processes in the human body became a primer for doctors all over Europe in the early 20th century.
So, essential oils have a long history. And a very good one, too.
Because they are so important.
One way to achieve a more SIMPLE LIFE is to use essential oils.
But, before you do, make sure what you are using are Therapeutic Grade essential oils.
What is Therapeutic Grade?
“Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetherolea, or simply as the oil of the plant from which they were extracted, such as oil of clove. An oil is “essential” in the sense that it contains the “essence of” the plant’s fragrance—the characteristic fragrance of the plant from which it is derived.” Source
Simple. Yet, many essential oils on the market today are not therapeutic grade. It’s important to know this first, when considering a purchase of essential oils. After all, you only want the very best for your lifestyle.
The Essential Oils Process
Essential oils from particular plants are extracted through a distillation process. These oils are not greasy, as you would find from olive oil, for instance; but they are very smooth and have a clean touch.
During the distillation process, the oils are extracted from the leaves, flowers, roots, and seeds of the plant.
Understand, there is no governmental agency that oversees what “therapeutic grade” means. So, it can, and often is, whatever you like.
On the other hand, therapeutic grade is a term that is being used by most popular essential oil companies, because of the finest of essential oils that they process and sell to you and me. There’s nothing wrong with that.
Just be very careful when choosing a company that sells essential oils. In my next post, I will give you my recommendations to the very best ones!
For now, know that essential oils should be obtained from distillers who are well known by a company. If you hear about “large commercial brokers”, don’t do business with them, as those essential oils will not be the purest they can be. No high-heat or chemical processes involved.
Essential oils used for medical purposes and holistic aromatherapy should be carefully monitored throughout the entire distillation process. Only in this way will an essential oil be considered therapeutic.
And, that’s the definition you should be looking for.
The Most Popular Essential Oils
(These are in no way listed in any particular order. How to apply will be discussed in a future post.)
Lemon
Lemon is one of my very favorites, because of its clean and vibrant aroma. Who doesn’t love the smell of lemon in the bathroom or kitchen? The versatility of this oil often makes it unsurpassed. Some of the therapeutic qualities of lemons include aiding in digestion, and easing symptoms of arthritis and acne, too.
You can use lemon essential oil in many ways; it’s one of the best ways to brighten your home and your life. You know how breezy lemon oil makes your home seem. Cool and fresh are only the beginning. You can add a few drops to bathwater or into a diffuser or vaporizer.
For aromatherapy uses, lemon oil helps to ease headaches and fever, and is a natural mood booster. If you have digestion or circulation problems, lemon oil to the rescue. Skin irritations are also improved with lemon oil. I would use caution when out in the sun, though, using lemon oil.
Rose
Rose oil is so beautiful you’ll want to keep it close to you all of the time. In fact, rose oil was one of the first essential oils cultivated way back when. The oil itself is extracted from the rose petals, then steam distilled.
For aromatherapy uses, is can be useful for digestion, anxiety and depression. It also is a help with circulation and heart problems, and respiratory conditions such as asthma. Rose oil is also good for your skin. Who doesn’t love rose oil? But, a word of caution, best NOT to use rose oil when pregnant.
Lavender
Lavender seemed to take hold back in the 1960’s, when soaps and light perfumes were all the rage. No wonder. Lavender is simply a beautiful, sweet scent. You can grow lavender in a shady spot around your home; it will come back every year, bigger and better. Lavender flowers are steam distilled for the oil.
Lavender is a great stress reliever, and it helps to alleviate cold symptoms, the flu and headaches. It can be used as an anti-depressant, an anti-inflammatory agent and a deodorant. Opening your front door to the airy scent of lavender is one of life’s simple pleasures.
Chamomile
The leaves of the chamomile plant are used to extract the oil from this most intriguing of plants. Using steam distillation, chamomile oil can be used in a variety of ways. You can grow chamomile in your backyard, and you’ll find it wild in places like Mexico, the Rocky Mountains, and Egypt. There are two types of chamomile: Roman and German chamomile.
Both varieties of chamomile can be used by combining with massage oils, or mixing with other lotions and creams. The Roman variety is also used as a mouthwash and as a mood enhancer. The German chamomile type is used for digestive problems and is a sleep and mood enhancer. Of course, I love chamomile tea for its calming influences.
Tea Tree
If you don’t know about Tea Tree oil now is the time to learn. For aromatherapy use, tea tree oil is unsurpassed in its popularity and effectiveness. It’s also great for fighting infections and boosting your immune system. I have a little bottle of tea tree oil in my medicine cabinet and so should you. Everything from burns and cuts to dry skin and dandruff can be helped with tea tree oil.
Tea tree is extracted from the leaves of the Melaleuca alternifolia tree by steam distillation. Tea tree oil can be inhaled (using a humidifier) or massage it onto affected areas of your skin. Tea tree oils healing properties are powerful indeed. It’s a natural immune booster and helps fight infections.
Tea tree oil is not toxic, but you won’t want to use it internally or put it around your eyes or into your nose.
Rosemary
You’re probably familiar with rosemary, because it’s an herb native to the Mediterranean region. The flowers of the plant are steam distilled for its oil. Rosemary oil is good for so many things; soothing aches, cramps, and muscle tightness as well as for headaches. You can put some rosemary oil into your bath or rub a few drops on dry skin.
Rosemary oil has always been thought of as a mental stimulant; an ideal oil for enhanced memory and overall brain performance. You can blend rosemary oil with massage lotions to ease muscle aches and pains. The oil when added to shampoo, stimulates your scalp and enhances hair growth. If you are pregnant or suffer from epilepsy or high blood pressure, best not to use rosemary oil.
Clove
One of my favorite scents ever. Clove is actually an evergreen tree which produces a flower bud which has many medicinal purposes. Clove oil is useful for wounds, cuts, prickly heat, scabies, and treating insect bites and bee stings. Because of its strong properties, it’s best to use clove oil in diluted form.
Clove oil is used for relieving toothaches and sore gums, as well as freshening breath. It’s also a great skin enhancer; apply it to your skin to lessen the effects of aging. Clove oil has powerful antiviral and antioxidant properties; and is one of the best stress relievers on the market. Everything from nausea to headaches, insect repellent to anti-inflammatory effects have their uses with clove oil.
Peppermint
Because peppermint is such a popular scent, you may not be aware of everything it can do. Peppermint is also an herb which you can grow. The herb flowers are steam distilled and the oil can be used in vaporizers, lotions, baths and mouthwashes.
Peppermint is such a cooling scent, that it just naturally boosts your mental awareness. It helps alleviate congestion and if you have an upset stomach you should reach for your peppermint tea right away. Because peppermint has such a strong menthol component it may irritate some people. Do NOT use if you’re pregnant and do not give to small children.
What’s great about peppermint essential oil is that you can combine it with Eucalyptus essential oil for those sinus problems you may have. I have AWFUL sinuses; have suffered all my life with one thing or another. These days it’s nasal polyps so I’m not smelling so good, but just put these essential oils up to your nose in your Essential Oil Diffuser Necklace
Bergamot
Berga-what? If you haven’t heard of this herb before, this is what you should know. If you love Earl Grey tea, that’s bergamot. Bergamot oil is a citrus-scented essential oil, and comes from the bergamot orange tree, traditionally grown in Italy and the south of France. The rind is pressed to release the oil and it is used in so many ways.
You can place bergamot in a vaporizer and as incense. It can be dropped into your bath water and used with other massage oils. It’s aromatherapy uses include treating stress, depression and anxiety; it’s also an aid to psoriasis and eczema. And it’s great for anorexia, liver stimulation, fatigue and the gastrointestinal tract.
In its pure form it can burn your skin, so be sure to dilute it. You don’t want to use bergamot oil in the sun either.
Ylang-Ylang
This essential oil comes from a tropical tree native to the Philippines and the oil is removed from its flowers and steam distilled. Ylang-ylang has a sweet fragrance and one highly prized in the world of aromatherapy. You can use it in your bath, a diffuser, and add it to massage oils.
Ylang-ylang has great calming properties; it soothes headache, nausea, high blood pressure, skin problems, and stimulates hair growth. Because ylang-ylang has such a strong fragrance, it is often used as an aphrodisiac.
Don’t delay any longer. You’ll want to pick up a small essential oils STARTER KIT right now! One of my favorites is the doTERRA Essential Oils Introductory Kit
OR try these 6 Essential Oils from Plant Guru pictured below. Just enough to get you started! Just click the picture!
And there you have it! Ten of my most favorite essential oils.
These oils will stimulate, calm, enhance, and strengthen you when you need them. They are truly essential oils.
Isn’t it amazing the power of essential oils!
And the power is in YOUR hands.
In my next essential oils post, I’ll be discussing WHERE to buy your essential oils and HOW to use them safely.
But for now, enjoy this little video about essential oils and how they come to be from doTERRA. I love their essential oils!
We are on a journey together you and I; one where we seek to make our lives more beautiful every day! From lighting a simple candle to arousing your senses with sublime scents. There are so many ways, little ways, to make your life more attractive. Things you can do every day.
They will make all the difference in the world!
Simply “homekeeping solutions for crafting your best life.”
P.S. Don’t forget to pick up a DIFFUSER for use with your brand new Essential Oils! Here’s a very popular one!
ENJOY! And my next Essential Oils post will be all about WHICH ESSENTIAL OIL COMPANIES YOU SHOULD BUY FROM. And which ones to let go by!
