There are so many ways to use essential oils I couldn't possibly put them all in one post. For those of you who are new the world of essential oils, this is a great starting point to get you familiar with a few great uses and applications. Have fun with it and experiment!
How to Use Essential Oils
Massage
One of the best ways to incorporate the physical and emotional benefits of essential oils is through massage. Not only will the aromatic qualities relax tight tired muscles, it will also soothe stressed and overactive thoughts allowing the mind, body, and spirit into balance so that you feel renewed and ready for another day!
Here are two lovely blends for massage:
• Relax Massage Blend- Lavender, tangerine, and peppermint. This blend is incredibly relaxing but will also enliven the senses and restore vitality and balance.
• Sore Muscle Blend- Wintergreen, peppermint, juniper, eucalyptus, thyme, vetiver, marjoram and clary sage. This blend will soothe and loosen tight cramping muscles and will leave you feeling relaxed, refreshed and ready to get back to it!
Diffuser
Diffusing essential oils is one of my favorite ways to use and experience the healing qualities of essential oils. Not only is it one of the simplest ways to use essential oils, it is also effective. The highest quality diffusers never heat the oils keeping their delicate therapeutic properties intact, dispersing them throughout your home in a delicate vapor.
The scent of essential oils will remain in the air for several hours and when inhaled, will quickly absorb into the lungs which can help support clear respiration. You can find out about the different types of diffusers and which ones I recommend here.
Using oils in this way can also deodorize your home, brighten your mood, calm children or even help whisk you off to sleep. The benefits of diffusing essential oils are endless! If you're not sure which diffuser is best, be sure to check out my post on the topic here.
Some of my favorite blends to use are:
• Breathe Deep Diffusing Blend- Eucalyptus, rosemary, oregano, and lemon myrtle. This is perfect to use when sniffles and sneezes are keeping you up at night.
• Sleepy Time Diffusing Blend- Lavender, chamomile, and tangerine. Relax and revel in this lovely blend. You’ll be sure to fall asleep!
To make your “blend” simply add a few drops of each essential oil into your diffuser.
Other ways to use essential oils in the air are:
• Aroma sprays (here's a recipe to try)
• Light bulb rings (like this one
)
• In a small bowl of water
• Anointed on a beeswax candle
before burning
Bath and Shower
This is probably the most fun way to use essential oils. I mean, who doesn’t love a hot bath with scented oils, salts, and bubbles? Or how about both using HOMEMADE BATH BOMBS?
It’s the ultimate treat to give yourself after a long day to help relax, re-energize, enliven or invigorate yourself depending on which essential oils you’re using.
The relaxing properties of a hot bath mixed with synergistically blended essential oils can also reduce stress, relieve sore muscles, soothe anxiety and quiet the mind.
For a change of pace, here’s a nice blend for stimulating creativity and cheerfulness:
I love using this blend when I’m blogging, studying, researching, or just when I’m looking for a creative DIY project to work on.
Here’s a nice blend for stress, relaxation, and “letting go”
• Lavender
• Ylang Ylang
• Black Pepper
• Pine
• Clary Sage
• Vetiver
I like spraying this all over my apartment and even the workplace to bring down stress and smooth out frazzled nerves.
You can mix these essential oils in salt
, oil
, or even castile soap
. Have fun with it and experiment! Making bath recipes is fun and rewarding. Just remember, start with just a few drops of each at a time to find the strength and balance you like.
For the shower, I like to put a few drops of essential oil on a cotton ball
and put it in the corner of the shower. The heat and steam of the shower will disperse the essential oils into the air that will fill your senses.
How to Use Essential Oils in the Home
Cleaning Products
Worried that your cleaning products aren’t so clean after all?
Many conventional cleaning products from bathroom disinfectants to hand soap are filled with toxic chemicals that can cause more harm than good.
I used to think that “clean” meant dousing grout, windows, carpets, and furniture with sprays I could hardly stand the smell of.
Now I know better and am happy to say that none of us have to suffer anymore! Because guess what? Essential oils along with a few other chemical free ingredients can get your house completely clean AND smelling divine!
Some of the best essential oils for cleaning your home include:
• Grapefruit
• Lemon
• Lavender
• Lemongrass
• Sweet Orange
• Peppermint
• Thieves
• Rosemary
• Sage
• Thyme
• Tea Tree
All of these essential oils are highly antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiviral and antifungal so you don’t have to worry about mold or mildew getting out of hand. These oils also happen to smell fantastic! So what’s not to love?
To make your own homemade cleaning products simply mix your favorite essential oils with baking soda
, powdered eggshells
, castile soap, carrier oil, vinegar and even just water.
Get ready to toss out those chemical-laden cleansers you used to use because essential oils are effective, therapeutically healing and smell awesome! Some of my top cleaning must-haves can be found here.
How to Use Essential Oils for DIY Beauty and Personal care
Making your own beauty products is a great way to help your body look its best!
Not only will switching out your conventional lotions and potions with homemade recipes help you detox, the use of essential oils will help smooth, brighten, tighten and retain that youthful glow we’re all aiming for.
Some of the best essential oils for skin care are:
• Rose- For smooth, supple, radiant skin
• Tea Tree- Fights acne and clears pores
• Lemon- Brightens age spots, hyperpigmentation, freckles, and even a bad tan
• Lavender- Tones and revitalizes the skin. Also great for oily skin types
• Chamomile- Great for skin ailments like acne, psoriasis, eczema, dermatitis, rashes and damaged or very dry skin.
• Rosemary- De-puffs swollen congested skin
• Carrot Seed- Great for anti-aging
• Eucalyptus- Heals all manner of cuts, scrapes, and abrasions
Add these oils to balms, sprays, lotions, lotion bars, salves, creams, and serums.
Personal Care
During the cold and flu season, there is no better ally than essential oils. In fact, I consider them a must-have in every medicine cabinet as you can treat most anything with an essential oil from bug bites to fevers.
You can also use essential oils in your first aid kit for bumps, bruises, cuts, scrapes, poison oak and ivy and of course bug bites.
Essential oils are also incredibly deodorizing and are great for use in personal care products like deodorants, toothpaste, feminine sprays, shampoo, conditioner, and mouthwash.
Here's a recipe for my Herbal Deodorant Spray, my Four Thieves Deodorant, and my super simple roll-on deodorant.
Here are a few of my favorites:
• Peppermint- Great for fevers and sunburn as it pulls heat from the body. Very refreshing for oral care
• Thieves- Used for virtually everything including sore throats, lung congestion, oral health, pain relief, allergies, deodorizing…etc!
• Yarrow- Works really well at repelling insects and can stop bleeding instantly
• Lavender- Not only smells amazing it is also great for a dry itchy scalp. Lavender is also pain relieving
• Tea Tree- Anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral. I use it for everything!
Other Examples of Using Essential Oils
Cooking and Internal Use
There are so many ways to use high-quality essential oils in cooking. Imagine how amazing lemon infused pepper would taste over grass-fed beef or how delicate vanilla ice cream could taste with a drop of rose?
There are many essential oils that can be used in recipes that really bring the true essence of flavor to a dish.
Some of my favorites include:
• Vanilla- use in baking recipes or in ice cream!
• Chocolate- add to chocolate recipes and all manner of desserts
• Peppermint- add to chocolate, hot cocoa, homemade whipped cream
• All citrus like Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit, Lime, and Tangerine- make your cocktails shine and brighten any dish!
• Rose- add to ice cream, sorbet, or chocolate for a super sensual experience
• Ginger, cinnamon, and clove- lends a lovely spicy and “alive” flavor to desserts and meats
• Rosemary, thyme, sage, basil, and dill- add to marinades and sauces for a robust pop of flavor
You can add these to homemade mayonnaise, dips, spreads, cheeses, butter, sauces, marinades, dressings, soups, syrups, jams, jellies….the list goes on and on!
Adding essential oils to your cooking adds a purity and clarity of flavor you can’t obtain otherwise. They help you digest meats and even offer vitamins, minerals and trace elements to your diet. I actually learned that essential oils have very little nutrients (you can read about it HERE).
To make them even more amazing, using them in cooking will also act as a preventative for colds and flu.
An Important Note: Never use too much essential oil and ONLY use essential oils that are GRAS (generally regarded as safe). The idea is to enhance flavors, not overpower the dish with them. Also, ONLY ever use the HIGHEST quality essential oils for internal use. I cannot stress the importance of this enough. Using low grade everyday essential oils internally can potentially be very harmful.
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