How Essential Oils Can Boost Your Health & Wellbeing

Using essential oils is a time-tested and natural way to treat health issues and boost your spirit

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You have no doubt heard about aromatherapy, oils, massage, and other holistic therapies which claim to help you with various health conditions and problems. Do you pay much heed to these?

You should!

There is a lot of evidence to suggest that regular use of essential oils can help with a range of different health conditions, including headaches, insomnia, acne, eczema, colds, and mood swings. There are countless different essential oils you can choose from, and many have different properties useful for various different uses. For instance, lavender oil is fantastic for helping with relaxation and to bring on sleep.

Whenever you use an essential oil, you should mix it with a carrier oil, such as almond oil, to help dilute its potency and make it safe for topical use on skin. If you do this, you get twice the benefits because you get the benefits from the carrier oil, as well as the essential oil.

Why Are Essential Oils So Fantastic?

Essential oils have been used throughout history. They are mainly derived from plants and flowers; that means you are getting totally natural ingredients without anything false added in. Of course, when you purchase an oil, make sure you know where it has come from, because there are some rather fake essential oils on the market. Go for organic and you’ll get a better quality – it’s worth spending a little extra cash because you get what you pay for.

When the oil is extracted from the source (e.g. the flower, plant, root, or bark), it retains its scent — one of the reasons why these oils are so popular. An essential oil massage is more relaxing with a pleasant scent in the air! You will also find many candles which are infused with essential oils in order to bring a sense of relaxation to the room. If you find it hard to get to sleep of an evening, try adding a few drops of your favourite oil to a diffuser, and you’ll feel instantly more relaxed and sleepy. Remember not to use candles for this, however, as you might end up with a burning smell, which is not at all relaxing!

According to research, many essential oils have anti-inflammatory properties, which makes these fantastic for anyone who suffers with allergies. For instance, try a little basil oil or lemon oil if you are sneezing and finding yourself sensitive to various things – you’ll probably notice your symptoms improve quite quickly. In addition, those who regularly suffer with headaches, usually tension headaches, find essential oils to help greatly. Of course, you should check out regular headaches and their causes with your doctor before trying to treat them yourself, but if there is nothing to worry about after that consultation, you could find that a little lavender oil, or rosemary oil, applied to the temples, will do the trick.

If you’re struggling with weight loss, did you know that studies suggest that essential oils could help speed the process along when combined with a healthy diet and exercise? Try lemon oil, as this is known to dissolve fat.

As you can see, essential oils have countless uses thanks to those natural ingredients which makes them so effective.

How to Use Essential Oils

Before you begin to use any type of essential oil, or indeed any type of holistic therapy, you should check it out with your doctor first. Some oils react with certain medications, so this should be double checked before you start. If there are no problems, however, remember to dilute the essential oil down with a carrier oil. This is because essential oils are pure, and they can be harsh or irritating to the skin when used neat.

You can use essential oils in the following ways:

• Topically — by applying to the skin with a cotton wool pad.
• Massage — working the oil into the skin with gentle or firm hand movements.
• Diffuser — adding drops of oil to the diffuser and allowing it to be breathed in via the air.
• Steam inhalation —adding a few drops to hot water and breathing in the steam.
• In the bath — by adding a few drops to your bath water.

If you notice any reaction to an essential oil, stop its usage right away. This negative reaction could be because you didn’t dilute it enough, or it could be that you are simply sensitive to it and you need to opt for a different oil. There are many to choose from, so you will likely be able to find an alternative for your particular problem. Certainly do some research into the best types of oils for your particular problem. If you want to use essential oils to their maximum potential then you need to tailor your treatment accordingly.

Put simply, essential oils can help with overall health and wellbeing in so many different ways that it’s no wonder that they have stuck around for so long. As well as being beneficial to treat a variety of conditions, they are also fantastic for simply making you feel better, more energized, relaxed, and in higher spirits overall.

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