B
Beautiful
Essential
Oils
Essential oils are have been
used for thousands of years in
various cultures for medicinal
and health purposes.
Essential oil uses range from
aromatherapy, household
cleaning products, personal
beauty care and natural medicine treatments.
Technically, essential oils aren’t
oils at all, as they lack fatty acids. Rather, they’re highly concentrated plant components.
The particles in essential oils
come from distilling or extracting the different parts of plants,
including the flowers, leaves,
bark, roots, resin and peels.
Essential oil benefits come
from their antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory
properties. There are some
general tips for using essential
oils that apply regardless of the
type. Never apply essential oils
directly to your skin, as their
high concentration can cause a
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reaction or irritation. (Exception to this rule is Lavender Oil)
Instead, essential oils should be
diluted with water or a carrier
oil like jojoba, almond or grape.
When mixing essential oils it
is best to not mix more than
3 drops per essential oil to 30
ml of carrier oil, and do not
mix more than 2 essential oils
together. The best and safest
option would be to consult an
aromatherapist or buy premixed oils.
Peppermint Oil
The bright scent of peppermint
does more than freshen your
breath: It is also used to soothe
nausea and other stomach
issues, help stop itching, and
cool overworked muscles.
Add drops of peppermint oil
to a bowl of hot water and
breathe in the steam to fight
congestion, or rub diluted oil
into sore muscles. And that’s
not all: Peppermint is a key
ingredient in oil mixtures that
fight PMS, act as an all-natural
alternative to VapoRub, cool
sore throats, and quiet headaches -- and it’s often credited
with increasing concentration.
Lavender Oil
Lavender is a go-to oil for
almost any situation: Not only
is it one of the few oils that is
gentle enough to use undiluted, it’s a “virtual first aid kit in a
bottle.”
The antibacterial properties
allow it to fight germs (which is
why it’s also such an important
ingredient in many all-natural
cleaning products for home
and body), and like peppermint, it’s often credited with
aiding digestion and helping
fight headaches.
Lavender oil’s soft scent is
said to help calm the nervous
system, improve sleep quality,
combat joint pain, and fight
everything from urinary disorders and respiratory problems
to high blood pressure and
acne.
Rose Oil
This rose by any name will smell
as sweet: Look for it labeled as
Rose Otto, rose oil, or rose essential oil, and choose oils produced in Bulgaria and Turkey
for the highest quality. These
slightly-distilled oils won’t have
the strong scents of oils used