by Sharon Quercioli

I love essential oils. I use them every day. Essential oils don’t just smell good, they’re filled with health benefits and can-do wonders for your spirit and mindset. Whether you want to boost your health using more natural homeopathic methods, or if you’re trying to clean and refresh your home more naturally, essential oils are the way to go.

It might be tempting to jump in and buy a bundle of essential oils from your local big box store, but I encourage you to educate yourself on how they work and what makes a good essential oil first. I use Young Living essential oils and have for many years.

What are essential oils (and why are they so expensive)?

At its root, essential oils are the essence of a plant. They are the oils that are distilled from a plant and prepared (in a strong concentrated form) in a bottle for consumers. These oils are collected from the leaves, roots, seeds, bark and flower petals of hundreds of different types of plants. Depending upon the plant, it can be a difficult and tedious process, so different oils come with different price tags.

Some of these oils are so concentrated and strong that they must be used with some sort of carrier oil or diffused with something else, or they can cause skin irritation. Some can be used with food—some can’t. Some can be used topically, while others can’t. The aromas and benefits of each essential oil are unique.

For example, lavender is quite soothing, can promote calmness and has a wonderful aroma. It is also good for soothing skin irritations if used topically. Frankincense oil can be taken internally and can help your digestive system and can help with healthy cellular function.

Essential oils have been used for centuries. Naturopathy uses essential oils throughout the practice. Plant extracts and plant-based products have been used in many different ancient cultures, civilizations, and apothecary practices.

What can you do with essential oils?

The main uses for essential oils are for aromatherapy and personal care. They can also be used for religious ceremonies, beauty treatments, food preparation and healthcare. One of my favorite uses is around the home to create specific atmospheres for each space.

For example, I used lavender in the bedroom to promote a restful sleep. I like to diffuse orange or lemon in my office to spark my creativity and keep my mind active. Sometimes, when I’m feeling a little drowsy at my desk, I will open a bottle of orange, hold it up to my nose, and inhale deeply.

Common ways to use essential oils:

• In a diffuser for a room, to help make it smell better or to create a better environment for a specific activity (sleep, creativity, restfulness, alertness, etc.)
• In a diffuser necklace or bracelet for aromatherapy (to improve mood, promote certain health benefits)
• In a roller applicator for topical use (aches, pains, headaches, and to help open air passages for better breathing)
• Additions for DIY perfumes, air fresheners, soaps, lotions, etc.

Choosing the Right Oil for You

There are so many essential oils, it would take forever to go through all of them and their benefits. So today, I’m going to just list some of the most used and easily found oils.

• Lavender – (clean and floral) wonderful for use in soaps, perfumes, fresheners and beauty products. You can use lavender to sooth mild allergic reactions on your skin, like insect bites and blisters.
• Frankincense – (earthy and uplifting) empowering aroma that is good for your skin, can help get you in a good mindset for prayer or meditation.
• Orange – (sweet and bright) can fill your space with peace, invigorate your mind, creativity, and be uplifting for spirit.
• Peppermint – (nostalgic and fresh) is great for helping to alleviate headaches, is stimulating for your mind and can help you refocus your thoughts. You can use peppermint to clear congestion, open your airways and relieve scratchy throats.
• Tea tree oil – (true and pure tea tree oil is strong and should be diluted) great for personal care, beauty routine, cleansing properties. Tea tree oil is great for killing bacteria, yeasts and fungi. While you’re not supposed to ingest it, you can use it topically for skin irritations.
• Lemon – (bright and joyful) wonderful to mix with homemade cleaning products and is a wonderful way of refreshing a room. Lemon oil is great at killing germs and mold around the house. You can add it to laundry or dilute with water for general cleaning. I wash all my vegetables in water with a few drops of lemon.

DIY Oil Recipes

The great thing about essential oils is that you can combine them to form different aromatherapy blends. Scent is such a unique experience for everyone. Different scents can trigger different memories and can illicit different emotions for different people. These are some of my favorites. They should be at a 1/1 ratio:

• Happiness: Bergamot and Lavender
• Clear Mind: Rosemary and Peppermint
• Clean Air: Lemon and Tea Tree
• Peace: Marjoram and Orange
• No Doubt: Clary Sage and Frankincense
• Tranquility: Cedarwood and Rose
• Anti-Nausea: Ginger and Peppermint
• Calm: Lavender and Sandalwood
• Just Cleaned: Pine and Lemon
• Concentration: Frankincense and Orange

One of my favorite mixes is a springtime blend that I love to put in my diffuser in a bright room:

• Two drops of Lavender
• Two drops of Cedarwood
• Two drops of Grapefruit

It is such a great, bright blend. Citrusy, sweet, calming, and happiness-inducing. If you’re looking for a blend that you can use in a room spray or to diffuse while you’re cleaning, try this spring cleaning blend:

• Two drops of Lemon
• Two drops of Lemongrass
• A drop of Peppermint
• A drop of Lavender

If you want to put it in a room spray, I suggest buying a cheap bottle of vodka or rubbing alcohol. I also suggest always storing these in glass bottles because the mixture will eat away at plastic bottles. The mixture blend for about 4 ounces of room spray is:

• Four tablespoons of water
• Two tablespoons of vodka
• About thirty drops of your essential oil mixture (multiply your mixture accordingly)

If you need any other information, feel free to reach out to me at sharon@owwmedia.com.