Essential oils, also known as aromatherapy oils have been used for thousands of years for their soothing and calming properties. Unlike oils you use to cook with, essential oils don’t feel greasy and slippery when applied to your skin. In addition, as you only need a small amount to gain a big result, they are cost effective, despite their price.
Relaxing essential oils
Some oils are more expensive than others are, but the number one oil used for relaxation, lavender, is also one of the least expensive to purchase. Lavender oil can help you loosen up and let go of stress. It can also help lift depression and reduce insomnia.
Chamomile is perhaps, the second best essential oil used for relaxation. It is especially useful for calming children who are stressed and anxious.
Geranium oil can help lift your spirit when you are feeling low, and soothe your mind. Ylang ylang and patchouli have a more exotic scent. Both can help relive stress and lift your mood, and are best known as being useful for reducing depression.
Tangerine and orange are restorative oils that can raise your emotional energy level while leaving you feeling calm and relaxed. They are best used indoors, as they can react with the sun and irritate your skin.
Clary sage is often thought of as a mild, mood altering oil, as it can change your disposition quite readily if you are susceptible to its properties. It helps relieve frazzled nerves and fatigue, and can be effective for migraine relief. However, experts advise against the use of clary sage if you are pregnant or intend to operate machinery.
How to use essential oils
There are various ways you can use essential oils, but the easiest is to place a few drops of the oil you require in your bath water so that it scents the air as steam rises, or on a tissue to sniff.
Oils can also be put in a diffuser ring and placed on a hot lightbulb, or in water in a ceramic diffuser that relies on the heating process supplied by a candle to enable circulation through the air.
If you want to use essential oils on your skin, you’ll need to mix them with carrier oil such as grapeseed. Roughly, five drops of an essential oil is all that’s needed per ounce of carrier oil. You can use the blend as massage oil, or simply apply to pulse points such as your wrist.
Essential oils can be wonderful, natural remedies that sooth and calm your system and prepare you for sleep, or simply help you unwind after a hard day.
