The first records of essential oils come from ancient India, Persia, and Egypt. These initial essential oils were prepared by placing flowers, roots, and leaves in fatty oils. Fatty oils were used for several millennia before the Arabs developed a new technique to distill essential oils.
These days you can find essential oils in various stores and even supermarkets. But how do essential oils work and what benefits can you get from using them?
Keep reading to find out more about aromatherapy essential oils and their benefits.
How to Use Essential Oils
Essential oils are extremely potent as they are a concentrate, so you need to be mindful about how you use them. A few drops go a long way when it comes to essential oils. The best way to use them is to incorporate them into a type of aromatherapy
The most common ways people use essential oils are:
- Using a diffuser
- Dry evaporation
- Aroma sticks
- Steam
A diffuser breaks essential oils down and sends them into the surrounding air. Diffusers generally use water and heat to help the oils evaporate.
Dry evaporation is the act of placing essential oils on a dry material to release the scent of the essential oil. Cotton balls, tissues, and absorbent materials like terra cotta are all popular options when evaporating essential oils. You simply need to place the item with the essential oil near you to benefit from the aroma.
Aroma sticks or essential oil inhalers are portable devices with an absorbent wick at one end. The wick soaks up the essential oil and you can smell it throughout the day. Aroma sticks come with covers to keep the wick from drying out when you’re not using them.
Steam is one of the most efficient ways to use essential oils. It works similarly to a diffuser, but you don’t need to buy any equipment for this method. Simply boil a pot of water, remove it from the heat, and add a few drops of essential oil to the water.
Once the essential oil mixes with the water you can place your face above the pot and breathe the steam in. The hot water causes the essential oil to vaporize and mix with the steam. For extra oomph, you can place a towel over your head to trap the steam, allowing it to fully work.
Bring Fragrance Into Your Home
One of the best benefits of essential oils that everyone can benefit from is the smell. Essential oils are extremely potent, so they are the perfect option to have your home smelling clean and fresh in no time.
A few drops in a diffuser will have your air smelling amazing in no time. You’ll also benefit from using a diffuser. You can also add a few drops of essential oil to your washing to ensure your clothes smell fresh and clean.
Unlike most air freshers that contain phthalates, essential oils are natural oils extracted from plants. Fragrances are usually synthetic concoctions created in a laboratory. If you want to keep your home smelling nice with natural ingredients, you should use essential oils.
The AromaTech system of diffusers, scents, and cleaners is the easiest, safest way to bring fragrance into your home. Click here to learn about the AromaTech system and how you can benefit from it.
Common Essential Oils to Try
There are thousands of essential oils on the market. When picking one to try, it’s important that you consider the essential oil benefits, but also if you like the scent. You won’t use essential oils if you find them unpleasant to be around, so make sure you test out the smell before you buy something.
Peppermint is a popular option if you’re just getting started with your aromatherapy journey. Peppermint is a hybrid between watermint and spearmint with a sharp and fresh smell. While peppermint is best known for flavoring gum, it also has various health benefits.
Peppermint can help relieve tension headaches, muscle aches, joint pain, and itching. When using peppermint with steam it can also help reduce pain and reduce coughing. Peppermint is also a great option if you simply want to use the essential oil as an air freshener.
Lavender is a scent that works well with peppermint and is just as widely available. Lavender oil has been used for centuries in aromatherapy as it is known to reduce physical and mental stress levels.
Many people also use lavender essential oils to improve their quality of sleep. You’ll find many products on the market geared toward better sleep that are lavender scented. You can skip the middleman and diffuse lavender oil while you sleep.
Tea tree is another fresh and medicinal scent that many people are drawn to. Tea tree itself is antifungal and antibacterial, so it purifies and freshens your home as it disperses. Tea tree oil is said to boost immunity, help fight infections, and reduce anxiety.
Aromatherapy Essential Oils Made Easy
When it comes to aromatherapy essential oils, each type of oil has different benefits and uses. It’s important to understand aromatherapy benefits if you want to make the most out of your essential oils, but also remember to use the scents you enjoy even if you aren’t looking for their benefits. Essential oils can be used for aromatherapy, or simply because they smell nice.
If you liked this article on aromatherapy, check out our lifestyle section for more content.
