Essential Oils are all the rage lately and for good reason. Essential oils are natural and unlike synthetic fragrances which can have harmful effects on your health and the health of your family, they can actually clean and refresh the air in your home while leaving an unbeatable scent that can calm, centre, or energise you depending on your choice of oil.
It is also becoming more commonly known that essential oils can be used for all kinds of different jobs around the house, but what many people do not yet know is that essential oils can also be used to cleanse our bodies too! In fact, essential oils can be used from head to toe! If you love essentials for your enjoyment and for use around the house and you want to improve your health, try using essential oils for your body! Essential oils are a great way to help keep healthy!
Below are five ways to start using essential oils to improve your physical health, but before we get there, one word of caution: essential oils are highly concentrated and need to be treated with care, never use essential oils undiluted, be careful around pets, and talk to a medical professional about whether certain essential oils may interact with any medication you are taking.
Do your research before adding new essential oils to your routine!
1. Essential Oils for Oral Health
It may not be your first thought, but essential oils can definitely help improve your oral health! Peppermint, spearmint, and cinnamon might come to your mind and they do, in fact, make great toothpaste and mouthwashes, but even some surprising oils can be used for your teeth and gums.
Did you know that myrrh oil can help increase blood flow to your gums, clove oil can be used to get rid of a toothache, and tea tree oil can help reduce bacteria that cause bad breath? Essential oils can be used for every aspect of oral hygiene! Try this toothpaste recipe to get you started:
- 6 tbsp baking soda.
- 6 tbsp coconut oil.
- 6 drops each peppermint, spearmint, and clove essential oils.
Melt the coconut oil, stir in baking soda, then add essential oils and mix again. That is it, mix them together and use as regular toothpaste. Just make sure you close it tightly when not in use and try not to dip your toothbrush directly into the paste, use a Popsicle stick or a spoon for scooping. Your teeth will be sparkling white!
2. Essential Oils Internally
Parasites are not something we really want to think about, but they are a reality of life and using essential oils to kill parasites is a natural way to get your body back on track. Some of the best essential oils to use for parasites are oregano oil, thyme oil, and clove oil.
Remember though, if you are planning to ingest essential oils, talk to your medical professional, and never use undiluted oils; make sure your oils are food grade and organic and always start with a small amount. You will be feeling better in no time!
3. Improve Your Skin with Essential Oils
Essential oils are a wonderful way to improve your complexion naturally and healthfully! There are essential oils for every skin type. You can make a serum to use before bed by diluting a small amount of oil various essential oils in a carrier oil such as almond, coconut, or apricot kernel oil. For acne, try helichrysum and tea tree oil, for sensitive skin, try lavender, for dry skin, try chamomile, and for combination skin, try lemongrass! You will be glowing soon!
4. Clear your Sinuses with Essential Oils
There is nothing worse than having stuffed, blocked sinuses, it can be a nightmare! Unfortunately, this is a common symptom of winter’s most insidious illness, the common cold. Luckily, essential oils can be added to steam to clear your sinuses right up.
Most people think of eucalyptus when they come down with a cold and this is a great choice, but you can also try peppermint, tea tree, thyme, lavender, and lemon! You can use a bowl of very warm water and a towel to make a personal steam or you can make an essential oil steam shower by putting a plug in the drain and adding a few drops of oil to the bathtub! I do not know about you, but I feel better just thinking about it!
5. Essential Oils for Cuts and Scrapes
Essential Oils make a great first line of defense against cuts, scrapes, and abrasions! Many essential oils are antibacterial which makes them a great choice to keep germs and infection at bay. You can try adding rosemary, lavender, myrrh, helichrysum and tea tree oils to your first aid kit.
Once again; however, it is important to remember not to use essential oils directly on the skin, for first aid, try mixing a few drops of your chosen essential oil into pure Aloe Vera gel! Your minor injuries will feel better fast!
As we can see, essential oils are so much more than just fragrance, essential oils can not only be used to keep your home clean and fresh, but they can be used to keep your body healthy as well. You can use essential oils for oral hygiene, internal parasites, to improve your skin, to clear your sinuses, and even in your first aid kit for cuts, scrapes, and abrasions!
So, to keep yourself healthy and happy, make sure you stock up on a few key essential oils and, as long as you keep them out of reach from children and pets, feel free to keep them around the house. They can come in handy for so many different things and they have such a wide variety of uses, you’ll be glad to have at least a starter kit around the home.
A good set to start with is tea tree oil, oregano oil, lavender oil, lemon oil, peppermint oil, and clove oil. With these 6 oils you will be able to do so many different things!
