Subtle Senses: The Power of Essential Oils
Essential oils have been in use throughout history, but with centuries of focusing on the progress, we seem to have forgotten some basic wisdoms of our ancestors. This includes their notion of wellness, psychophysical well-being which they’ve harbored and cherished with reverence. We, on the other hand, have just begun to turn to it.
Turn to these natural methods of healing using essential oils
In the face of such abrasive and intrusive medical help, with new medicine being tested every day, we have turned to alternative, natural and pleasant methods when it comes to our everyday well-being. Essential oils have become indispensable in this regard. Dive into the many uses and benefits of essential oils to improve your everyday wellness.
Different Benefits and Uses
Cosmetics
Essential oils can be used to enhance beauty, whether it be the body, oral, hair or skincare. Different oils can be used to calm irritated skin, cure eczema and acne, neutralize oily skin, remove blemishes, improve circulation and improve breath, respiration and mouth hygiene. Just dilute them in neutral creams, toothpastes or shampoos as they are too concentrated for direct application.
Look into homemade hacks and tricks on how to make deodorants, eye serums, cuticle softeners, lip balms, relaxing soaps and even your own essential oils.
Aromatherapy
Our sense of smell is the most rudimentary sense, which makes it tied the most with our unconscious being. We react to bad smell just as we would to danger and pestilence. But we also react to pleasant smells, which have an overall impact on our psyche and health. This is why aromatherapy is used to reduce stress, regulate bad emotions, uplift the spirit, improve mood and even stimulate sexual drive.
You can use simple candles and oil lamps, or buy diffusers, larger ones for the house and mini diffusers for your car or office. You can read the full review here.
DIY
Apart from being used in homemade cosmetics, there are other practical tricks you can try at home to improve your household environment. If you’re crafty and enjoy making your own solutions, or just feel the need to freshen up your house with natural and simple hacks. Try out DIY bug sprays, Himalayan salt diffusers, toilet and bath bombs, lavender and lemon linen sprays, hand-sanitizer, shoe-deodorant and many more.
Food
Food wouldn’t be nearly as pleasurable if it weren’t for the smell and aroma. We actually pick foods that cater to our sense of smell and then stay for the aroma. Using essential oils for culinary purposes thus comes as no surprise. Experiment with essential oils like you would with flavours and spices.
Add lavender to your lemonade, chocolate truffles, almond and honey muffins, lemon thumbprint cookies, or put thyme and lemon oil to chicken, pork, beef or lamb for fine savory recipes. Look for more delicate and delicious recipes here.
Important Quality Considerations
The quality of the oils can vary depending on the plant’s growing conditions, distillation, manufacture, distribution and storage. For example, pesticides and other chemicals can impact the plants, either reducing their healthy properties or even making them toxic. Some products, due to high market demands, are either diluted or adulterated during the processing and are thus not suitable for clinical use. Also, exposure to heat, light, and oxygen can reduce or spoil the quality of the oil.
What you can do is look for organic, certified, 100% pure oils, stored in dark glass bottles and cold and dry places. It should contain all of this information on the bottle, along with the Latin name of the plant so you know you’re getting the right oil and the country of origin – which is important for aromatherapists.
Exploring various aspects of essential oils is not only enjoyable, but healthy as well
Pick the Right Fragrance
Not every scent evokes the same associations and has the same effect. Here are some of the most common uses of scents:
Lemon – apart from having powerful antimicrobial properties, lemon and other citruses have a stimulating and mood-boosting power.
Lavender – it is relaxing and soothing, good for reducing stress and anxiety, also great for inducing sleep.
Peppermint – has both a cooling effect but also, unlike lavender, increases focus, which makes it a good companion while studying or driving.
To fully explore the subtle machinations of scents, look into Bach’s flower essences. Exploring the various aspects of these oils is not only enjoyable and healthy, but also a good way to be closer to yourself and become in tune with your senses and feelings.
