Everyone has someone in their life who absolutely swears by the health and wellness benefits of essential oils. Whether it’s lavender for your stress levels or eucalyptus to help boost your immunity, they insist that their favorite aromatherapy scents are the answer to whatever health problem plagues you.
If you haven’t tried them for yourself, though, you might remain unconvinced. Particularly if you’re dealing with high blood pressure or other serious medical conditions, they might seem like little more than a bandaid, if that. The results don’t lie, though‚Äîused in various ways, essential oils really can improve your health and wellness efforts. Whether it’s Bulgarian rose oil for skincare, menstrual pain, or lower cortisol levels (and stress relief as a result) or tea tree oil as a deodorant or perfume, insect repellant, or cuticle care, there’s a beneficial essential oil to offer a natural medicine option to aid in your healing and wellbeing.
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is, by far, the most common use for these oils. You may see the term applied to the use of essential oils more generally, in fact. It ultimately takes only a look at the term itself to get a more specific meaning: aromatherapy clearly refers to the user’s sense of smell. By extension, oils are thought to affect your body’s limbic system, a part of the brain that impacts your emotions. One common tool for aromatherapy is an oil diffuser. You’ll frequently see diffusers that dilute the oils in water, adding moisture to the air alongside the intended aroma. Others may be completely waterless, utilizing a fan or nebulizer to diffuse the oil. Alternatively, oils might be added to a stick you can inhale as needed, or even to pieces of jewelry designed to capture the scent. The latter will even act as a perfume, releasing the aroma more generally, depending on the strength and the quantity of the oil.
If you’re in a stressful situation, you might turn on your diffuser or inhale the scent of an aromatherapy necklace to unwind. If you’re concerned about figuring out what you should consider before getting pregnant, for example, you might turn to oils like lavender to fall asleep. Instead of focusing on your family health history, fertility, or the costs of having a healthy baby, you can breathe in the scent to find a sense of calm or ease yourself into a better night’s sleep. Once you become pregnant, essential oils can even help with symptoms like morning sickness, body aches, and health conditions like hemorrhoids that often come alongside pregnancy. As always, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor and do plenty of research to find the best oils to supplement your more traditional medicines, with you and your baby’s health in mind.
Application & Absorption
In some cases, you won’t want to use inhalation methods, like a diffuser. You might have asthma or another health condition that’s irritated by inhaling oils directly. Maybe you’re stressed about a renovation project but know that historic home restorations and excess moisture don’t mix well, so your go-to diffuser is out of the question. Of course, you may simply want to target a certain body ache or other concern more exactly.
Instances like these might call for an oil or oil-based product to be applied and absorbed directly into the skin. You can find skincare products that incorporate essential oils, or you can dilute your oil of choice with a carrier oil before applying the mixture to your skin. Even users with sensitive skin can benefit from a calming lavender or rose oil. Apply the lotion or other product to your tense neck and shoulders and go about making that historic home the stress-free retreat you need.
However you choose to embrace essential oils, the benefits are clear. Whether you’re breathing in rose oil or applying it to your skin, there’s a method of application that can ease symptoms of your health condition or simply help you feel better as you go about your day, whatever stressors arise. Whether you’re breathing in the ascent to relieve nausea alongside your prenatal vitamins or you’re applying a topical oil mixture to your achy muscles after a day working to restore your historic home, the right oil can promote health and wellness in countless situations.
