5 Essential Oils to Help You Live a Healthier Life
Essential oils are quickly becoming more popular in the health and wellness community. But what exactly are essential oils? What are they good for? And how can you use them to improve your life? Read on to find out.
Essential oils are liquids extracted from plants by steam distillation, absolute, or cold-pressing. These oils contain the essence of their plant’s natural fragrance, which carries its medicinal properties into your body and can help improve your overall well-being and health. Here are five essential oils that will change your life.
Lemon Oil
Lemon oil is commonly used in commercially available products that you come into contact with on a daily basis. You can find everything from household cleaner to hand soap to flavored sparkling water with lemon essence in the aisles of any grocery store.
The scent is similar to that of the fruit from which it is derived, as is the case with many citrus oils: bright, light, zesty, and clean. Of course, many of those flavors and smells are now synthetic, but there’s a reason lemon has become so synonymous with freshness and cleanliness: its oil is a potent antibacterial, astringent, and antiseptic agent.
Because of its high concentration of D-limonene, a compound that aids in wrinkle reduction, circulation promotion, and skin toning, diluted lemon oil can be extremely effective in skin care. D-limonene, in fact, has skin-repairing and anti-inflammatory properties, according to recent research.
Lavender Oil
Lavender is an essential oil known for its calming properties, and it’s considered by some aromatherapists to be one of the best all-around essential oils. Use lavender in your diffuser when you’re feeling anxious or stressed out. It can also help you sleep better, thanks to its relaxing aroma.
Some people even report that using lavender reduces headaches. If you use inhalers or nebulizers, try putting a few drops of lavender oil in them; some people say that it helps thin mucus and makes breathing easier.
Frankincense
One of my favorite essential oils is frankincense. Frankincense has been used for millennia as incense, in perfumes and medicines, and even as an aid in meditation. It contains small amounts of antibacterial and antifungal properties, making it ideal for treating skin conditions such as eczema or dandruff.
One study published in 2018 found that frankincense oil inhibited the growth of cancer cells while also having no negative effect on healthy cells, making it a promising natural treatment option. Also, users can experience improved brain function with daily use of frankincense essential oil.
In another study from 2018, researchers from the University of Jordan found that daily topical application helped improve learning ability by increasing concentration and memory retention.
Cinnamon Oil
If lemon oil is bright, cool, and energizing, cinnamon oil is the polar opposite: sweet and spicy, musky and warming. Cinnamon evokes a distinct combination of sexy exoticism and cozy familiarity for me, which makes sense given that it’s both a Far East import and a spice drawer staple.
It’s one of history’s oldest essential oils, derived from both the bark and leaf of the Cinnamomum verum tree, with the Egyptians recording their extensive use of it in Ebers Papyrus, a medical text dating from around 1550 BC.
Cinnamon was a popular spice at the time. It was expensive and difficult to obtain because Arab traders controlled the majority of the supply coming from Sri Lanka and India, and they kept the true source of their supply hidden in an ingenious marketing strategy.
Cinnamon oil was only available to the wealthy emperors, royals, and, later, Europe’s elite. Fortunately for us, the price and availability of this extremely useful oil are no longer an issue.
Peppermint Oil
You’re familiar with the aroma of peppermint. It’s already in there, mixed into your toothpaste, mouthwash, or shampoo. It could also be in the chewing gum in your back pocket. But you’re probably wondering why peppermint is in all of these products.
Menthone and menthol make up the majority of peppermint oil. It has antispasmodic, antiviral, antimicrobial, antifungal, and antioxidant properties. It is an effective headache treatment: in one study, participants reported a significant reduction in the pain of their tension headaches within 15 minutes, and the pain continued to decrease for the next hour.
It relieves nausea, improves concentration and memory, and acts as an analgesic, numbing and killing pain on the skin.
Peppermint oil works best in lip products, in my opinion. It’s extremely invigorating, and having it literally under your nose keeps you feeling energized all day.
What is the most uplifting essential oil?
There are many different essential oils, and each one has a particular scent and use. For example, peppermint oil can help clear your sinuses, making it great for colds and allergies.
However, if you want something more uplifting that still manages to provide some health benefits, you might want to try bergamot essential oil. Bergamot is considered a happy oil with many psychological benefits that can improve your mood and outlook on life. It also has antibacterial properties that make it good for your skin.
To get started using bergamot in your daily routine, add 5–10 drops of it into a diffuser or apply it directly onto your pulse points.
How do you use essential oils?
It depends on what you are looking for. If I have back pain, I might rub some lavender essential oil into my lower back. If I’m feeling stressed out, I may take some lemon or bergamot and inhale it.
The point is that these oils are versatile; you can use them to help yourself feel better in many different ways. That said, there are also certain oils that you should never put on your skin because they can cause serious reactions when applied directly (such as tea tree oil).
To be safe, always dilute your essential oils with a carrier before applying them topically. And remember: Pure essential oils should only be used aromatically unless you’re trained to handle them properly.
Final Thoughts
As with all things, moderation is key. While essential oils can have significant health benefits, overuse can be dangerous. Many of these so-called essential oils are made synthetically in a lab and are then sold by manufacturers as natural.
It’s also important to be aware that many essential oils come from plants that contain toxic compounds and should not be used on or around children without a doctor’s consent. Always do your research before trying any new product.
