Aromatherapy for beginners – Which essential oils to get first?

Aromatherapy for beginners Which essential oils to get first

The amount of essential oils and their healing properties is dizzying at first. But to get started, only six oils are actually needed to find relief from the most common physical and mental problems. These essential oils are peppermint, eucalyptus, tangerine, orange, lavender, and lemongrass.

Peppermint essential oil: improves digestive function and relieves colds

piparmündi eeterlik õliFor many peppermint is a familiar herb from already their childhoods, but peppermint is also truly versatile in its healing properties. This essential oil of a plant with a pleasantly fresh scent cools when the body is hot and warms when it is cold. Thanks to the cooling effect, it miraculously relieves fatigue, refreshes the senses and stimulates the mind. However, the warming effect is especially useful in the treatment of coughs and colds – it stops mucus and fever and promotes better breathing. Due to the analgesic effect, it relieves swelling of the nostrils and headaches caused by colds.

In addition to mental disorders and colds, peppermint also softens migraines. It helps with nausea and gastrointestinal diseases: it has a beneficial effect on the function of the stomach, kidneys, and intestines. Due to its antispastic effect, it also relaxes the smooth muscles of the stomach and intestines, so it is a real treasure that is worth having in your essential oil colelction.

How to use this miracle medicine?

  1. In case of a headache, add a few drops of the peppermint essential oil directly on the hand and massage it into the neck. Take a few minutes a day for yourself and massage with your fingertips from the neck to the hairline. In case of persistent pain, this should be done every morning and evening. Relaxation is guaranteed afterwards.
  2. If your head feels heavy and you feel tired, the fastest way to refresh your mind is to do a dry inhalation. To do this, add a few drops of essential oil on a napkin, cover your nose with a napkin and take a deep breath. This way, you focus on breathing and the invigorating aroma of peppermint can get to work. Do this several times in a row. By the way, this is a great way to treat a stuffy nose, because when you inhale the essential oil of peppermint, your airways open quickly.
  3. To reduce fever, add a few drops of peppermint essential oil to a bowl filled with warm water and mix thoroughly. Then insert a compress towel into the bowl, wring out the excess water and place the towel on your forehead. If you are sick, repeat the procedure until the fever has gotten down.
  4. In case of cough, it is very good to inhale the peppermint essential oil as vapors. To do this, add a few drops of the essential oil into a bowl filled with hot water and then deeply inhale the steam. If you want to create a small steam sauna, cover your head with a towel so that the warm steam does not disappear too quickly. You can also drip oil on your chest, which will also help fight the unpleasant cough.
  5. If you are having digestive problems, you can relieve them with a stomach massage. To do this, rub your hands together to make them warm, add a few drops of the essential oil on your fingers, and with your fingers, massage around the navel in a clockwise direction. Repeat the procedure for a few minutes until you feel that your stomach is more pleasantly bubbling and your metabolism starts working again.

Eucalyptus essential oil: an irreplaceable healer during the cold season

Eucalyptus leaves may be known as a favorite of koalas, but the popularity of the evergreen tree is not limited to this. A few centuries ago, the healing properties of the world’s tallest larch tree were highly valued by aborigines, who bound eucalyptus leaves around the wound to prevent inflammation and promote healing. It is known that the properties of eucalyptus were also used to prevent the spread of malaria because eucalyptus needs a lot of water to survive. The eucalyptus forests emptied the marshy areas where mosquitoes nested. In addition, small bloodsuckers do not like the smell of eucalyptus oil, making it an ideal natural mosquito repellent.

eukalüpti eeterlik õliHowever, the ability of the oil to treat respiratory diseases cannot be forgotten. Namely, eucalyptus oil relieves coughs and colds, soothes irritated throats, and effectively treats cold-headed headaches. Massage with eucalyptus oil can relieve rheumatism, arthritis, and muscle aches. The oil, which has been valued for centuries, also has a good effect on the mind – giving energy, eliminating the feeling of exhaustion, and stimulating the tired mind.

How to use it?

  1. If you suffer from respiratory illness, massage a few drops of the essential oil on your chest or add a few drops into a bowl with hot water and inhale the steam. In this way, the blood cells in the body start moving faster, increasing the amount of oxygen in the body, which in turn helps to breathe easier.
  2. Feeling sluggish and tired, add a few drops of oil on a napkin and inhale while holding the napkin by your nose. Your mood and also the ability to concentrate will improve.
  3. In summer, apply it to insect bites. This way you get rid of itching and redness.
  4. The oil is also helpful if the body aches from working or forced posture. For a better feeling, apply a few drops to your fingers and rub the sore spot.

Tangerine essential oil: good for sleep and well-being

mandariini eeterlik õliWhen you think of tangerine, you remember the sweet and sour smell of peeling the citrus and the joyful Christmas season. It comes as no surprise, therefore, that cold-pressed essential oil from tangerine peels is an excellent antidote to stress and nervous tension. In addition, it lifts the spirit and encourages creative work.

Tangerine essential oil is often used as a perfume in waiting rooms and public places because the citrus scent relaxes and makes people feel good. In addition, it promotes sleep, and experiments have shown that mandarin oil is also helpful for anxiety and behavioral disorders.

How to use it to make yourself feel better?

  1. For falling asleep faster and for better sleep, use an aroma lamp or diffuser in your bedroom, or add a few drops of the essential oil on a napkin and place it next to a pillow. The napkin trick works especially well for restless children who perceive the smell of mandarin as a sense of security and it creates a good sleep routine that the child expects every night.
  2. To lift your spirits, add 10 drops of mandarin essential oil to an aroma lamp or diffuser and let the good aroma do its job. The smell of mandarin has a positive effect and it does not leave anyone cold. If you don’t have an aroma lamp on hand, just rub a few drops on the palm of your hand. Place your palms against your nose and inhale deeply. But do not touch your eyes with your hands, as this may irritate your eyes.
  3. To freshen the air, in a spray bottle, add about 20 drops of mandarin oil per 250 ml of water. Then walk around and spray the mixture into the air. By the way, cats also stay away from places sprinkled with mandarin essential oil and no longer tend to scratch!

Orange essential oil: a good smelling stress reliever

eeterlikud õlidOrange essential oil is undoubtedly one of the most popular in the world because its fruity and sweet aroma has a pleasant and uplifting effect. Therefore, it is well suited for use during a stressful period, when you are having more problems and anxious thoughts.

In addition, orange oil is also a good lymphatic stimulant, which helps reduce toxic residues and fluid retention in the body. In cosmetics, the citrus essential oil is used as a tonic that refreshes the skin and removes toxins from clogged pores.

How to use it?

  1. Add a few drops into a relaxing bath, it will set the mood and stimulate blood circulation.
  2. To have a good day, add about 10 drops to a diffuser. Good mood and energy are guaranteed.
  3. To get rid of comedones, add a few drops of the essential oil into steaming water and hold your face over the bowl for a few minutes. Repeat the procedure until the water no longer steams. It is recommended to do this a few times a week to get results. But be careful with hot steam to avoid burns!

Lavender essential oil: a versatile soul purifier

Lavendli eeterlik õliIt is one of the most diverse essential oils and therefore the list of lavender essential oils healing properties are almost endless: it cures burns, abrasions, coughs, colds, flu, stress, nausea, ulcers, acne, asthma, insect bites, rheumatism, arthritis, headaches, migraines and insomnia. Cleanses and soothes the soul, relieving exhaustion, resulting in a calmer attitude to life. In addition, it is invaluable for all skin types because it promotes cell regeneration and balances sebum secretion.

How to benefit from this miracle plant?

  1. The name “lavender” comes from the Latin word “lavare” and means to wash, because the Romans used lavender-scented bath water for washing. Follow the example of wise predecessors and spray a maximum of 7 drops of lavender essential oil into the bath water. Soaking in a relaxing bath improves mood, but also treats inflammatory ulcers, injuries and burns – including sunburn. Therefore, it is an irreplaceable helper during the summer.
  2. If you know that a long and tiring day is ahead, apply the essential oil to the collar or sleeve of your blouse. This way you will feel the soothing aroma all day long and it will help you feel calmer during tense moments.
  3. You can use undiluted lavender essential oil directly on the wound for itching and minor injuries.
  4. If you have problems with insomnia, add three to five drops into the diffuser and the aromatic scent of lavender will help you fall asleep.

Lemongrass essential oil: mood enhancer with an uplifting scent

The smell of lemongrass is bright, citrusy, and charged with positive energy. Clearly similar to lemon, but this plant has nothing more in common with lemon.

Lemongrass essential oil is known to be the best natural painkiller, anti-inflammatory, and muscle tension reliever. In addition, lemongrass essential oil helps to fight depression. However, it seems that the popularity of the oil is probably due to its scent, which is one of the women’s favorites in the cosmetics industry.

Sidrunheina eeterlik õliHow to use it?

  1. Purify the air: add 4 to 6 drops of the essential oil to the aroma lamp. Lemongrass has air disinfecting properties and helps to remove bad smells. This can be helpful for pet owners. The lemongrass-scented room helps to make you feel motivated, increases self-confidence and the will to act.
  2. Mix lemongrass oil with a base oil: such as jojoba or argan oil, and rub the mixture on the sore area.
  3. To refreshen the laundry, drop 2 to 3 drops of oil on a gauze cloth and put it in the washing machine together with the other laundry. If you have an odorless laundry detergent, you can mix it into the detergent. An excellent natural alternative to chemical detergents.
  4. This essential oil can also be used to make your shoes smell good. To do this, soak a cotton ball or some newspaper with a few drops of lavender essential oil and place it in the shoe, and let it stay there overnight. In the morning, the shoes are like new.

 

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