Apothecarpy, uses of essential oils

Essential Oils for Common Maladies

There are probably as many uses for aromatherapy as there are essential oils, but research shows particular promise in relieving stress, stabilizing your mood, improving sleep, pain and nausea relief, and improving your memory and energy level.

To give you an idea of the versatility of aromatherapy, the following table lists some of the therapeutic uses of several oils for a few of today's most common complaints.12 As you can see, there are some real "multitaskers," like lavender andpeppermint, which can be used to treat more than one problem.13

Complaint	Essential Oils
Stress	Lavender, lemon, bergamot, peppermint, vetiver, pine, and ylang ylang
Insomnia	Lavender,14 chamomile, jasmine, benzoin, neroli, rose, sandalwood, sweet marjoram, and ylang ylang (avoid lemon, which has an invigorating effect15)
Anxiety	Lavender, bergamot, rose, clary sage, lemon, Roman chamomile, orange, sandalwood, rose-scented geranium, and pine16
Pain	Lavender, chamomile, clary sage, juniper, eucalyptus, rosemary, peppermint, lavender, and green apple (especially for migraines)
Nausea and vomiting	Mint, ginger, lemon, orange, ginger, dill, fennel, chamomile, clary sage, and lavender
Memory and attention	Sage, peppermint,17 and cinnamon
Low energy	Black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, angelica, jasmine, tea tree, rosemary, sage, and citrus

How to Use Essential Oils

Some of the most common ways to use essential oils include:

• Massaging them (blended with a carrier oil) into your skin
• Adding them to bathwater
• Using them in a hot compress
• Heating them in a diffuser
• Rubbing a drop onto pulse points in lieu of perfume

But that's really just the beginning. There are many creative uses for essential oils. Here's a sampling of the 25 uses listed by the Epoch Times.18 For the full list, please see the original article.

Cleaning sprays and room deodorizers	Making your own cleaning supplies and room deodorizers using essential oils is an excellent alternative to commercial products that may contain any number of hazardous chemicals. For example, for a homemade cleaning scrub with antibacterial activity, simply add a few drops of lavender or tea tree oil tobaking soda. Using a glass grated-cheese container with a stainless steel top that has holes in it makes it easy to sprinkle the baking soda on the surfaces. In lieu of commercial room deodorizers, you can either use an aromatherapy diffuser, or add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to water in a spray bottle.
Freshen laundry	Dryer sheets are notoriously toxic, emitting more than 600 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) through your dryer vent. You can easily freshen your laundry without risking your family's health simply by spritzing your wet laundry with a mix of water and a few drops of essential oil before placing it in the dryer. Alternatively, add a dozen or so drops to an old wool sock, and put it in the dryer with your laundry.
Therapeutic steam baths	To deep clean pores, add a few drops of lavender or eucalyptus to hot water in your sink, then lean over it with a towel draped over your head to capture the steam. This will also help unclog your sinuses if you have a cold. Alternatively, close the drain in your shower and add some eucalyptus essential oils to the pooled water on the floor of the tub to create a soothing steam.
Customized lotions and soap	Synthetic fragrances are a source of allergies, but you can easily customize your own soaps and lotions by adding a few drops of your favorite essential oil to an unscented brand.
Combat pimples	Tea tree oil, which has potent antibacterial activity, can help dry out pimples.
Facial toner	Make your own facial toner by adding a couple of drops of your favorite essential oil to distilled water in a misting bottle.
Insect repellents	Cotton balls soaked in peppermint oil is said to deter insects and rodents. The following essential oils also make excellent bug repellents in lieu of DEET and other chemical repellents: Cinnamon leaf oil (one study found it was more effective at killing mosquitoes than DEET19) Clear liquid vanilla extract20 mixed with olive oil Wash with citronella soap, and then put some 100 percent pure citronella essential oil mixed with a carrier oil on your skin. Java Citronella is considered the highest quality citronella on the market Catnip oil (according to one study, this oil is 10 times more effective than DEET)21 Lemon eucalyptus was found very effective in a 2014 Australian study;22 a mixture of 32 percent lemon eucalyptus oil provided more than 95 percent protection for three hours, compared to a 40 percent DEET repellent that gave 100 percent protection for seven hours