{"id":79,"date":"2018-06-26T00:23:27","date_gmt":"2018-06-26T00:23:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.essentialoilmach.com\/blog\/?p=79"},"modified":"2019-12-16T09:17:09","modified_gmt":"2019-12-16T09:17:09","slug":"the-5-most-versatile-essential-oils-and-how-to-use-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.essentialoilmach.com\/blog\/the-5-most-versatile-essential-oils-and-how-to-use-them\/","title":{"rendered":"The 5 Most Versatile Essential Oils\u2014and How to Use Them"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Much more than a wellness fad, people have used essential oils for over 5,000 years. In ancient medicine, these oils\u2014which are made from the distilled\u00a0extracts from plant flowers, leaves, bark, roots, resin and peels\u2014were used in\u00a0aromatherapy\u00a0practices to treat many ailments and invigorate the body. From China to India and from Greece to Rome, many ancient cultures were masters of essential oils.<\/p>\n

For more on essential oil distillation<\/a>, click here<\/p>\n

Then, in the late 1920s, French chemist Ren\u00e9-Maurice Gattefoss\u00e9 used lavender oil to heal a burn on his hand, thus uncovering the science supporting aromatherapy. He then studied the properties of lavender to discover new ways he might be able to help wounded soldiers during World War I.<\/p>\n

In the 1980s, essential oils became a mainstay in natural cosmetic product manufacturing, frequently appearing in candles, lotions and soaps. Today, these powerful oils are used by nutritionists, aromatherapists, and many others to naturally heal the body.<\/p>\n

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I\u2019ve long been a fan of essential oils and incorporate them into my daily wellness routine. Getting started with using these oils is simple, so there\u2019s no need to be overwhelmed by the variety of oils on the market.<\/p>\n

Here are my favorite essential oils, based on their versatility and ease of use.<\/p>\n

Peppermint<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Peppermint essential oil<\/a> is one of the most versatile essential oils in the world. Many people think of peppermint as just a breath freshener, but did you know it can relieve\u00a0headaches, improve\u00a0IBS symptoms, and increase\u00a0exercise performance?\u00a0The cooling menthol of this popular oil also helps reduce pain and inflammation, and it can even\u00a0protect\u00a0you from the sun.<\/p>\n

Peppermint oil is safe for ingestion, which increases its options for use. For aromatherapy, put five to 10 drops in a diffuser or place it below your nose in a carrier oil such as coconut oil. To add a subtle mint flavor (and tons of health benefits) to your diet, add a drop or two in a smoothie or your favorite dessert recipe. Or, to invigorate personal care products, try my DIY recipe for\u00a0homemade body scrub\u00a0or this refreshing\u00a0foot soak.<\/p>\n

Lavender<\/strong><\/h4>\n

With abundant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds, lavender oil is a popular natural remedy to improve\u00a0sleep\u00a0and decrease\u00a0emotional distress.\u00a0It can also be used along with peppermint oil to\u00a0relieve headaches\u00a0and improve the\u00a0appearance of skin.<\/p>\n

When you combine it with other oils such as clove, cinnamon and tea tree oil, lavender oil can\u00a0fight bacteria\u00a0on the skin, including\u00a0Candida albicans<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Staph<\/em>aureus, which can cause bacterial and fungal infections. Lavender oil<\/a> may also\u00a0promote the healing of wounds\u00a0by accelerating granulation tissue formation and increasing collagen synthesis.<\/p>\n

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While lavender isn\u2019t recommended for internal use, you can use it topically or for aromatherapy. I like using it in my diffuser to help me fall asleep, especially when combined with other calming oils like cedarwood or frankincense. To heal chapped lips, combine lavender oil with shea butter and apply, or try my\u00a0homemade lavender soap bar\u00a0for a total body treat.<\/p>\n

Frankincense<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Often referred to as the \u201cking of oils,\u201d frankincense or\u00a0Boswellia<\/em>\u00a0is one of the most potent and medicinally useful essential oils on the planet. It\u2019s main benefit is boosting the immune system by\u00a0stimulating\u00a0its activity and\u00a0killing germs\u00a0that cause infection.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the most touted health benefit of frankincense is its ability to\u00a0fight cancer. Additionally, a\u00a02011 clinical trial\u00a0found that frankincense was more effective than steroidal treatment, the conventional method, in reducing brain swelling after radiation of cancerous brain tumors, making it a good adjunct treatment for this dangerous complication of brain radiation.<\/p>\n

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On top of its cancer fighting powers, frankincense oil might improve memory, increase male fertility, ease digestion and help you sleep.<\/p>\n

My favorite way to use frankincense oil (other than by diffusing it) is using it in a\u00a0skin cream\u00a0along with lavender or pomegranate oil.<\/p>\n

Tea Tree<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Well known for its\u00a0skin benefits, tea tree oil<\/a> is an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial essential oil. Like lavender, it seems to be able to improve the speed of\u00a0healing\u00a0and\u00a0prevent\u00a0topical fungal infections. It also fights\u00a0antibiotic resistanceand is a popular option for naturally treating colds.<\/p>\n

Tea tree oil is not recommended for internal use, but it makes a great addition to a DIY\u00a0acne treatment, body lotion, hair serum and foot scrub. It\u2019s also great to add to laundry and homemade cleaning supplies, since it kills bacteria and fungi.<\/p>\n

Lemon<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Lemon is one of the most popular essential oils, and for good reason. Its citrusy fragrance stimulates the body and mind and improves\u00a0digestive issues\u00a0like diarrhea and\u00a0nausea.\u00a0You can also combine it with tea tree oil to reduce acne breakouts and\u00a0improve skin issues\u00a0such as blisters and cold sores.<\/p>\n

Additionally, lemon oil seems to\u00a0reduce\u00a0oxidative stress,\u00a0support\u00a0attaining a healthy weight, and help you naturally\u00a0flush\u00a0excess fluids that can lead to illness.<\/p>\n

As you might expect, lemon\u2019s naturally disinfecting properties make it a great alternative to bleach and other chemical-laden household cleaning products, but you can also try it in a\u00a0homemade astringent\u00a0to naturally balance the skin\u2019s pH.<\/p>\n

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Much more than a wellness fad, people have used essential oils for over 5,000 years. In ancient medicine, these oils\u2014which are made from the distilled\u00a0extracts from plant flowers, leaves, bark, roots, resin and peels\u2014were used in\u00a0aromatherapy\u00a0practices to treat many ailments and invigorate…Read More »<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[6,30,26,28,27,29,31],"class_list":["post-79","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-essential-oil-distillation","tag-essential-oils","tag-frankincense","tag-health","tag-lavender","tag-nutrition","tag-peppermint","tag-tea-tree-oil"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.essentialoilmach.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.essentialoilmach.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.essentialoilmach.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.essentialoilmach.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.essentialoilmach.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=79"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.essentialoilmach.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":80,"href":"https:\/\/www.essentialoilmach.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79\/revisions\/80"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.essentialoilmach.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=79"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.essentialoilmach.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=79"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.essentialoilmach.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=79"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}