Are you curious about essential oils? If so, this is a great place to be! As an avid user of essential oils, I have been amazed by how practicing aromatherapy with oils has been able to calm and balance me at times when nothing else seemed to work. I love to diffuse essential oils and experiment with blending different oil tinctures. I will give you a little background on the history of essential oils along with a few tips about using essential oils for beginners and some recipes too!
History of Essential Oils
Although essential oils have been used for thousands of years, the first recorded use of oils goes as far back as the 11th century, where aromatic and medicinal oils and ointments were sold and traded across India, Persia, and Egypt and then later migrated into Greece and Rome.
Essential oils, typically named for the plant they are derived from, are extracted from the flowers, leaves, woods, and roots of fragrant and healing plants like mint and lavender. Oils can be harvested by several different methods, but the most common method of obtaining essential oils uses a distillation process to sort-of “milk” the pure oils from the glands of the plants.
Uses for Essential Oils
Essential oils are used in 3 ways:
- As fragrance in cosmetics, perfumes, soaps, cleaners and detergents, and other industrial products
- As flavoring in baked items, candy, meat, soft drinks, and other food and drink items
- As pharmaceuticals for aromatherapy, also in some dental products and medicines
Oils for Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is the practice of using our sense of smell, in this case with essential oils, to promote physical and emotional health and wellness. Dispersing oils into the air with a diffuser for inhalation, mixing a tincture for topical application in a massage oil or roller bottle, or adding several drops of essential oils to your bath water are all wonderful ways to implement aromatherapy with oils.
Essential oils are great for aromatherapy because the different fragrances stimulate the olfactory nerve in your brain. Have you ever gotten a whiff of a familiar fragrance and all of the sudden a memory or feeling you had forgotten about comes flooding back? This is because the olfactory nerve is part of the limbic system which controls memory, learning, and emotion.
Diffuser Blends
Here are a few of my favorite blends for diffusing oils at home. Just add water to your diffuser’s fill line then add pure essential oils!
| For Deep and Restful Sleep | For an Energy Boost | For Relaxation |
|---|---|---|
| 4 drops Lavender 4 drops Cedarwood 2 drops Chamomile |
2 drops Wild Orange 2 drops Grapefruit 2 drops Lemon 3 drops Peppermint |
2 drops Lavender 3 drops Chamomile 3 drops Frankincense 2 drops Bergamot |
Blending Oils for Topical Application
When blending oils for topical application on the skin either in a roller bottle or in a massage lotion, you should use a carrier oil. Carrier oils are used to dilute pure essential oils and reduce allergic skin reactions, sensitization, and phototoxicity. They also do not evaporate easily so they stay on skin longer and allow for more absorption. Carrier oils are usually un- or lightly scented so as not to distract or change the scent you are blending. Rosehip, coconut, almond, and jojoba oils are common carrier oils, but there are several others you may use depending on your personal preference.
Dilution
The standard dilution rate varies for babies, children, and adults. A 1% dilution is recommended for children over the age of two, while a range of 2-3% dilution is suitable for use in children 2-10 and adults. This is because children have thinner, more porous skin. A good guideline to follow is to use one drop of essential oil for each teaspoon of carrier oil. When using essential oils on infants under 2 years old, I use a 0.10%-0.20% dilution rate. This figures to approximately 1-2 drops of essential oil per 1 oz (6 tsp.) Here is a great resource for best practices for using essential oils on babies and children from Nourishing Joy.
My Favorite Essential Oil Blend Recipes
I use almond or coconut oil as a carrier oil, but you may have another that you prefer. All recipes below are for blending approx. 4% dilution in a 10 oz roller bottle. (These blends can be used in a diffuser as well!)
| For Concentration and Focus | For Motivation | For Immune Support | For PMS and Symptoms |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 tsp carrier oil 3 drops Peppermint 2 drops Wild Orange 2 drops Frankincense 1 drop Lime |
2 tsp carrier oil 2 drops Wild Orange 3 drops Frankincense 2 drops Cinnamon 1 drop Spearmint |
2 tsp carrier oil 2 drops Lavender 2 drops Lemon 2 drops Peppermint 2 drops Eucalyptus |
2 tsp carrier oil 2 drops Lavender 2 drops Clary Sage 1 drop Ylang-ylang 1 drop Bergamot |
(See Pin-able version at the bottom of post!)
Other Oil Remedies
Essential oils can be used in a variety of ways to enrich your life, health, and well-being. For instance, did you know lavender oil is great for dabbing on bug bites to relieve itching and swelling? Or that applying a dab of peppermint oil on each temple can relieve a headache? These and other common oil remedies can be a great alternative to pharmaceutical “fixes” which sometimes come along with a list of terrifying side effects.
DO Try This at Home!
Here are a few quick tips for you beginners:
*Some oils can be used “neat” (meaning they are safe to be applied onto the skin without a carrier oil) and some cannot.
*Test on a small area of skin for allergies
*Use only PURE essential oils
*Heed blending recommendations, especially when mixing oils for use on babies and children.
I encourage you to expand your knowledge of essential oils and have fun experimenting with your own blends!
Try the Simply Earth Essential Oils Box!
I just received my Simply Earth April Box and it is FULL of great stuff! The box contained 6 essential oil recipes for mixing and diffusing, several roller and tincture bottles, and coconut and almond oils. I love that this box has everything I need to mix the 6 included recipes and even came with pre-printed labels too!
Save $50 on Simply Earth with coupon code: AMANDAC5016
($10 OFF FIRST 5 MONTHS)
SIGN UP AT: SIMPLYEARTH.COM
Still curious about essential oils? Check out these great essential oil resources and books for beginners!
DISCLAIMER: I am no expert!
Use caution when mixing oils, especially for use on children. Follow the recommended blending ratios. You may experience irritation, rash or allergies if used improperly.
Please consult a health professional if you experience any adverse side effects.
ANOTHER GUEST BLOG POST COMING NEXT WEEK! STAY TUNED FOR SUSTAINABLE ORAL CARE WITH ELLIE FROM GREENSPLAINED!
Ellie Auras is a sustainability coach and waste reduction, advocate. She writes about all topics related to the sustainable lifestyle and businesses on her blog Greensplained.com. Follow her on Instagram and Facebook to stay up to date on everything Green.
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Essential oils have changed my life!
I have never used essential oils until now. I know that some of them have great benefits, especially when it comes to relaxing.
This is really helpful. We’ve only just dabbled in essential oils.
I love essentials oils! I use them in diffusers throughout the day in order to give myself energy and cleanse the space.
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Useful and valuable information on oils. Very helpful. Thank you for sharing!
I do not have a good understanding of essential oils but I do love lavender and eucalyptus and I have a diffuser. I used these oils for stress reduction. I did not know that they are good immune boosters too. The chart you prepared is certainly a good reference.
I really love to use diffuser in my room. It’s actually one of the things I really love to have but forgot to buy before the quarantine. </3
I have been using my diffuser so much during quarantine that I broke it! Thank goodness for Amazon! New one delivered to my door in just days…now I can back to diffusing! 🙂
Well detailed information in essential oils. Didn’t know you can be innovative and experiment on it for different usage. I love using it because it’s kinda relaxing and it’s calming me down.
I have been using and enjoying essential oils for many years. This is a great article!
Thanks Marie!
actually, i watched this movie twice because i sort of laughed a lot on the ugly truth movie*
I love essential oils for the scents and for my asthma. I use a mint one to help open my airways
thank for dropping this story. I am definitely tired of struggling to find relevant and intelligent commentary on this subject. Everyone nowadays seem to go to extremes to either drive home their viewpoint or suggest that everybody else in the globe is wrong. thank for your concise and relevant insight.
Thanks Bryanna! I try to give factual and practical information and not push my own opinion onto people…if they have all of the information, then they can make their own EDUCATED choice! That’s my mission!
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Thanks Irvin! I appreciate your opinion and the share to Feedburner!
I use EOs pretty much every day, they’ve really helped with my anxiety. Thank you so much for sharing this with all of us!
Wow! There are so much more than what I already know. I haven’t tried anything blended though, might give it a go.
I have a real passion for essentials oils, knowing them and knowing how to use them means giving yourseful a powerful and delicious natural help.
I use lavender and tea tree oil regularly in my diffuser. I use them for better sleep and immunity, also I love the aroma of it.
I have so many of those essential oils. I got into it a year ago and now I am knee deep in it haha.
YES Kathy! So glad to hear that! I have gotten into using them for all kinds of things, adding a couple of drops to my wool dryer balls for laundry, adding to homemade cleaners, making different roller scents, so many great uses!
This reminds me, I really need to start diffusing lavender at night again!
I heard a lot about essential oils. I would chose the peppermint one!
My mom loves essential oil she used it most of the time because of the health benefits.
Essential oils are the best. A lot of people are getting to know about them and their benefits.
I’m fond of essential oils, in fact I keep a lot. Thank you for sharing your recipes, I always wanted to try creating my own bottle. Will be trying them soon
Wow! This is so innovative. I must try this at home. I love essential oils and this is a great help for me, Why should I use extra penny when it can be prepared so easily.
I love essential oil in lavender for room, and lemon verbena in the bathroom. They are both relaxing.
I love my oils. I have Eucalyptus and Lavender going every night! Thanks for the different recipes, I’ll have to try some of them!
Do love essential oils! Works well with seniors.
I feel like there is a proper science behind properly using essential oils. I really want to give the whole thing a go, so this post was super helpful! 🙂
Excellent information!
Peppermint oil is one of my favorites because it has so many great properties and uses! I have also used neat for toothaches as well!
Essential oils have become apart of my evening routine. I add a few drops of lavender and chamomile oil to my diffuser before bed to help me relax. I didn’t know peppermint oil could relieve headaches. I’ll have to give it a try next time I get a headache. Thanks for sharing this useful information about essential oils.
Peppermint oil is one of my favorites because it has so many great properties and uses! I have also used neat for toothaches as well!
Essential oils are part of our wellness routine in our home. We use oils for immune support, general health and as air fresheners. Glad to see they are becoming more accepted in the general population!
I also add to my natural cleaning recipes (tea tree oil or lemon/citrus) with white vinegar to disinfect and help mask that strong vinegar scent.
SO MANY great uses!
I love essential oils they are amazing