The power of aromatherapy: How you can use essential oils to achieve holistic wellbeing
Are you looking for all-natural ways to improve your overall wellbeing?
Then holistic health is the answer, and essential oils are part of the solution!
Holistic health is a wellness approach that addresses more than just your physical self. It’s a multi-dimensional approach that also benefits your mental, emotional, social and spiritual needs…just like essential oils do.
Read on to find out how you can use essential oils and the power of aromatherapy to live a happier, healthier, more fulfilling life.
Content/Quick links
- How does aromatherapy work?
- The best essential oils for holistic wellbeing
- Energising Eucalyptus
- Good for you geranium
- Liven up with lemongrass
- Perk up with peppermint
- Root yourself with Roman chamomile
- Make holistic health a way of life
How does aromatherapy work?
Aromatherapy works through skin absorption, inhalation and your sense of smell.
To inhale it, you can just take the lid off of a bottle of essential oil and smell it if you want to, but there are other ways of inhaling the scent that are more enjoyable. Examples of this are aromatherapy diffusers and aromatic spritzers, both of which can add a certain visual appeal to a room as well as a functional one.
If you’re leaning more towards the skin absorption method, then adding essential oils to your bath or body lotion, massage oil, or using them as part of hot or cold compresses are your best bets.
Just remember to purchase a good carrier oil so that you can dilute essential oils properly to make them safe to use on your skin. These all-natural oils have powerful properties, and you need to dilute them if you’re coming into direct contact. You won’t lose any of the benefits, and you may save yourself from a rash or irritation. In fact, you’ll keep them from evaporating too quickly, thereby prolonging their benefits and saving you money in the long run!
There are almost 100 different types of essential oils available, so don’t fret if you can’t get a hold of one or if it causes an unpleasant reaction. These kinds of responses are very rare and there’s plenty more to choose from if one doesn’t agree with you.
The best essential oils for holistic wellbeing
Now that you know how aromatherapy works and how you can use essential oils, let’s take a closer look at the best oils for holistic wellbeing and the science-backed benefits they offer.
Energising Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus essential oil gets its name from the plant it was created from. The eucalyptus tree is native to Australia but is now cultivated worldwide, partly due to its sterling reputation as an antiseptic, flavouring, fragrance, insect repellent and pharmaceutical agent. It’s commonly used in steam rooms and is known as a cough and cold remedy.
Emotional benefits
Did you know that eucalyptus oil is also known as “the oil of wellness”? It’s said to address many of the negative emotions attached to illness, including neediness and feeling clingy, defeated and powerless to heal.
Mental benefits
Eucalyptus oil can energise you and refresh you mentally while calming and soothing your mind at the same time. It’s popularly used to stabilise mild mood disorders and reduce stress.
Physical benefits
Eucalyptus is a natural antiseptic with anti-inflammatory properties, so it’s often used to clean small cuts, burns and other minor wounds. You may find that it also reduces pain and speeds up the healing process. Its antimicrobial effects and its cineole content make it effective for respiratory conditions such as asthma and bronchitis, among others.
What the science says about eucalyptus
Scientific research tells us that not only is eucalyptus antimicrobial, but it also has analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immune-stimulatory and spasmolytic effects.
How to use eucalyptus essential oil
- Use eucalyptus essential oil to create an antiseptic wound wash by mixing two cups of water with 10 drops of the oil. Put your mix into a spray bottle and spritz some onto a clean cloth before gently wiping the affected areas down.
- Add some to your diffuser or bath to help you breathe better.
- Dilute eucalyptus essential oil in some carrier oil and apply it to your skin to promote skin health and to help relieve inflammatory pain.
Good for you geranium
Derived by steam distillation of the leaves of South African plant species Pelargonium graveolens, folklore tells us that geranium essential oil has long been used to treat a variety of health conditions.
Emotional benefits
Using geranium oil in your aromatherapy diffuser may help you balance out mood swings as well as reduce the levels of anxiety you’re feeling. Many people swear by it to help manage depression as well as PMS.
Mental benefits
In the short term, geranium oil may be able to improve your overall mental function and lift your spirits. In the long term, it might be helpful in both the treatment and prevention of age-related neurodegeneration.
Physical benefits
Geranium oil has been valuable medically for centuries now and it is a very effective tool for treating bacterial infections and issues wherein inflammation needs to be dealt with.
What the science says about geranium
As a natural antioxidant with anti-inflammatory agents, geranium oil is wonderful for a wide range of skin issues. Not only will it actively boost your skin health and increase your natural glow, but it will also keep your skin conditioned and soothe irritated areas prone to acne.
How to use geranium essential oil
- Firm up your skin by adding 2 drops of geranium essential oil to whatever face cream you use. Apply it at least twice a day and you should be able to see the difference in just a few weeks.
- Add a few drops to your diffuser to boost your mood and reduce stress.
- Get both its skin health and stress reduction benefits when you add it to your body lotion or massage oil and pamper yourself with an aromatherapy massage.
Liven up with lemongrass
Extracted from the leaves and stalks of the grassy, tropical plant popular with cooks and practitioners of herbal medicine, lemongrass essential oil has a potent citrus scent. It’s frequently found in personal care products like soaps and shampoos.
Emotional benefits
A popular aromatherapy option for relieving stress, you may find that lemongrass oil also helps you lower your anxiety levels and mitigate certain symptoms of depression. You may find it easier to relax when exposed to the bright scent of this citrus plant as well.
Mental benefits
Lemongrass oil may have the potential to eliminate mental fatigue and help you feel refreshed. A cleansing, energising, stimulating and uplifting oil, it’s a great tool for when times get tough and you need to bring your best to a situation.
Physical benefits
This pale yellow oil has traditionally been used to treat general pain as well as stomach problems and fevers. It is a potent anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antioxidant agent.
What the science says about lemongrass
A brilliant method to heal wounds and prevent them from getting infected, scientific research has shown that lemongrass oil is effective against a wide variety of bacteria traditionally resistant to pharmacological treatments.
How to use lemongrass essential oil
- Put lemongrass oil to work in your new aromatherapy for a holistic wellbeing routine by adding up to 12 drops to a carrier oil and then adding this mix to a warm bath or enjoying a massage with it.
- Add it to your diffuser whenever you need to boost your spirits.
- Add it to a spray bottle and use it to clean and disinfect your home while leaving it smelling fresh and bright.
Perk up with peppermint
Peppermint essential oil gets distilled from the flowering tops and leaves of the plant. There are 20+ different species of mint and hundreds of varieties that are native to Africa, Asia, Australia and North America.
Emotional benefits
Peppermint has a range of emotional benefits but it is most commonly used to lessen anxious feelings as well as sad ones. It is excellent for soothing away tension and may make you feel less restless.
Mental benefits
Fabulous peppermint oil will wake you up when you need to be alert and you can use it to energise after a big night out, for example, or when you haven’t had much sleep and need to get things done.
Physical benefits
Peppermint essential oil should absolutely be in your toolbox if you regularly suffer from headaches, tension around the head and neck or pain in other areas. It’s also incredible in promoting clear airways.
What the science says about lemongrass
Do you suffer from frequent, severe headaches? Then peppermint oil may be able to help you. Studies have shown that the nasal application of this oil can reduce how often your head hurts and how much it pains you.
How to use lemongrass essential oil
- Dilute the oil in boiling water, cover your head in a towel and breathe in the fragrant steam if you’re suffering from a head cold or congestion. You can also apply a diluted mixture to your chest, back and neck areas.
- For headaches, apply a diluted mix of peppermint oil to your temples.
- For pain relief, apply peppermint oil diluted with a carrier oil to your joints or areas suffering from pain or inflammation for a quick cooling effect.
Root yourself with Roman chamomile
Extracted from the beautiful white stalks and flowers of Anthemis nobilis, Roman chamomile essential oil has a fruity, herbaceous, sweet fragrance. Seats made entirely from the plant were a feature of Elizabethan gardens in England, and the plant was also commonly used as a lawn.
Emotional benefits
Add chamomile to your aromatherapy diffuser to create an atmosphere of ease and safety. It will stabilise you and help you to decompress. It may also have an anchoring, soothing effect on people struggling with extreme stress.
Mental benefits
Chamomile has long been used to promote relaxation and sleep. And we all know how much better we function when we’ve had a good sleep!
Physical benefits
Chamomile steadies the sympathetic nervous system and is additionally superb for our skin because it’s made up of over 50% esters, part of the chemical family that cools and soothes. This makes Roman chamomile ideal for treating acne, allergic conditions, eczema, herpes and psoriasis. Believe it or not, chamomile also has pain relief effects when applied topically or inhaled!
What the science says about Roman chamomile
Chamomile is an excellent digestive relaxant and can additionally be used to treat fevers, croup, and colic in children.
How to use Roman chamomile essential oil
- Treat diarrhoea, flatulence, indigestion, nausea and vomiting by rubbing your abdomen with Roman chamomile oil diluted in a carrier oil.
- Diffuse it before bed or by your bedside at night to help you relax and get a good night’s sleep.
Make holistic health a way of life
We’re waking up to the importance of holistic wellbeing nowadays, and we’re steering away from simply trying to treat the symptoms of whatever ails us.
Aromatherapy is an excellent natural way to ensure that all aspects of your life are functioning at their optimum and that you’re handling the cause of your discomfort while making its symptoms or manifestations less uncomfortable.
Using nature’s essential oils helps put us in touch with nature, grounding us and helping us to live in harmony with the world around us.
If you're ready to embrace the principles of holistic wellbeing, Volant has the diffusers, essential oils, carrier oils and blends that you need to start you on your journey. Our oils are 100% organic, pure and natural, so you’ll enjoy the maximum benefits from every drop!
