Read on to find out how you can use essential oils and the power of aromatherapy to live a happier, healthier, more fulfilling 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.
