Essential Oils : Benefits & Uses

Essential Oils have been there in every culture in different forms for different purposes from many many decades. They were and still are being used for medicinal, therapeutic, skin & hair care. I am trying to give an overview of some commonly used essential oils.

Essential Oils

Essentials oils are extracted from different parts of plants like flower, stem, branches, leaves , peels, resin & bark. Since the essential oils come (extracted/distilled) from plants they contain anti ageing, anti inflammatory and anti microbial properties. Essential Oils are more powerful from the botanical extracts they are extracted form because they are more concentrated. They have amazing healing effect. They are highly concentrated oils hence very limited amount gives desired result without much side effects.

Get benefited by the power of essential oils via dietary supplements, aromatic massages and topical application. Aromatic diffusion of essential oils changes the environment. It changes the mood and energy.

Carrier Oils

While talking about essential oils, carrier oils cannot be left behind. Essential Oils are highly concentrated, hence few drops of oil are enough for desired results. Your skin/hair can not always bear the efficacy of every kind of essential oil. Carrier oils could be any oil like coconut oil, almond oil, olive oil, castor oil, avocado oil etc depending on the nature of usage. Put few drops of essential oil into a suitable carrier oil and apply.

Some of the essential oils could be highly concentrated and may burn your skin. Never put any essential oil directly on your skin before knowing all about it. Carrier Oils are required to dilute these essential oils.

Essential Oils Used For Skin & Hair Care

Lavender Oil

One of my favourite essential oil. It smells amazing. It calms down my senses, helps me sleep better. It has therapeutic effects. It is also used in hair and skin care for its anti bacterial properties.

Tea Tree Oil

It has anti inflammatory & anti bacterial properties. It is widely used in hair and skin care to treat infections. It works like a charm for acne prone skin. Brands introduce specific lines dedicated to tea tree oil like The Body Shop Tea Tree Line.

Rosemary Oil

It is another great smelling essential oil. It is used in aromatherapy, topically to sooth muscles, and medicinal for its antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. It is also used in perfumes / fragrances.

Rosehip Oil

It has medicinal usage. It works on hyper pigmentation, scars & burns. It speeds up the healing process. It has astringent properties. It is helpful in treating dandruff.

Lemon Oil

It has beauty plus health benefits. It could be used for healing as well as cleaning purposes.

Neem Tree Oil

It has high anti fungal and anti inflammatory properties. It is used to treat infections, dandruff and acne. It is also known to help in hair regrowth.

Peppermint & Lemon Grass Oil

These are mostly used in aroma massages because they have amazing therapeutic properties. These essential oils soothe muscles pain and relive stress, cheering up your mood.

Nutmeg Oil & Clove Oil

These are used to heal acne/infections. Nutmeg helps in taking down pigmentation, while clove oil heals pimples faster.

How To Use Essential Oils

Essential Oils are supposed to be used diluted, because they are highly concentrated. Choose a suitable carrier oil first. For example if you need to massage your hair you can choose Olive Oil as a carrier oil and then put some drops of tea tree, lavender oil & neem oil to increase it’s potency. Similarly, to treat skin infections you can take a light carrier oil like coconut oil and put few drops of tea tree into it and apply on face.

Some essential oils can burn your skin if put on skin undiluted. Be cautious.

Where To Find Essential Oil

I have used different essential oils from Aroma Magic, Khadi, Soultree & Young Living. Aroma Magic I prefer the most, since it’s affordable too. These essential oils can be obtained online as well as offline.

Essential Oils can make a big difference in your life emotionally and physically. The essential oils are not oils but essence of plants, they contain the soul of a plant. A small bottle essential oil demand thousand of plants, which explains why they are so expensive. But expensive does not mean better, it’s just a matter of time that you find an affordable yet pure essential oil.