There are endless ways to use essential oils to improve your health and wellbeing. We can apply them to our skin, diffuse their aromas in our homes and workspaces, and even benefit greatly just by smelling their aromas.
But before we dive into all of the amazing ways we can use them, let’s make sure we remember a few safety tips, so we can truly experience their transforming powers, without causing any adverse reactions or responses.
Best safety tips when using essential oils
- Avoid applying essential oils directly to your skin.
- Always blend down essential oils into a carrier oil, or an unscented cosmetic base, like a lotion, cream, gel, scrub, etc.
- Less is more. Remember the fewer drops you use, the less chance you will have a reaction – and just because you are using less, does not mean it is less powerful. Essential Oils are potent and highly concentrated, so be respectful!
- Never ingest
- If diffusing, always make sure where you are is well ventilated, and that your diffuser is on a timer of some sort, so it flips on and off in intervals. Continuous diffusing without a break or fresh air can eventually cause unwanted reactions.
- Do not use essential oils with children under 1 year of age, and be extra careful and use very few drops with weakened elders, or those with severely compromised immune systems.
- Never apply essential oils directly to open wounds.
- Keep away from flames and heat sources.
10 amazing Essential Oil uses that are super easy and simple!
Add Essential oils to Gels
Unscented gels are a great way to deliver the healing and soothing properties of essential oils, especially if you don’t like the feeling of oil on your skin. Gels are mostly made of water and a thickening agent like gum. Think xanthan, carrageenan, or guar-gums that we often see in many of our foods to thicken the texture and make things feel smoother, like yogurts, soy, and almond milk, and even puddings and jams and sauces.
In skincare, many gels are made with Aloe Vera, because Aloe is known to cool and soothe skin irritation. So it makes great sense to add a few drops of gentle, skin-soothing essential oils to a gel to help lessen the feeling and appearance of swelling, itching, and puffiness, and offer an experience of overall calming to irritated skin.
You can also use a gel to:
- Ease away muscle ache, pains, and cramping
- Soothe acne-prone skin when in the midst of a flare-up.
- Calm itching, and all sorts of skin irritations.
We recommend adding 6 drops of essential oil to 1 TBSP of pre-made unscented gel.
Add Essential oils to creams and lotions
Unscented creams and lotions are other great options to deliver the healing properties of essential oils to both our bodies and our minds. Creams are made up of vegetable oils, waxes, butter, water, and special ingredients called emulsifiers that help combine the oil and the water components together. Since creams and lotions have both water and oil as part of their ingredients, they can be very effective in carrying the essential oils into the deeper layers of our skin and affecting actual changes in our physiology.
You can use a cream or lotion to:
- Soften and soothe dry and irritated skin
- Improve the appearance and feel of your skin
- Massage into achy areas on the body
We recommend adding 6 drops of essential oil to 1 TBSP of pre-made unscented cream or lotion.
Add essential oils to cleansers and scrubs
Unscented cleansers and scrubs are also great bases to mix our essential oils into. Specifically, we would want to work with a liquid cleanser, like an unscented Castile soap, or a simple salt or sugar scrub mixed with vegetable oil.
Using cleansers and scrubs with essential oils can improve their cleansing and detoxifying actions, and leave the skin feeling more rejuvenated and refreshed.
You can use a liquid soap or body scrub to:
- Help encourage the skin natural regeneration process
- Encourage vibrancy and energy, so the skin appears more youthful and bright.
- Cleanse and clear away dirt and grime
We recommend adding 6 drops of essential oil to 1 TBSP of pre-made unscented cream or lotion.
Other ways to use essential oils include:
- Add essential oils to diffusers, personal inhalers, or roll-ons to uplift your mood, and keep more positive. We recommend using between 10-20 drops of essential oils for these delivery systems.
- Add essential oils to butter, balms, and salves to nourish, soften and protect the skin. We recommend using 6-8 drops of essential oil per 1 TBSP of unscented butter, balm, or salve.
- Add essential oils to baths to promote a peaceful, calming stress-free feeling in the body and mind. We recommend using 6-8 drops of essential oil per 1 TBSP of carrier oil and then adding to the bathwater.
- Add essential oils to hair and scalp to support healthy hair and scalp, and improve the hair’s appearance. We recommend using 6-8 drops of essential oil per 1 TBSP of unscented oil and then massaging it into the scalp and locks.
- Add essential oils to the face, body, and massage oils to support our skin’s own innate ability to heal itself, while encouraging the molecules of essential oils to travel into the deeper layers of our skin to affect a more “whole body” experience. We recommend using 6-8 drops of essential oil per 1 TBSP of unscented carrier oil.
- Add1 to 2 drops of essential oils to your mouthwash to freshen your breath and support healthy oral care.
- Add essential oils to home cleaning products to help keep your home smelling fresh, clean, and protected against germs. We recommend using 20 drops of essential oil per 1 bucket of water, or a 32 oz spray bottle.
Hope this inspired you to start using essential oils every day! You can see how easy and simple it is to do. Let us know which is your favorite way to use them?
