Q: Can I use essential oils to boost the body's natural antioxidant defenses?
A: Yes,
essential oils have powerful benefits. While some oils might have more of a rep for germ killing than
others, nearly all essential oils have an ability to protect against environmental and seasonal threats.
The most well-known
oils for this include lemon oil, clove oil, rosemary oil, cinnamon
bark oil, and eucalyptus oil. However, thyme oil and oregano oil are also cited
as being fantastic but definitely are two that require some dilution and have a rather pungent aroma.
You can make
up your own essential oil blends, for both personal use and for cleaning up
around the house.
Q: What is the protective oil blend and
where can I get it?
A: The blend comes from a
story that was passed down from the time of the plague. As the legend goes, the
thieves who broke into the homes of the people who were dying of the plague did
not contract the deadly illness because they had mixed up a secret potion that protected
them. This magic potion is known today as the famous "protection blend"
of essential oils.
If you mix up a batch and spray it around your home, or add
to an essential oils diffuser, you can cleanse the air, take advantage of the positive effects on the immune system and can help protect against adverse environmental and seasonal issues. All of this while while leaving behind a wonderful, fresh and clean scent.
You can either buy a protective blend or you can also blend up a
homemade version, tweaking it a bit by adding other
ingredients to get the perfect signature aroma.
Q: I can't afford organic essential
oils. Are "regular" (non organic essential oils) harmful?
A: In all
cases, chemical free is best. So look for a company that does third party batch testing and has transparent batch result available. However, you don't have to buy organic oils to
get the powerful effects of using essential oils on your person and around your
home. Eden's Garden brand oils are available on Amazon, and work just as well as a
cleaner, freshener, and for keeping the junk out of your home.
Please note
that unless your essential oil specifically lists on the label that it's okay
to ingest, do not add essential oils to your food or drink or consume in any
other way.
Q: I want to make my own essential
oils at home using garden herbs. How do I do that?
A: Yes, You
can make essential oils to bottle at home. All you need is either fresh or
dried herbs, olive oil, water and a little pot. Here's a recipe for homemade
thyme oil:
1/2 cup fresh
thyme
1 cup olive
oil
Combine the
thyme and oil in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for
about five minutes, until the mixture bubbles. Let cool. Pour into small, dark
colored glass bottles
Q: What are some good shortcuts for mixing
my own essential oil blends on the cheap?
A: There are
a number of money-saving tricks to creating essential oil mixes at home:
Buy your
carrier oil in bulk. If you know that you plan to make a lot of essential oil
blends at home, then stock up on carrier oil such as coconut, olive or jojoba
oil. A few drops of essential oil goes a long way, but a carrier oil, because
it acts as a product base, depletes much faster.
Save dark
glass bottles. Save the bottles that your purchased essential oils arrive in.
The little plastic stoppers are easily removable, so you can clean out and
refill the dark colored glass bottles.
Save plastic
spray pump bottles. If you buy essential oil based colognes, then each time you
finish a spray bottle's worth, you have a handy reusable cologne dispenser to
fill up with your own, homemade cologne blend.
Save aluminum
oil bottles. You can also save the aluminum bottles that hold body and massage
oils, to be used again and again when you mix up your own essential oil blends.
Stash extra
supplies. Keep labels and a permanent marker on hand. Each time you mix up a
new blend, you can label the bottle so that later on you'll know what's in it.
For example, try blending a combo of citronella oil, clove oil, and peppermint
oil to help ward off bugs in the summer time.
Q: Can I put essential oils directly
on my body?
A. Yes -
essential oils offer a natural immune boost, as well as heal and balance the
body. You can apply them to the skin in a variety of ways. However some people are more sensitive than others so always do a skin test for an adult. For children and those with immune system issues use dilution and application to the feet seems to be the best spot on the body. A great topical blend is a
mixture of geranium, lavender and a carrier oil such as olive, coconut or
jojoba oil. This will make a nice all-over-body oil to use after bathing or shower.
Geranium balances, lavender imparts calm. You can even add a bit of a more
fragrant oil such as rose, to promote deep, regular breathing. This same type
of oil mix doubles as a massage oil.
Q: I've heard that some people drink
water infused with lemon oil, for its health benefits. Is this true?
A: Yes, some
people do ingest lemon and other essential oils, but you should be very careful
about which oils you take into your body as some may be toxic when ingested. Do
not consume essential oils unless the oil that you buy has been specifically
advertised as safe for internal use. When in doubt, do not ingest essential
oils.
Q: What's a great, essential-oil based
recipe for a cleaning spray?
A: Here's a
recipe for an invigorating cleaning spray that you can use to wipe down
surfaces, as well as spritz into the air to get rid of cooking, pet and other
unpleasant odors.
20 drops
lemon oil
20 drops
peppermint oil
10 drops tea
tree oil
1/4 cup witch
hazel
3 cups water
(or enough to fill an 18-oz spray bottle 3/4 of the way)
Q: Which essential oils help with
relaxation to help get to sleep?
A: The most
well-known essential oil for imparting a sense of calm is lavender. However,
its effects are best utilized when blended with other oils, such as geranium for
balancing the body systems, and clary sage which is known for its calming properties and benefits to the skin.
Q: Should I add peppermint oil to my
bath water for a sunburn?
A: Peppermint
oil is extremely cooling. If you want a real sense of this, add just a few drops
to your bath water and you'll feel cooled like you've never been before. In
fact, you may actually find peppermint quite uncomfortable in the bath, no
matter, how hot they day has been or how sunburned you are. While peppermint
seems perfect for invigorating the mouth in the form of a toothpaste
ingredient, mouth rinse, or as a chewing gum flavor, it does not lend itself
well to an all-over body soak in the tub.Do not put a young child in a bath with peppermint oil. This can cause a serious internal temperature shock.
Q: Can essential oils harm or burn my
skin?
A: Skin
sensitivity varies from person to person, and from body part to body part as
well. You may end up with a literal burn of the skin if, for example, you apply
lemon oil to a sensitive area. If you're not sure, test a small spot on the
inside of your wrist, to see if you react to a certain type of oil.
Q: What is a carrier oil?
A: A carrier
oil acts as a base for your essential oil mixes. Without it, many essential
oils will evaporate rather quickly. Carrier oils also dilute the potency of the
oils so that you can safely apply them to your skin. To test this in action,
dab a bit of an essential oil mix on your pulse points and see how long it
lasts. Next, first mix your essential oil blend with a carrier oil and test the
oil for its "cling" again. Carrier oils can work as a base for massage
oils, body oils, and bath oils.
Q: Should I put essential oil on the
bottoms of my feet, and if so, why?
The skin on
the feet is said to readily absorb substances which it comes into contact. Many
people who use essential oil mixes to ward off colds, flu and other germs swear
by the "rub on the feet before going to bed" routine. You can also
apply essential oils, mixed with a carrier oil, to the neck, chest, belly,
inner arms, hands, and face. Some oils such as cinnamon and lemon, may cause a
burning sensation or leave an actual burn, if they make contact with a
sensitive area. Avoid using these oils on places like the face, underarms, and
other sensitive spots.
Q: What can I use essential oils for?
A: Essential
oils are quite versatile. Once you become familiar with how to mix up essential
oil blends, you'll find that they're well suited to a variety of purposes. For
example:
¨
Wipe
down and disinfect the surfaces of your home with essential oils
¨
Mix
up a non-toxic essential oils blend to wash the floor
¨
Create
your own perfume and cologne blends using essential oils
¨
Disinfect
your kitchen trash can by spraying with an essential oil based cleaning
solution
¨
Apply
a mix of peppermint oil, citronella oil, and clove oil to your dog or cat's
neck and back to repel fleas and ticks. Repeal fleas on contact using an essential oil spray
¨
Add
your favorite essential oils blend to a diffuser, and freshen/disinfect the air
in your home or office
¨
Create
your own essential oils blend to use as an all-over body oil
¨
Add
a few drops of your favorite essential oil to your bath water
¨
Purchase
an electric essential oils warmer and plug into aromatherapy
¨
Rub
essential oils mixed with a carrier oil to your pulse points for a mood inducer
¨
Boost your immunity by massaging essential oils into your feet, neck, chest
and ears
¨
Support the body's immune functions by placing a cotton ball soaked in lavender and lemon
oil at the opening of your ear.
¨
Rub
clove oil onto your gums to ease the pain of a toothache (then call your
dentist)
Q: Which essential oils invigorate and
stimulate?
A: Peppermint
oil, thyme oil, rosemary oil, pine oil, lemon oil, grapefruit oil, lime oil,
orange oil, clary sage oil
Q: Which essential oils promote
relaxation and restful sleep?
A: Lavender
oil, rose oil, geranium oil, chamomile oil, vetiver oil, ylang ylang oil,
sandalwood oil, roman chamomile oil