Treat What Ails You With This Essential Oils Guide

Our sense of smell has the power to evoke nearly forgotten memories, stave off fatigue — and even warn us of danger.

How can a scent have so much power over our bodies? The science is complex, but here’s a simplified version. The area of the brain affected when you experience a scent is intertwined with the parts responsible for emotion, memory, and fear. This link is why a particular smell can trigger an intense reaction.

In fact, our reaction to scent is so strong that you can even use it to treat common ailments. This practice is called aromatherapy.

By harnessing the amazing powers of scent, essential oils can boost your mood, relieve stress, and clear your sinuses. The healing properties of essential oils can even go further: some plant essences, like tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil, and peppermint oil, kill germs the natural way.

This essential oils guide will teach you how to use plant essences and take advantage of their health benefits. Of course, this essential oils guide isn’t meant to be used as medical advice. If you’re feeling ill, see a doctor before using essential oils.

Essential oils on their own won’t cure any illness, but they’re a great supplement to a treatment your doctor prescribes.

How To Use Essential Oils

Creating a home apothecary with essential oils is easy. All you’ll need is a few scents, a carrier oil, and a diffuser.

The first way to reap the benefits of essential oils is to mix 6-12 drops with one ounce of carrier oil and massage it onto your skin. Why mix it? Essential oils are the highly concentrated essence of a plant, meaning they’ll likely irritate your skin.

Carrier oils have a neutral scent and dilute the plant oil so you can enjoy all the health benefits, minus the irritation. Here are some of the most common carrier oils:

• Jojoba oil
• Sweet almond oil
• Shea butter
• Coconut oil
• Grapeseed oil
• Argan oil

Remember that essential oils are the essence of a plant. If you’re allergic to the plant, you’re allergic to its oil. If you’re not sure, test a small amount of the oil (combined with a carrier oil) on your skin.

You can also inhale essential oils. Fire up your diffuser, add some water, and include your favorite scents. Inhaling the vapor is a safe, healthy way to ingest the oils and take full advantage of their medicinal benefits.

Some blogs and websites also encourage adding essential oils to water or food. We don't recommend it. The high concentration means small doses can be harmful or even fatal, especially with children and the elderly.

Related: Infographic: Keep Pests At Bay The Natural Way With Essential Oil Bug Spray

Essential Oils For Weight Loss

Incorporate essential oils into your fitness routine to energize your workout and curb cravings. Look for strong essential oils that have a zing, like citrus or peppermint. Massage them into your skin before you hit the gym to give your workout an extra jolt. You can also diffuse them when sugar cravings start.

Here are our favorite essential oils for weight loss:

• Grapefruit
• Lemon
• Peppermint
• Cinnamon
• Bergamot
• Juniper
• Sage

Essential Oils For Muscle Pain

When your muscles are feeling achy, massage them with essential oils for an extra bit of relief. You can also add your favorite oils to your next bath for a therapeutic soak.

Look for oils that have warming, anti-inflammatory, and calming properties to draw blood to the area to heal your aches. These oils have circulation-boosting properties that make them a great choice to relieve muscle pain:

• Eucalyptus
• Wintergreen
• Black pepper
• Juniper
• Ginger

Essential Oils For Allergies

Clear your sinuses and soothe irritated passageways by inhaling essential oils from your diffuser. Look for oils with antibacterial and decongestant properties to fight congestion and calm your body’s natural reaction to allergies.

Here’s what we reach for when we need essential oils for allergies:

• Lavender
• Tea tree oil
• Peppermint
• Basil
• Eucalyptus
• Lemon
• Black pepper

Essential Oils For Acne

Essential oils with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties are key to banishing pesky pimples. Mix a few drops with a non-comedogenic carrier like jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, or argan oil.

Apply the oil after you wash your face for a moisturizer with added acne-fighting powers.

Here are our top picks for clear skin:

• Basil
• Tea tree oil
• Lavender
• Juniper
• Chamomile
• Lemon

Essential Oils For Earache

When looking to relieve pain from an earache, reach for the essential oils that boost circulation and promote healing. Add a few to your favorite carrier oil and rub it around your ears so your skin can absorb the medicinal properties of the plant.

Here are a few essential oils for earaches:

• Basil
• Tea tree
• Lemon 
• Lavender
• Chamomile

Related: Protego Herbiosis! A Guide To Herbalism And Medicinal Herbs

Essential Oils For Headaches

Look for essential oils with a strong, menthol-like scent to clear your head and soothing smells to help you relax.

Add a few drops to your diffuser to bring fast relief, or apply the oil to your temples as soon as you feel a headache coming on to stop it in its tracks. Here are our favorite essential oils for headaches:

• Peppermint
• Eucalyptus
• Lavender
• Chamomile

Essential Oils For High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is often a side effect of stress and anger. To bring your blood pressure down, reach for a scent to inspire some positive vibes.

As you breathe in the soothing vapor from your diffuser, your mood will lift as your blood pressure falls. Here’s what to grab from your kit:

• Juniper Berry
• Lavender
• Lemon
• Clove

Essential Oils For Anxiety

When you’re feeling anxious, telling yourself to “just relax” usually has the opposite effect. Create a spa-like atmosphere with essential oils in your diffuser, or blend with a carrier oil for a calming scent you can dab on your skin to stop those intrusive thoughts from seeping in.

Look for scents that have a relaxing, yet uplifting scent, like many florals and citruses. If there’s one special scent that calms you, reach for that first. Here are some of our suggestions to calm anxieties:

• Lavender
• Vetiver
• Cedarwood
• Basil
• Bergamot
• Grapefruit
• Lime

Essential Oils For Sleep

If the stress of everyday life is keeping you from falling asleep at night, reach for your diffuser. Let the soothing scents surround you as you let go of your worries and drift into dreamland.

You can also mix a few drops with distilled water and mist it on your bed to inspire melatonin production. Here are our favorite essential oils to inspire good dreams:

• Lavender
• Bergamot
• Chamomile
• Rose
• Sandalwood
• Marjoram
• Valerian

Essential Oils For Colds

Chase away congestion and kill the virus by reaching for essential oils that have strong, menthol-like, and antibacterial properties. You can add them to your diffuser to bring relief at home, or apply the oils to your skin to keep your sinuses clear.

Breathe in the vapor from your diffuser and breathe easy. Try these essential oils for colds:

• Peppermint
• Eucalyptus
• Cedarwood
• Basil
• Tea tree oil
• Clove

Essential Oils For Sore Throat

When it hurts to swallow, try breathing in the warm vapor from your diffuser. A mix of oils that kill germs and soothe irritation, like lemon and lavender, will stop the pain and promote healing. If your sore throat is part of a larger illness, add some essence to a relaxing and refreshing bath.

Here are the essential oils we reach for when that sore throat hits:

• Lavender
• Eucalyptus
• Lemon
• Pine
• Thyme
• Tea Tree

Essential Oils For ADHD

When your mind is racing, aromatherapy can help you find focus and relaxation. Choose essential oils to stimulate your mind and inspire clarity. Try them in a diffuser at home, or apply them to your skin for a boost at work or school.

Here are our choices for essential oils to help ADHD symptoms:

• Bergamot
• Lavender
• Juniper berry
• Peppermint
• Vetiver

Essential Oils For Depression

Aromatherapy can change your mood by flooding your mind with pleasant memories attached to a particular scent.

Recreate that feeling by choosing a scent reminiscent of something you enjoy. Perhaps that’s lavender, because it makes you think of a spa. Or maybe it’s vanilla, because it reminds you of cookies baking in the oven.

When you’re feeling blue, reach for scents that are bright, zingy, and relaxing to perk up your mood. These are our favorite essential oils for depression:

• Jasmine
• Basil
• Bergamot
• Grapefruit
• Juniper berry
• Lavender
• Lime

What are your favorite essential oils when you’re feeling under the weather? Let us know in the comments, and learn about more natural remedies for your health.