Lavender

Calming, soothing and healing. If you only use one essential oil choose Lavender. Lavender can be used without a carrier oil. Apply a few drops to the skin to help treat acne, insect bites and minor burns. It’s an effective disinfectant for cuts and scrapes too. A few drops of Lavender in your bath can sooth frayed nerves and provide relaxation from the stresses of the day and a lavender diffuser in the bedroom helps encourage sleep. Use one or two drops on the temples and pulse points to help stop headache pain and add some drops to a steam bowl and inhale to relax. In the home, add a few drops of Lavender to some dried lavender sachets and hang in wardrobes. Moths hate Lavender. You can add some drops to the rinse cycle of your washing machine to remove strong odours. Add a drop or two inside fresh toilet rolls for freshness

Tea Tree

Tea Tree is one of the most useful essential oils you can have. It can be used without a carrier oil. Apply a few drops to the skin for the treatment of acne, cold sores, nail fungus, especially the toes,warts, insect bites, athletes foot. Something useful is to add a few drops of Tea Tree to some unscented shampoo for a great treatment for dandruff or even psoriasis. Add a few more drops to help remove those horrid head lice. Find a misting bottle and add a few drops, shake well and use it to clean surfaces, toilets and handles, and using a cloth wipe round your pet’s bedding to deter fleas and mites.

Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus has a very refreshing and well known aroma. It must be used with a carrier oil. Eucalyptus oil has good disinfectant properties. You can blend it with carrier oil and a few drops each of Eucalyptus, Lavender and Frankincense for an effective chest rub for coughs and chest infections. It is sometimes used to help people with asthma and some drops on a compress can ease the pain of shingles as is thought to speed up the healing process. Like Tea Tree, use it in a spray for the bathroom or kitchen to eliminate smells and germs.

Rosemary

Rosemary oil is invigorating, refreshing and stimulating. It must be used with a carrier oil. Blend a few drops of rosemary oil and a carrier oil, like sweet almond to use for massage for aching muscles, to improve circulation and for arthritis blends. It is also like other oils, a good decongestant and good for respiritory problems. It has an excellent reputation for oily skin, for scalp and hair and recent research supports the theory that its good for hair loss issues. I find it so useful for memory retention and staying focussed. It’s a good choice oil for long distance driving and study and exams!

Sweet Orange

Known as Orange oil it is versatile, popular and wonderfully uplifting. It can be phototoxic and must be used with a carrier oil. It is intensively used in Aromatherapy, it soothes tense muscles and acts as a mood lifter. Mix together just a few drops of orange oil and almond oil to use as a massage oil but do not use on the face or on delicate exposed areas due to its photo-toxicity. Stay out of the sun for 12 hours after use. Best to use other oils for this purpose. Breathe in the orange oil or leave a few drops on a tissue in rooms. It will promote feelings of happiness and warmth due to its anti-depressant properties. Mix with some water and shake well to use as a calming room spray. Orange oil blends well with Frankincense, Ginger, Black Pepper, Sandalwood and Vetiver. The best and safest orange oil is cold pressed.

Geranium

Geranium oil has many health and beauty benefits and has a beautiful fragrance. It must be used with a carrier oil. The Egyptians used it to promote beautiful healthy radiant skin. It’s one of the best oils for dermatological problems such as congested skin, eczema or dermatitis, so mix up a bottle of some drops of essential oil and a carrier oil and use liberally. Geranium oil reduces inflammation, reduces anxiety and balances hormones. Add some drops to an unscented cream for a lovely hand cream. Use drops in an unscented body wash to make a difference to physical, mental and emotional health. Use Geranium oil on a tissue or in a burner in any room in the house for a perfect feeling of balance. To alleviate the effects of menopause, use geranium oil in a cream or carrier oil mix. It is natural and safe.

Peppermint

Peppermint oil has a very intense aroma and is much more concentrated than other steam distilled oils. It should be used in low dosage (fewer than the usual number of drops due to its potency) It is fresh, minty, cooling and uplifting and must be used with a carrier oil. Use it in a very low dilution in a body mist or a diffuser to help to cool you down. Avoid using Peppermint at bedtime because it is emotionally stimulating so won’t relax you like Lavender. Menthol is known to ease tension headaches and muscular aches and pains so mix a few drops with Almond oil and rub around the shoulders and arms and legs for some relief. A small amount of peppermint mix rubbed clockwise round the stomach area brings relief from indigestion and stomach cramps. It’s good used like this for colic, flatulence, nausea and vertigo.

Clary Sage

Clary Sage can boost self esteem, confidence and a sense of hope making it effective for many types of mental depression. It is calming, antispasmodic, sedative. It is a close relative of garden sage and must be used with a carrier oil. Use a Clary Sage mix to alleviate stomach cramps, muscle cramps, spasmodic coughing, as it relaxes the nerves to provide relief. Some women recommend it for labour pain but a doctor should be consulted first before use. For women who struggle with PMT, mix a few drops of Clary Sage with some Almond oil and use it as a massage oil. Mixed with Lavender in a diffuser it is calming and de-stressing, good for bedrooms and sitting rooms. It is a strong anti-bacterial. It is effective at killing bacteria associated with infections of the colon and intestines and for stopping wounds from becoming septic.

Lemon

Lemon oil is energising, uplifting and antiseptic with a strong and clear aroma. It can be phototoxic so best not used as a massage oil. It must be used with a carrier oil.  As an antiseptic it can alleviate athletes foot, colds, corns, flu, oily skin, spots and varicose veins. It is strong enough to clear a room of smells, including cigarette smoke. Use in a water mix as an antiseptic room spray. Mix a few drops of lemon oil into some coconut oil and rub it into your neck to support lymphatic drainage and help overcome a cold fast. Add some lemon drops to a damp cloth to shine up jewellery and silver ... its good for wood cleaning too.

Frankincense

Frankincense should always be combined with an unperfumed carrier oil or cream and should not be used neat on the skin. It can be used as a natural household cleaner because it’s very good at killing bacteria and makes a good disinfectant. Just add a few drops to a spray bottle full of water, give it a shake and use. Frankincense goes great with Lavender as a peaceful and relaxing scent. But its hardworking too, it works as an antiseptic to remove bacteria and reduce viral infections. Add a few drops (maximum 6) to the bath for stress relief. The oil is well known for relieving anxiety and creating a wonderful feeling of calm and peacefulness. Frankincense cream can help to reduce the appearance of large pores, prevents wrinkles and it can lift and tighten skin to slow the signs of ageing. It also can be used anywhere where skin is beginning to sag because it strengthens and improves skin tone and elasticity. It must be why our Rose and Frankincense face cream is one of our best sellers. A Frankincense cream or oil mix is really useful for improving circulation and joint pain such as arthritis. At home you can make a small mixture of oil with a carrier oil (our safety sheet and dosage table online will help) and then massage this into muscles, joints, feet and also all around the neck. Use this two or three times a day for some relief.

 

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