Essential Oils
I love things that smell beautiful and work in harmony with the body. Mainstream air fresheners and fragrances smell wonderful, but I have my reservations. I much prefer to stick with simple things found in nature.
Just because something is natural does not mean it’s harmless. Nature can be calm, gentle, and peaceful, like a warm summer breeze, autumn leaves twirling to the ground or a relaxing waterfall. Nature can also be harsh, dangerous, and downright scary, like a hurricane, tsunami or the frosty cold of the arctic. No matter what, peaceful or powerful, we must respect it. This goes for essential oils as well. When used with care and diluted correctly, they are lovely, fragrant, gifts from nature. With overexposure and improper dilution, they can be harsh.
Since I steer clear of air fresheners and fragrances, I use essential oils instead! I have an excellent book that I will refer to in this post. It’s called The HEALING POWER of ESSENTIAL OILS, by Eric Zielinski, D.C. I subscribed to his newsletter as well, his information is outstanding! Anyway, on page 17 of his book he states-
“Also known as volatile oils because they evaporate readily, essential oils are the lipophilic (“fat loving”) hydrophobic (“water hating”) volatile organic compounds that are found in aromatic plants…. They are generally insoluble in water but soluble in alcohol and fixed oils, and can dissolve fatty materials such as grease.”
I love that explanation of essential oils! Thanks, Dr. Zielinski!
Essential oils are wonderful. Depending on which you use, or how you combine them, they can be calming, relaxing, stimulating, or invigorating. They can do much more than that, but I will knock off there. Honestly though, if you are looking for a great book on essential oils, grab the one I mentioned above. It’s excellent if you are new to essential oils. It’s perfect too if you, like me, have been using essential oils for years, but decided you would like to know more. There are great recipes in the book too! And no, I am not getting paid to talk about this book! I actually saw it in a dental office and loved it, so I ordered it- True story!
Diffusing essential oils is one of the many ways to use them. Yes, you can call this aromatherapy. Because essential oils are potent, you want to be sure not to use too much, and you should know a little bit about the oil you are using. As I said, some can be calming, and some can be invigorating. If you are already stressed out, I suggest avoiding something stimulating. If you are studying for a test, try something that improves focus.
I personally like to diffuse calming oils. I stepped outside of that once because it was early in the day and I guess I just wanted to try something new. It didn’t last long at all. I didn’t care for the fragrance, and I felt pretty wound up.
So, what’s in my diffuser? Right now, I have vanilla and orange diffusing. By the way, I really love how this diffuser looks, I took a picture so you can see it too! It’s a bamboo ultra-sonic diffuser; it does not create heat or cause any moisture issues. It lights up, and the light changes color, and best of all, it’s super easy to use. Alright, back to the vanilla and orange- this is my first time using this combination, and I really like it! I have quite a few NOW essential oils. I love them because the essential oil’s attributes are listed on the bottle. The orange oil that I am using is a different brand. The orange smell makes me feel uplifted and bright. Vanilla makes me feel cozy and settled. The vanilla oil bottle says the aroma is sweet and warm. Its attributes are comforting, relaxing, and nurturing.
My diffuser
Over the weekend I diffused a rather new favorite of mine. It smells so earthy, sweet, woody, and beautiful!! It’s a combination of ylang ylang, patchouli, cedarwood, and rose. It was instant love from the first moment I caught a whiff of this blend! I actually followed NOW’s Cloud 9 Blend on the ylang ylang bottle for this, with one small change. Instead of using sandalwood, I used cedarwood, and it blended perfectly!
NOW lists that ylang ylang is soothing, comforting, and romantic. Patchouli is romantic, soothing, and stimulating. Cedarwood is soothing, strengthening, and empowering. Rose is romantic, uplifting, and comforting. For me, this is the perfect blend.
Finally, I’ll share my favorite all-around essential oil. Lavender! If I could only have one essential oil for a month, it would be lavender hands down! It has sweet, floral tones with a touch of earth. It’s calming, relaxing, and clean. I love it day and night, in soap, lotions, hair care products, and even on my sheets and blankets. If I were an aromatic plant, I’d be lavender!
What else can essential oils do? Well, many of them have anti-septic and anti-viral properties, so definitely use them in homemade cleaning supplies. Some have specific benefits unique to that oil. Others make excellent flea, tick, and bug repellents…. But that is for a different post. Remember, just as we enjoy the calm beauty of nature, and respect its fury, we must do the same with essential oils.
