A Multitude of Uses for Essential Oils

I would have posted this a few days ago, but I've been a little batty this past week with wedding timelines and pretty reception inspirations floating around and colliding in my head... So here I am... sharing it now.  :)

Last week I received a lovely little package in the mail.  An essential oils sampler from Eden's Garden.  Yay!  Not as excited as me?  Well, you should be... Essential oils can be used for soooo much!  I purchase Lavender and Vanilla from EG last year, and decided it was time to branch out with some other oils I've been reading about lately. This sampler set includes: Eucalyptus, Lavender, Lemongrass, Orange, Peppermint, Tea Tree. And at less than $20 on sale, a great way to try them out!


Here are just some of the uses for essential oils:

Personal/Body Care Uses 

Body Oils  //  Mix 1 cup carrier oil with 30-60 drops essential oil. Use as a moisturizer after a shower or add to a bath.  

Body Butter  //  Make your own body butter and scent it using your favorite essential oils. I love Lavender and vanilla for this idea. 

Sugar Scrub  //  To make a basic scrub, mix 1 cup sugar with 1/2 cup carrier oil (Sweet Almond Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Olive Oil, etc.) and add 4-6 drops of the essential oil of your choice. Try this yummy Brown Sugar Vanilla recipe. 

Salt Scrub  //  Same concept as a sugar scrub, except using salt. Using eucalyptus or peppermint would be nice for tried, achy feet! 

Mouthwash  //  Again, another DIY I want to try, using peppermint essential oil. 

Blemish Remover  //  Put a drop of Tea Tree oil on a blemish and watch it disappear.   

Deodorant  //  This is one of my next DIYs to try, using tea tree and lavender essential oils. Update to come! 

Toothpaste  //  You can make your own toothpaste using coconut oil, baking soda, and peppermint essential oil. I am in the process of testing this recipe out and will post on it in a few weeks, so make sure you check back!

 

Home Remedies 

Sunburn  //  Fill a 4 oz. glass spray bottle with distilled water and add 10 drops lavender essential oil. Spray on burnt area to relieve pain and promote healing. 

Headaches  //  Apply 1-2 drops of peppermint essential oil to temples, forehead, and back of neck. Dilute with a carrier oil for sensitive skin. 

DIY Vapo-Rub  //  To make your own Vapo-Rub, just add an essential oil such as eucalyptus to a carrier oil and rub on chest, back and the bottoms of feet to relieve congestion and coughing. 

First Aid for Cuts and Scrapes  //  Combine Lavender or Tea Tree oil with a carrier oil and apply to cuts and scrapes. 

Cold Sores and Canker Sores  //  Dilute Tea Tree essential oil and apply 1-2 drops directly to the cold sore.

 

Household Uses 

Cleaning/Disinfecting  //  Add several drops of your favorite essential oil to 1 part water and 1 part white vinegar for an all purpose cleaner. Lemon would be good. 

Floor Cleaner  //  Try a fresh citrus floor cleaner, using only water, castile soap, and lemon and orange essential oils. 

Linen Spray/Room Spray  //  Fill a small glass spray bottle with distilled water and add essential oil until the mixture reaches the potency desired. 

Air Freshener  //  Fill a jar about 1/2 full of baking soda along with 10-15 drops of your favorite essential oil. Using a hammer and nail, poke holes in the lid and place somewhere your air needs freshening.  

Laundry  //  If you make your own laundry detergent, you can add essential oil to scent it or you can add 3-5 drops of essential oil to your detergent before each load. I have also been using a cloth sprayed with vinegar and several drops of Eucalyptus in the dryer to replace dryer sheets! 

Clean your mattress  //  Add several drops of essential oil (maybe Lavender) to a cup of baking soda and sprinkle over mattress. Leave for an hour and then vacuum up.  
Goo-Gone  //  Use several drops of lemon essential oil or other citrus based oil to remove sticker gunk, such as when you want to get a label off of a jar. 

 Just Remember...

 Essential oils can be used aromatically, topically, or taken internally. However, especially for topical and internal use, it’s important to make sure you are using high quality, 100% pure essential oils. Many of the essential oils on the market are produced solely for their aromatic quality and so are not of high enough quality to be used on your skin or in your body.

Always make sure you do your research before using essential oils as some are not recommended in certain circumstances (such as while pregnant).

Essential oils can be very powerful, so a little goes a long way. Most uses require only a few drops of essential oil. If you store essential oils in a cool, dark place, they will keep for years.



Also, check out Crunchy Betty’s 21 Things You Should Know About Essential Oils for further information...so interesting!


I very excited to try out some of the uses above with the oils I just received...I'll let you know how it goes!!