Top Ten Essential Oils for Every Day Use

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I love essential oils – they are the purest of all perfumes – quite simply the concentrated essence of flowers and herbs.  This strength and intensity has potent therapeutic and healing powers,  making them an invaluable part of any beauty regime or medicine kit.

When I first started to use essential oils they were often quite difficult to source, but these days it’s easy to find them online and cheaper too. But as with all good things quality does cost more, but they do last for ages and you can gradually build up your collection as you go.

There are so many to choose from and this can seem a bit confusing at first, but I have found over the years that there are certain oils that I use time and time again. So here are my Top 10 Essential Oils for every day use with a few tips on how to use them . Apart from their many therapeutic properties, they have the wonderful ability to add a drop of pure luxury to your day.

 

 

Lavender Oil – If I could only have one oil, this would be it. Lavender is wonderfully kind to the skin, helping to soothing away scars or sores and healing burns miraculously. It has a calming, relaxing effect and induces a peaceful night’s sleep.  Although it is safe to apply directly to the skin, it also blends extremely well so you can use it to combine forces with other complimentary oils which have additional properties. Every year I make luxury lavender bath cubes for Christmas presents and they are extremely popular!

Tea Tree Oil – Is a powerful antiseptic, so it is a must in any first aid kit, it’s also an anti-viral as well as anti-bacterial so it has a potent effect on seeing off all sorts of bugs and infections. It can dry up a spot over night and stop a sore throat in it’s tracks, but it’s also an effective anti-fungal which is great for treating irritating conditions such as athlete’s foot or dandruff.  It has a strong camphor’s medicinal aroma and is very potent, so only use a couple of drops diluted in a carrier like almond oil or grape seed oil on the skin or in a glass of water if you need an effective antiseptic gargle.

Chamomile Oil – Has a wonderful calming and soothing effect, it’s lovely blended into a massage oil if you’re tired or stressed, or added to a steamy bath along with some lavender oil to help you unwind after a busy day. It has a lovely appley scent which just seems to be a trigger to relax, a sure fire way to achieve a good night’s sleep.

Oregano Oil – Is nature’s answer to antibiotics. This oil is extremely strong and overpowering, but when used as an inhalation for chest infections, or diluted into a gargle for throat infections it can bring fast and effective relief. It also eradicates fungal conditions on the skin or viral warts and verrucas in half the time of conventional cures.

Lemon Oil – Is invaluable in the home for all sorts of cleaning jobs, it has powerful anti-bacterial and disinfecting properties and leaves everything with a lovely fresh lemony scent. I use it with white vinegar to rinse my laundry and also in a homemade dusting spray which is so much better than any toxic aerosol product.

Eucalyptus Oil – The Eucalyptus is known as ” Natures Tree of Life” It should be mixed 50-50 with Grapeseed Oil for all purpose natural relief. When you use it you can say good-bye to all your aches and pains: All body aches, arthritis, asthma, allergies, headaches and sinus. It’s great for soothing chest congestion, catarrh and bronchitis in steam inhalations. Eucalyptus Oil sinks into the skin and relaxes blood vessels that are restricted and pressing on the nerves, and pain stops.

Sandalwood – Is the oil of the bedroom as it is so good for sleep and relaxation, and it’s de-stressing and unwinding properties make it good for the libido too. It’s wonderful for the skin having rejuvenating and smoothing properties and of course it’s lovely long-lasting rich, sweet woody scent is always very welcome too.

Frankincense – Has been used for thousands of years and highly valued for it’s protective powers of rejuvenation. It boasts many talents – anticancer, antidepressant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiseptic, expectorant, immune support & sedative to list but a few. But to me one of its most fascinating benefits is it’s wonderful mystical quality and effect on cognitive function, specifically memory and concentration.

Rose Oil – Is the ultimate luxury, it takes 10,000 pounds of petals to make one ounce of pure rose oil and it’s intensely sweet and floral aroma is simply intoxicating. It is wonderfully balancing and calming and is said to be an aphrodisiac, while adding a bit of indulgence to any blend of oils with the pampering effect of making you feel beautiful.

Rose Geranium Is not a replacement for the much more intense and expensive pure rose oil but more a comfortable companion. It’s richly warm and sweet floral aroma blends very well with any rose formula making it go further, bringing with it extra properties of rejuvenation and renewal.  I often use rose geranium to perfume my soft and silky homemade soap and apart from being particularly kind to the skin it also has the added benefit of repelling the mosquitos on a summer evening and is so much more pleasant to wear than most insect repellants.