Stuck at Home Try Essential Oils For Health
Stuck at Home Try Essential Oils For Health | LeBaker Music – Long before modern medicine, essential oils have been used in different cultures for centuries. After all where exactly do these natural treasures come from anyway? From the plants of nature.
I can remember my Great-Grandmother always touting for us to use this plant or that herb for an ailment. Turns out she may not have been that far off, after all she learned the natural, plant based recipes as part of her Native American heritage. As a Christian, I can even imagine these botanically based plants were on Noah’s Ark.
Essential Oils Through History
Think about this, all through history, plant based botanicals have been used. If your familiar with the story of Queen Esther from the Bible, after King Xerses (Ahasuerus) banished his wife Queen Vashti he needed a new Queen. His minions rounded up all the potential maidens in Susa (ancient Persia). Those young ladies had twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed which included “six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics.” Those my friend are essential oils.
Aromatherapy and medicinal uses of plant based essential oils date back to prehistoric times and their uses are well documented. Essential oils are noted to be used in ancient Egypt, Greece, India, China and the Middle East. Back then people used what was natural and today we are still benefiting from the natural plant based botanicals used in essential oils.
What We Use
Everyone has their favorite brands, I have fallen in love with Plant Therapy because they offer a wide variety and have some organically certified oils (rare in the essential oil world). They are owned by a mom and pop shop in Idaho and their products are made in the USA. They are our favorite essential oils for health. Over the last five or so years, I have developed an affinity for these oils. Below you will find a list of my favorites which I always have on hand.
Just remember to diffuse the oil, you never want to ingest essential oils no matter how good they smell unless you KNOW they are food grade.
Click on any of the pictures to learn more about the oils and see the different sizes that are available.
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is found in some over the counter medications such as Vicks Vapor rub. It can help loosen mucus, calm cough and some people claim it alleviates the effects of asthma. Along with lemon (below), Eucalyptus is an anti-inflammatory and can be used to prevent infection. When allergies have me stuffed up, I love to plop a few drops in my morning shower and let the steam & Eucalyptus soothe my sinus congestion.
Lavender
If I could only have one essential oil it would be Lavender. This powerhouse is an antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiseptic, antidepressant, analgesic, anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic, anti-venomous, and a calming oil.
And that’s not all of the benefits Lavender offers. I am just touching the surface.
There are SO many uses for this wonderfully smelling essential oil. You can create an anti-aging oil blend for your skin, treat inflammatory conditions, disinfect wounds, calm itching, reduce stress, calm headaches, and smell it to curb anxiety. There is more, but I will let you discover that on your own. We add Lavender to our bland smelling laundry detergent for allergic folks and it doesn’t make our sensitive skin itch. It makes our clothes smell amazing.
Lemon
Lemon has been used for centuries for cleaning and disinfecting long before cleaning products were around. The antioxidants and vitamin C are what gives this citrus many benefits. You can diffuse it, rub it on surfaces, and even use Lemon to clean out small cuts. Not only does lemon make a good disinfectant but when diffused, lemon is good for a sore throat and nasal congestion. A few drops in a bath is refreshing and invigorating.
Peppermint
Many cultures have claimed that inhaling Peppermint oil helps reduce nausea and treat headaches. When diluted the oil also helps calm muscular aches and pains. Smelling the oil can fight fatigue and tension. Peppermint oil is very strong, less is more – blend this one for sure. You will not want to use Peppermint Oil at full strength. Even when diluted with a cutting oil, it may tingle much like Ben-gay when applied to the skin so make sure you are following a good cutting recipe for your blend. Caution: Peppermint oil can be toxic to children and pets.
Tea Tree Oil
This one, my second choice if I can’t have Lavender, has a lot of uses. One of my favorite is it kills mosquito bite itch fast. Another great use is as a natural hand sanitizer. Tea Tree Oil kills several types of bacteria and viruses (e.coli being one of them). As a versatile cleaning agent, this oil can be used to help keep your home germ free and not smelling like chemicals. It is anti-fungal and is known to help prevent mold on fruit, treat athlete’s foot, and nail fungus. Caution: You always want to dilute tea tree oil. Do not ingest this oil as it is toxic. Do not use it on your pets as it can cause them serious health problems.
Germ Fighter Synergy Blend
Germ Fighter Synergy – Sinus Health and Cold Blend. Plant Therapy offer several blends and this one is my absolute favorite. It smells great and we burn it in our diffusers ALL THE TIME. Especially during cold and flu season when many people are in and out of our house for different social gatherings. It came in handy during the COVID-19 crisis.
This blend contains Lemon, Clove Bud, Eucalyptus, Globulus, Cinnamon Cassia, and Rosemary. We love using Germ Fighter to help keep our bodies alert and our immune system armed and ready. It comes in a roll-on also that travels well. I use it as a hand sanitizer.
Start Smart
If your just getting started consider purchasing a starter kit. This Plant Therapy kit contains all of the oils I use for our family and “Orange Sweet.”
This set is cheaper than purchasing each oils individually and comes in a nice wooden box. This is the kit I purchased when we made our decision to start using essentials, after my sister kept raving about Lavender. This kit is also available as a subscribe and save item on Amazon.
Reference Book
And who doesn’t need a good reference book if your gonna do this essential oil thing. My favorite Essential Oil Author is Valerie Ann Worwood. Her books are informative, have great recipes to make your own blends and are written to educate and inform.
Valarie is a consultant clinical aromatherapist with a doctorate in complementary medicine. She has written several books on Essential Oils. I like this one because it is 683 pages of extremely useful and helpful information with over 800 easy to make recipes, conversion charts, carrier oil recommendations, methods of use, index information on each oil, which oil blends well with other oils, and much more. This edition commemorates her 25th Anniversary as a consultant and expert on the clinical use of essential oils internationally.
Closing
As with any thing, use common sense, seek medical advise especially if your pregnant or have known health conditions. Essential oils for health are a great natural remedy but remember no essential oil is a magic cure. While the ingredients are natural, do your research to find what works for you. These are just a few notes about a our favorite essential oils that I hope are helpful for you as you endeavor to stay healthy and keep you home clean especially during times of crisis.
To comply with the Federal Trade Commission of the United States we are required to disclose that we are Amazon affiliates and may earn a commission.