Aromatherapy – the practice of using essential oils for therapeutic purposes – is a huge growing trend. So much so that the essential oil market is set to grow by 7.5 percent over the next few years. And with good reason. Practicing plant therapy with essential oils offers a range of uplifting benefits.
But it’s important to remember that pure essential oils are highly concentrated substances. As such, you must always use them with care, and never apply them directly to your skin without diluting them in a carrier oil first. And, while you can ingest essential oils, these plant-safe substances are different to the oils you would use for aromatherapy.
So, what are some ways to use pure essential oil blends? Let’s take a look!
1. Aromatherapy Diffuser Bracelet
When researching how to use essential oils, one of the most common methods you’ll see involves using an essential oil diffuser. Just a few drops in one of these devices can elevate your home environment in no time. In fact, you only need to diffuse for 10 to 15 minutes to get the benefits of your favorite scented oils.
But what about when you’re out and about? You can hardly carry a scented candle or oil diffuser around with you!
This is why an aromatherapy bracelet offers the perfect solution. As well as a unique and stylish accessory, these bracelets allow you to get a burst of your favorite scent on the go. Beautiful and discreet, this aromatherapy bracelet adds an instant personal touch to match your outfit and your mood.
2. Footwear Freshener
There’s a lot more to essential oils than their powerful fragrances. But the intensity of these highly concentrated substances does mean that their strong scents can be useful around the home for banishing bad odors. After all, it takes around 50 lemons to make half an ounce of lemon essential oil. With that kind of potency, it’s no surprise that essential oils can work wonders on even your smelliest sneakers.
The best way to use essential oils as a footwear freshener is to place a few drops of your favorite essential oil onto a couple of cotton balls. Then, place one oil-infused ball in each shoe overnight. By morning, your shoes will be smelling sweet again!
3. Lavender-Infused Pillow
While many people swear by the various benefits of different essential oil blends, one of the most consistent associations is that of lavender essential oil with relaxation.
Lavender is said to work its magic by calming the central nervous system. And, although research into essential oils is still limited, this 2005 study found support for lavender’s sleep-inducing benefits. Here, researchers found that lavender increased both the amount of slow- and deep-wave sleep in participants. And, when asked how they felt the following day, all participants reported feeling “higher vigor” after using lavender oil.
A subtle yet effective way to infuse your sleep with lavender’s calming effects is to place a drop or two of lavender essential oil on the underside of your pillow.
4. Faux Flower Fragrance
Whether you prefer silk flowers or you’ve jumped on board the sola wood flower trend, faux flowers are a quick and easy way to brighten up your home at any time of the year. But, while faux flowers are more realistic-looking than ever, the one thing they lack is the scent of real cut flowers.
This is another way that powerful essential oils can help. To recreate the fresh and floral fragrance of real cut flowers, the simplest option is to place a drop of essential oils such as rose, jasmine, or ylang-ylang on the underside of a couple of individual flowers. This way, you won’t notice if the oil marks the silk or shola wood as it will be hidden from view.
If you’re unsure about using pure essential oils on your faux flowers, another technique is to place a few drops of your favorite floral oil on a cotton ball and then place that at the base of the vase holding your flowers. If you feel like a different fragrance, you then only have to switch to a different oil-infused cotton ball.
5. Aromatherapy Shower
The best way to benefit from the many benefits that essential oils offer for your skin and your senses is with an aromatherapy bath. That said, since essential oils don’t dissolve in water, you would need to mix your essential oils with a bath dispersant beforehand. This avoids exposing your skin to a film of pure essential oils floating on the surface of the water.
If that sounds like too much trouble or you prefer showers, you can still enjoy the benefits of aromatherapy as you bathe. All you need to do is sprinkle a few drops of essential oil on the walls of your shower. Placing the drops high avoids it getting washed down the drain while allowing you to appreciate the full force of your chosen scent once the steam starts building up. An alternative option is to drop some of your favorite oil onto a washcloth and place it on the shower floor away from the water.
As for which essential oil blends to use, stimulating oils such as lemongrass, peppermint, or rosemary are all ideal for an invigorating morning shower. Or, if you’re looking to relax after a long day, a few drops of lavender, rose, or frankincense essential oils in your shower are sure to help you unwind.
Unique Ways to Pure Essential Oils
You’ve likely heard about how you can use an essential oil diffuser to enjoy the many benefits of these powerful plant substances.
But, as this list shows, there are many more unique ways to use pure essential oils to elevate your environment, whether you’re at home or on the go.
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