Have you heard about the health benefits of essential oils?
There are so many natural ways to lower stress levels and deal with anxiety. Many of my posts are related to self-care and how to overcome stress and anxiety. One of the first posts I wrote was about Five Ways to Fight Anxiety & Depression. There is a light at the end of the tunnel!
I am always looking for new tools to add to my self-care practices. For instance, there is so much information about using essential oils for health reasons. I reached out to a fellow Blogger, Noelle Collins, to chat about her knowledge and experience with essential oils.
Noelle has been using essential oils for about 5 years and explains how they have helped her and her family improve their health and combat anxiety. In addition, she is a Nurse who was introduced to essential oils by a friend and has been hooked ever since.
History of Essential Oils
Essential Oils have been in use for thousands of years. They are a hydrophobic liquid containing chemical compounds derived from specific plants. Evidence of essential oil use can be found in recipes recorded on the walls in Egyptian hieroglyphics and also in ancient Chinese manuscripts. Well-preserved oils were even found in King Tut’s tomb!
– Reference Guide for Essential Oils by Connie and Alan Higley
Benefits of Essential Oils
- Antioxidants are powerful nutrients that are known to strengthen the immune system, slow down aging, and prevent diseases.
- Aromatic and have the ability to purify the air when diffused.
- Promote emotional, physical, and spiritual healing.
- They are small in molecular size, so they can quickly penetrate the skin.
Negative Effects of Essential Oils
- Be mindful if you are ingesting essential oils because they may affect people who have sensitive stomachs.
- Be careful when applying directly to skin and test in a small area first. Use a carrier oil like coconut or olive oil when applying to the skin just in case of sensitivity.
- Some may experience detox symptoms from using certain oils.
- Be aware of using cheap brands that are not high quality and not made from trusted sources.
- Never ingest any essential oil, unless it’s marked on the bottle that it’s safe to do so.
What Essential Oils May Help
- Stress Management
- Digestive issues
- Mental Clarity & Focus
- Muscular Tension
- Sinus issues
- Sleep
How to Use Essential Oils
Topically- apply at the bottom of your feet, inside your wrists, neck, stomach, or sternum. Always dilute, especially for children (1-3 drops of essential oil to 1 Tbsp carrier oil, such as coconut or sesame). Mix in with your favorite lotion. Placing a few drops in the bath helps to unwind and gives it a nice aroma.
Aromatically– using a diffuser or just by inhaling and taking a deep breath in.
Internally – Make sure it says GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe). Never use an oil internally that does not have this designation.
* Noelle’s Tip- Put a few drops of essential oil on a cotton ball or wooden clothespin for a quick refreshing scent in your car
For more tips on the use of Essential Oils from a trusted company click here.
Recommendations
- Know the source and research where the oils come from.
- Educate yourself and learn the different ways that oils can and should be used.
- Make sure your pets can leave the room if needed when diffusing.
The cost varies greatly depending on the specific oil and brand. Generally speaking, the brands you will find at most health-food or general merchandise stores are not pure and contain fillers that will not be as effective and the worst case can make you sick by introducing additional concentrated toxins to your system.
Noelle’s family prefers to use the Young Living brand as they are more transparent about their sources and processes. This brand maintains complete control over the production process to ensure the purity and quality of their products. Young Living uses the Seed to Seal process, and therefore they know where their plants come from and how they are raised and are not exposed to pesticides.
5 Picks for Anxiety
1. Lavender
2. Peace and Calming Blend of Ylang Ylang, Orange, Tangerine, Patchouli, and Blue Tansy
3. Stress Away Blend of Lime, Lavender, and vanilla extract.
4. Orange
5. Cedarwood
Research Links
Click here to see a study on lavender and effects on sleep
Which essential oils can relieve anxiety?
Visit Noelle Collins at Living and Loving our Best Life (https://livingandlovingourbestlife.com/) and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/livingandlovingourbestlife/. Her email is [email protected] and her Young Living link is http://bit.ly/NoelleYoungLiving. Check out her Blog post about Essential Oils here!
Make sure you know the source of the oils you use. Call the company and ask questions.
What steps do they take to maintain quality control?
Do they participate in third party independent testing to ensure their quality?
Essential oils are not FDA regulated but neither is any other natural supplement on the market so just do your due diligence when researching before using anything.
As always, check with your medical doctor before adding anything to your self-care plan especially if you suffer from mental health or other physical conditions. Tell me about your experiences using essential oils!
xoxo
Jill DeMasi is a Lifestyle Blogger, Licensed Massage Therapist, and a Certified Wellness Coach with a passion for helping others manage stress, chronic pain, and anxiety. Learn more about her journey and wellness practice that offers natural solutions to stress at www.AtTheHeartofWellness.com.
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Lavender and vanilla are my go-to combination for sleep!
Nice! I never combined those two 🙂
these oils are amazing! I’m barely getting into them and wow, they really work!
It is surprising how effective they can be 🙂
Just having time to enjoy difussing esential oils is the 1st positve and promising step for me. So enjoyable!
I know I am trying to do that more too at home 🙂
Great info. Oils can be confusing for people.
There is so much to know and yes it can be confusing. I believe there are even classes about it available 🙂
I love lavender to help relief stress and anxiety
Me too! I use it in my office and at home 🙂
Very informative! I have used essential oils in the past. My favorites are peppermint and lavender.
Very interesting. I never cease to be amazed at the healing abilities hidden in nature.
Thanks for all the great tips. I always learn something new.
I have a lot of lavender plants in my backyard
What would you recommend for sinus issues and allergies?
Peppermint and eucalyptus seem to work for me. But don’t put it near your eyes!
Great tips on how to utilize oils for health! TThank you!
We use essential oils for motion sickness but I have not ventured into other areas yet.
I really appreciate your approach to educating people on both the pros and cons of EOs.
I love using essential oils and I like reading how people use them, I’ve been using them for over 30 years and these combination are spot on for stress and anxiety!
Thanks for this information! I have always been leary about diving into the world of essential oils, but this helps relieve those!
Great tips, especially knowing the source of the oils. Thanks so much for sharing!
Stress management is my #1 reason for these!
Essential oils are such an interesting concept to me!
I do enjoy using oils. One of my favorites is peppermint. Use it for stress and headaches actually – – love to take a deep breath. I serve lavender towels at my afternoon teas – and that fragrance relaxes everyone! Thanks.
Love oils – and where they come from DOES make a difference! Haven’t tried orange yet – might have to experiment!
Essential oils are the best to use when your sick, stressed, or you just want to relax. Thank you for this post!
I love my essential oils! Orange and lavender are favorites for sure! I find orange works well on my stress and also makes the house smell clean and fresh!
Thanks so much for including me in your article. I have learned so much about essential oils in the past few years. We use them often in our home. 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge with me Noelle! It was a pleasure chatting with you and getting to know you more 🙂
I love all of the oils you recommended. They have been so helpful in managing my anxiety. I even use lavender when I go visit my crazy alpaca. It seems to take him down a notch.
I love lavender I liked the way it always help to relax me.
I am a fan of lavender…love the way it smells. Calms me down
A great and informative article on essential oils, I use sandalwood and lavender for meditation purposes and love them. Thanks for sharing 🙂