It is no news to those who follow me that I am an enthusiastic user of essential oils. Essential oils are good for your health! [Disclaimer: As with any product, test with a small amount to make sure you are not sensitive or allergic to the substance.] Because essential oils are made from plants, they are part of God’s gift in His creation, intended for our benefit. They work with our bodies, and do not contain harmful chemicals.
Think nothing can kill a virus? Think again: essential oils are proven to kill viruses, bacteria, and funguses. They can also act as anti-inflammatories.
Be sure to use a reputable source for your essential oils. At home, I use NOW brand and Vitacost brand.
How I use essential oils:
- Diffuse
- Serums
- Roll-ons
- Creams
- Air freshener
- Anti-bacterial spray
- Cooking
- Cleaning
Essential oils can be mixed with beeswax, cocoa butter, shea butter, a carrier oil (such as coconut oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, avocado oil, or almond oil), castile soap, vinegar, witch hazel, vodka, and / or honey to make an unlimited array of health-supporting remedies and treatments.
NOTE: Always use essential oils combined with a carrier oil if applying to skin or ingesting.
Ways to ingest:
- cook with essential oils (no, cooking does not destroy most essential oils: most are processed with heat) add a few drops of, say, rosemary and thyme into your spaghetti sauce
- add lemon oil into your smoothie
- add to treats like frosting (lemon, orange, or peppermint add taste and zip)
- bake into a dessert (lemon pie or bars, lavender bread, cardamom cookies, peppermint brownies)
Apply to skin:
- combine with a carrier oil
- rub on abdomen for quick uptake
- smooth onto temples, shoulders, or neck for tension or headache relief
- use as an antibacterial on scrapes and bug bites
- combine with castile soap for shampoo and body wash
Clean:
- lemon and orange are great at cutting grease, and smell so refreshing
- essential oils kill bacteria in toilets, around sinks, kitchen counters, and baby’s room
- combine with vodka and witch hazel for air freshening and killing germs on surfaces
- use to wipe down handles, counters, keyboards, and common surfaces during cold and flu season
And you can always diffuse. Get a good-quality diffuser that will last for hours and incorporate a large room. And, get smaller diffusers for smaller rooms. Heck, they even sell diffusers for your car, and to wear around your neck!
Another way to diffuse is to add a few drops to an inhaler (like these: https://www.amazon.com/Aromatherapy-Essential-Portable-Reusable-Aluminum/dp/B07PP1WB4N/); or a few drops to a handkerchief or tissue.
My go-to websites for dependable information on essential oils are
- Eric Zelinski at https://naturallivingfamily.com/
- Josh Axe at https://draxe.com/
- Both these sites provide research-based information on specific essential oils; recipes for foods, cleaning, and personal care; and timely and effective health tips.
Following is a list of essential oils that are antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory:
Antivirals:
Basil, bergamot, cassia, cinnamon bark, clove, cumin, eucalyptus, frankincense, geranium, helichrysum, myrrh, oregano, peppermint, rose, rosewood, sage, sandalwood, tea tree, thyme
Antibacterials:
Basil, bergamot, cassia, cedarwood, cinnamon bark, citronella, clove, dill, eucalyptus, geranium, lemon, lemongrass, marjoram, oregano, peppermint, rosemary, rosemary, spikenard, tea tree
Antifungal:
Cassia, cinnamon bark, citronella, clary sage, eucalyptus, fir, geranium, lavender, lemongrass, marjoram, oregano, peppermint, rosemary, rosewood, sage, spikenard, thyme
Anti-inflammatory:
Caraway, clove, eucalyptus, ginger, lavender, marjoram, oregano, peppermint, roman chamomile, tea tree, thyme, and turmeric.
I love using essential oils around the home. I try my best to keep as many chemicals as possible out of my house. My daughter has allergies and diffusing essential oils really helps her when she can’t stop sneezing.
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Aren’t they amazing? We are exposed to so many toxins and allergens, it’s hard to figure what’s up with our bodies any more. But God has provided a way.
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I’ve found that since using clary sage in my night time blend and diffusing it at night has brought down the flow of my menstrual cycle. Before clary sage I was experiencing real heavy flow days. Now it’s moderated by half!
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Wow. I think it’s amazing that each essential oil can be so specific to our needs. A lot like God. Hmmm…
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thank you Kathy for this wonderful information!
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Glad to pass along God’s medicines! 😊
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bless you!
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and you! 🤗
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thank you so very much………
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Which one is BEST for anti-inflammatory? I don’t know much about these.
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Clove is great for so many things, I diffuse it often (overnight is good). Clove (and oregano) is not good for topical, though.
Turmeric is an amazing anti-inflammatory, but I have not used the essential oil, just capsules. If I have a muscle strain or headache, I take a turmeric capsule every two hours.
For topical application, I think peppermint, tea tree, and lavender are great for rubbing right on the area that is inflamed (combine two drops of essential oil per each tablespoon carrier oil).
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Completely agree!! Argan oil works really well too!
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ooo- good to know! Thanks. 😊
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Thank you, a lovely healing post 😀
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😊
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Love essential oils!!
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Me, too! 😊
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Dr. Axe is a great resource!
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Oh, I do like him and his information! 😊
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