Aromatherapy Oils for Everyday Use

As traditional medicine grows increasingly expensive and offers cures with undesirable side effects, more people are seeking relief from alternative medicine. Aromatherapy and other therapeutic applications of essential oils have joined homeopathy, chiropractic, and acupuncture as alternatives to pharmaceutical treatment of illness. With such a variety of oils commercially available, from angelica root to ylang ylang , the novice user can easily become overwhelmed. But careful selection of three or four basic oils can provide most of the health benefits that holistic aromatherapy has to offer.

No aromatherapy toolkit is complete without lavender, the safest and most versatile of all essential oils. Both antiseptic and analgesic, it is also one of the few recommended for direct application to the skin. A small amount used "neat" can speed healing of burns and prevent scarring. It should not be applied to open wounds.

Like most essential oils, lavender is most often diluted in a carrier, like vegetable or fruit oil. Its pleasant scent makes it an excellent choice for beauty products. Add 20 drops to a half cup each of baking soda and Epsom salts for soothing homemade bath salts. Lavender has a calming effect that can lower blood pressure.

The second addition to your collection should be tea tree oil, which has the advantage of working against bacterial, viral, and fungal infections. It also acts as anti-inflammatory. Though tea tree oil can be applied directly to the skin in small quantities, it does cause skin irritation in some. Used in shampoo, tea tree oil combats dandruff, and it is a common ingredient in natural mouthwashes. Its anti-fungal properties can be effective in treating athlete's foot and nail fungus. To make a treatment oil for nosebleeds caused by dry winter air, add two drops added to one ounce of sesame oil and massage a small amount inside the nose at night.

These two oils become still more effective in combination. When added to castor oil in a 4% concentration, they relieve the itching and swelling of insect bites and gradually eliminate warts without damaging the skin as over-the-counter remedies do.

Because of its antiviral and antiseptic properties, eucalyptus should be the next addition to the natural medicine cabinet. Eucalyptus clears sinus passages when inhaled. Add a few drops to a bowl of steaming water, covering the head with a towel to hold in steam. Eucalyptus blends well with tea tree oil for a powerful cold-fighting remedy.

After mastering the use of these three oils, it may be desirable to add either peppermint or a citrus oil to the mix. Peppermint has a cooling effect that's especially refreshing in foot baths or scrubs. Alongside eucalyptus, it produces a scent similar to commercial mentho-eucalyptus rubs like Mentholatum, and are safer when stirred into a non-petroleum-based carrier. Citrus oils like lemon energize, fighting the effects of fatigue and jet lag.

Plant essential oils are highly concentrated extracts that are toxic if not used properly. For most applications, the concentration of oils in a carrier should range from two to four percent. Pregnant women, children under two, and the elderly should use a lower concentration. Some oils should not be used at all during pregnancy, and others, like lemon, can increase sensitivity to the sun. Users must educate themselves about proper safety precautions, a task made easier by sticking to a few oils with multiple benefits. Aromatherapy doesn't have to be complicated--the simplest blends often give the best results.