Four Essential Oils You Must Have in Your Medicine Cabinet!

1. Tea Tree essential oil.Use for gum problems, insect bites, dandruff, athlete's foot, nail fungus, and acne. It is an antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral. You can buy dental floss prepared in tea tree, or dip your unwaxed floss in it. It is useful for many skin problems, but remember that essential oils can be irritating to skin if you use "neat" or undiluted. One to three days of use directly on the skin is usually safe, but you may want to pre-test the product on your skin.

2. Peppermint essential oil.Use for the treatment and prevention of stomach and bowel upset, pain and gas. Quick use: Take 1-3 drops of the oil in half a glass of cold water. Swish the oil in the water and drink it all down. Then follow with another half glass of water. It is a carminative, which calms gas and has anti-inflammatory properties. It is also anti-septic, is helpful for the liver, and is used for nausea. Take a drop or so in water as a breath freshener! Open the bottle and take a sniff when you need to think with a clear head and wake-up.

3. Eucalyptus essential oil. I use Eucalyptus mainly as a decongestant and expectorant during cold and flu season. I "sterilize" the house by diffusing it in the air whenever someone is fighting a cold or flu or after someone who is ill has visited. Also analgesic and antiseptic, it is very easy to use. To make your own Vicks Vaporub, mix a few drops of the oil in some plain vaseline, and rub into the chest and back over the lungs. Take care, as it may irritate the skin.

You may place the oil in a vaporizer, or do an old-fashioned towel steam. Bring some water to a boil and drop in at least 10 drops of oil. Swish the oil in the water and remove the pot from the stove. Sit down with a towel draped over your head and the pot. As the steam rises, breathe it deeply into the lungs. As you continue to do this, have a tissue handy as you expectorate mucous. Within a few minutes the oil will steam off, and you should repeat the process at least three or four times. Do this three or four times a day when you are preventing or fighting a cold, especially prior to bedtime. Many people find Eucalyptus helpful for environmental and plant allergies.

4. Lavender essential oil. Lavender is considered one of the most versatile and safe essential oils. It is useful in a such a multitude of ways, it is a real must in your medicine cabinet. Use the oil for skin problems and to spot-treat acne, insect bites, anxiety, depression, headache, tension, insomnia, and bruises. I use it diluted in a base of coconut oil and massage my feet with it prior to bedtime. The beautiful smell is relaxing.

Paula Upton, MA has been studying and applying the use of essential plant oils since 1986. Read more about me at www.paulaupton.byregion.net and find deals on all kinds of natural health products.