Uses for essential oils

There are many uses for essential oils, from therapeutic foot baths to scented room sprays. Remember, less is more. Always.

A fabulous pick-me-up bath combo is: 5 drops rosemary oil, 4 drops lemon oil and 4 drops clary sage oil added to a warm bath. Rosemary will stimulate your thinking process, lemon will refresh, and clary sage promotes an all-over feeling of well-being.

When painting, add a 5 ml bottle of our favorite oil to 1 gallon of paint. Mix well. The oil will counteract the unpleasant smell of the paint. Because essential oils are not fatty oils, they will leave no oil spots on the walls

Test for skin sensitivity by doing a patch test. Put a little bit of diluted oil in the bend of your elbow and wait 24 hours to see if itching or redness develop.

Use essential oils in the bath by adding three to eight drops to the tub, depending on the oil. Add it just before you get in and soak for at least 10 minutes.

Use oils as an inhalant to treat congestion (try eucalyptus) or stress (try peppermint or sandalwood). Put four drops in a bowl of hot, almost boiling water. Drape a towel over your head to make a tent and breathe in the steam for a few minutes.

Make a foot bath with five to seven drops of oil in a quart of warm water; soak for about 10 minutes. Try lemon, mint, tea tree or juniper oil.

Put 20 drops per 5 oz. of water in a spray bottle to make a room spray, or add a drop or two to a basket of dried flowers.

Put a drop of oil on a hot lightbulb - but don't try this with halogen lights.

Create a blend for massage by adding 10 drops of oil per 1 oz. of diluting oil, also called a carrier oil.

Make up a massage oil using apricot or 100 percent extra-virgin, cold-pressed olive oil for normal skin types. Try aloe vera or coconut oils for dry skin.

Use grapeseed oil in blends for skin that tends to be oily.

Don't use mineral or baby oil as a carrier; they don't absorb well.

Be cautious about putting essential oils on your skin, particularly citrus oils. They are highly concentrated and can cause serious reactions.

Store your essential oils away from heat and light. Refrigerate all vegetable oils.

Keep all essential oils away from your eyes, nose and mouth, and out of the reach of children and pets.

Exercise extreme care when using essential oils on the elderly, pregnant women, children or those with health problems.

The oil is processed by the liver and may be damaging with prolonged use