Health benefits and uses of essential oils

Essential oils have a variety of uses, and it is surely not limited to just enhance smell or use in aromatherapy. Rather they have countless uses and benefits, which most of us don’t know. For instance, they can be used in households, skincare, cooking, cleaning, enhancing sleep, relaxation and much more. And even though the market is flooded with essential oils, each of them offer unique benefits which you can customize according to your personal preference and choose the one that best suits you. 

So, this article covers a tad bit of the other uses of essential oils than the aromatic use, topical use and internal use.

Use in cooking:

Who doesn’t want to add some new elements in their recipes that will make their food more delicious and flavorful? That’s right, we all do. Due to its high potency, even a small amount of essential oil can do the trick for you.

Now, you need to remember that not all essential oils can be used for cooking, so it is very important to check the labelling of your essential oil and see if they are fit for internal use.

Here are some of the probable ways you can use essential oils for cooking:

• Twist the flavor in your recipes by using essential oil in marination.
• Enhance the flavor of your baked items by adding essential oil in the dough.
• Improve the taste of your sauce or dip using essential oil in the mixture.
• Enhance the taste and flavor of some beverages using essential oil.
• You can even try to add essential oil in some regular snacks to enhance flavor and lift boredom to the same taste.

Use in cleaning:

Cleaning is an everyday task that you cannot avoid, and household cleaning is very crucial for a healthy lifestyle. One of the many uses of essential oil is its cleaning properties due to its high potency, which is very helpful for household cleaning. Besides, they are natural product with antimicrobial attributes which will also help kill germs, viruses, bacteria and many more.

However, first you should take a very small amount and apply on any surface at your home to see how the oil is reacting, Afterwards, if it works well, you should add only a few drops of essential oil in your cleaning mixture, and this will work enough as essential oils are highly concentrated.

Here are some of the probable ways you can use essential oils for cleaning:

• They can remove bad odors from your household and freshen the air.
• Helps clean the toilets more effectively
• Can help clean laundry
• Citrus-base essential oils can help remove grease.
• Can reduce garbage smell
• Make a surface-specific cleaning mixture with essential oil and store it separately for further use.

Health & Wellness:

Essential oils have a lot of uses regarding health and wellness including boosting moods, helping to relax, enhancing sleep, improving digestion, supporting immunity, and many more. But every essential oil has its unique set of benefits, so it’ll not be wise to expect all the benefits from one essential oil.

Here are some of the probable ways you can use essential oils for a sound health:

• Adding essential oil to your bath and spraying a little mixture of essential oil on your pillows and bed before sleep will help you to relax more and will create an environment for a sound sleep
• As essential oil enhances the flavor of beverages, if you’re used to having some tea before going to bed, adding a few drops of essential oil in it will help you relax more.
• Massaging your body, especially head, shoulder, neck, back and waist with a few drops of essential oil will help you relax and calm your mind, be it before going to bed or relaxing after a workout.
• You can also spray a mixture of essential oil around you during your exercise regime which will help you push through the workout.
• There are some essential oils like Lavender essential oil which are proven to help enhance your sleep, so you can also take them internally before going to bed.
• As essential oils can be used in cooking, adding it to enhance the taste and twist the flavor of your healthy diet will cheer you up. There are some essential oils that have been manufactured especially for your fitness goals, so you can use them.
• Taking some essential oil will promote a healthy and functional metabolism and enhance vitality which in turn helps in digestion. They can be also used to fight off occasional indigestion.
• Some of the essential oils even have antioxidant attributes and supports in having a healthy immune system and calm down the nervous system.
• Some essential oils even aids in maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system.
• Some essential oils help clear the breathing passage and in turn helps to maintain healthy lungs and ensures smooth functioning of the respiratory system.

Hygiene and Personal Care

The markets are flooded with personal care items and many of them have harmful chemicals which have costed the customers very dearly. So, people are now looking for healthy options for their hygiene and skincare routine, and this is where essential oils come into play a big role. They are used in a variety of cosmetic products like soap, lotion, moisturizer, shampoo, cleanser, mouthwash, toothpaste and many more. Other than a beautiful fragrance, they have multiple more benefits for personal care.

Here's a list of ways you can use essential oils for your hygiene and personal care:

• You an make a mixture of your perfume with your essential oil and spray it before starting the day to keep smelling fresh.
• Making a mixture of your mouthwash and even toothpaste with a few drops of essential oil will help cleanse your mouth better and give you a refreshing feeling.
• You can add essential oil with your aftershave lotion and apply it on your face. This will give you a refreshing feeling, avoid irritation and will protect your face with its antimicrobial features.
• Essential oil can be very beneficial to maintain a clean and healthy scalp and shiny hair, so you can add essential oil with your shampoo or mixture before applying.
• Skincare products having essential oils helps you to maintain a glowing skin and fight of acne with its anti-inflammatory attributes. You can even create a mixture by adding a few drops of essential oil with your lotion, moisturizer, facewash, and other products before applying, even if they don’t have essential oil infused in them.

 Bottom Line:

Essential oils have a long list of benefits, and this article highlighted the probable ways to integrate it with the sectors that we are associated with on a regular basis. Be it cooking, cleaning, health or maintaining your personal skincare, we do not go a day without any of this. But it is important to notice here that the essential oil that suits you or the one that you use will only cater to a few of the above benefits. If you want to avail some more benefits, you can opt for some specific essential oils. However, check the labelling and consult with your doctor before buying any essential oil. This way, you can remain safe from any harmful reaction and use the essential oil to the best of its attributes at the same time.