
5 FAVORITE ESSENTIAL OILS & THEIR USES
By: Zach Champ
WHAT ARE ESSENTIAL OILS?
Essential oils are the powerful medicinal extracts of a plant’s volatile, aromatic, and other biochemical products. Essential Oils can be made from the leaves, flowers, or bark of any plant, and extracts are usually made through steam distillation, manual extraction, or by making alcoholic tinctures. They can be made at home using simple methods or they can be professionally extracted in a laboratory. The essential oils of plants have been appreciated by masters of herbal medicine for thousands of years for their healing, curing, and soothing effects for a variety of ailments and conditions. Essential oils have been utilized by cultures all over the world in their traditional medicine practices and may very well be one of the first natural based medicines humans developed.
OUR TOP 5 FAVORITE ESSENTIAL OILS:
With so many different types of essential oils, it can be hard determining which specific oil should be used for what specific ailment. In this article, we chose our top 5 essential oils to address the most common medicinal needs for home remedies. You may be familiar with quite a few of them! Tell us what your favorite essential oil is on the blog comments below!
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LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OIL: Lavender Essential Oil is one of the most thoroughly researched of the plant essential oils. It is antiseptic and antibacterial and has been studied for its ability to reduce pain and anxiety. Lavender Essential Oil can be used topically, in a diffuser, on clothing or pillows in small amounts, or in the creation of your own balms or lotions. The traditional medicinal use of Lavender Essential Oil includes treating issues like headaches, migraines, insomnia, anxiety, and other nervous conditions. Lavender essential oil is excellent for use in first-aid for burns, cuts, and wounds because of it’s antiseptic and antibacterial properties. Lavender Essential Oil can be used in a bath to provide a relaxing and soothing spa-like experience!
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TEA-TREE ESSENTIAL OIL: Tea Tree Essential Oil is another powerful antiseptic great for use in first aid for burns, cuts, and wounds. Tea-Tree is a native plant of Australia and has been utilized by the indigenous aboriginal peoples for its medicinal properties since the dawn of civilization. Tea Tree essential oil is also a strong antifungal and antibacterial product, that can help with the treatment of issues such as yeast infections, warts, and skin conditions like acne, bug bites and stings, and eczema. Be warned that Tea Tree oil can cause a slight burning irritation in some individuals due to its strong, naturally occurring chemicals. For individuals with sensitive skin, it may be necessary to dilute the essential oil in a carrier oil such as avocado oil, olive oil, or similar.
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PEPPERMINT ESSENTIAL OIL: Everyone is familiar with the cooling and soothing effects of the Mint Family and its famous plant byproduct Menthol. Menthol which can be found in Peppermint essential oil is a robust antibacterial, as well as an antiseptic and topical anesthetic. Peppermint essential oil can be used to treat everything from burns to headaches and migraines. It is a common fragrance used in aromatherapy. Perhaps less well known and more interesting is Peppermint essential oil’s use as a digestive aid and carminative (relieves stomach cramps and gas!) If using Peppermint essential oil for topical use it is suggested to dilute it in a carrier oil, as Menthol can be irritating to sensitive skin.
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ROSEMARY ESSENTIAL OIL: Rosemary is a herb native to the Mediterranean region. The volatile oils of this plant are usually extracted from the fresh leaves. The essential oil of Rosemary is known for being analgesic and anti-inflammatory. It is also used as a stimulant in some home remedies and recipes. Rosemary has been indicated to help with those suffering from depression and nervous conditions although the exact methods by which the plant’s constituents help is not fully understood.
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ORANGE ESSENTIAL OIL: Orange essential oil is one of the most medicinal and healthiest of the essential oils on our list. Jampacked with nutritious Vitamin-C and medicinal Flavanoids, Orange essential oil is utilized n home remedies treating digestive issues, improving the immune system, and as a sedative to help promote relaxation and sleep. Under no circumstance should a person consume Orange essential oil as this can result in illness. Orange essential oils are best used topically, in a diffuser, in a balm or lotion, or like lavender oil in a bath.
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PURCHASE YOUR OWN ESSENTIAL OILS HERE AT AMERICAN GYPSY HERBALIST!
American Gypsy Herbalist works with our affiliates to provide the best essential oil products! Our vendor and in-house aromatherapist experts LJ Spoiled by Oil offer on our online store premium 100% all-natural essential oil extracts. The Simply Earth™ brand also contributes 13% of all its proceeds to non-profits that fight human trafficking around the world, showing the company’s commitment to humanitarian causes. To check out and purchase some of our essential oil products just click on the STORE tab above!