This year All The Things I Do really wants to help readers focus on balance. About a year ago my anxiety hit a peak and one of the things I decided to try was essential oils. I can confirm that some of these oils are truly amazing.
Today Ash, from One Damn Good Woman is taking over the blog to tell you all about how Essential Oils can bring some balance back into your life.
Oil Up For A New and Better You
Essential oils are all the rage these days. Take 20 minutes to do some quick web surfing session and you’ll find a plethora of essential oil Facebook groups, pins, blogs, and infographics. While the movement has actually been around for a while, it’s been picking up some incredible momentum lately. People everywhere are jumping on the bandwagon! And while there is a business aspect to some essential oil companies, there is so much more to them than making money.
These little brown bottles contain incredible compounds from therapeutic and medicinal plants that interact with our bodies as well as our limbic system, so simply inhaling them poses health benefits. If you’re looking to be your best you, consider these four simple everyday ways that essential oils can influence life for the better and make you your fiercest yet.
Anxiety & Stress
Stress is a HUGE problem for women thanks to sleep, finances, relationships, work, and so on.. While I have yet to find a magical potion that can make all problems go away, I have found some powerful little plants that can help bring me back down to planet Earth.
When it comes to the powers of plants essential oils, it’s not merely fragrance at work. They actually contain compounds that affect our bodies in particular ways. In the case of stress, there are essential oils with relaxing properties that can reduce anxiety. Science is still studying their effects on circulation, blood pressure, and so on to see how and “if” they work, but there’s a reason flowery-fragrances like lavender, rose, chamomile, and ylang-ylang captivate noses around the world. Essential oils of frankincense, bergamot, cypress, and marjoram, have a long historical tie to peace and relief, so while their rumored calming effects may be news to us, they actually have a long history.
Whatever particular oils happen to tickle your senses, you can fuse their benefits with everyday life by adding them to your lotions, massage oils, and baths. And if you could use a little stress relief on the go, pick up a little spray bottle so that you can carry an essential oil spritzer for a mobile de-stressor that can be packed into any purse. You could even have your spritzer double as a perfume by perfecting the art of blending essential oils. Buy the right oils and you’ll never have to buy another bottle of artificial fragrance.
Sleep
If you’re struggling with stress, then chances are good that things are lacking in the bedroom – as in lacking love with that pillow and mattress. Getting a full night’s rest will give a huge lift to your energy and mood, so there’s no time to lie awake in bed thinking of everything we could be doing besides sleeping.
The essential oils mentioned above for anxiety can all help you relax and transition into a dreamy state. But while you’re shopping online, know that every nightstand can benefit from the sedative properties of roman chamomile, valerian, and bergamot. Of course, lavender deserves the spotlight here — I don’t think there’s anything it isn’t good for — and it’s cost, versatility, and benefits make it a must for addressing virtually every aspect of well being.
Bring on the dreams by diffusing your oils of choice or by applying them to the soles of the feet. And if you’re looking to bring on the beauty sleep, rub yourself down with lavender and roman chamomile and your carrier oil of choice. Both plants get big creds in the beauty department thanks to their effect on scars, stretchmarks, wrinkles, and overall skin quality. Pair it with the healing properties of aloe and you’ll wake up looking like a whole new woman! I’m painfully addicted to the youthful, radiant glow that I see in the mirror every morning. Try it and see for yourself! Plants are the new botox!
Energy & Clarity
It’s a no-brainer that sleep is going to have a big impact on energy levels. Diet and nutritional deficiencies will have an enormous influence on this too (I can personally attest to the powers of meeting daily iron needs). Unfortunately, we can’t always get in that 8 hours of sleep or that salmon spinach salad. But… There’s an oil for that!
If you’re dealing with a serious case of brain fog, then consider using essential oils of peppermint and eucalyptus to pierce through that heavy mental curtain. These two oils are incredible decongestants thanks to their abilities to break up mucus, and their clarifying properties are just as powerful with muddled minds. Applying a drop to the temples or the neckline can boost productivity in a jiffy, and you can feel them open up sinuses and make a direct delivery to the brain. They really work, but they both have a rather distinctive smell. Because of that, their scents don’t go over with everybody. But if you’re worried about smelling like a koala or a gallon of freshly steeped tea, then you have another option with citrus oils
Our favorite fruits offer invigorating scents that can perk up our energy and mood in a matter of breaths. Lemon, orange, and grapefruit are all inexpensive energy boosters that can get to work in a matter of minutes. They’re also very affordable. Citrus does tend to increase the skin’s sensitivity to sunlight though, so they aren’t oils you want on your skin during daylight hours. The soles of the feet can remedy this, but I prefer the benefits of direct inhalation for the quickest effect. I make this cost-effective and diffuser-free by applying a drop of essential oil to the neckline of darker everyday fabrics, or by wearing a stylish diffuser necklace that offers aromatherapy benefits all day.
Aches & Pains
Whether you’re dealing with pain from menstrual cramps, sore muscles, or sickness, essential oils can rocket your level of fierceness back up to where you need it to be. Essential oils with antispasmodic and analgesic properties offer big benefits here. Peppermint, lavender, sweet marjoram, basil, and rosemary can work wonders with tight and tired muscles — and without hurting your bank account.
Some of us are dealing with pains from the symptoms of sickness and disease, and essential oils can ease the aches of inflammation just as well. The oils of lemongrass, tea tree oil, and peppermint are especially powerful at reducing inflammation. Frankincense, helichrysum, and lavender (of course) boast big promises with relief and repair too. Do a little research and see what oils may be best for you and the condition that you’re looking to address. You don’t have to suffer, and prescriptions are hardly the only promise of relief.
You may already know some essential oil “nerds” that carry around their little brown bottles everywhere they go. As trendy and over-exaggerated as their uses may seem, they are really and truly astounding. Learn more by looking up the study citations on Pubmed to see what science is learning about them. And if you’d like to know more about oil benefits and the many ways they can be used and applied, check out the amazing book Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide To The Healing Art by Kathy Keville and Mindy Green. It includes info on everything from active compounds and historical use, to DIY products and categorized charts.
Whether you’re looking to boost your physical health, emotional well-being, or your looks, essential oils are worth your attention. The year 2016 is upon us. Let’s show this world how fierce and fabulous we are!
About the Writer
Find Ash: Facebook, Twitter, Blog
Disclaimer: This post is not medical advice. Please further research or talk to a specialist about using essential oils. This post is personal experience and observed experience of the guest writer or blog owner.
Angela Tolsma
Oh gosh these are so good to know. I was just saying how I might need to try oils to help put me to sleep and relax the muscles in my shoulder. I would never have thought of spritzing an oil .
Dia
My personal fave is putting a few drops in my humidifier.
Kat Curling
I’ve struggled with having energy. I stay up too late and don’t eat healthy so I know that’s a huge part of it. How did you know you need to take in more iron? That may be something I need to do too.
Dia
This is a guest post but you have to be super careful with taking iron. I had to take it when I had a period for 3 months straight because I was losing so much. I would reccommend talking to a doctor just because too much iron can be bad on your stomach. Instead of pills I’d start with Iron heavy foods for example: pumpkin seeds, oysters, almonds,dark leafy greens, beef and lamb.
Dawn
Wow! I definitely need to try this out. Thanks for all the info!
Ashleigh
I always love to learn new tips and info on oils, thank you for sharing! I really need to start using my oils more!
Roxy
I’m always so late jump on these types of trends. I almost need scientific research proving their effectiveness and/or safety. However, I am definitely intrigued by the concept. Perhaps I can start of slow with a little in a humidifier?
xoxo,
Roxy
Jennifer
I recently discovered essential oils and love them! So relaxing to put in my mister when I’m feeling stressed.
Dia
I hope you find some that help you 🙂
Dia
I know I got out of the habit but have started back up.
Dia
I use it in m humidifier. I have bad allergies so I didn’t see the sense in buying a whole different thing
Dia
It’s amazing how smells can soothe you but it makes sense considering how people respond to perfumes that remind them of people or certain food smells emotionally.
Victoria Stacey
I’ve heard so much about essential oils! Can’t wait to try 🙂
Leslie Rossi
I use an Aveda oil for stress. Really helps me out at work.
Leslie
http://www.alifewellconsumed.com
Angie Scheie
I’ve been really wanting to start using these oils more! I need to do some research on essential oils and pregnancy, because we struggle with infertility and I have to be super careful on what and when I put things in my body. I thought lavender wasn’t good in the 1st tri? Anyway, I must research, but I sure could use some stress relief!
Dia
Oh yeah please do your own research. This is just more to tell you about some of the benefits other’s have experienced.
Dia
Some days at my desk I have a napkin with a few drops of orange essential oil and I sniff it to relax.
Dia
They are awesome!
Kusum
Love your aromatherapy tip. I love essential oils, just the smell of it is so soothing sometimes. But I am always confused about which ones to pick, I always want them all 😉
xx, Kusum | http://www.sveeteskapes.com
Dia
I hear lavendar a lot. I started with things I know I enjoy like citrus smells like lemon or orange.
michelle
i am going to try and see if essential oils can help me with getting a better nights sleep. i have heard great things
Angela Webster | Cosmic Kick
Thank you for this! I’ve been having anxiety and sleep issues for a while now but never tried essential oil therapy. I will look in to this.
Dia
For me, essential oils and a good youtube guided meditation video help
Dia
I hope you find some that work for you 🙂
Agatha
I love using essential oils – I use them for aches and pains and just to give me an uplift!
Dia
I love using them in the afternoon when I need a pick me up
Ash
Spritzers are my favorite! I bought simple little brown glass bottles with sprayers from a health food store and I use them ALL the time. I have one for my face with beautifying oils that gives me a nice little glow (plus a lovely scent). I also have one in my purse to handle those emergency body odors (the oils not only help cover up any unpleasant scents, but certain ones are actually antibacterial so they’re able to kill the bacteria producing the odors). It’s so fun!
They also make an excellent addition to lotions and body balms. I keep a little jar of coconut oil in my nightstand that’s infused with oils for muscle tension. Having it next to my bed makes it easy to remember to love on my tense spots and sore muscles. And I wake up feeling 1000x better! 😀
Ash
First off, menstruation alone puts women at higher risk of anemia because of the blood we shed each month. Heavier periods and/or diets low in iron make anemia more likely. I came to learn about the iron and energy connection a few months back thanks to pregnancy (another contributor to anemia thanks to an increase in blood volume that dilutes red blood cell count). I wanted to make a vitamins and minerals a regular part of my diet, so I started researching nutrition and learned about iron and the way it affects our bodies. I was DEFINITELY experiencing a lot of fatigue, but I had just attributed to waking up throughout the night with a toddler, my husband’s late schedule, and having to be up at 6am. I upped my iron intake just as a way to meet pregnancy demands, but the massive jump in energy within a week or two made it clear how much my iron levels were affecting my energy. Weeks later I found out from my midwife that my initial iron test was bordering on anemia (note: the follow-up test last month came with two thumbs up).
Tell-tale signs of iron deficiency are pale skin (compromised blood flow keeps those cheeks from getting rosy). Circulation and body temperature would be affected too. I agree with Dia that it’s always a good idea to check with your health provider on such matters (high iron intake can lead to constipation — especially when fiber is lacking), but there are definitely ways you can make iron a regular part of your diet. I wrote an article for Texas Home & Gardens that shares easy non-meat iron sources plus other important female vitamins and minerals.
http://texashomeandgarden.com/idea-center/lifestyle/vitamins-minerals-every-woman-should-eat/
Ash
I’m totally with you there! I myself was intrigued by essential oils, but it took me a year before I finally relented. I’m a natural skeptic and I need to see dang good reason for doing something before I’ll buy into something. It took a year of my friend oiling up my aches, pains, and tooth problems before I finally gave in.
There’s some serious science to back up the use of essential oils. They get a lot of credit for smell and relaxation, but they’re so powerful they’re actually being studied for their use against cancer.
Here’s a link on a study that tested frankincense against tumor cells and breast cancer cells…
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22171782
Just keep in mind that the benefits you’ll receive from essential oils aren’t universal. Cheaper oils don’t practice the same methods of distillation that maintain purity and quality. They may be more artificial fragrance than essential oil, and some oils will be extracted using chemical solvents or distillation methods that help speed up and cheapen the process. DoTerra and Young Living have great reputations in the oil world, and there are other great companies that people swear by.
Here’s a link that compares various companies using tests on their peppermint EO…
http://www.intoxicatedonlife.com/2014/03/03/skeptics-guide-essential-oils-choosing-company-k-purity-issue/
It’s a good start! 🙂
Ash
They’re amazing! They were even put to work by Vanderbilt Hospital and they did a little study with employees to see how the oils impacted stress…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_v_xHTyjNXc
http://guardianlv.com/2013/07/hospitals-using-essential-oils-to-boost-productivity-and-health-video/
There’s definitely a connection between memory/emotions and scent, but essential oils are highly volatile (meaning their molecules quickly go from liquid oil to vapor). When we inhale them we’re not just smelling them, but inhaling their beneficial compounds. Check out this study with EO’s and hypertension!
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17211115
Ash
Dia’s right. It’s definitely important to do your research. Here’s a link from the National Holistic Aromatherapy Association on safe vs unsafe oils during pregnancy. It’s not easy to get definitive answers on oils because no pregnant woman is going to subject herself and her baby to doing safety tests for a product, but some of them are pretty obvious.
https://www.naha.org/explore-aromatherapy/safety/
Every body is different, so it’s just as important to know yourself and to trust your intuition. I’ve used lavender, cypress, frankincense, patchouli, marjoram, and peppermint throughout my pregnancy without any issues, but I also use them as needed. I only use 1-3 drops with any oil or oil blend, and I do it when I need them for something specific. Some people might load up everyday for weeks on end with the hopes of helping a certain issue and then continue on with this protocol. I listen to my body and do it as I need it, when I need it.
And as far as fertility goes, I’d recommend checking out Natural Fertility and Wellness to see what other women have done to help their reproductive matters. And here’s a start on that fertility research with a link for EO’s and fertility. It even goes into hormones. Tash is pretty cool. 🙂
http://www.holistichealthherbalist.com/essential-oils-fertility/
Ash
I know! I’d highly recommend getting the book Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide To The Healing Art. It’s amazing!!! They break down EO’s by their active compounds and benefits, describe each and every one, include recipes for your own blends and salves, and they even include charts that show the benefits of each oil. I like to buy oils that are versatile, so I make my buying decision that way (ie. lavender which helps with sleep, stress, scars, wrinkles, and even possesses antiviral properties). It’s too easy to justify an EO order when I’m buying things I can use everyday. Hello shopping spree! 😉
Ash
They’re awesome! Here’s an article from Massage Today on sedative EO’s…
http://www.massagetoday.com/mpacms/mt/article.php?id=14492
And if you want to look into other herbal options, here’s an article I wrote for Sleep Junkies on natural herbal remedies for catching z’s. 🙂
http://sleepjunkies.com/natural-remedies/herbal-remedies-for-sleeping/
Cheers to a better night sleep!
Ash
I just put some on last night to help my aching back. It’s incredible how quickly they work! I was kicking myself in the butt for not thinking of doing it two days ago! 🙂
Ash
They can work wonders! When I incorporate their use into a bedtime routine with a shower followed by a cup of tea and some reading time, I feel so pampered. The routine also has my body ready for bed and has me feeling like I could fall into a coma in NO TIME. 😀