Everyone is always out there looking for the next best thing, but what if our best bet at treating ailments and repelling bugs is one of those old things we take for granted?
We are talking about essential oils, which have been around for hundreds of years, helping indigenous communities do things naturally. Thankfully, essential oils are still around today and still as effective as ever.
But just because we’ve heard about or been recommended to try essential oils in the past doesn’t mean we truly know how good they are. So today, we are taking a deep dive into the world of essential oils, what they are, how you make them, and the best ways to use them.
What Are Essential Oils?
Let’s start with defining essential oils. Essential oils are extracts or compounds from plant material,herbs and spices that aid in treating various ailments and issues.
There are a few ways to get these extracts, more about that in a minute, and once extracted, these oils pack a powerful punch. To use them safely, you will have to cut their power with a little help from a carrier oil; once added to this neutral base, you have a few ways to utilize them.
The best part about essential oils is how safe they are. They aren’t full of harsh chemicals and additives that come with huge warning labels. Instead, you’ll be using all-natural plant extracts that are safe for adults and kids to use.
How To Make Your Own Essential Oils
There are a few ways to DIY essential oils, and we want to go over all of them. Making essential oils should be fun but needs to be exact if you want them to be effective.
Expression
Mechanical expression is the process of extracting the oils and compounds from the rind, or peels, of the fruit. First, yYou add them to a large drum and essentially toss them around while they are poked over and over by tiny spikes.
These pokes help to release the proper oils with the qualities you want to extract from the fruit.
Essential Oil Distillation
There are three types of distillation processes: wet, dry, and steam distillation:
-
Wet distillation uses plants submerged in a solvent, such as distilled water, to extract essential oils from the plants.
-
Steam distillation steams the oils from the plants.
-
Dry distillation uses heat to warm the plants to a particular temperature to “sweat” out the extracts.
Dilution
Once you have created your extracts, they’re ready. However, they’re not ready to use to make your own oils yet. These compounds are too strong and unsafe to use on their own; they need a carrier oil.
These carrier oils cut the potency of the plant without watering down the strength of their qualities. Carrier oils need to be neutral and safe for humans.
The most typical carrier oils are olive oil, coconut oil, and almond oil. Essential oil extracts are considered “volatile oils'' because they are strong — too strong on their own. So, you need to dilute them with a carrier oil before using them in any way.
Reasons To Use Essential Oils
Essential oils have been around a long time and can help you in many aspects of your daily life. Let’s examine some of the ways you can start using essential oils today.
Physical Health
Anytime you suffer from aches and pains, essential oils can help alleviate those symptoms. For example, peppermint oil, lavender essential oil, and eucalyptus oil are good for promoting circulation and reducing pain associated with swelling.
You can also utilize citrus oils and black pepper essential oil to aid in other physical ailments like digestion.
Mental Health
Lavender and chamomile oils are very popular with those that suffer from anxiety. They help ease the mind and calm the nerves to relax your body.
Grapefruit is another option for essential oils that helps invigorate the senses and promotes a positive attitude.
Natural Cleaners
Citrus oils have a natural disinfectant and antimicrobial quality, so using these essential oils in your hand soaps and cleaning supplies is a natural way to get a powerful cleaner.
Allergies
Another great quality of essential oils is that they can work in multiple ways. For example, peppermint, lemon, and lavender oils can also be used to treat symptoms of allergies.
They help block receptors in your brain that cause sneezes, wheezing, and runny noses.
Skin Care
Bergamot, tea tree, and jojoba oil can all be great for your skin. They help to clear up issues with acne and dandruff.
Bug Repellent
Using essential oils for insect repellent has been a fan favorite for a long time. Mosquitoes use receptors on their heads to locate us when we exhale. Oils like citronella help to mask our breath and keep us safe from bites.
Using Essential Oils
Not only are essential oils used as a remedy for a variety of problems, but there are also quite a few ways to use essential oils.
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is the practice of dispelling certain scents and aromas into the air and inhaling them. By inhaling the different scents, we trigger different responses and receptors in our brains that create different bodily reactions.
- Note that these effects only last up to two hours at a time.
Diffusers
Diffusers work by adding essential oil extracts to water and allowing the water to turn into steam and release the scents into the air.
Diffusers work well to treat ailments but have a setback. They are small, compared to the rooms in which we use them, and cannot be taken with you.
Topical Application
There are places on the body where you can dab or roll essential oils to treat yourself. After oils have been diluted, you can add them to a roller ball container, usually a glass container, and roll them onto pressure points on the body.
This is a direct line to the nerves in your brain that control physical responses. However, it comes with a few setbacks. Oils applied directly to the skin wear off quickly and may be rubbed off.
You also run the risk of your kiddos not liking the sensation of the oils on their skin and rubbing them off right away.
Essential Oil Patches
Here at The Natural Patch Co., we have taken all of these ideas into consideration and come up with a solution. A way in which to use essential oils at home and on the go, as well as emit enough oils to keep you going all day.
That’s why we created our all-natural, family-approved patches. These cute and fun stickers are safe for kids, full of enough essential oils to last up to eight hours, and go on clothes, not on skin. You’ll be able to stick them on your shirt and pants and forget about them.
Why We Choose Essential Oils
The ways to utilize essential oils as treatments and remedies for life’s issues are vast. All-natural essential oils are powerful and effective but also safe to use for adults and kids.
It’s why we choose to use essential oils over harmful chemicals. Mother Nature truly knows best!
Sources:
What Are Essential Oils? | Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing | CSH
How to Use Essential Oils with a Diffuser, on the Skin, in Bath, More | Healthline
