Inspired at Home - HerbanLiving

Essential Oil Drop

What are Essential Oils and why would I want to use them? >>Go

Essential Oil of the Month

Lemon Essential Oil - is obtained from the peel of the lemon. It takes about 1,500 lemons to produce a single pound of lemon essential oil. Lemon essential oil contains monoterpenes which are anti-septic and stimulating and have expectorant and decongestant properties. It also contains traces of aldehydes which give a light but sharp odor, and furocoumarins that cause sensitivity to sunlight. To avoid adverse skin reactions, do not use this oil before going out in the sun. Lemon essential oil is used for the skin as it is a natural skin tonic, for hair care, for the treatment of respiratory tract infections, fatigue, colds, flu, boosts circulation, effective heart tonic, helps reduce high blood pressure, is good for digestive upset and poor appetite. Lemon essential oil is strongly anti-septic even when inhaled.

Aromatherapy Fatigue Blend

Place 1 -2 drops of lemon essential oil and peppermint essential oil into a small bowl. Dip a cool, moist cloth into the mixture. Lie down and drape the compress over your forehead. Relax, breathe and fatigue will lift.

Massage Blend - to stimulate circulation - add to massage oil 2 drops of lemon essential oil, 2 drops of yarrow essential oil and 1 drop of lavender essential oil.

Lemon Skin Toner - for oily skin

2 drops of lemon essential oil
2 drops of peppermint essential oil
2 drops of cypress essential oil
1 tablespoon of almond oil

Mix together and use on skin.

Wart Removal - apply 1-2 drops of lemon oil onto the wart two times a day for at least 4 weeks.

Dishwashing - add 10 drops of lemon oil to 1 ounce of vinegar and add to your dish water. This mixture cuts grease while scenting the kitchen and brightens up your nails while you are washing dishes.

Other interesting stuff you might want to take a look at . . .

Herb of the Month >>Go

Home Remedies >>Go

Top 20 Cooking Herbs >>Go

Spiritual Qualities of Herbs >>Go

Aromatherapy & Essential Oils >> You are Here!

Go Garden >>Go

Go Go Green >>Go

Some thoughts on aromatherapy and essential oils that we just had to write about . . .

You are So Worth It! by Candace Liccione (posted 12/30/08)

Our picks for the Top [more than] 20 Aromatherapy Essential Oils - how to use aromatherapy to enhance your well being!

Cedarwood Essential Oil- has a woodsy scent, reduces anxiety and tension, calming, relaxes tight muscles, lessens pain, vapors help breathing, repels insect bites. Emotionally supportive for spiritual strength, meditation, endurance, focus, balance, grounding, purification, and protective. Use in massage oils, bath, skin and hair care and in diffuser. Cautions: none.

Chamomile, German (blue) - has a herby scent, reduces stress and tension, calming, lessens pain, promotes restful sleep, reduces inflammation, improves digestion, increases appetite, healing to skin, soothes insect bites. Emotionally supportive to help you spiritually understand, soothes flow of chi energy in body. This oil is expensive!

Clary Sage Essential Oil- has a musky, sweet scent, reduces stress and tension, calming, lessens pain, promotes restful sleep, improve digestion, contains estrogen-like hormone to help ease premenstrual syndrome. Emotionally supportive for grounding, tranquility, balance and stimulates creativity. Use as compress, massage oil, skin and hair care, in bath and diffuser. Use in warm bath to relieve a bad night's sleep, worries or nightmares. For relaxation, mix 1-2 drops with carrier oil and apply on wrists or temples. Cautions: do not use if you have mastosis, cancer or if you are pregnant.

Clove Oil Essential Oil- has a hot and spicy scent, relieves toothache, warming to the body, relieves pain, mood uplifting, helps relieve fatigue, improves digestion, improves mental clarity and memory, disinfectant and is highly antiseptic. Emotionally supportive for regeneration, inspiration and inner-warmth. Cautions: don't use if pregnant, can cause irritation to sensitive skin. Do not use undiluted.

Bergamot Essential Oil- has a citrus scent and reduces anxiety, nervous tension and stress, balances nervous system, is mood uplifting, helps relieve fatigue, is disinfectant. Emotionally supportive for confidence, joy, harmony and balance. Cautions: is phototoxic - avoid exposure to sun for up to 24 hours following application.

Eucalyptus Essential Oill - has a woodsy, camphor scent – cooling to body, relieves pain, refreshing, breaks up congestion, reduces inflammation, vapors help breathing, disinfectant, repels insects. Good for emotional balance and centering of emotional issues. Ten drops of eucalyptus oil, rosemary oil, lavender oil and 1 oz. of almond are a great blend for inhalations or diffuser. Cautions: Do not use internally. Breathe directly from bottle, use in a diffuser or with vaporizer.

Geranium Essential Oil - has an herby scent – reduces stress and tension, calming in small amounts, stimulating in large amounts, lessens pain, mood uplifting, encourages communication, soothe itchy skin, for treatment of candida, fungus, acts against yeast without affecting bacterial flora. Good for balance, feeling mothered, soothed and centered in emotional issues. Good for bath, massage oils, diffuser, on skin, as perfume and in misters. Cautions: none.

Grapefruit Essential Oil- has a citrus scent and is cooling to the body, mood uplifting. Helps relieve fatigue, is refreshing, energizing, increases physical strength, improves mental clarity and memory, is detoxifying. Emotionally supportive for joy, positive thoughts, attunement, and brightens dark moods. Cautions: is phototoxic - avoid exposure to sun for up to 24 hours following application.

Lavender Essential Oil - has a floral scent and can be used in bath, massage oil, for inhalation, for skin and hair care and in a diffuser. Reduces stress, tension, is calming in small amounts, relaxes tight muscles, lessens pain, promotes restful sleep, mood uplifting, balances mood swings, breaks up congestion, reduces inflammation, improves digestion, is purifying to the body, is disinfectant, healing to skin, soothes insect bites. Three drops on a pillowcase can aid sleep. Rub on your temples or forehead to relieve a headache. Combines well with geranium oil and rosemary oil to enhance its stimulating effects. Lavender oil comforts and helps with emotional balance. Cautions: none.

Lemon Essential Oil - has a citrus scent and is cooling to body, balancing, calming or energizing, balances nervous system, mood uplifting, refreshing, improves mental clarity and memory, helps reduce cellulite deposits, has a purifying effect on the body. Good for clarity and direction in life. Use in diffuser and misters. Cautions: avoid exposure to sun for up to 24 hours following application to skin, can cause irritation to sensitive skin.

Neroli Essential Oil - comes from orange blossoms - citrus species. Neroli oil has a floral note. Is good for skin regeneration and skin elasticity when mixed in a carrier oil or cream. Has been clinically shown to reduce heart palpitations when mixed with carrier oil and massaged into feet. Said to be able to lift even the darkest of moods. The emotional properties of Neroli oil are lightness, lifting of sorrows, completeness, joy, understanding and calming.

Patchouli Essential Oil- has an earthy, musky scent. Is mood uplifting, nerve stimulant, healing to the skin, stimulating, grounding, for farsightedness, earth connectedness in emotional issues. Cautions: none.

Peppermint Essential Oil - has a minty scent (surprise!). It is cooling to the body, relieves pain, mood lifting, helps relieve fatigue, refreshing, energizing, nerve stimulant, increase physical strength, breaks up congestion, reduces inflammation, improves digestion, increase appetite, improved mental clarity and memory, invigorates mind, soothes itchy skin, repels insects. Good for regeneration, self acceptance, clears negativity, and clearing of emotional states. Can be used in diffuser, as a compress, in massage oil. One drop of peppermint oil eases sea sickness or nausea. Cautions: do not use if you are pregnant, breast feeding, not for children under 30 months old, don’t use if you have epilepsy, fever or heart disease.

Pine Essential Oil- has a forest scent and lessens pain, is mood uplifting, helps relieve fatigue, refreshing, energizing, increases physical strength, breaks up congestion, improves mental clarity and memory, has purifying effect on the body. Emotionally good for warmth, comfort and energy and connection to nature spirits. Cautions: not for internal use and can cause irritation to sensitive skin.

Rose Essential Oil - has a floral scent - is calming, lessens pain, mood uplifting, increases physical strength, reduces inflammation; is purifying and healing to skin. Emotionally good for motivation, passion and fulfillment. Rose oil is very expensive as it takes so many roses to make the oil! Cautions: none.

Rosemary Essential Oil - Good for hair and skin, relaxes tight muscles, relieves pain, is mood uplifting, helps relieve fatigue, energizing, nerve stimulant, vapors help breathing, improves digestion, improves mental clarity and memory, help reduce cellulite deposits, has purifying effect on body. Carry a bottle of rosemary in your car and inhale it when you are driving and get tired. If you have tired feet mix a couple of drops of rosemary oil and 1-2 teaspoons of olive or almond oil and massage into feet. Cautions: don’t use if pregnant or breast feeding or for children under 30 months old or if you have epilepsy, fever or high blood pressure.

Rosewood Essential Oil - comes from a tree that is a member of the laurel family native to South America. Rosewood has a fresh, rather flowery, woodsy scent. Because of its flowery, rosy scent, it is sometimes used in place of expensive rose oil. It is useful for candida, eczema, dry skin and many other skin problems. It is analgesic, antiseptic and antibacterial. It is calming, can be used to ease menstrual pains, cramped or fatigued muscles. Rosewood has a balancing effect when used as an inhalative; eases nervousness, helps in stressful situations such as interviews or tests; helpful in treating mood swings. Inhale to ease headaches accompanied by nausea and linked to nervousness and tension in muscles. Can be mixed with massage oil for stretch marks or add to the bath to ease irritability. Taking rosewood oil internally is absolutely not advised as it is considered poisonous. Use externally by mixing with a carrier oil such as olive oil or almond oil.

Sandalwood Essential Oil - has a woodsy scent, reduces stress, is calming, promotes restful sleep, aphrodisiac, healing to skin. Emotionally supportive for centering, meditation, mood uplifting, warming, serenity and wisdom. Use in bath, massage oils and as perfume. Cautions: none.

Sweet Orange Essential Oil - has a citrus scent and is cooling to the body, reduces stress, calming, promotes restful sleep, mood uplifting, purifying effect on the body. Good for sluggish digestion. Emotionally good for positive attitude, joy, refreshing and cheerful. Cautions: could irritate sensitive skin and is phototoxic and can cause sun sensitivity up to 24 hours after applying.

Tea Tree Essential Oil- has a disinfectant scent, healing to skin problems, lessens pain; vapors help breathing, acts against bacteria, parasites in digestive system, viral infections, is anti microbal, anti fungal, good for athletes foot, thrush and clears negativity. Good for hair care and steam inhalation, chest rub and compress. Can be applied directly to skin. Cautions: none.

Vetiver Essential Oil- has an earthy scent - is calming and acts as a digestive stimulant. Emotionally supportive for grounding, uplifting and reconnection. Use in perfume, bath and diffuser. Cautions: none.

Ylang Ylang Essential Oil (pronounced "lang-lang") - has a floral scent and is calming, relaxes tight muscles, lessens pain, promotes restful sleep. Is mood uplifting and disinfectant. Good for communication, self-forgiveness, self-love. Is sensual, euphoric and normalizes extreme emotions. One drop of ylang ylang essential oil in a bowl of warm water is a relaxing facial wash. Cautions: none.