Imagine being able to use the plant essence to boost your mood, relax, or ease symptoms of the disease. That’s what aromatherapy is all about. It uses essential oils to cleanse the body and restore physical and emotional balance. Proponents of aromatherapy believe there is a reason we feel drawn to a particular color, location, or scent: it’s usually something we need more of. So, unless you are looking for a specific oil to address a particular problem, when selecting essential oils, follow your gut. Select the color or scent you feel most attracted to, and you can’t go wrong. Essential oils can be used in many ways, but are best absorbed through the skin (e.g., in a massage), or through inhalation (e.g., through a diffuser or incense). Just remember that for topical application, all essential oils have to be diluted in a carrier oil — 3 drops of essential oil to 1 teaspoon of coconut, almond, olive, or sesame oil.

Helps relieve headaches

Headaches can be triggered by stress, fatigue, hunger, alcohol, etc. Essential oils known to be good for headache relief are eucalyptus (for sinus headaches), lavender and chamomile (for night time hours, because they have a sedative effect), and peppermint (for daytime hours, because it has a stimulating effect).

Helps with skin problems (acne, wrinkles, and dandruff)

Acne is not only unattractive and annoying, but if they are very severe, it can permanently damage your skin by leaving scars. Dandruff is harmless but can be embarrassing. As for wrinkles – who needs wrinkles? Essential oils which are known to have powerful antifungal and anti-bacterial properties, and which can help relieve many skin conditions, are lavender, tea tree, bergamot, rosemary, lemongrass, oregano, and geranium essential oils. Apply a couple of drops of diluted essential oil to your hands, and gently massage affected areas.

Prevents bloating

Bloating is usually caused by overeating, or eating too fast. However, there are foods that are known to cause bloating, e.g., beans, cabbage, cauliflower, etc. Although bloating is not a dangerous condition, it can be painful and socially embarrassing. There are several essential oils that are effective natural remedies for this problem. Just by rubbing a couple of drops of diluted essential oil onto your stomach, you can be free of pain, cramps, or gas. The best oils to use for prevention are peppermint (for general pain), ginger (very efficient with bloating), chamomile (soothes cramps and relieves pain), and cumin (helps with cramps and is an excellent stomach detoxifier).

Reduces pain

Acute pain is terrible, but chronic pain (arthritis, migraine, fibromyalgia, nerve pain, sciatica, etc.), can be debilitating. Being constantly in pain has a very adverse effect on the quality of your life. Essential oils can bring fast relief, even with chronic pains. Lavender is particularly useful because it has a soothing effect on the mind and a cooling effect on the inflamed joints or back. Chamomile essential oil is also great because when massaged onto the stomach, it relieves stomach cramps. Other useful oils are sweet marjoram, eucalyptus, and peppermint.

Helps with anxiety and depression

Almost anything can cause stress and anxiety. Work, relationships, trauma, financial problems, etc. The best essential oils to use for stress relief are lavender, frankincense, ylang-ylang, and bergamot. If you want to absorb them through the skin, rub a little bit of diluted essential oil on your neck. Used topically, essential oils directly affect your enzymes and blood. If you inhale them, they work by affecting the pleasure centers of your brain, which are stimulated by the nerves in the nose that sense smell.

Repels insects

Some essential oils are known to be excellent insect repellents and are used in commercial insect-repellent sprays. However, most of the commercial sprays are made from chemicals, and although very efficient, breathing them can be harmful to your health. There are essential oils that not only repel mosquitoes, ants, and spiders but also soothe your skin if you get bitten. Two of the best are lemongrass and citronella.

Has wound-healing properties

Helichrysum essential oil has powerful antimicrobial and antiseptic properties and is very efficient when trying to stop bleeding. To use this oil on your wound, simply add a few drops of diluted oil on a towel and press it gently against the wound until the bleeding stops. The lemon essential oil has excellent cleansing abilities. Add a few drops of the mixture to clean cuts, scrapes, or minor wounds and prevent infection. Tea tree oil is a very strong antiseptic agent and helps heal wounds fast. You can also use it to treat cold sores and blisters.

Enhances mood and boosts your mental power

We’ve all experienced brain fog, low concentration, poor memory, or poor intellectual performance at some point in our life. Essential oils are a very effective, and 100% natural way of boosting your mood and improving your performance, and quality of life. Just inhaling essential oils, is enough to lift your spirits. Or, if you are at work and expecting a difficult meeting or a job interview, add a couple of drops to a tissue and inhale it. Oils are known to clear mental fatigue, and poor concentration is rosemary, lemon, peppermint, cinnamon, and lavender. They all have a slightly different effect, but each one of them offers a quick “pick-me-up.” Over time, you will learn which one works for you.

Reduces nausea

Essential oil used to prevent nausea and vomiting are peppermint and corn mint. You can inhale them directly from an infuser, or add a few drops to a tissue. It’s best not to use them orally, although some people do (1 drop on the tongue).

It has no side effects

While pharmaceutical drugs offer fast relief from pain, inflammation, or anxiety, they have many side effects, some potentially very serious. Organic essential oils are pure and 100% natural, and come with no side effects.