A Pratical guide of Erboristeriacomo.it on Essential oils uses. They are essential in aromatherapy and useful in everyday life. It is therefore important to know how to use them and to know how to choose them. Find out here for essential oils the practical tips for use.

There are various ways of using essential oils externally: here are some practical tips for their use.

Essential oils uses: inhalation and diffusion

1. Humid inhalations: mix 5-6 drops of essential oil in a mixture of essential oils to a quarter of a liter of boiling water. Preferably use a commercially available inhaler that keeps your eyes out of the flap. Practice 5-10 minutes, repeat if necessary once a day.

2. Dry inhalations: (on a handkerchief, on the wrist): some essential oils must not be inhaled too long, it is possible to breathe them briefly on a handkerchief or on the back of the wrist, especially in the winter period (tea tree essential oil), or in case of car sickness (ginger, Lemon essential oil or peppermint), or anxiety attacks, for example before an examination, a test (Roman chamomile, marjoram). NB avoid inhaling the mint before the age of 12. For example, in case of car sickness, place on a handkerchief or wrist and smell two or three drops of Lemon essential oil. You can also find ready-made blended for a balsamic effect (Mix respiro) or for sanitizer air (Mix aria pulita).

3. Diffusion: essential oils can be diffused for the olfactory pleasure with the help of an essence burner, a diffuser, a radiator dehumidifier or a humidifier. Once the composition has been chosen, mix no more than 2-3 essential oils, or exceed 5-6 drops. Proceed by diffusion of 15-20 minutes per hour, 3-4 times a day approximately, out of the presence of small children and in a confined space. For example, an anti-tobacco essence for diffuser is that of lemon, sweet orange, officinal lavander, pine. Look at also, for example, this good blended essential oils for mosquitoes for home, formulated by Dr. Marco Valussi or this blended for relax.

Essential oils: uses for oral care

Gargling, rinsing: dissolve 1-2 drops of essential oil on sugar and pour in a glass of water if necessary, warmed and sweetened with honey, or pour 2 or 3 drops into a quarter glass of water and mix before each gulp water to gradually disperse essential oils. For children, add only 1 drop of essential oil to a teaspoon of honey before pouring the water. For example, For example, tea tree essential oil is indicated for toothache and pyorrhea.

Essential oils: uses for body

1.Local applications, massages: for a good massage, dilute a fortnight of essential oil drops in 2 tablespoons of fat vegetable oil (diluted about 2%) or a neutral massage gel, mud, clay, hydrosols. Among the oils we recommend:

argan oil (regenerating, repairer for fair and mature skin),
arnica oil (anti hematomas, muscular effort, for all skin types, to be applied before and after the efforts),
calendula oil (softening, soothing, calming, for sensitive, cracked skin),
carrot oil (anti-wrinkle, for cracked skin, as a sun screen), coconut oil (nourishing, for dry skin),
hypericum oil (healing, regenerating, for inflamed skin),
jojoba oil (sebum regulator, for oily skin),
sweet almond oil (softening, soothing),
olive oil (softening, regenerating for dry, damaged skin),
rose oil (anti-wrinkle, healing, for mature skin),
oil of hemp (for dry skin),
shea butter (nourishing, regenerating),
castor oil

For example, for a “stretch marks” massage, massage the breast, buttocks, hips, belly, upper thighs with a preparation based on essential oil of lemon, geranium; a “tantalizing” massage with the essential oil of ylang ylang.

It is possible to incorporate creams for the day or night, toning lotions, make-up removers, masks (maximum 1%) with the same proportions to your usual beauty products.

Dosage of essential oils for body and face: For the body essential oils must be used at 2-2.5%. Normally it takes 25-30 drops of essential oil to get 1 ml (1%), so for a body massage oil we will use 98 ml of carrier oil and 50-60 drops of Essential Oil; in the case of particular and localized treatments (an oil to treat a fungal infection for example) you can also increase the doses up to 5%. For the face: at 0.5-1%. Some very fragrant OEs, such as essential oil of ylang ylang, do not need such high dosages, just one drop on 50 ml of cream or oil.

2. Baths: disperse fifteen drops of essential oil in the bath alone or mixed in the neutral-based bubble bath and mix with the bath water. The bathrooms are to be done away from meals, 1 hour before or 3 hours later. For a footbath (relaxing) or for forearms (refreshing) divide the quantity of oil by 3. For example:

for a relax bath: is useful the combination of: lavander, sweet orange, ylang;
for a bath to relieve muscle tension you can combine: lemon, juniper or pine;
for a hydro-lipid retention, that is the cellulite, useful are lemon, cypress, Officinal lavender;
for a “antiperspirant” bath, use the essential pine oil for an over-perspiration of the feet, that of Officinal lavender essential oil for an excessive general transpiration.

3. Nails treatment: 20 drops of Lemon essential oil in 5 ml of olive oil.

4. For perfume: in jojoba oil or alcohol with essential oils at the following percentages: colony 1-4%, cologne 4-8%, eau de toilette 8-12%, eau de parfum 12-15%, parfume 15-25%.

Essential oils: uses for hair

Capillary shampoo and friction: for a shampoo, add 5-6 drops of essential oil or a mixture of essential oils to a soup shampoo with a mild neutral shampoo, or to a treatment shampoo of your choice; for a tonic friction, dilute the essential oils required in a quarter of rum and complete with three quarters of water, at the rate of 12 drops of essential oil or a mixture of essential oils for a 150 ml glass. Avoid tap water, which often contains too much chlorine, limescale or is softened, and prefer natural water that is not mineralized.

For example, for a shampoo for oily hair: prepare a neutral bio shampoo with lemon and optionally cypress or Officinal lavender essential oil. Friction and rinsing can be advantageously added with lemon juice or white vinegar.

Essential oils: uses for house

essential oils against moths, let it evaporate in the closet or in a drawer to treat or protect, a few drops of Officinal lavender essential oil or sweet orange essence.
essential oils to eliminate bad odors in the microwave oven, pour a few drops of Lemon essential oil in a bowl of water that you have warmed up and let cool so that the vapors spread correctly inside the oven. Likewise for the fridge: a few drops of Lemon essential oil on a soft sponge will pleasantly complete the cleaning.
essential oils against the mold spray a mixture of Lemon essential oil and Officinal lavender essential oil, essential oil of pine and tea tree (10 drops each) in 1 liter of alcohol for domestic use.
essential oils for the aspirator: before using the aspirator, it is possible to deposit, at the level of the bag, a cotton soaked with a few drops of essential oil to expand a good smell, which is purifying, during use. Likewise with household waste to avoid odors.
essential oils for the pot-pourri: for example in spring-summer, on rose petals a few drops of Ylang-ylang essential oil, or in winter a few drops of a choice of citrus fruit (es. Lemon essential oil, sweet orange) they will match with cinnamon sticks, cloves and citrus peel arranged in a small bowl placed on the shelf of a heater.
essential oils for cleaning and environmental perfume: an easy recipe for cleaning and perfuming surfaces could be • 150 ml distilled water, • 8 ml vinegar, • 15 drops of Mountain pine essential oil • 6 drops of essential oil of sweet orange essence (Citrus sinensis). Put in a glass bottle with nebulizer and remember to shake well before use.
essential oils for hand or machine washing: add 10-15 drops of essential oil to the detergent tank. For example: lavender, tea tree essential oil, Mountain pine.

How to choose your right oil

Here a list of the most used oils:

FrankIncense essential oil: it is immunostimulant, antidepressant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic against rheumatism, healing;
Ylang-ylang essential oil: soothing against insomnia, stimulating the reproductive system (frigidity, impotence), scalp tonic and for hair growth;
Lemon essential oil: antimelanin on dark spots of the skin, antifungal (thrush), anti-inflammatory for boils, insect bites, rheumatism, air antiseptic (hospital wards, nurseries, apartments), soothing against insomnia, headache, nightmares, expectorant, immunostimulant;
Mandarin essential oil: calming against insomnia, nervous tension, excitability, cardiovascular eretism;
Cypress essential oil: anti-infective (bronchitis, flu), astringent (capillary rupture), bechico (pertussis, bronchitis), calming (regulates the sympathetic nervous system, irritability), deodorant for foot transpiration, phlebotonic (bad venous circulation, protective on circulation at capillary level), neurotonic (asthenia); useful in case of varicose veins for applications in the area adjacent to the lesion.
Common juniper essential oil: anticatarrale (bronchitis, rhinitis), antiseborroico (oily scalp), antiseptic (acne, exuding eczema), neurotonic (asthenia, fatigue);
Officinal lavender essential oil: analgesic (arthritis, muscle pain, rheumatism, antifungal (es tinea pedis, also nail infections), anti-inflammatory (dry eczema, insect bites, phlebitis, sinusitis, otitis, acne, pruritus), antiseptic ( acne, bronchial secretions, infectious dermatological diseases, sinusitis), antispasmodic (spasmodic cough), calming, sedative (headache, migraine, insomnia, sleep problems), tonic (asthenia, melancholy). In massage it is used as a relaxing remedy, at a concentration not exceeding 5%: it relieves stress and related problems like insomnia, headache, anxiety. For inflamed skin, mix 15 drops of lavender oil in a bottle spray full of water and two tablespoons of aloe gel, keep in the fridge and store for one week only. A humectant solution is obtained by mixing 3-4 drops of officinal lavender essential oil in 33 ml of jojoba oil. A few drops in the bath help reduce nasal and bronchial congestions caused by colds and flu, or help improve mood. For a simple olfactory effect use 3 drops, for a more powerful effect reach a maximum of 15 premixed drops. 20 drops of lavender oil in a 150 ml jar full of kitchen salts is a great one relaxing bath remedy. Officinal lavender essential oil can create a very relaxing environment, and for this you can use it in diffusers, vaporizers or simply on the radiator with a handkerchief. The vaporization of officinal lavender essential oil at night has improved the insomnia of some subjects with light insomnia. It binds well with Incense essential oil (Boswellia carterii). In the wardrobe it can be used to perfume clothes.
Essential oil of tea tree: antibacterial, antifungal, anti-infective (abscesses, skin infections, bronchitis). anti-inflammatory (abscesses, pyorrhea, sinusitis), phlebotonic (varicose veins), immunostimulant, neurotonic (depression, asthenia, premenstrual syndrome);
Geranium essential oil: analgesic (facial neuralgia, osteoarthritis, rheumatism), antifungal (athlete’s foot and other fungi for skin and nails), acne and dermatitis, anti-inflammatory (arthritis, itching, rheumatism), astringent (varicose veins) , cicatrizing (stretch marks), phlebotonic (varicose veins), repellent mosquitoes, relaxing (agitation, anxiety, asthenia, nervous fatigue);
Patchouli essential oil: anti-infective (bronchitis, sinusitis, pertussis), antiviral, expectorant (bronchitis, cough), neurotonic (insomnia, muscle fatigue, neuromuscular problems).
Mountain pine essential oil: The indications approved by the Commission E are neuralgia and rheumatism in topical application. It has been used in inhalation for respiratory problems such as bronchitis, cough, sinusitis, cold and flu, and generally catarrhal problems. If applied to the skin its rubefacient effect is exploited in case of rheumatism, arthritis, muscle pains. It can be used as an environmental fragrance as a stimulant of the central nervous system, and as a mosquito repellent. For: topical use-massages, diffusion, bath, perfumes.

Look at also our posts about Aromatherapy and oils.

Dr. Laura Comollo

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Essential oils uses: a pratical guide and our tips