The use and popularity of essential oils have increased by many folds in recent times. And with this, the availability of many brands has flooded the market and its tough for people to choose from the options.
What are essential oils?
Essential oils are highly concentrated plant extracts that have multifarious use and benefits. An essential oil contains the essence of the plant’s fragrance it was extracted from.
They are usually extracted by distillation and cold pressing, and are used in cosmetics, personal care products, soaps, shampoos, and even household cleaning products.
For the ease of choosing, here’s everything to know about 11 essential oils:
1. Lavender
Description: There are a number of people who find lavender scent relaxing, using it relieve stress and anxiety. Most of them also reportedly had good sleep after using lavender essential oil. A recent study also found that the aroma of lavender was quite effective in building a sense of trust. And even before antiseptics were found, lavender was used as a cleaning product in medical institutions.
Benefit: Better sleep, relaxation, reduced anxiety, improved mood, healing minor injuries, lower blood pressure, stable heart rate, and standard skin temperature.
Side effects: Nausea, diarrhea, hormone disruption, abnormal breast growth in girls,abnormal breast tissue growth in boys.
- Tea tree oil (melaleuca)
Description: Tea tree oil is a natural antibacterial and antifungal which has a number of benefits. One of its major attributes is that it helps to reduce bad odors and can aid in immune system stimulation. It is often found in cosmetic and skincare products, so it might be an effective way to treat mild acne problems with its antifungal and anti-inflammatory attributes.
Benefit: Antiseptic, antifungal, effective for acne, nail fungus, athlete’s foot, wound healing, and insect bites.
Caution: If you have young children or animals at home, avoid diffusing tea tree oil because it has the potential to be neurotoxic.
3. Peppermint
Description: Due to its well-established therapeutic benefits, peppermint essential oil has been used for centuries to treat a wide range of medical conditions. It has been discovered to be quite efficient at easing abdominal pain. It can even improve your memory and increase your focus, according to numerous studies.
Benefits: Anti-inflammatory, antifungal, eases headaches and muscle pain, helps fight fatigue, boosts mood, supports memory, reduces fatigue, reduces gut spasms, helps in digestion, helps with irritable bowel syndrome or gastric irritation.
4. Rosemary
Description: Many of us have used or are aware about the use of rosemary in adding flavor in cooking or different recipes. But we are unaware of the other uses of rosemary, which includes boosting brain function, feeling refreshed, improve accuracy, naturally thicken hair and many more.
Benefits: Enhances brainpower, promotes hair growth, reduces pain and stress, lifts mood, reduces joint inflammation, improves test scores among school kids, reduces fatigue, boosts energy.
Caution: It is recommended not to use rosemary oil if you are pregnant, have epilepsy, or have high blood pressure.
5. Lemongrass
Description: According to a recent study, exposure to lemongrass essential oil reduced participants’ anxiety and tension levels, and they even recovered more quickly than other participants. Stress, anxiety, and depression are reduced thanks to the oil’s potent citrus smell.
Benefits: Antibacterial, helps reduce blood sugar in those with type 2 diabetes, heals wound, prevents the growth of fungus found in athlete’s foot, helps keeps insects away.
Caution: It is recommended to use a carrier oil with it before applying to your skin.
6. Orange
Description: Citrus fruit rinds are used to make orange oil. When dispersed, its uplifting and pleasant perfume revitalizes the air. It can even be used as a natural cleanser in your house to properly clean surfaces by removing adhesives and residues. Additionally, it facilitates digestion and imitates immunity.
Benefits: Antibacterial, reduces anxiety, stress and pain.
Caution: If you use orange oil on your skin before going outside, it’s possible that it will make your skin more susceptible to sunlight.
7. Bergamot
Description: Bergamot oil has a pleasant flowery scent and can be used topically or diffused with a carrier oil. According to a study, ladies who inhaled bergamot had reduced cortisol levels in their saliva (the stress hormone). Another study discovered that the smell made patients with mental illnesses feel happier.
Benefits: Reduces anxiety, lifts mood, lowers blood pressure.
Caution: If you use orange oil on your skin before going outside, it’s possible that it will make your skin more susceptible to sunlight.
8. Lemon
Description: Lemon oil, which is made from lemon peel, can be applied directly to the skin or dispersed into the air. A study demonstrates that utilizing this oil improves mood and is more successful than aromatherapy.
Benefits:Natural antibacterial tool, mood booster, used in homemade cleaning products, reduces anxiety, pain and depression, eases nausea, improves the cognitive function of Alzheimer’s patients.
Side effects:can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight and increase your risk of sunburn. Avoid direct sunlight exposure after use. This includes lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, lemongrass and bergamot oils.
9. Eucalyptus
Description: When it comes to clearing your nasal passages and facilitating easy breathing, eucalyptus is a fantastic essential oil to have on hand. Due to its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory qualities, it also provides numerous other advantages in addition to pain relief.
Benefits: Helps stop sniffling, improves respiratory issues like bronchitis, sinusitis and allergies, reduces mucus, has purifying effects, promotes mental clarity and soothes headaches.
Caution: Eucalyptus oil should be used with caution, and it should be diluted before being applied topically. It should not be consumed since it may have harmful negative effects for both children and animals.
10. Cinnamon
Description: The most prominent benefit of using cinnamon oil is that it might stimulate the brain region in charge of attentiveness. For instance, studies have shown that inhaling cinnamon-oil fragrances made drivers more alert and less agitated.
Benefits: Increases concentration, boosts focus, reduces frustration.
11. Grapefruit
Description: Grapefruit essential oil is well-known for its distinct characteristics that offer health benefits, especially its strong fruity aroma which uplifts your mood. It also acts as a purifying agent in skincare, and it is also often used in aromatherapy.
Benefits: Antibacterial and antimicrobial effects, supports metabolism, helps lose weight, helps to calm down, helps balance your mood, lowers blood pressure, helps to treat acne.
Bottom Line
Just smelling an essential oil can lift your mood and make you happier. It might even help some people in reducing the symptoms of many complicated medical conditions. But as there are a number of essential oils in the market, it is important to know about the distinct features that each essential oil has. This will also help you to determine the best essential oil that will suit you. And it is also important to note that essential oils ae a mean to help you feel good and even in some cases, help you reduce the effect of some health issues, but it is in no way a substitute for traditional medicine.
