Essential Oils Are A Household ... wait for it ... Essential

Photo by Plantlife Natural Body Care
It's still green week ... and the beginning of Spring!  So let's talk a bit more about botanicals.

An essential oil is a concentrated liquid containing aromatic compounds from a plant.  It is often extracted by steam distillation.  Different parts of the plants, the flowers, bark or leaves are used in the different oils.  Steam heats the plant, breaking it down into components.  The oil is separated from the water and filtered to produce an essential oil.  

It takes many pounds of plant matter to get one pound of any given essential oil.  An essential oil may not be cheap, but a little goes a long way.  You only need a few drops at a time.  A 2-ounce bottle will last a few years and not lose its potency.

Essential oils have several uses.  They are used in aromatheraphy (in massage or baths) to promote natural healing and well being.  Their molecules are tiny, so they are easily absorbed into the skin as ingredients in lotions to heal, moisterize and norish.

Essential oils have antibacterial, antiviral and anitfugal properties.  You can use them to make homemake cleaning solutions, or add a few drops to your shampoo as a remedy for oily hair.

Because essential oils are concentrated, most varieties should not be used undiluted on your skin. They need a carrier oil, such as jojoba oil or almond oil.  Add a few drops to your favorite massage oils, or body lotions and butters.  Despite their beneficial properties, never use undiluted essential oils on babies, children or pets.  Their skins are sensitive.

To see if a brand is pure, put a drop on a piece of paper.  It should dry and disappear.  If the drop leaves a residue, the essential oil isn't pure, but is diluted with another ingredient.

Here are five Essential Oils I like to use at home:

1. Tea Tree Oil - You can safely apply undiluted tea tree oil to skin abrasions and zits.  Add a few drops to your shampoo, or wipe down sweaty exercise mats and germy household surfaces with a mixture of 20 drops of tea tree oil to one cup of water.
2. Peppermint Oil - I add several drops to shampoo and bath oil.  It tingles the skin.
3. Rosemary Oil - It's invigorating.  Also can be added to shampoo or cleaning preprations.
4. Lavender Oil -  One of my favorite aromas, so I put it in lotions and hand creams.  I find it both refreshing and calming.
5. Geranium Oil - Very sweet smelling around the house.  You can make disinfectant sprays with any of these essential oils by adding 20 drops to one cup of water.

These are the ones I buy.  There are tons of other essential oils.  Never injest them, but learn what they do and experiment.

Do you have a favorite essential oil?
You may also enjoy:
Cheap Botanical Beauty For Body And Hair
Creamery Creek Goat Milk Soap, A Review
The Doctors' Home Remedies
Going Organic: Face, Body And Hair Essentials

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Madewell Summer Dresses

Image
It's a scientistic fact: The Earth is getting warmer.  New York City is expected to hit 94 degrees F today!    Madewell , a sister company of J. Crew, has summer dresses to keep you cool during any heat wave ahead. The style is casual smart. In a nutshell: Comfortable, flattering and effortless. Here are three to consider because we like looking at dresses, don't we?: 1) The  Fern Silk Faux Wrap Dress above ↑ in spiced rose has slender straps, a v-neck and pleats with a stylish flowing bottom. 2) Lakeshore Button Back Dress - A brilliant royal blue shift dress with a V-neck back and oversized buttons make the viscose fabric dress super cute. 3) Strawberry Print Pintuck Ruffle Dress - Chic black canvas featuring strawberry prints. It's 100% cotton. A split square neck with a ruffle outline makes it fun to be a lady! Simple ... with unexpected details, no? Stylin' in the summer heat! Do you have a favorite? You may also enjoy: Lulus Is On Trend Fashion   ...
Read more

Irish Soda Bread: Sweet Or Savory?

Image
Photo by  All About Food I can't claim much Irish ancestry, but aren't we all Irish on St. Patrick's Day?  I do love meat and potatoes, Irish stew, cabbage, root vegetables and Irish soda bread.  I started making soda bread because it tastes similar to buttermilk biscuits, but you can substitute healthier ingredients: like butter instead of lard and whole grain flour in lieu of all white flour.  Soda bread is delicious served warm.  Here is my recipe: Irish Soda Bread For Savory Ingredients: 3 cups whole wheat flour 1 cup all purpose flour 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 eggs, lightly beaten 4 tablespoons cold butter, cubed 1 ¼ cups buttermilk -  I use low fat (1.5% milkfat). optional: 1/3 cup caraway seeds For Sweet You will add  ½ cup sugar, 1 cup raisins. (= Irish American soda bread) Directions: 1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. 2. Stir the first 5 dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. 3. Mix ...
Read more

PureFlow Q17 Fan

Image
The PureFlow Q17 fan is an investment, but at $99 it is about 1/3 less than other bladeless fans. Although compact, it puts out a powerful airflow. In lieu of only 3 fan speeds, there are 12 speeds. You can easily sit it on the floor, or on top of a piece of furniture. And sans blades, no need to worry about curious children or pets getting hurt. The fan is designed to circulate air throughout an entire room. It vertically tilts 90 degrees and has a 90 degree horizontal oscillation. This keeps the air flowing in every direction. Moreover, a heavy smoker lives above me, who oddly enough, smokes at 3:00ish am and 5:30ish am every morning. What a nightmare at such vulnerable hours. The cigarette smoke migrates into my apartment and makes it hard to breathe, so I sleep with the fan sitting on a foot stool, pointed up at the ceiling. It does only some good (and I worry she will burn the place down during hours the rest of us are sleeping.) How I wish this mindless,   nocturnal being ...
Read more