Essential Oils Basics - By: Jennifer C. Smith

Have you heard the term essential oils but are not quite sure what they are or what benefits they might offer? Here are some basic facts about them to help you understand just what they are:

What are Essential Oils?

There are many different kinds of essential oils. All of them though are the pure essence or a certain flower or plant distilled in a liquid form. They are not really oils though, they do not have the greasy feel to them that a perfume oil does and most essential oils are clear, although a few, like patchouli, have a yellowish tinge.

How and Why Would You Use Essential Oils?

There are a great many essential oils and they have a great many different uses. They are used however in three basic different ways:

Inhaling Essential Oils

Certain essential oils offer all kinds of benefits for your mental and emotional wellbeing. Although you can certainly inhale your chosen oil directly from its container you can also add a few drops to a bowl of hot water and use the steam inhalation method which tends to produce a longer lasting effect.

Applying Essential Oils Topically

When they are applied, usually using a gentle massage technique, to various areas of the body essential oils can offer relief of a number of different physical symptoms of certain ailments.

Taking Essential Oils Orally

Some essential oils can serve as a dietary supplement while some have natural medicinal effects. They are best taken a few drops at a time in a glass of water or milk. Usually you will be provided with the proper consumption instructions, including how many drops of the oil to take, when you purchase the product.

The Most Popular Essential Oils

As previously mentioned there are a great many different essential oils available but some are more commonly used than others. Peppermint oil for example is a well known and often used energy booster when it is inhaled and it can quell nausea when a few drops are taken by mouth. For a number of physical infections, including stubborn toenail fungus and chronic acne tea tree oil is great when applied topically.

Taking the time to learn more about essential oils, both about what they can do for your physical and mental wellbeing is something that is well worth doing, especially if you want to try to use more alternative methods to reduce the number of chemical medications you take.

About the Author

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