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Top 14 Of The Most Popular Essential Oils And Their Benefits (#8 is Insane!)

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One of the best-kept secrets to a healthy and balanced life is essential oils. Although essential oils are used in many perfumes and cosmetics, they are also incredibly healing when used topically or in aroma therapy.

Essential oils can be used to infuse a room with scent; create a healing, soothing bath; used for aromatherapy through direct inhalation; create a terrific massage oil and super wound or skin healing when applied topically.

There are numerous reasons to use these powerful healing agents. However, when shopping for essential oils, there are many to choose from, so it can be overwhelming trying to choose the one that would work best for you.

We are going to try to narrow it down for you by listing 14 of the most popular essential oils and the benefits they can offer you and your family. Keep this list handy so you will know exactly which oil to turn to in any situation.

1. Pine Oil

You smell this oil more often than you think! The sharp tang of pine reminds us of Christmas trees and men’s aftershaves, as well as many pine-scented cleaning products and air fresheners. Pine offers us antibacterial, analgesic, and antiseptic compounds that make this oil one of the holistic health experts. Pine oil can be used to ease joint pain and arthritis pain, fight the germs that cause respiratory problems from the flu, and it is a terrific means of fighting skin issues such as pimples, eczema, and psoriasis.

2. Tea Tree Oil

This oil comes to us courtesy of the tea trees of Australia. It has a refreshing, camphor-like scent that contains antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antifungal, antiviral, antiseptic, expectorant and insecticide compounds that can treat just about any problem on earth. Tea tree oil is very powerful and needs to be mixed with a carrier oil before applying it to your skin directly. After you mix tea tree oil with coconut or olive oil, you can use it to stop just about any common health problem such as insect bites, head lice, warts, toenail fungus, boils, and dandruff. Mixed with some water, tea tree oil is an excellent way to naturally repel insects. You can use aroma therapy to clear chest congestion and improve oral health by using tea tree oil as a mouthwash.

Never ingest tea tree oil. It can cause serious side effects such as hallucinations, confusion, vomiting, and drowsiness.

3. Rose Oil

No matter what your local health food store might call it — rose oil, rose essential oil, or rose otto — this oil has numerous healing qualities that shouldn’t be missed. Look for high quality oils that come from Turkey or Bulgaria for the best rose oils. This oil has a reputation for restoring natural hormonal balance, improving the health of your skin, treating menopause symptoms or PMS issues, as well as increasing female sexual desire.

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bottle of grapefruit essential oil - beauty treatment

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4. Rosemary Oil

This powerful oil with a unique aroma is used in many housecleaning products. This oil has been shown in numerous studies to have the ability to improve memory and concentration issues, so if you have an upcoming exam, you should start sniffing some rosemary oil while studying and again before your test. Adding rosemary oil to your favorite shampoo can help to stimulate hair growth.

Rosemary has potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and antiseptic compounds that can fight numerous health problems. Mix a dozen drops of rosemary oil to a large glass of warm water, and use it as a natural mouthwash to prevent the buildup of plaque, prevent cavities, and fight the germs the cause bad breath.

5. Grapefruit Oil

This citrus oil is terrifically energizing oil and can help those who are dealing with fatigue, no matter the source. Tuck a bottle in your carry-on bag when flying to prevent jet lag. You can add some grapefruit oil and water in a spray bottle to disinfect bathrooms and kitchens.

6. Peppermint Oil

Peppermint oil is used in so many products; it would be hard to name them all. Peppermint is used in toothpaste, mouthwash, ice cream, gum, air fresheners, and numerous personal body care products. This is because peppermint oil has antispasmodic, antifungal, antiseptic, expectorant, anti-inflammatory, astringent, and antimicrobial properties. Peppermint can relieve everyday digestive issues, such as general stomachaches, heartburn, and indigestion. It can kill the germs that cause bad breath, relieve headaches, and fight depression, stress, and feelings of anxiety.

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7. Calendula Oil

The bright orange and yellow calendula flowers, sometimes called marigold, are not only beautiful, but they also make a terrific essential oil that is great for reducing the appearance of scars. If you have sensitive skin, but you have skin issues such as inflammation, dermatitis, or eczema, then try calendula oil. You can also put a half dozen drops in your bath water to soothe your skin all over.

8. Frankincense Oil

Yep, that same frankincense they sing about in Christmas carols is the one we are going to talk about here. You might enjoy frankincense via incense, but there are so many ways to use this woodsy, balsamic scent. Frankincense has been enjoyed for its scent and used as medicine for thousands of years. This oil has disinfectant, carminative, diuretic, sedative, antiseptic, astringent, digestive, and expectorant compounds.

You can dilute frankincense with a good quality carrier oil, such as coconut oil or almond oil, to help treat many common skin issues such as the itch from insect bites, cuts, scrapes, bruises, minor burns, acne, wrinkles, and reducing the appearance of scar tissue. Frankincense can treat headaches via aromatherapy. Add a half dozen drops of this essential oil to your bath to help stop arthritis pain, muscle aches, and menstrual pain. Some studies have even shown that frankincense can stop the spread of cancer cells.

9. Lavender Oil

Lavender is one of the most calming scents around, and it is the most popular oil of all time. The beautiful and light floral scent of lavender oil contains antidepressant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiseptic compounds that can be sued in a variety of ways. Use lavender essential oil on your pillowcase to induce a deeper sleep, to address minor skin wounds, stop the itch of bug bites, clear up earaches, treat feelings of stress and anxiety, as well as fight chest and sinus congestion.

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10. Oregano Oil

You might have used oregano oil in the kitchen for culinary purposes, but did you know that oregano oil has powerful ingredients including thymol, terpinene, carvacrol, and cymene? These compounds give oregano its potent anti-inflammatory, anti-parasitic, carminative, expectorant, antioxidant, antiseptic, antifungal, antimicrobial, antibacterial, and mild tonic agents. Oregano oil is excellent for killing toenail fungus, Athlete’s Foot, sinus congestion, sore throats, tendonitis, warts, cysts, candida, herpes, and shingles. You can even add a few drops to a cup of water in a spray bottle and use it to disinfect your kitchen as well.

11. Clove Oil

Clove oil has a sharp, earthy smell that many people find appealing. Cloves have antioxidant, analgesic, antifungal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiseptic, and even aphrodisiac compounds. This essential oil is one of the best treatments for gum disease and toothaches. You will find many mouthwashes, toothpastes, and other types of oral care medications that contain clove oil as their main ingredient.

If you have a sore tooth or have some other type of mouth pain from appliances like dentures, apply some clove oil to a cotton ball and hold it on the tooth for a while until the pain subsides. Dilute frankincense in a carrier oil and use it to treat acne, wrinkles, cuts, scrapes, and a stress relieving massage oil. To treat headaches and nasal congestion, simply apply a few drops of clove oil to a handkerchief and breathe it in several times each day. Use clove oil to treat fungal infections such as toe nail fungus, headaches, earaches, even asthma.

12. Eucalyptus Oil

Both sweet and refreshing, this pungent oil is used in numerous products meant to clear out the sinuses. Eucalyptus oil has anti-inflammatory, decongestant, disinfectant, antibacterial, antiseptic, and analgesic compounds. Eucalyptus oil is what you should turn to when you feel the first signs of a cold or flu coming on. This oil not only will kill the germs and viruses in your respiratory tract, but it boosts the immune system as well. Add a few drops of eucalyptus oil to a pot of boiling water and breathe in the healing steam. You can also add a few drops to some water in a spray bottle to remove germs from your bathroom and kitchen surfaces.

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13. Chamomile Oil

Chamomile (Roman) essential oil has a warm, almost fruity, smell that calms both mind and body. This oil has anti-inflammatory, digestive, hepatic, carminative, antibiotic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antidepressant, and sedative compounds that simply cannot be beat. You can use chamomile oil topically to treat dry skin, dermatitis, insect stings or bites, minor burns, bruises, and eczema. Chamomile oil is so gentle that many people find they do not have to dilute it, but try a small test area to be sure that it won’t irritate your skin. Chamomile can induce sleep and relieve stress when put in a room diffuser. Add a few drops to your bath water to help ease the symptoms of PMS or menopause.

14. Lemon Oil

This refreshing scent is used in numerous cleaning agents, soaps, scented candles, and perfumes as the oil is almost identical in scent to the freshly peeled fruit. Lemon oil has antibacterial, antiviral, antidepressant, detoxifying, antiseptic, and astringent properties. Lemon oil can help to cure bacterial and viral infections, especially in the mouth and throat area. Mix a few drops with water and use it as a gargle to stop sore throat pain. Lemon essential oil is also great for stopping headaches, the itch of bug bites and stings, skin problems, and hair loss. Lemon oil can improve the mood and help stop feelings of stress or anxiety. It can also help stop nausea or vomiting.

Pregnant women should not use essential oils without their doctor’s consent. Also, if you are taking any prescription medication or if you are under a doctor’s care for any reason, you should consult with your doctor before using any essential oils or herbal products.

References:

Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Umm.edu

Biomedcentral.com

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