31 Days of Cleansing: Day 10 Aromatherapy

I love essential oils. They are incredibly beneficial and under estimated in their effectiveness to promote healing. Each oil has it's own individual healing properties and can be used in different ways depending on your family's health needs. 

DIFFUSING

There are both warm and cold methods of diffusing essential oils. Warm diffusers release the fragrance of the oil with heat. You can purchase a ceramic diffusing ring that fits over a light bulb in a lamp from health food stores such as Whole Foods. I prefer to do it the cheapskate way, with a mason jar ring. 

I put the ring over the bulb with a few drops of essential oil in it. As the metal heats up, the fragrance is released into the room. It's amazing how effective it is. For the holidays I used a cinnamon cent. It was wonderful. When my kids are squirmy, I use lavender to calm them.

This method is recommended for use in 15-20 increments. As you get more used to the oils, you can increase the frequency of the treatments. The heat is said to slightly alter the effects of the oil, but I have gotten good results this way, so I have never tried the cold diffusing method.

Several drops of oil can be applied at a time to the spinal cord and covered with a warm towel while they are absorbed. Some oils need to be diluted with vegetable oil before using. I have never tried this but it sounds divine. When you get a massage at a spa they frequently use this treatment.

Or you can apply the oils directly to the tip of your ears. This is called auricular therapy. This part of your ear has the most nerve endings and the oils are quickly absorbed. The bottom of your feet is another area of many nerve endings, a few drops rubbed in here are very beneficial to your body. I often use peppermint oil this way to ward off my asthma. It works great! I haven't used an inhaler in years.

By the way, this great little book above has lots more ideas on how to use essential oils. I love how it's laid out, by symptoms. So for example, if you are experiencing sadness, you can look it up and see that orange oil would be beneficial for your condition.

These are some of the oils I use in the house. We use cypress, cedarwood, rosemary, ylang ylang, lemongrass, and basil oils regularly. I also love lavender, geranium, and orange scents.

Tomorrow we will talk more on some specific ways to use them.

Designer Mom