My passion for interior design and commitment to wellness are both very important to me. As teenagers with such crazy lives, there is a lot that we cannot control in our world. However, almost all of us are capable of deciding what our personal spaces feel like to some degree as well as doing our best to maintain good emotional health. As an advocate for clean living, natural wellness, and personal empowerment, I am a big believer in essential oils and they are a huge part of my wellness routine. I encourage everyone to infuse a dose of positivity into their interiors.
What Are Essential Oils?
Essential oils are aromatic extracts that are highly concentrated. They are naturally created in this world by plants. The compounds that essential oils consist of evaporating quickly and can be found in flowers, resins, leaves, roots, and other plant materials. These compounds are later purified through vaporization or squeezed out in order to extract the true essential oil. Essential oils assist plants live and flourish, and have many properties that are helpful to human beings. They have the power to alter the state of our mind, body, and spirit in ways that are unexplained biologically and aren’t done justice to by scientific descriptions.  Â
Common Ways to Use Essential OilsÂ
Diffusing or humidifyingÂ
Rubbing on wrist and chestÂ
Dilute with carrier oilsÂ
Add to a body wash, shampoo, or bathÂ
Inhale out of a bottleÂ
Less Commonly Known Aromatic UsesÂ
Apply oil to a cotton ball and place in the air vents of your vehicle
Mix oils in a spray bottle with water and mist over furniture, carpet, or linens
Add oil to a batch of laundry or to dryer sheets
Use in household surface cleaner
Less Commonly Known Topical UsesÂ
Add a few drops of oil to a warm bath
Make a hot or cold compress by soaking a cloth in water, adding essential oils, and then applying to the desired area
Add oil to a lotion or moisturizer and then apply to skin
Areas to be avoided: some facial areas such as skin around the eyes, eyes and inner ears, broken damaged or otherwise injured skinÂ
Less Commonly Known Internal Uses
Add essential oils to water, smoothies, milk, tea, or other drinks
Put a drop under the tongue
Take in a veggie capsule or add to a small amount of applesauce or yogurt
Use oils in recipes for cooking or baking to replace fresh or dried herbs and spices (Remember, essential oils are much more potent than dried or fresh herbs and spices, so start with a very small amount. Use a toothpick for particularly potent oils.)Â
How Diffusing Contributes to Your Wellbeing
We recommend ultrasonic diffusers. Ultrasonic diffusers utilize an ultrasonic vibrating disc to generate a fine, cool mist by breaking down the essential oils and water into negative ions. Electronically generated ions closely resemble the ions that exist in nature in places like around waterfalls or in the crashing surf. Diffusing can refresh the air in an organic way without the use of unnecessary artificial fragrances. We urge you to choose the natural way.Â
Using essential oils in your diffuser allows you to adjust the aroma in your personal space, while receiving the benefits of essential oils that are proven to facilitate our wellness in ways such as stress relief, relaxation, energy, etc. To get the most possible out of this experience, put your diffuser closest to where you spend the most time- for example, place the diffuser next to your bed in the nighttime or on your desk when you are studying.  Â
The Science Behind Essential OilsÂ
Similar to plants, essential oils can be used to facilitate and preserve our wellness. Essential oils are an aid to help alter our mood and access our memories and emotions. Additionally, they have the power to trigger physiological and emotional changes that impact our well-being. How they work is by creating a type of domino effect: first, we inhale aromatic molecules through our noses. These molecules stick to the olfactory receptors and trigger chemical processes that act as signals sent to the brain. These chemical processes can cause physical and mental shifts cascading through the body.Â
There is a lot of scientific proof that agrees with the use of essential oils. For example, lavender has been used to treat burns since 1910. Around the same time, lavender was used in many medical procedures, such as childbirth, because it had calming and pain managing properties for the mother.Â
When combined together, essential oils have the potential to work synergistically together to enhance and alter the final result of your beautiful essential oil journey. Essential oils are gifts of nature and symbolize the complicated relationships that exist in the natural world. More than simply a chemical, essential oils are a symbolization of life in itself, with all its intriguing unexplained factors.Â
Uses & Properties of Various Essential OilsÂ
LavenderÂ
Soothes anxietyÂ
Helps insomniaÂ
Helps with depressionÂ
Calms restlessnessÂ
Can help digestive issues
Pain relief (headaches, period cramps, etc.)
Increases sex driveÂ
OrangeÂ
Mood boosterÂ
Weight lossÂ
ConstipationÂ
Stimulates creativityÂ
DisinfectantÂ
Better oral healthÂ
Allergy reliefÂ
Ylang YlangÂ
Lowers blood pressureÂ
Decreases heart rateÂ
Repels insects and bugsÂ
Reduces depressionÂ
Boosts moodÂ
Heals woundsÂ
Increases sex driveÂ
RoseÂ
Eases depressive symptomsÂ
Contains antibacterial propertiesÂ
Helps period crampsÂ
Eases painÂ
Improves skinÂ
Increases sex driveÂ
Reduces anxietyÂ
GrapefruitÂ
Suppresses appetiteÂ
Facilitates weight lossÂ
Helps balance moodÂ
Has antibacterial propertiesÂ
Reduces stress and lowers blood pressueeÂ
Can add to flavor in foodÂ
CombinationsÂ
I have attached below a link with recipes for different essential oil blends in order to create your ideal environment and mental space in the moment: