• Facebook
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• TikTok

In This Healthy Insight:

• Aromatherapy Overview
• Health Benefits of Aromatherapy
• 18 Everyday uses for Essential Oils

If you’ve walked past a burning lavender-scented candle and felt peaceful, or the aroma of lilies evokes memories of your wedding, you’ve experienced aromatherapy first-hand.

Due to its close proximity to your brain, your olfactory nerve sends messages immediately and directly to your brain. It’s about 10,000 times more sensitive than your other senses, and your brain can store up to 100,000 different scents. That’s pretty powerful!

Here’s how it works.

The first time you encounter certain scents, it’s committed to memory and attached to an emotion you felt at the time. After that, those same memories are evoked. That’s why the scent of cinnamon may remind you of grandma’s French toast or the aroma of lilacs transports you to the front porch of your childhood home. 

There’s a physical response to these emotions, too. Tight neck and back muscles relax when you’re feeling calm; your mood is elevated when you recall happy memories, digestion occurs smoothly when anxiety floats away. That’s the power of aromatherapy. 

Health Benefits of Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy can help…

-Energize                                 -Build confidence

-Lift mood                               -Foster sleep

-Stimulate digestion                 -Ease respiratory tract

-Boost immune system            -Encourage romance

-Ease stress                              -Create alertness

The best way to experience… and experiment with aromatherapy is through essential oils. Essential oils are extremely concentrated fragrant extracts from blossoms, fruits, trees, grasses, seeds, leaves or roots. Here are a few of my favorite ways to use essential oils to enhance health and life.

18 Everyday Uses for Essential Oils

1. Create a room spray with Vanilla or Lemon Oil mixed with water.
2. Place a drop or two of Pine Needle or Patchouli Oil on a cotton ball and place in a linen closest or car.
3. Spray pillows and sheets with Lavender Oil for a restful night’s sleep.
4. Put a few drops of Orange or Lemon Oil in your cleaning water.
5. Deodorize your shoes with cotton balls dabbed with Rose Oil.
6. Use a vaporizer or steamed pot of water with Eucalyptus or Peppermint Oil to clear sinus and respiratory tract.
7. Spray Citronella Oil on your summer patio to thwart insects.
8. Create custom-made candles or place a drop or two into the hot melted wax of a burning candle.
9. Re-scent your store-bought potpourri.
10. Create handmade soaps.
11. Develop a massage blend of Sweet Almond Oil with other favorite essential oils.
12. Place reed diffusers into your bottle of essential oil and enjoy the aroma for months.
13. Put Jasmine or Rose Oil on your hairbrush to scent your hair.
14. Add to your dryer cycle by dabbing a cloth towel with your favorite oil. For best results, place in the dryer at the end of the cycle on “no heat.”
15. Cut greasy dishes with a drop or two of Lemon Oil to your dish water.
16. Simmer Vanilla, Cinnamon or Clove Oil in a pot on the stove to create a homey atmosphere.
17. Put a few drops of Lemon or Pine Oil on a cotton ball and place in your vacuum cleaner bag to scent while you clean.
18. Add a few drops of your favorite oil to your steaming shower floor for a spa-like experience.

Botanic Choice essential oils are 100% pure and natural. Economical, too. Each bottle is highly concentrated, so you just need a drop or two, and they stay fresh for months or even years.

Remember, there’s no right or wrong way to combine oils or aromas. It’s as unique as you are. So have fun and experience the life-enhancing benefits of aromatherapy.