Guide to Essential Oils

By Reilly Siebert

Essential oils are an amazing natural option to treat all kinds of situations the body faces. Whether used alone or in combination, they can be extremely beneficial. The world of essential oils can seem quite daunting at first. Between all the different types of oils, it can feel impossible to begin to figure it out. Fellow Be Well Nova member Isabella Scala wrote a beginner’s guide to essential oils (check it out here). Her article can help you get familiar with how to begin using essential oils. This article will go in depth about a few essential oils, their benefits, and how to use them.

Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus is used to treat a multitude of issues. It can help with aches and pains, improving concentration, minor wounds, and some skin conditions. If you are looking for a more natural means to treat aches and pains, you can add some eucalyptus to a hot compress or massage in the oil to naturally treat aches and pains. Feeling stressed before an exam or while writing an essay? Put some eucalyptus oil in a diffuser to help encourage feelings of calm concentration. Feeling congested due to allergies? Eucalyptus can help clear congestion and mucus to help you breathe better. Great ways to use eucalyptus oil are in massage oils, diffusers, and soaps. Eucalyptus is versatile and a great option to naturally care for your body. 

Lavender

Lavender is one of the more popular essential oils for good reason. It can help treat headaches, sleeplessness, and tension. Have a headache from looking at your screen all day? Combining lavender with some vegetable oil and putting it on your temples, or putting some lavender in a diffuser, can help treat your headache. If you’re having trouble sleeping, lavender can help ease anxieties and calm you down. A great way to use lavender is by putting 1-2 drops of lavender and a spoonful of vegetable oil into a warm bath (just spot test first to ensure you have no sensitivity). Lavender is great to calm you down the night before a big exam. It is perfect for stressful college nights and should definitely be on your essential oil list. 

Lemon

Lemon is a great option when looking to mitigate depression, digestive issues, and fatigue. While it won’t cure depression, lemon is a great way to manage minor symptoms naturally. Using it in a diffuser and letting your space fill with the scent of lemon can help boost your mood and energy levels. This is a great option for a mid-day slump while studying. Lemon is also a great natural antiseptic and antiviral. Putting some lemon in your essential oil diffuser can help keep your space clean. Lemon is a great option and should not be overlooked when choosing which essential oils to purchase. 

Orange

Orange is best known for its immune health benefits. Orange is also beneficial for helping anxiety and digestion. During these times, when immune health is more important than ever, orange essential oil can be a great help in staying strong. Putting orange essential oil in your diffuser is a great way to stay strong while clearing your mind. If you’re looking for a way to calm your mind when feeling anxious, a bath with a few drops of essential oils should do the trick. Orange essential oil has a wide range of benefits, making it a wonderful option when choosing an essential oil. 

Rose

Rose is great for aches and pains, anxiety, depression, and women’s health. Massaging rose essential oil onto the abdomen can help relieve menstrual cramps, and when massaged onto other parts of the body it can help relieve aches and pains. Adding rose essential oil to a hot compress is another great way to feel its effects. While not a substitute for therapy or other treatments, rose essential oil can help reduce some feelings and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Putting some rose essential oil in your diffuser and allowing your space to fill with the calming scent of rose is a great way to unwind and feel at ease. While not the most common essential oil, rose should not be overlooked and is definitely worth using. 

Essential oils are a great option by themselves or in addition to other treatments. Hopefully this article gave you better insight into the world of essential oils and the many options for utilizing them. Now more than ever, it is important to stay healthy and at ease, and essential oils are a great tool to do so.