A Special Report from NaturalLivingIdeas.com
By now you’ve probably heard about essential oils, lemon oil, frankincense tea tree, lavender; you have those friends that just can’t stop gushing about these seemingly miraculous oils, or maybe you are that friend. Whether you’re a total essential oil novice or well on your way to reaching expert status, you are probably looking for new and exciting ways to use oils in your day to day life. These ideas will have your friends calling you a witch doctor as you prescribe essential oils for every ailment.
But first, here are some things every essential oil user desperately needs…
3 Things Every Essential Oil Lover Desperately Needs
1. Essential Oils
It goes without saying that to start reaping the benefits of essential oils, you need your own. Buying essential oils can be a bit tricky with a number of unscrupulous companies selling poor quality “fragrance” oils that possess none of the health benefits of real essential oils.
There are of course lots of good brands available too, but for quality, price and consistency we recommend Plant Therapy Essential Oils. You’ll see them in use throughout Natural Living Ideas.
To get started, get yourself this Top 6 USDA Certified Organic Essential Oils Set containing lavender, tea tree, peppermint, sweet orange, eucalyptus and lemon essential oil. Those are the most commonly used essential oils and will cover most of what we discuss in this report. The rest of the oils you need you can gradually accumulate over time.
Alternatively, if you want to go the whole hog and get virtually all the oils you’ll ever need, then this 32 Bottle Zippered Case is perfect. It includes 16 of the most popular essential oils and 16 synergy blends. Synergy blends are ready mixed essential oils for a whole host of ailments – such as Tension Relief, Sleep Aid or Germ Fighter.
2. A Diffuser
One of the best ways to take advantage of essential oils therapeutic properties is by diffusing them around the room and inhaling the scent.
The best way to do that is with an essential oil diffuser. Recently we bought and tried five of the most popular diffusers and revealed our findings here. The winner was this Bellasentials Dark Bamboo Diffuser for its long running time, attractive appearance and whisper quiet operation.
3. Carrier Oils
Most essential oils, with the exception of tea tree, lavender and a few others, require the oil to be diluted in a carrier oil before being topically applied to the skin or hair.
We’ve dedicated an entire article to discussing the top 21 carrier oils here, but the most popular tend to be olive oil, sweet almond oil, coconut oil and jojoba oil. Make sure you have a handful of carrier oils handy for when topical application of essential oils are required.
Plant Therapy, as well as selling a range of high quality essential oils, also sell almost every carrier oil you could ever need. You can browse their selection here.
100 Genius Ways To Use Essential Oils That Will Change Your Life
Cleaning
Remember that you can add orange, lemon or grapefruit to any of your favorite cleaning products to improve cleaning power and scent!
- Enhance Liquid Soaps
Add a drop or two of tea tree oil to your liquid dish soap to give it extra germ-fighting power. For hand soaps, try a drop or two of your favorite essential oils for a fresh scent every time you wash.
- Shower Cleaner
You, like everyone, probably struggle to keep that nasty shower scum off your curtain and your tub sparkling. Mix six drops each of eucalyptus and tea tree oil in a 16-ounce spray bottle filled with water. Keep this solution in your shower and spray down the walls and curtain daily for a no work method to a fabulous looking and smelling shower.
- Make Dishes Shine
Drop lemon essential oil in with your dishwasher detergent to make your clean dishes sparkle and prevent streaking. Plus, they’ll smell great!
- The Mighty All-Purpose Cleaner
All purpose cleaners are fantastic but frequently loaded with harsh chemicals that you don’t want to be breathing in all day. Add six drops each of lemon oil and tea tree oil to one cup water in a spray bottle for an effective disinfectant and deodorizer. Feel free to add a few teaspoons of white vinegar for a little extra kick.
- Revive Your Dish Sponge
Add a drop or two of lemon oil to your dirty dish sponge and toss in on the top rack of your dishwasher to shine your dishes and revitalize the sponge at the same time.
- Clean Burnt Pans
Boil water with a few drops of lemon oil on the stove to remove the stubborn burnt food from the bottom of your pans.
- Sink and Bath Scrub
Mix ½ white vinegar, ½ cup baking soda and five drops bergamot or lime oil. Use this as a scrub for your sink, shower or toilet.
- Clean Wax & Chemicals From Fruit
Grapefruit essential oil is ideal for cutting through and removing wax or other unwanted chemicals from the rinds of fresh produce. Dilute a few drops in a small glass spray bottle and use it wash your fruits and vegetables before eating. (Remember to shake well before each use.)
- Clean Yoga Mats
Mix three drops of each clove and citrus oil in a spray bottle filled with water. Spray on yoga mat after every use to keep it clean and bacteria free.
- Remove Glue, Sap, and Other Sticky Substances
Lemon essential oil makes an excellent solvent for dissolving sticky substances like glue and sap without using harsh synthetic chemicals.
- Eliminate Mold
Add tea tree oil to your diffuser to reduce the risk of mold growing in your home and kill any that is already there.
- Wash Away Permanent Marker
Lemon oil is perfect for removing unwanted permanent marker ink from surfaces like counter tops and wood furniture. Just pour a few drops of undiluted oil on whatever stain you’re trying to get out and scrub away.
- Clear Stubborn Ink From White Board
Just like it can remove permanent marker, lemon essential oil can also be used to clean the stray bits of dry-erase ink from a whiteboard. Use every once in awhile to keep your whiteboards looking as fresh as the day you bought them.
- Protect Leather Garments From Drying & Cracking
Moisten a clean cloth with diluted lemon essential oil and use it to clean leather garments. This will moisturize the leather and prevent cracking. Do this whenever your leather starts to show wear or more often if you live in a dry climate.
- Un-Stink Your Trash Bins
Sprinkle baking soda and few drops of geranium, grapefruit, and lemon oil into the bottom of your trash bins before putting in the bag to absorb odors and add a more pleasant aroma to the area. Shake mixture into the bottom of cans and refresh as needed.
- Clear Fishy Odors From Air
One of the incredibly handy secret superpowers of lemon essential oil is the ability to neutralize fishy odors. Use it to clean the air after preparing a particularly pungent meal.
17. Cleanse & Deodorize Air Ducts
Add a few drops of antimicrobial essential oils like tea tree or eucalyptus to your fresh air filters before installing them to simultaneously cleanse the air of stale odors and kill any pathogens which may be living in your home’s air ducts.
- Home Scent
Place a pot of water on the stove with a few drops of your favorite essential oils and let it simmer when you have guests over. The scent will be released, and your home will smell amazing.
- Freshen the Air
Rather than lean on heavily perfumed candles and dangerous aerosol air fresheners, add twenty drops of your favorite oil to a small spray bottle filled with water. Spray as desired and remember to shake well before each use.
- Scent Your Floral Arrangements
It’s just not possible to have fresh flowers all the time. If you choose to get some fake flowers, no one needs to know. They already look real. Why not make them smell real, too? Add essential oils to your faux floral arrangements to liven them up!
- Neutralize Paint Odor
Before you start a new painting project, add 10 ml of peppermint oil to a fresh gallon of paint to neutralize that icky paint smell. Remember to be sure to have proper ventilation when you’re painting.
- Remove Lingering Cigarette Funk
No one likes the smell of cigarettes. This spray is great for rental cars, hotel rooms and other places where you need to cut through the smell of old cigarettes. Mix four drops each of rosemary, tea tree and eucalyptus oils with 1 ounce of water in a small glass spray bottle. Shake well and spray as needed to cleanse away the smell.
- Freshen Bathroom Air, Subtly
While you could always run a diffuser to do the trick, there is a more clever and subtle way to deodorize your bathroom. Place a few drops of your favorite essential oil inside the cardboard tube of a fresh toilet paper roll before putting it on the roller. Every time someone removes paper from the roll, the agitation will release the oils scent.
- Disinfect & Deodorize Your Gym Bag
Add two drops of tea tree or lavender oil to one or more cotton balls and toss them into the bottom of your gym bag to remove odors and prevent microbial growth. Refresh as needed.
- Get Rid of That Musty Washer Smell
Front-load washing machines tend to harbor microbial growth, particularly around the door gasket. Add a few drops of tea tree or lavender oil to your detergent the next time you do laundry to kick them out and remove that funky smell.
- Disinfect & Deodorize Your Shoes
Place a cotton ball infused with two drops of tea tree, basil, lavender or geranium oil into each of your shoes to remove odors and cleanse them of harmful bacteria or fungi.
- Scent Your Laundry
Add a drop or two of essential oil to a damp cloth and toss it in the dryer with towels or linens to infuse them with your favorite scents. Ditch the dryer sheets!
- Deodorize Your Fridge
Keep an open box of baking soda in your fridge to make it smell wonderful and fresh. Add a few drops of lime, grapefruit, bergamot, or lemongrass essential oil to it for even more deodorizing power.
- Room Scent
Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to the light bulbs in your house, when you turn on your lights and the oil heats up, the scent will spread throughout your room.
- Refresh Carpets
Add geranium, lavender, lemon, or peppermint oil to baking soda. Sprinkle mixture into the carpet, let sit for at least 15 minutes, then vacuum up. Easy as that!
- Eliminate Lingering Food Odor
If your kitchen smells a bit funky after that unsavory meal that you just cooked, try freshening the air with clove, cinnamon, or any citrus oil added to pots of simmering water on the stove.
- Car Freshener
On long trips, those car seats can start to smell a bit ripe. Mix 10 drops of your favorite essential oil with 16 ounces of warm water in a spray bottle and spray the seats to keep your car odor free.
- Neutralize Pet Odor
Dogs are amazing, but they don’t always smell amazing. Maybe your precious pooch had a little too much fun in the mud, resulting in a bath, and now your whole house smells like wet dog. Not to fret, simply mix ten to twenty drops of geranium, lavender, or lemon oil in a small spray bottle filled with apple cider vinegar and spray liberally on upholstery or carpets. Shake well before each use.
Pest Control
We all hate when bugs and vermin find their way into our houses, rather than setting dangerous traps that could harm your children or pets. Try using entirely natural essential oils as an alternative.
- Dispatch Fleas As You Vacuum
After vacuuming an infested area, it is common for fleas to jump back out of the vacuum bag or canister before they can be properly disposed of. Add 2 – 3 drops each of tea tree, clove, rosemary, eucalyptus and lemongrass essential oils to the bag or canister before vacuuming an area where fleas are present to dispatch the bugs and prevent them from escaping.
- Keep Vermin Out of the Pantry
Repel mice and insects by soaking cotton balls in peppermint oil and placing them inside your pantry or any other areas where food is stored.
- Get Rid of Fruit Flies
If you’ve ever had a fruit fly infestation in your home, then you know how pesky these little bugs can be. Use essential oils to keep them at bay by mixing ten drops of lemongrass essential oil in 2 ounces of hot water. Shake well then spray around windows and doorways. Fruit flies are small enough to fit through the tiny holes in window screens, so you’ll want to spray these down as well if you plan to leave your windows open for any length of time.
- Repel Spiders and Other Insects
Spray Peppermint oil mixed with water around windows and doors to deter any unwelcome crawling guests. Douse a cotton ball with Peppermint oil and stuff into corners of windows where spiders may be able to enter.
- Remove Mites from Bedding
Add a few drops of Eucalyptus oil mixed with water to the washing machine when you run a load that you think may be infested with mites.
- Bug Repellant
Mosquitos, the bane of every summer vacationer, hiker, camper and any person who wants to leave their house without getting eaten alive. Mix one drop each of lemongrass, citronella and eucalyptus oil with one teaspoon of melted coconut oil. The coconut oil will harden, but it can be rubbed on the skin to function as a natural mosquito repellant.
Personal Care
From baths, to face washes, to soap, essential oils are all-around amazing for personal care. Treat yourself to an at-home spa treatment. Your whole body will thank you, not to mention that you’ll smell amazing.
- Sugar Face Scrub
Add ten drops each of vanilla and lavender oil to one cup sugar and ½ cup coconut oil. Apply gently to your face for an all natural sugar scrub. Rinse with cool water.
- Wash Away Fishy Smells from Skin
You can use hand soap infused with a few drops of lemon oil to cleanse the lingering fish or shrimp smell from your hands after preparing these foods.
- Extract Gum from Hair
Put away the scissors. Instead, use a drop of lemon essential oil to loosen gum (or other sticky substances) and painlessly extract them from hair.
- Steam-Clean Your Pores
Add a few drops of lavender essential oil to a pot of steaming water. With a towel draped across the back of your head to trap the steam, lower your face over the water and let the steam permeate your face for up to 10 minutes to open and cleanse your pores.
- Night Relaxation
Add five drops of rose essential oil to a rice bag and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. Place the bag on your neck or forehead for instant tension relief and relaxation.
- Create Natural Highlights In Your Hair
Add lemon essential oil to your daily styling products to increase the bleaching effects of sun exposure on your hair. The more time you spend outdoors, the lighter your natural highlights will appear.
- Facial Mist
Mix three drops of lavender oil with 8 ounces of water in a small spray bottle. Spray directly on your face each morning for a calming and refreshing mist.
- Perfume
For an intense and entirely natural scent, simply mix a few drops of either jasmine, vanilla or lavender essential oil with alcohol and apply a little bit to the insides of your wrists.
- Moisturize and Speed Healing of New Tattoos
Dilute tea tree oil in a carrier such as coconut oil and apply to new tattoos. This will prevent infection and keep inked skin moisturized to speed the healing process.
- Give Ordinary Shampoo Anti-Dandruff Superpowers
Add a drop of tea tree oil to your daily dollop of shampoo to combat the villain known as dandruff!
- Body Butter
In a stand mixer, combine equal parts coconut oil, shea butter and magnesium oil until well blended. Add a few drops of your favorite essential oils for a customized body butter.
- Scented Lotion
To add a little excitement to your unscented lotion or coconut oil, just add ten drops of your favorite scent for a unique blend that is entirely you. You can also mix and match scents and play around with essential oil blending.
- Acne Face Wash
Make this face wash with a few drops of tea tree oil and raw honey. Apply daily to cut back on acne and clear your skin.
- Body Spray
Add 5-10 drops of your favorite essential oil to a small spray bottle filled with water. Spritz all over your body for instant freshness.
- Thicken Hair
Add a few drops of rosemary oil to your regular shampoo to thicken and volumize hair.
- Pedicure Protection For Your Toenails
Massage a drop or two of tea tree oil onto your toes and toenails before getting a pedicure to protect your tootsies from any communal microbes that may be hovering about in public places.
- Dry Skin
If you suffer from dry elbows or knees, rub a few drops of lavender oil onto your skin daily. Over time, these dry patches will soften and become smooth.
- Hair Refresher
Some days you just don’t feel like washing your hair. If that’s the case, apply five drops of your favorite scent to your brush, your hair will be left smelling fresh and clean.
- Facial Toner
Mix two drops each of lemon, tea tree and orange oil with ½ teaspoon of coconut oil. Apply to your face with a natural cotton ball in the morning to keep your face feeling fresh and your skin even.
- Massage Oil
Mix five drops of lavender oil with ½ teaspoon olive oil and apply to sore muscles and tension spots for a soothing massage.
- Reduce Wrinkles
Mix 3-5 drops of sandalwood, geranium, lavender and frankincense oils with unscented lotion and apply to your face daily. Do not get in eyes.
- Pre-Workout Energy Boost
Take a whiff of peppermint oil before you exercise. You will instantly feel more energized and ready to tackle your workout.
- Strengthen Nails
Mix two drops of frankincense oil with ½ teaspoon of coconut oil. Rub directly onto your nails to strengthen weak or brittle nails. Be sure to rub around cuticles as well.
- Lighten the Mood
Add lavender, rose, ylang-ylang, Roman chamomile, or orange oil to a diffuser to calm tension in a room and reduce stress.
- Energy boost
Simply rub a few drops of grapefruit oil between your palms, and you will instantly feel energized.
Health and Healing
Not only are essential oils well, essential (pardon the pun) to keep in your kitchen, laundry room, and bathroom, no first aid kit is complete without them.
- Soothe Swollen Lymph Nodes
Dilute lavender essential oil in a carrier such as olive or coconut oil and massage over swollen lymph glands to ease discomfort and reduce inflammation.
- Relieve Nausea
Breathe in peppermint oil to relieve nausea; you can put it into a diffuser or apply a few drops to a cotton ball and inhale. Ginger and lavender can also be helpful.
- Clean & Soothe Ear Piercings
Use a drop of tea tree oil diluted in a small amount of coconut or other carrier oil to cleanse and soothe inflammation around piercings.
- Bruise Treatment
Mix five drops of each lavender and frankincense oil to ½ cup hot water. Soak a washcloth in water and apply the compress to bruises for pain relief and faster healing.
- Put a Stop to Dessert Cravings
When your sweet tooth starts acting up, try diffusing sweet-scented essential oils like ginger or vanilla then eat or drink something healthy. The smell of the oils combined with the added volume inside your stomach will trick your brain into thinking you’ve fulfilled your desire for dessert without the unhealthy side-effects.
- Relieve Menstrual Cramps
All women understand the pain of uncomfortable cramps. Combine one part clary sage, basil, or rosemary oil with four parts carrier oil. Massage into abdomen and cover with a warm compress for fifteen minutes. Repeat as needed. Also, some dark chocolate never hurts!
- Soothe a Headache
Mix two drops each of Peppermint, Eucalyptus, and Lavender oil per six drops of carrier oil. Massage into temples, behind ears, on the back of your neck, across your forehead, and under the nose for quick relief.
- Heal Cracked Feed
Add three drops of lavender oil to two tablespoons of coconut oil. Slather liberally on your feet at night and sleep in socks.
- Open Your Airways
When you’re sick and stuffed up, inhaling the vapor of Eucalyptus and Lavender oils can help clear congestion and allow you to breathe easier. Mix a few drops of these oils with a carrier oil. Rub onto chest before bed for a better night’s sleep.
- Detoxify Your Body
Indulge yourself by soaking in a warm Epsom salt bath infused with rosemary and juniper oils. The smell will calm you down and cleanse your body of toxins.
- Reduce Fever
Add equal parts sage, frankincense, and either peppermint, eucalyptus, or rosemary oil to a bath. Or you can add the same oils to lukewarm water and sponge onto feverish skin to help reduce a fever.
- Bee sting treatment
Simply pour a few drops of lavender oil to your painful bee sting to bring down pain and swelling.
- Relieve Tension
Massage a few drops of lavender oil under the ear just behind the jaw, into temples, and over stiff neck muscles. This will provide your muscles with instant relief and help you destress. You can also put one drop of lavender oil on your hands, rub them together and cup your hands to your nose to breathe in the scent, causing you to feel your flood of worries melt away.
- Say “Goodnight” to Insomnia
Sprinkle chamomile and lavender oils onto your pillow right before bed. Add several drops of both oils to a cotton ball and keep near your head while resting. You can also put these oils in a diffuser to breathe in while you sleep.
- Calm Nerves
Lavender oil or lavender-infused water can help to calm nerves and cure anxiety. Rub or spray on temples, forehead, and back of jaw to relieve stress or use as a preventative before entering a stressful environment.
- Settle Indecision
If you’re a little overwhelmed, unsure, indecisive or confused, you may find that the soothing aroma of rosemary helps you clear your head. Add it to an oil burner, essential oil diffuser, reed diffuser or simply rub some on your hands and cup over your mouth and nose for up to a minute.
- Poison Ivy balm
Mix three drops of wintergreen oil with ½ teaspoon of a carrier oil and apply gently to places on your skin where you’re suffering from poison ivy. This mixture will reduce inflammation and redness. Make sure to wash your hands after applying.
- Fight Warts
Place a few drops of oregano essential oil on a cotton ball and hold in place with a band-aid over your wart. Keep up this practice until the wart disappears.
- Loosen Stiff Joints
Mix a couple of drops wintergreen, juniper, or vetiver oil with about a teaspoon of carrier oil. Gently massage into achy joints. Repeat as needed.
- Curb Food Cravings
Inhale peppermint and cinnamon oil whenever you crave sugary or unhealthy foods.
- Anti-Fungal Remedy
Soak feet in lavender-infused water to ease irritation and help heal fungal infections.
- Protect Skin from Sunburn
Mix one part myrrh oil, one part carrot oil, and two parts jojoba oil. Apply liberally all over your body for sun protection equivalent to SPF 30.
- Skin Irritation
Peppermint oil can be used to calm and soothe skin affected by burns, rashes, or dryness. Use a dilution of no more than 15 drops peppermint oil per 1 ounce of carrier oil to avoid damaging already irritated skin. Then massage the diluted oil into your skin to refresh, moisturize, and soothe pain.
- Heal Burns
Mix a few drops of lavender oil with aloe vera to speed the healing of minor burns.
- Head lice
Mix three drops of each thyme, lavender, and eucalyptus oil with ¼ cup melted coconut oil and apply to scalp focusing on the roots. Cover head with a shower cap and let sit for 30 minutes, wash out thoroughly.
- Improve circulation
Taking a warm bath with 8-10 drops of grapefruit oil can help improve circulation to your whole body. Dilute the grapefruit oil in a carrier oil before adding to your bath.
- Arthritis Relief
Mix two drops of each wintergreen, cypress, and lemongrass into a bottle of unscented lotion. Rub into any affected areas daily, or as needed.
- Congestion Help
Mix two drops of both fir and spruce oil with a teaspoon of a carrier oil to create effective congestion relief. Rub liberally onto your chest before bed to clear your congestion.
- Skin Help
Add 10-15 drops of peppermint oil to your bath to promote healthy skin. It also gives you a great pick me up and leaves you feeling fresh and cool.
Just for Fun
- Stay Alert
If you are studying or working and keep nodding off, try inhaling the scent of any combination of lavender, sage, frankincense, lemon, peppermint, lemongrass, or basil oils. This will recharge you and keep you alert.
- Room Scent
Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to all the light bulbs in your house. When the lights come on your house will smell amazing.
- Potpourri
Collect pine cones, dried flowers, pine needles, nuts or other dried objects and add your favorite essential oils to the mix. Keep in a bowl in a place of prominence in your house and refresh when it starts to lose its scent.
- Unique Scent
If you still take advantage of snail mail, create your personal blend of essential oils to add to all your correspondence. Scent letters and cards with fragrant essential oils that complement a holiday or special occasion.
- Car Air Freshener
Clip a cotton ball in front of an air vent and add a few drops of your favorite oil. When the air comes on, the scent will fill up your car.
- Fireplace Aromatherapy
Liven up your cozy fire by sprinkling essential oils on a dry log. Frankincense oil works well, especially around Christmas, to give your house some holiday spirit. When the wood heats up, it will infuse the room with your chosen aroma. Allow the oil to permeate the wood for at least a couple of hours before burning.
Safety First
Use of herbal remedies may have side effects. Consult with your doctor before using essential oils as a treatment for medical conditions if you are currently on other medications, herbs, supplements, or if you are prone to seizures, low blood pressure or kidney or liver disease.
- Most essential oil is safe for adult skin, but before you begin any intensive treatment, check with your doctor for an allergy test.
- Do not ingest essential oils or apply directly to your skin.
- Do not use on children, babies or pets.