21 Totally Unusual Essential Oil Hacks That Go Way Beyond The Obvious

21 Totally Unusual Essential Oil Hacks That Goes Way Beyond The Obvious

There seem to be an endless number of choices when buying essential oils, and for every oil, there are at least a dozen uses. Still, even if you’re a tried-and-true essential oil expert, there are probably at least a few essential oil hacks that you haven’t heard about, including these.

1. Sore Ears

Have your earlobes ever gotten sore and inflamed after you’ve worn cheap earrings? If your ears are pierced, odds are, you’ve experienced this more than a few times. If it happens again, just rub a drop of tea tree essential oil on them, and you’ll feel relief immediately!

2. Runny Nose

If you’ve got a runny nose, whether it’s from allergies or a cold, it can be extremely annoying. After all, it’s hard to work or get much of anything done when you constantly have to grab a tissue.

Fortunately, you can get relief by rubbing a drop of lemon essential oil diluted in a carrier oil on the side of your nose.

Just be aware that this oil is phototoxic, which means that your skin will be more prone to burning in direct sunlight for up to 3 days after application.

3. Stinky Shoes

If you’ve got stinky shoes, just put a drop or two of your favorite aromatic essential oil onto two cotton balls. Put one of each into your shoes.

4. Attract Butterflies

Butterflies are beautiful to look at, and gazing at them can even offer stress-relief. But how do you get them to come into your garden? Just add a drop or two of wild orange or lavender onto a cotton ball, and place several of them throughout your garden.

(Or better yet, plant some of these flowers to keep the butterflies coming back year after year!)

5. Reduce Fever

If you’re burning up with a fever, try adding equal parts of Frankincense and either eucalyptus, rosemary or peppermint essential oils diluted in sesame seed oil or milk to a bath. Add the same diluted oils to lukewarm water and sponge it across your skin.

6. Make Your Home Smell Nice

You can manage all of this by placing a few drops of sweet-smelling essential oil onto your air filter. Do this every time you change your air filter and your home will smell amazing.

7. Eliminate Fishy Smell

You know that awful smell that seems to linger forever after you cook fish? There is a way to get rid of it! Just put some lemon essential oil into your diffuser.

8. Banish Monsters Under the Bed

Just about every child has had a rough time trying to get to sleep because of monsters under the bed, or in the closet.

You can create your very own “Monster Spray” that the kids can use just before bedtime so that they can be assured a monster-free zone.

Add several drops of lavender essential oil to a small spray bottle with water, let them spray it around the bedroom, and they’ll be sure to enjoy a more restful sleep, as will you.

(When storing essential oils, ideally you will want to use dark-colored glass bottles. While these can be very difficult to find in retail establishments, you can purchase them here in blue or here in brown.)

9. Fido is Deathly Afraid of Thunder?

Our pets get scared just like we do – dogs are notorious for being terrified of thunderstorms, and few animals like the sound of fireworks either.

The next time one of your furry friends needs to be soothed, add a few drops of frankincense essential oil to your diffuser and run it in the same room with you and your pet.

When combined with a little petting or scratching behind the ears, your furry companion should calm down fairly quickly.

10. Sweet-Smelling Fireplace

You can add aroma to a cozy fire by applying about 10 drops of essential oil to a dry log a couple of days, or more before you burn it. That allows the oil to permeate the wood, and it will bring a pleasant smell to your home.

11. Add Sparkle to Your Dishes

Ever wished your dishes could look like they do in that dish-washing detergent commercial? Well, now they can!

Just add a few drops of lemon essential oil to the soap dispenser in your dishwasher for dishes that are literally sparkling clean.

12. Keep Creepy-Crawlies Out of Your House

Spiders, mice, and other vermin hate the smell of peppermint.

If they detect it, they’ll immediately turn around and leave.

You can repel them by soaking cotton balls in peppermint essential oil and placing them strategically around the house, like kitchen cabinets and pantries.

Another way to do it is to add 10 to 15 drops of the oil to a water bottle and spray it throughout the house, getting all the way back in those cabinets, corners and other areas that mice and spiders tend to hide in.

Here are twelve more ways to keep spiders out of your home.

13. Fight Germs on Your Workout Stuff

That gym bag – those athletic shoes, yoga mat and other workout-related items – tend to get pretty gross in a very short period of time.

To eradicate germs on them, fill a small spray bottle with water and add a drop of lavender and a drop of tea tree essential oil. Spray down everything you use each time you’re finished with it.

14. Get Rid of Hiccups

Getting rid of hiccups can seem impossible, but you don’t have to find someone who will scare the wits out of you to do it.

To make them stop, rub 2 drops of peppermint essential oil diluted in a carrier oil into your palms and inhale deeply for a couple of minutes. The invigorating minty aroma should help to reset your breathing pattern and stop the diaphragm spasms.

And if that doesn’t work, here are 40 more tricks to (attempt to) rid yourself of the hiccups!

15. Get More Productive at Work

If you want to improve your focus, as well as speed and accuracy while you’re working, particularly when you’re working on a cognitive task, keep some rosemary essential oil in your desk and take a whiff when you start to feel like you’re dragging.

Research has also suggested that it may help to strengthen your memory too.

16. Fight Wrinkles

Frankincense is considered to be a powerful astringent, which means it helps to protect skin cells. It can not only be used to reduce acne and other blemishes but to prevent wrinkles and even help tighten the skin to slow the signs of aging. It can be used anywhere the skin is starting to sag, like under the eyes or the jowls.

Mix 6 drops of frankincense essential oil to one ounce of unscented carrier oil and apply directly to the skin.

17. Deter Pesky Flies

Have a problem with flies getting into your home?

During the summer months, when they tend to come in droves, place a diffuser near doors and windows which see frequent use.

Add a few drops of lemongrass essential oil to the water and keep the diffuser running during the daytime to deter flies and other insect pests from entering.

Many diffusers have a short run time – generally only around 4 – 5 hours. If you want a diffuser that will run all day without having to be refilled, check out number 3 on our Diffuser Reviews from earlier this year.

The BellaSentials Woodgrain Cold Mister earned (and still holds, as of today) our award for the best essential oil diffuser on the market!

18. Menstrual Cramps

If you’re suffering from painful menstrual cramps, rub lavender essential oil onto your abdomen, or apply it with a warm compress to your abdomen for relief.

19. Moisturize & Sanitize a New Tattoo

After getting a tattoo, it’s important to avoid infection. One of the best ways to do that is to apply tea tree essential oil that’s been diluted with coconut oil.

20. All-Natural Fabric Softener

Those store-bought fabric softeners are generally filled with lots of chemicals, and they tend to be pricey too.

Instead, try adding a drop of tea tree essential oil to a cup of white vinegar. Pour it into your next load of laundry, and you’ll have the perfect all-natural, inexpensive, anti-microbial fabric softener.

21. Get Rid of Slugs

Slugs are the bane of existence for gardeners.

If your garden is suffering because of them, try using a diluted mix of either peppermint or cedarwood essential oil and water, about 5 drops of oil to one cup of water to start.

Spray a ring around any of your plants or produce that are affected by the slugs.

Where To Buy Essential Oils

When using essential oils, it is imperative to opt for 100% pure oils free of additives and adulterants. On Natural Living Ideas, we consistently recommend Plant Therapy Essential Oils.

Plant Therapy offer 100% pure oils, they stock virtually every oil under the sun, sell a range of organic oils, are fairly priced and offer high quality customer service and support.

You can browse their selection of single essential oils here, and you can browse their range of organic oils here.

For a total guide for what to look for when buying essential oils, read our guide here.