15 Best Essential Oils and Their Health Benefits
Essential oils are one of the things that we in the homeopathic field cannot do without, they truly are a medical do-all. Stressed? essential oil, in pain? essential oil, hadache? essential oil, today we have the 15 best essential oils and there uses.
Essential oils are natural oils typically obtained by distillation and having the characteristic fragrance of the plant or another source from which it was extracted. These oils have loads of health benefits. You can use essential oils to replace common pharmaceuticals while skipping harmful side effects. Essential oils have very few to any side effects. Essential oils can be used to fight flu and cold symptoms, relax your body, heal skin conditions, alleviate pain and much more. It also reduces cellulite and wrinkles!
You can use essential oils in a number of ways. Inhalation of essential oils can heighten the senses and can trigger numerous desired responses in the body. You can directly inhale them or you can diffuse the oils through a warmer or humidifier. You can also apply essential oils to your skin. Although, Essential oils are very potent, and some may be irritating to the skin. If irritation occurs, immediately apply V-6 Enhanced Vegetable Oil Complex or pure vegetable oil to the area to dilute. Please read label directions for each individual oil before using. I got this list from
Here is a list of 15 essential oils that have been recognized with the most significant results:
- Lavender Oil – sweet-smelling lavender essential oil needs no introduction; it is the number one remedy for a migraine and tension headaches. It is soothing and relaxing and has a mild sedative effect which helps relieve stress and anxiety that could be causing the headache. Mere inhalation of the vapors is sufficient to bring about relief in most cases. Being a mild oil, one or two drops can be applied undiluted on the neck and forehead for quicker results.
- Chamomile – The Roman chamomile oil extracted from Anthemis nobilis and the German chamomile oil from Matricaria chamomilla have analgesic properties, and can be used to treat headaches and neuralgia as well as muscle and joint pains. Both of them have a carminative effect and can relieve abdominal pain due to gas.
- Peppermint – One of the earliest essential oils to be used medicinally, peppermint essential oil is obtained from a natural hybrid of spearmint and watermint. The highly refreshing smell of the oil comes from the active ingredient menthol which is the major component of the oil.
- Eucalyptus – This pungent warming oil is extracted from the bark and leaves of the eucalyptus tree. This powerful decongestant has anti-inflammatory properties that contribute to pain relief in case of sinus congestion and muscle injuries. Being a very strong oil, it should be diluted with coconut oil when applying on the skin, except when used to treat insect stings and bites.
- Rosemary – Extracted from the shrub Rosmarinus officinalis, same as the culinary herb, the essential oil of rosemary is known as a memory-enhancer and appetite stimulant. But it is anti-inflammatory and analgesic too. Inhale the vapors to relieve a headache or apply the oil topically to reduce joint pains and muscle soreness. It is particularly useful in treating rheumatism.
- Wintergreen – Wintergreen oil is obtained from a North American evergreen shrub Gaultheria procumbent growing close the ground. Its pain-relieving property was well known to Native Americans who had used it extensively in tribal medicine. Although the leaf extract had been earlier used internally to treat digestive and bladder problems, the essential oil is now limited to external use due to its toxicity and risk of causing intestinal hemorrhage.
- Cayenne – The hot and spicy essential oil extracted from the seeds of cayenne pepper is surprisingly effective in relieving the most severe types of pain such as that of shingles. Because of its potency, it has to be used in a much diluted form. A little cayenne oil goes a long way. A single drop of this thick, viscous oil mixed with a light carrier oil like coconut oil makes it easier to apply. Use it topically to relieve arthritic and rheumatic pain and neuralgia.
- Ginger – Fresh ginger and its extract are popular as digestive aids, but the essential oil is just as effective in treating a number of painful autoimmune conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus etc. The essential oil can be taken internally or used topically or inhaled. Unlike the analgesic drugs used to manage the above conditions, ginger oil therapy has been found to have no adverse side effects even when used for extended periods of time.
- Sandalwood – This is one of the most expensive essential oils since the oil is obtained from the heartwood of the Sandalwood tree Santalum album. The tree should be at least 50 years or older to provide a high-quality oil. However, its antispasmodic property and the anti-inflammatory action of sandalwood make it worth having in your medicine chest. It is a powerful pain reliever whether it is muscle pain, skeletal pain or neuralgia. Use a few drops in an infuser or take a daily dose of 3 drops of pure oil in a cup of water. This has been known to reduce pain due to endometriosis.
- Clary Sage – Clary sage oil derived from the herb Salvia sclarea is best known for its benefits to the eye, but it is an excellent pain killer too, especially in a case of pain associated with menstruation and menopause. It relieves a stress-induced headache when used in a diffuser and reduces cramps and painful stomach spasms when applied to the abdominal area, but it should not be taken internally
- Clove – Cloves are the unopened buds of the Syzygium aromaticum tree from the tropics. The oil extracted from cloves is highly spicy and pungent and gives a burning sensation when applied on the skin in the undiluted form. This is immediately followed by an anesthetic action which helps provide almost instantaneous relief from acute pain as in the case of a toothache. A few drops of clove oil can be mixed with a cup of warm water and used as a throat gargle to get relief from throat pain. Besides that, the antimicrobial action of the oil can help clear the infection too.
- Marjoram – Made from sweet marjoram, a herb closely related to oregano, this spicy, edible oil is analgesic and antispasmodic. Use it in an infuser to treat headaches during cold and fever. Diluted with olive oil and massaged into the affected area, it relieves muscular spasms resulting from overexertion of muscles in hands and legs. When taken internally, it can also reduce abdominal spasms associated with diarrhea. Marjoram oil is a good toothache remedy for spot application as well.
- Yarrow – It is extracted from the yarrow plant Achillea millefolium commonly known as nosebleed plant because of its ability to stop bleeding from the nose as well as minor wounds. The essential oil is antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory and contains salicylic acid which is behind the analgesic effect of aspirin.
- Helichrysum – Distilled from the flowering plant Helichrysum italicum, this oil is a powerful anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic analgesic. When applied to bruised areas, it quickly takes away not only the pain but the visible discoloration of the skin. The bruises are known to disappear overnight. For instant relief from the pain and soreness resulting from sunburn, apply Helichrysum oil diluted with coconut oil.
- Juniper – Extracted from the berries of the blue-green evergreen Juniperus communis, the essential oil is used to treat a number of painful conditions such as hemorrhoids, colitis, and dysmenorrhea. Sitting for 15 to 20 minutes in a hot bath to which a few drops of the oil are added helps relieve hemorrhoids. A few drops mixed with a spoonful of olive oil or mixed into an herbal tea can be taken internally to treat colitis and indigestion. Its carminative effect relieves pain due to gas accumulation. Juniper berry oil is used topically to treat rheumatic pain too.