Essential Oils- Three Essentials

Essential oils are oils that are extracted from plants. These are all natural and can benefit you in many ways. They can be used topically, aromatically, and internally. However, do be careful which brands you use, as not all brands are certified. If they are not certified pure therapeutic grade, don't use them internally. There are many oils and blends and they all work by themselves or together to work on different things. However, there are the three basics that you can do many things with.

• lavender
• Peppermint
• Lemon

Lavender is a flowering plant in the mint family that has a purple color. Lavender is wonderful for many things.

• Relaxation --> put it in a diffuser and smell
• sleep aid --> put a little behind your ears or on your pillow before going to sleep
• scrapes, minor skin irritations --> put on minor skin irritations for relief
• chapped lips/skin--> rub a drop over dry lips or skin for relief and softness
• use as a flavoring --> lavender tea is very relaxing

While lavender is for relaxation, peppermint is for energy! It has a nice refreshing smell and can give you that burst of energy you need. Several things you can use peppermint for:

• use to make homemade toothpaste
• use it aromatically as a pick me up
• make peppermint tea or put a drop on your tongue when you have stomach problems
• use on your scalp when shampooing your hair (mix with lavender for an even better result)
• use it to relieve muscle pain and headaches

This is from the lemon plant. This oil is your sunshine in a bottle and great pick me up. Several uses for lemon:

• put in water for a great detox
• cleaner
• use topically or aromatically for a pick me up
• use as flavoring

You can get pre-made blends that are great, but you can also mix and match yourself. Some suggestions for mixing the three basics:

• lavender and peppermint --> use on scalp when washing hair to help with dry, itchy scalp
• lemon and peppermint --> use a few drops in water for a refreshing, detox drink
• lavender, peppermint, and lemon --> combine all three put on palm and inhale for sinus problems

There are many oils and blends out there to choose from. They all have many uses, but these three are the basic ones. While having many is nice, if you can only choose a few, start here!