Essential oils possess such a huge array of health benefits that no home should really be without them. Here, aromatherapist Louise Carta reveals her top seven.
Essential oils possess such a huge array of health benefits that no home should really be without them. Here, aromatherapist Louise Carta reveals her top seven.
Soothing: Roman chamomile
This sweet and calming oil is steam distilled from the pretty white and yellow flowers of the plant and helps to relax and soothe feelings of agitation and busy thoughts. It is one of the best essential oils to help relieve red, itchy and inflamed conditions of the skin and also to relieve pain in painful joints and nerves. It is particularly loved by children and babies.
Use it
It can be vapourised into a room to induce calm or just simply add three to four drops into your bath. For application to the skin add 15 drops to 50ml of base or organic base lotion for a healthy adult. Children and pregnant ladies would need half the amount of essential oils and babies half again!
Harmonising: Geranium
This floral and sweet oil is steam distilled from the flowers, leaves and branches of the plant. It helps to bring balance and stability to the mind, Geranium oil is particularly helpful for the skin and can help with many problems often associated with the female life journey. It is naturally detoxifying and can help with fluid retention and cellulite.
Use it
To enjoy the full benefits of this oil simply add three to four drops into salt, milk, honey or oil and pour into your bath. Or for those who prefer to shower, sprinkle two to three drops on the floor of the shower and slightly cover the plug hole. When the water runs the shower will be full of fragrant geranium vapour!
Balancing: Lavender
This herby, floral, fresh oil is steam distilled from the flowering tops of the plant. This oil balances the emotions and promotes relaxation. Physically it helps with so many conditions of the body but it particularly helps to soothe and aid skin problems, aches and pains and reduces tension.
Use it
It is one of only two essential oils that can be safely applied to the skin in its neat form and is indispensable for relieving burns, nettle stings and insect bites. For a restfulnight’s sleep apply two drops of lavender onto a cotton wool ball or tissue and tuck inside your pillowcase… beware in higher quantities the oil can have the opposite effect!
Refreshing: Eucalyptus
This fresh, clearing and penetrating oil is steam distilled from the leaves and twigs. Emotionally it is stimulating and refreshing to the mind. Physically it is one of the best and safest oils to aid breathing and clear the airways.
Use it
To help clear the airways the fastest, safest and most direct route is via inhalation. Simply place two drops into some warm water and gently breathe in the steamy vapours, or simply place two to three drops on a tissue and inhale deeply.
Energising: Lemon
This fresh, lemony, invigorating oil is expressed from the peel of the fruit. Emotionally this oil uplifts and energises the mind, making it very helpful for people who are feeling low and fatigued. Physically this oil is excellent for dull, lifeless oily skin problems due to its natural brightening and astringent properties. Lemon is helpful for boosting the circulation. It is ideal for use throughout the house too because it has highly antibacterial properties.
Use it
Add two to three drops to your cloth when wiping down work surfaces or when cleaning your fridge or microwave. Lemon is also perfect to vapourise to help cleanse the air and help to deter airborne bugs!!
Stress-relieving: Frankincense
This warm, penetrative, balsamic-like oil is steam distilled from the resin of the tree. This is one of the best oils to calm the emotions and support the mind through life’s ups and downs. It is traditionally used in meditation to focus the mind and is excellent for rejuvenating the skin.
Use it
Keep it in your bag to combat feelings of panic or for use in stressful situations . Place one to two drops onto a tissue and take five very deep breaths, inhaling through the nose and breathing out through the mouth. This will calm you instantly. For skin regenerating properties and to keep wrinkles at bay place two to three drops into a pot of your favourite facial moisturiser!
Healing: Tea tree
This fresh, clean and sharp oil is steam distilled from the leaves of the tree. Physically it is one of the best oils for cleansing the skin and is renowned for its antibacterial and astringent properties, making it the ideal choice for greasy, problematic skin conditions.
Use it
Tea tree is the other oil that can be used in its neat form on the skin as it is excellent to relieve the pain of small cuts, to help draw out splinters and to stop the itching and pain of insect bites. It can be used as a treatment for verrucae or warts. Just add one drop of neat oil onto the area, cover with a plaster and repeat daily.
More info
Clinical aromatherapist Louise Carta is co-director of the Aromatherapy Company, which specialises in clinical aromatherapy training, organic essential oils, skincare and associated products and gifts. For more information call 01827 370 456 or visit thearomatherapycompany.co.uk
DIY massage oil
Make a soothing aromatherapy massage oil with this recipe from top aromatherapist Sue Charles-Lyth of Quinessence.
• Mix two drops each of bergamot and lavender, plus one drop of sandalwood into 10ml (onetablespoon) of a carrier oil such as sweet almond, and give your partner or friend a soothing back massage.
• If you prefer a herbal aroma try two drops of sweet marjoram, two drops Roman chamomile and one drop of cedarwood atlas in your carrier.
• If floral fragrances float your boat mix two drops each of ylang ylang, geranium and lavender and you’ll soon be drifting downstream. For more details go to quinessence.com
Clinical aromatherapist Louise Carta is co-director of the Aromatherapy Company, which specialises in clinical aromatherapy training, organic essential oils, skincare and associated products and gifts. For more information call 01827...
Discover more
Clinical aromatherapist Louise Carta is co-director of the Aromatherapy Company, which specialises in clinical aromatherapy training, organic essential oils, skincare and associated products and gifts. For more information call 01827...
Discover more
By Louise Carta
