Essential Oils (pt. 1)

Essential Oils (pt. 1) 

Posted by Lisa, March 20, 2011

Have you ever been in a situation where you feel awful, but don't want to take the medicine in the cabinet?  Well, here is a healthy, all natural solution for you!  They are called essential oils.  While I have not learned as much about them as I hope to, I have learned a little about my two favorite oils thus far -- peppermint oil and lavender oil.  The two of these combined have been extremely useful to me in my life.  

In the midst of studying and other busy moments, I occasionally get headaches.  When they are smaller headaches, I try my best to ignore them.  But if they get really bad, it's hard to get everything accomplished at the same time.  But now instead of debating for several hours
if I'm going to try some ibuprofen of acetaminophen, I simply grab my little bottle of peppermint oil (which is a natural pain reliever) and apply 1 or 2 drops to my fingertips and then rub into my forehead.  Within about a half hour, my headache is almost always gone!  

Similarly, if I have a cold, and my nose is stuffed or I am congested, I have found peppermint oil applied to my forehead (never your nose though! your eyes will burn after that -- I know this from experience!) helps clear my head a bit.  And on top of that -- it smells AMAZING and fresh and clean!

Next I discovered lavender.  When you combine lavender and peppermint, they create a very soothing concoction.  Lavender is used as a natural anti-inflammatory agent and relaxer, and is very useful when helping you with treatments for tendinitis, carpal tunnel, and any variety of aches and cramps.  Better yet, combine  lavender and peppermint together to gain all the effects of the natural relaxing and anti-inflammatory workings, and pain relievers!