Benefits of essential oils. Essential oils, beneficial properties, use for face and hair, massage, baths, inhalations Harm of essential oils for skin cytotoxins

Plant essential oil has improved our daily life in many ways. It is used in aromatherapy, dietology, cosmetology.

Oils help a person to restore emotional, spiritual, physical well-being. Their benefits are undeniable.

How do you get this amazing product? By resin blowing, steam distillation, cold pressing from essential oils plants. Useful properties make it possible to alleviate many diseases, solve certain problems, these are just some of the numerous list.

  • Improving the condition of the skin.

  • Stimulation of cell renewal, acceleration of regeneration. This contributes to the rapid healing of cuts, bruises, wounds, burns.

  • Relief of pain.

  • Some essential oils tend to balance the nervous state, cheer up.
  • Relaxing and anti-stress effect.

  • Fight against infections, bacteria, pathogens.
  • Multipurpose oils are used as household cleaners.

  • Some essential oils can kill pests (worms, slugs, etc.)

  • Scrubs for exfoliating dead cells work better with the addition of essential oil.
  • Used in teas that are beneficial to health.

Below is the most comprehensive list of the benefits of essential oils. Where, in what cases is this or that remedy used? When is oil beneficial?

Reduces back and neck pain

Use essential oils of peppermint, ginger, cypress. Can be combined with coconut oil, the penetration effect will be stronger.

Apply the mixture while massaging the problem area, then rinse with warm water.

Cold and flu

To alleviate the condition, take frankincense and oregano oils. Inhale their vapors several times a day until you feel relief.

Allergy

Rub lavender essential oil in your palms and inhale its scent until your allergy symptoms subside.

Toxicosis

In this case, oils of lemon, orange, ginger will help. Every time you feel morning sickness, hold a handkerchief to your nose with a few drops of essential oils on it.

Immunity

To support immunity in the morning or evening before going to bed, rub into the soles of the feet. useful composition: A few drops of oregano should be mixed with olive or coconut oil.

Muscle lotion

Add a few drops of eucalyptus oil to your winter cream. Use it every time to warm up your muscles.

For weight loss

A mixture of grapefruit and ginger oils help reduce appetite. Use daily as an additive to drinks.

Poison ivy burn

The condition will help relieve peppermint oil. Apply the product to the affected area of ​​the skin.

For sunburn

Apply chamomile oil to your skin as an exfoliating treatment if you've been exposed to the sun.

Herpes on the lips

For itchy, blistering lips, use tea tree oil. It has antiseptic properties, relieves inflammation, relieves pain.

Lice

Relieve PMS symptoms

On a towel, apply a few drops of different essential oils and apply it directly to your stomach. It is recommended to use sage, basil, rosemary.

Menstrual pain in the abdomen

Use the above method, but use different oils. Suitable in this case, peppermint, ylang-ylang, lavender. You can simply rub a few drops into the place where the pain is most acute.

Ringworm

Mix three drops of tea tree oil with five drops of coconut oil. Rub into the affected area of ​​the skin.

chronic arthritis

Essential oils can help relieve arthritis pain. Rub them into the affected area, the inflammation subsides much faster.

Cravings for food

Cinnamon oil will help reduce it. Breathe in her scent. It also lowers blood glucose levels.

Improving blood circulation and lymph flow

Add 10-15 drops of grapefruit or eucalyptus to a hot bath.

Eczema or psoriasis

Mix lavender oil and shea butter and lubricate the affected areas several times a day.

Fever

Peppermint oil and lavender oil will help reduce body temperature and relieve fever. Apply it on a warm cloth and lubricate the skin on the forehead, wrists, feet.

Seasickness

Ginger oil is a great helper for those who are going on a trip and are afraid of pitching. Simply apply it to your wrist, handkerchief or sleeve and inhale when you feel nauseated.

Intense workout

Peppermint oil helps not to feel tired. Breathe in its scent before exercising.

hangover syndrome

In this case, a bath with a few drops of rosemary, cedar and juniper will help. Your body will start functioning normally again.

Improves concentration

Breathe in bergamot, grapefruit, peppermint. This will help you focus better.

Sore feet

Add a few drops of peppermint oil to your foot bath. It relaxes, relieves stress.

Pain from bruises

Essential oils are great for helping with bruising pain. Rub them on the affected areas until relief comes.

Asthma

Inhale the vapors of peppermint, eucalyptus.

Digestion

To improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, always keep fennel and ginger oils on hand.

Insect bites

Lavender oil perfectly relieves itching, redness. Use it for insect bites.

burns

Aloe vera with lavender oil helps to alleviate the condition. Apply the mixture to the affected area.

For bone fractures

Cough

Eucalyptus oil is used for inhalation. Vapors can clear the respiratory passages.

Headache

Rub a few drops of lavender and peppermint oil into your whiskey. Massage for a few minutes. The pain will disappear.

homemade toothpaste

Make a mixture of peppermint oil, baking soda, sea salt and xylitol. Clean your teeth with this product.

Nausea

For nausea, inhale the vapors of peppermint, ginger, and lavender oils.

cracked heels

Rub the mixture of lavender oil with coconut oil on problem areas in the morning and evening before bed. The product perfectly softens rough skin.

Oily hair mask

Apply this mask before taking a shower for 10-15 minutes. It contains rosemary, lime and ylang-ylang oils.

Lightening pigmentation

brighten brown spots frankincense oil will help on the skin. It can be applied to any area of ​​the skin.

Skin tonic

Geranium, water and lavender can perfectly tone the skin. Apply this tonic daily before using your cream.

Skin scrub

Combine cornmeal, patchouli oil, lavender oil and yogurt. Use as a scrub.

Stretch Mark Removal

Eliminate stretch marks on the body will help oils of the world, grapefruit. Rub them into problem areas.

From dandruff

Massage rosemary and lavender oils into your scalp. They will help improve blood flow in the skin and deal with dandruff.

Hair conditioner

Use 10 drops of oil rosewood, 3 drops of sandalwood and lavender. Apply the product to your hair for 20 minutes. You can leave the product overnight, while wrapping your hair with a shower cap.

Teeth whitener

Helps whiten the enamel mixture of strawberries and lemon oil.

From wrinkles

Add a few drops of geranium, lavender, and sandalwood oils to your cream. Apply to problem areas of the skin.

For nails

Use regularly for nails oil of the world, lemon. This will help keep them healthy.

Thick hair

For thicker hair and more volume, add a few drops of rosemary oil to your shampoo.

The wave of everything artificial is gradually fading away, and the fashion for the natural is returning to replace it. In nature, there is everything that is necessary for humanity, including women, to maintain their beauty. Oils play a significant role in maintaining and restoring natural beauty. We will talk about how to use them correctly, which ones and why to use them - in this article.

The benefits of essential oils

In addition to aesthetic and healing properties, essential oils have a beneficial effect on nervous system. Therefore, it is very important when choosing ingredients to choose what you really like. If you are disgusted by the product used, then it will not bring benefits.

Esters are used everywhere: for taking baths, both relaxing and therapeutic, foot baths are made with them, they are also taken care of the body. Each of the oils is suitable for a specific application, for example:

  • anise oil improves mood, awakening mild excitement;
  • basil is a natural anti-stress, it gives strength and remarkably refreshes;
  • laurel has a relaxing effect on the body - it is part of many perfumes;
  • bergamot helps with, increases self-esteem;
  • cardamom - very popular in the perfume industry, like the previous version, it calms well;
  • rosemary favorably affects the treatment of dark hair;
  • sandalwood is an excellent care product, it tightens enlarged pores well;
  • mint - actively fights acne and acne, perfectly cleanses the skin;
  • orange is the real enemy of cellulite.

But you need to be careful with them, because they are not always useful. In some cases, essential oils can be harmful. For example:

  • during lactation, mothers should avoid contact with jasmine, mint, parsley and sage oils - scientists have proven that they can reduce the level of milk production;
  • high blood pressure is a contraindication to the use of rose oil, eucalyptus, cypress, sage;
  • and with a reduced one, you should beware of marjoram, ylang-ylang, lavender, nutmeg;
  • with epilepsy, wormwood, fennel, hyssop, sage carry the danger;
  • when mint, rose, cypress, cinnamon, myrrh, thyme, oregano are contraindicated.

It is also important to remember that essential oils should never be used in their pure form. Otherwise, there is a huge risk of severe burns. Oils must be diluted before use in the same oily medium. For this, it is customary to use oils marked "base". These include: olive, peach, almond, grape, linseed, etc. Pick up best option that suits your skin type and use as directed.

Essential oils: application

As we mentioned earlier, essential oils have a wide range of uses. Let's look at an example of where and how each of them can be applied.

Essential oils for the face

For the face, essential oil without reducing the concentration can only be used if spot application is required, for example when. But even in this case, this must be done with caution.

Esters have an excellent ability to penetrate into the deepest layers of the skin and act from within. That is why oils are advised to be added to a store cream in order to enhance its effectiveness.

Even after diluting the essential oil with the base oil, you need to apply the composition with care to make sure that there is no each drug, study it thoroughly, as some of them have contraindications to the sun's rays. Since irritation and burns may appear on the skin.

  • Patchouli oil works well with all skin types, but it works especially well with dry, flabby and oily skin types. It nourishes the skin, eliminates peeling and promotes skin regeneration. Great in caring for aging skin, as it can. Evens out complexion and makes it healthy. For daily care, you can add a couple of drops to a regular cream. Pointwise, in its pure form, they can treat acne and blackheads.
  • Orange oil (sweet) - suitable for dry skin types. Ether eliminates dead epidermis, smoothes and moisturizes the skin. The oil compensates for the lack of collagen, which makes it a wonderful tool in the fight against signs of aging. Oily skin, under the influence of orange essential oil, gets rid of excess fat, acne, abscesses and enlarged pores. For facial care, simply add 2-4 drops to masks, creams and other skin care products.
  • Lemon oil will help whiten pigmented areas of the skin. If you mix it with grape seed oil, then this remedy is ideal for oily skin care. To slow down the aging process, lemon is mixed with avocado oil or castor oil. Lemon oil for young skin effective prevention wrinkles. When applied topically, warts are treated with undiluted oil.

Essential oils for the body

The easiest way to use aromatic body oils is aromatic baths. They help to relax, make the skin perfectly smooth. The following bath recipes can be used as a remedy for cellulite.

  • In a glass of kefir, drop a couple of drops of firth, 4 drops of rosemary and 6 drops of thyme. Mix everything well and pour into the bath, the water temperature of which is 37-38 ° C. The duration of the procedure is 20 minutes.
  • Dissolve a teaspoon of liquid natural honey in a glass of fatty kefir. Add 2 drops each of ginger, geranium and black pepper oil. Taking a bath, as in the previous case, 20 minutes.
  • Dissolve a couple of tablespoons of sea salt in a glass of full-fat milk. Add a few drops of orange and lemon oils. Mix everything well and pour into the bath.
  • For acne on the body, the following recipe is suitable: in a glass of kefir, add a couple of drops of lemon, lemon balm and rosemary and 4 drops of bergamot.
  • Fennel baths will help to remove toxins from the body, as well as get rid of a couple of kilograms. Dissolve 5 drops of essential oil in 50 ml of the fattest cream. Bathing - 15 minutes.
  • To combat cellulite, you can try massage. Take any citrus oil you like and mix it with honey. Massage the problem areas of the body with the composition. After that, leave the mass on the skin for 15 minutes and rinse.
  • For massage, a composition of avocado oil and 10 g of grape seed oil is suitable.
  • Mix 2 drops each of orange oil, juniper oil and black pepper. Massage the resulting mass every other day, for 15-20 minutes.
  • Rosemary, anise and petitgrain will help to tighten the skin and give it elasticity. Mix all the ingredients in equal proportions, add any base oil (in this case, jojoba is suitable) and apply to problem areas.

Essential oils for hair

When choosing a hair oil, always rely on the type of the latter.

  • For dry curls, lavender, sandalwood oils, as well as geranium and aloe oils are preferred.
  • For oily hair, cypress, rosemary, lemon and mint oils are suitable.
  • For the normal type, choose cedar, thyme, sage, and lemon oils.

It is also worth deciding which side of your hair does not suit you and after that select the recipe.

  • Jojoba and avocado are wonderful hair moisturizers.
  • Tea tree will help to conduct a comprehensive treatment associated with hair loss and dandruff. Optimizes the sebum secretion process, so it is perfect for oily hair types.
  • Do you want to quickly and effectively grow thick and long hair? Then rosemary oil is for you! In addition to accelerated growth, the oil helps to heal curls.
  • Prevention and treatment of split ends will be carried out by castor oil. By the way, it is no less effective in the fight against dandruff.
  • Has your hair lost its silkiness and shine? Ylang-ylang is an elixir that will give your hair a mirror shine and a breathtaking aroma. For hair care, just add a couple of drops to your hair shampoo and wash your hair in the usual way.

Attention! Before attempting to use an essential oil in practice, always test it for allergic reactions. This will help you avoid many problems. Otherwise, the effect of the application will be just the opposite.

DIY essential oil

A factory product is good, but a home-made product is even better. Therefore, if you really want to take care of yourself only with natural preparations, try to cook them yourself. Here are some recipes for essential oils.

lavender oil

You will need 2 tablespoons of flowering lavender stems and a glass of base oil (your choice). Combine the ingredients, pour into a tube with a tight lid and place in a dark place for a couple of months. Shake periodically.

Orange oil

Remove the peel from 2-3 oranges and rinse. Finely chop and place the raw materials in a jar and fill with vegetable or any other base oil. Leave in a dark place for 4-5 days. After that, put the jar in a water bath, after opening the lid, for half an hour. At the end, strain the composition through a sieve.

Melissa oil

Pour a couple of tablespoons of dry melissa grass with a glass of base oil and leave for a couple of months in a dark place to infuse. At the end, strain the composition and use it to your health.

Calendula oil

Take calendula flowers and base oil in a ratio of 1:5. You need to insist at least three weeks. After that, the oil must be filtered and poured into a dark jar.

lemon oil

Take a 200 ml jar and half fill with finely grated lemon zest. Pour in olive oil so that it reaches the neck. Leave the tube in the sun for 2-3 weeks. Shake the container daily. At the end, strain the composition. The oil is ready.

Almost all essential oils are prepared according to this principle at home.

Essential oils: reviews

Despite the fact that natural cosmetology is considered to be slow-acting, essential oils refute this opinion. Everyone who used esters for specific purposes, while carefully selecting the ingredients and observing the regularity of the procedures, received excellent results very soon.

Some have been shown to have an allergic reaction, but this is not the product's fault, but rather the user's. To prevent this kind of trouble, always test for allergies by applying a little composition to the bend of the elbow.

Aromatherapy Secrets

We are surrounded by smells and aromas. And by inhaling them, we can get rid of a headache (learn about the causes of headaches and how to deal with it), relieve our fatigue after a hard day at work, and feel a surge of strength and energy. And this, not magic or sorcery at all, this is aromatherapy. Oh, we will talk about it today, dear readers of the World without Harm ...

What is aromatherapy

Many centuries ago, people knew that smells and aromas can heal, and can cause irreparable harm to human health.

Aromatherapy, as a field of alternative medicine, has long used various aromas that emit essential oils of various plants as its healing odors.

Aromatherapy treatments

There are 3 most commonly used methods of aromatherapy procedures:

Baths with aromatic oils

As a rule, essential oil is added to a hot bath. You can add a cosmetic mixture of honey and milk to such a bath. Taking such an aromatic bath lasts, depending on the indications, from 5 to 30 minutes and has various properties. For example, a bath with the addition of a few drops of tangerine oil perfectly relieves fatigue and improves mood.

Aromatization of the room

Most often, it is carried out with the help of aromatic lamps, scented candles or incense sticks. If this is an aromatic lamp, then it looks like a small ceramic bowl in which an ordinary candle is placed, and an aqueous solution with a few drops of aromatic oil is poured into the reservoir above the candle. Aromatization of the room is carried out as the gradual evaporation of the water-oil aromatic solution. As for more easy way- the use of scented candles, then there are certain doubts. If you use this method occasionally, it will not harm you, but if you regularly, and even in a room with poor ventilation, then the benefits of aromatherapy can gradually turn into harm. Why? Because any scented candle is based on paraffin and various dyes, which, during their burning, release certain toxic toxins and substances, in particular, benzene and toluene, which can trigger the development of asthma, skin diseases, eczema, and even cancerous tumors. If you are lucky enough to purchase a scented candle based on natural wax- then, there will be no harm from it for your body.

Massage with aromatic oils

Quite a pleasant and useful procedure. However, it is necessary to take into account the main contraindications for massage (we already mentioned them on our website here), and also take into account the fact that essential oil cannot be applied to the skin in a pure and concentrated form.

Aromatherapy Properties

Here are a few more interesting facts from the field of aromatherapy and its special properties:

  • in almost every composition of any aromatic oil, you can find at least 30 components. So, coniferous aroma contains more than 50 compounds, and rose oil contains 500 of them!!!
  • fresh aromas have a calming effect on the body, and spicy aromas excite our senses and perception.
  • The effective result of aromatherapy is explained by the fact that aroma acts through our sense of smell on all systems of the human body, and powerful impulses of perception are transmitted to the brain. And, if a few drops of aromatic oil are applied to the scalp, then the oil will very quickly enter our bloodstream.

Harm and contraindications of aromatherapy

Many are interested in whether aromatherapy has contraindications? Well, there are no direct contraindications, however people suffering from allergies reactions (find out here), you need to carefully approach the choice of aromas. So, if you are allergic to citrus fruits, then you should avoid aromatic oils with the aroma of lemon, tangerine, orange and grapefruit (learn about the benefits and dangers of this fruit) and bergamot, which also belongs to the citrus family.

Benefits and harms of essential oils. We all know that essential oils are beneficial. We also heard about how they positively affect our body.

There are many ways to use oils. For example, taking them inside the body. Also, essential oils are used as an additive in various balms, tinctures. They can also be used during massage.

Essential oils have many beneficial properties. But it is worth remembering that only the compositional use of oils from esters is beneficial.

This means that there is an alternation different types oils. This is done so that the body does not develop a habit of one type of oil.

What are the specific benefits of essential oils??

1. They increase concentration and brain performance.

2. They also perfectly relax and relieve tension after a working day.

3. Also useful are oils that remove carcinogens, slow down the aging of the body due to the presence of antioxidants in their composition.

4. Among other things, they also are immunomodulators.

5. Lots of minerals, vitamins and more useful substances in the composition of oils quickly and efficiently absorbed by your body.

6. A special place in alternative medicine is occupied by aromatherapy, which arose a very long time ago, thanks to a French scientist.

Essential oils are used as phytovegetative regulators and help cure many diseases.

7. anise oil gives the skin elasticity and stimulates the appetite.

8. Bergamotov acne can be treated, which is why it is very popular among teenagers. It has anti-inflammatory properties, and is also used in stressful situations.

9. Oil with an unusual name Ylang Ylang stimulates sexual desire and helps prevent skin aging by regenerating cells.

10. Good effect on the functioning of the respiratory tract mint oil, and also it is a good pain reliever, also stimulating the brain.

11. Tea tree oil kills germs and bacteria. At the same time, it is very useful for the treatment of fungus and is well tolerated by children.

12.These funds have found themselves in cosmetology. Especially popular are almond oil, jojoba extract, as well as apricot and peach kernels. Oil from sesame, grapefruit, and also avocado is considered popular in use.

13. The use of such oils for hair gives an amazing effect. You can read about the methods of application and specific types of oils in the article "Essential oils for hair: methods of application"

It all sounds very nice, but every medal has two sides. After all, the inability to use essential oils, as well as their use in inappropriate situations, can cause a negative and often irreversible process.

1) There are a number of oils that can lead to unwanted reactions in people with any pathologies.

For example, arborvitae, birch and sage oils can cause various allergic reactions in any person who is intolerant to the components contained in these oils.

2) Oils such as calamus and sassafras, which contain carcinogens and can also be very harmful to health, should be used only as directed by a doctor.

3) From lemon oil and oregano on the face, severe irritation can occur on the skin of the face, so it is not recommended to use such oils for people with sensitive or too delicate skin.

4) There are a number of contraindications in which the use of certain oils is prohibited, otherwise such negligence can lead to terrible consequences. People with problems of cardio-vascular system pine and fir oils are contraindicated.

But with “proper” use, many oils have a positive effect on ongoing pregnancy. They relieve tension, and also help the expectant mother get rid of swelling and sprains.

6) It is undesirable to use essential oils in their pure form, otherwise you can get burned. Before using the ether, it should be diluted, well, or the skin should be treated with ordinary oil. After all, safety measures should be above all!

7) In case of severe kidney disease, do not abuse juniper and pine oils.

8) A complete rejection of oils is mandatory for people with thyroid diseases or elevated temperature body in case of illness.

9) In the case of taking drugs containing iodine and iron, you should not take lavender oil, otherwise, due to chemical interactions, a lethal outcome is also possible.

One way or another, essential oils are useful if you handle them correctly or if you take them according to the prescription of your doctor. With skillful use, they will bring you only beneficial features and help to cope with many diseases.

Do not neglect your health, and through long years your body will thank you!

Being substances of natural origin, they are perfectly compatible with the human body and can bring nothing but benefit to it. At the same time, everyone forgets that the ethereal substance in the plant is far from being as large as in the produced industrial way essential oil. Aromatherapy, as a way of influencing the human body, does not have clearly defined rules and recommendations for use. Therefore, statistics of cases when a person had an adverse reaction to essential oils simply do not exist.

The main trump card of manufacturers and healers who use essential oils in their practice is that aromatherapy, as a way of treating and preventing various ailments, has been used since time immemorial. But this is not entirely true. Essential oils began to be widely used only in the 20th century. Prior to that, they were used exclusively in the perfume and pharmaceutical industries, and under strict control and in compliance with verified proportions. Essential oils are complex, highly active mixtures that, if used incorrectly or carelessly, will not help, but will only further aggravate your condition. They should be used especially carefully in relation to pregnant women and young children.

Dangerous essential oils can affect the human body in two ways: through the skin and through the respiratory tract. When applying oil to skin covering the following happens. Part of the oil penetrates into the surface cell layer and changes the properties of the cell membrane, distorting the physiological and metabolic processes within the cell itself. Cell membranes determine the synchronism of biochemical reactions in tissues, so any outside interference can disrupt the normal biological process. To avoid dangerous effects of essential oils, it is necessary to apply diluted solutions to the skin, which consist of an aromatic oil and a solvent (ethyl alcohol, wax, vegetable oil).

The next way to influence the ethereal on the body is through the sense of smell. Essential oils are highly concentrated aromas of plants, in which the content of odorous substances exceeds the natural one by 50-100 times. The aromatic components of the smell begin to act on our receptors, triggering a variety of biochemical processes. The body's response to dangerous essential oils unpredictable, the result of their use can be allergies and swelling of the soft tissues of the upper respiratory tract.

To protect yourself and your loved ones from the use of dangerous essential oils, follow the advice of women's magazine JustLady:

Purchase essential oils only in stores, from trusted, well-established suppliers.
Refuse to purchase if the label does not contain clear information about the manufacturer, chemical composition and there is no or labeling that does not correspond to the type of oil. Oil that has sloppy packaging, an indistinct label - dangerous essential oil.
Do not use synthetic essential oils as therapeutic. Such oils are suitable only for aromatization and have nothing to do with the healing of the body. At best, they will simply be useless.
Do not use essential oils with registered side effects(tansy, vervain, cinnamon, etc.) It is not known how your body will react to their composition, so, if possible, replace them with more common ones.
Do not use one essential oil instead of another, even if they have similar properties. chemical composition. The same substance can have a different effect, which depends on the concentration and overall composition of the essential oil.
Store essential oils in dark containers, in a cool place, and dispose of expired products. Expired oils that have been exposed to the sun for a long time or in a warm place - dangerous essential oils.

Most essential oils are harmless and have been used with great success in a variety of applications. Dangerous essential oils oils are considered to have clear, confirmed signs of toxic substances, regardless of the dose and method of their application. Such oils should only be used in aromatherapy under the supervision of a qualified professional or medical practitioner.

Dangerous essential oils: azhgon, arnica, ragweed, calamus reed, calamus vulgaris, boldo, verbena, mustard, wintergreen, elecampane, Spanish oregano, common oregano, sweet clover, irny root, costus, camphor, rosin, Chinese cinnamon, bitter almond, Cossack juniper, gauze, marsh mint, wormwood, tansy, fragrant rue, anise seed, parsley seed, Brazilian sassafras, thuja folded, thuja western, horseradish, garden savory, mountain savory, yaborandi.

Svetlana Krutova
Women's magazine JustLady