What do you know about essential oils and aromatherapy? Before I started using essential oils, I heard tons of random information about them, and it was, honestly, overwhelming. There is so much information about what essential oils can do to support our physical, mental, and emotional health, and there is a lot of competing information about how they should be used.
After a lot of research and experimentation, here are the basics I’ve learned: Essential oils are the most powerful part of the plant. They are the life blood of the plant; they move nutrients through the stem to every part of the plant. They are distilled from shrubs, flowers, trees, roots, bushes, fruit, rinds, resins, and herbs. Essential oils consist of over 100 different natural, organic compounds. There are many different oils available, but you don’t need to be a certified aroma therapist to use them to support your health.
This article on Healthline succinctly describes aromatherapy: “Aromatherapy is a holistic healing treatment that uses natural plant extracts to promote health and well-being. Sometimes it’s called essential oil therapy. Aromatherapy uses aromatic essential oils medicinally to improve the health of the body, mind, and spirit.”
As its name suggests, aromatherapy is primarily “aromatic.” When you breathe in an essential oil, it takes only a few seconds for the oil to be absorbed through your respiratory tract and lungs and, from there, circulated throughout your entire blood stream.
Additionally, aromas are a direct link to our memories and emotions, which makes them powerful for supporting mental health and working through emotional traumas. Essential oils can help support emotional work, such as the mental and emotional healing process that occurs in talk therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and more.
After years of trying out aromatherapy techniques, I’ve learned which essential oils are my go-to’s to help support my emotional, mental, and physical health. I use ultrasonic diffusers to circulate essential oils into the air around me: Peppermint essential oil helps me feel energized—especially when I’m feeling groggy due to having a negative mindset about a stressful situation. It is also my favorite to diffuse when I’m feeling uneasy physically. The crisp aroma from the menthol in peppermint essential oil helps me feel clean and clear headed.
Lavender essential oil can help me feel relaxed and ready to wind down for sleep after a busy day. Stress can cause so many negative things physically, mentally, and emotionally, and lavender can help me get into a relaxed headspace to combat stress.
Sweet orange essential oil helps me feel fresh and energetic. I love to diffuse sweet orange for an uplifting aroma during the dark winter months when I’m feeling cooped up and grumpy. Clary Sage and Ylang Ylang essential oils are two of my favorite oils to diffuse during my menstrual cycle when my hormones are raging. Their floral, tart, and sweet aromas help me feel balanced and even keel when my body is going through hormonal fluctuations.
Belle Aroma® offers all the essential oils I list above, and more. The all new Belle Aroma Organic Essential Oils include: Lavender, Peppermint, Sweet Orange, Lemongrass, and Fennel. In addition, Belle Aroma now offers 100% pure Clary Sage, Ylang Ylang, and Rose Geranium essential oils. Check out the descriptions of each oil below, along with some tips and ideas for how to use them:
Organic Sweet Orange: Refreshing and Uplifting—Begin each day anew feeling calm and clear with a breeze of cheerful orange aroma.
- Put 2 drops of Sweet Orange in ¼ cup of baking soda with a teaspoon or two of warm water to form a paste. Use the paste to scrub your kitchen sink and garbage disposal drain.
- Diffuse 2 drops of Sweet Orange in your bathroom diffuser to refresh the space.
Organic Lemongrass: Revitalizing and Citrusy—Revitalizes your awareness with its fresh and crisp herbal-lemon aroma.
- Put a few drops of Lemongrass on a piece of felt or a paper towel and keep close to you when you’re outside in the summer months for a natural pest repellant.
- Diffuse 2 drops Lemongrass with 2 drops Sweet Orange for a clarifying aroma in the morning or anytime you need to concentrate on a difficult project.
Organic Lavender: Relaxing and Clean—Invites you to take a deep breath in and exhale out all the stress and worry of the day.
- Diffuse 2 drops of Lavender in your ultrasonic diffuser on your bedside table while you’re getting ready to fall asleep to help you relax and fall asleep with ease.
- Put 2 drops of Lavender with 2 drops of Sweet Orange in a glass spray bottle with water. Use as a refreshing room spray.
Organic Peppermint: Energizing and Cooling—Uplifts you out of your worries and into a level-headed, focused state of mind.
- In the hot summer months, add 2 drops of Peppermint and 2 ice cubes to water in your ultrasonic diffuser for a personal air conditioner.
- Diffuse 1-2 drops of Peppermint with 1-2 drops Lavender and 1-2 drops Lemongrass to clear the air and help you breathe easy during fall and springtime.
Organic Fennel: Savory and Warm—Energize your senses with its warming aroma.
- Diffuse 1 drop Fennel with 2 drops Rose Geranium and 2 drops Lavender for a warm, floral aroma.
- Diffuse 1 drop Fennel with 2 drops Peppermint for a fresh aroma that can help provide some digestive comfort.
Pure Clary Sage: Sweet and Playful—Find balance and joy during times of unevenness with the sweet, tart, playful aroma of clary sage.
- Diffuse 2 drops Clary Sage, 2 drops Rose Geranium, and 2 Drops Ylang Ylang during times of hormonal or emotional imbalance to help you feel at ease.
- Add 2 drops of Clary Sage to your FlashScent® USB diffuser to help you feel refreshed and in high spirits while you work at your computer.
Pure Rose Geranium: Floral and Bright—Elevate your mood with the blooming aroma of rose geranium.
- Add 2 drops Rose Geranium and 2 drops Sweet Orange to water in a glass spray bottle for a floral, fresh room spray.
- Diffuse 2 drops Rose Geranium with 2 drops Ylang Ylang for an uplifting, flowery aroma.
Pure Ylang Ylang: Rich and Floral—Mellow out and feel warm and content with the floral, dense, sweet aroma of ylang ylang.
- Diffuse 2 drops Ylang Ylang with 2 drops Lavender for a rich and relaxing aroma.
- Add 2 drops Ylang Ylang to water in glass spray bottle with 2 drops Sweet Orange for a refreshing room spray.
Get all your favorites from the new organic and pure Belle Aroma essential oils on TheGiftofScent.com, and be your own aroma therapist! Learn more about aromatherapy in our ebook, “Aromatherapy 101: Everything You Need to Be an At-Home Aroma Therapist.”
Wishing you a healthy and aromatic year,
Kate for TheGiftofScent.com
