Essential oils give a whole new meaning to Spiderman’s catch phrase “my spidey-senses are tingling.” That’s because activating our senses with certain aromas can possibly lead to superpower benefits such as decreasing stress, increasing concentration and more!
With just a drop, you can bring justice to the crimes of sickness and stress.
“Nosey” to learn more? Let’s make sense of it:
What Are Essential Oils? It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Extracted Plant!
Essential oils are highly concentrated extracts from plants and diluted down with a carrier oil.
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility: Using Essential Oils The Right Way
-Apply a drop or two of the oil on the skin. Test a small amount of the skin first and stray away from sensitive areas because the oil can be very potent. I like to apply my oils on my wrists, chest, bottoms of my feet and temples.
-You can also inhale the oils by using a diffuser or adding oils to steamy water, like a bath.
-Circulating the oil by a massage or applying heat allows for an increasing absorption of the oil.
-It’s important to read the label of the oil to make sure you aren’t using synthetic products. The label should include the Botanical name, origin, plant part, and the date it was distilled/expires. Looking for words such as organic, unsprayed and wild crafted will ensure a purer product.
How Do They Work? Essential Oils… ACTIVATE!
Essential oils are inhaled through the nose and throat passages as well as absorbed into the bloodstream through the pores.
Inhalation immediately sends a message to the part of the brain called the limbic system. This part of our brain controls memories, emotion, and the way we behave. This system also connects to our heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, and hormone balances.
Connecting the scent to past memories, events, and emotions produces an instant reaction of feeling of calm and alertness.
*Fun random fact: because the scent immediately triggers the brain, the benefits are typically received faster than a pill that first needs to digest in the stomach. Therefore it may be a good additional add on for a faster yet temporary relief.
Some oils have cooling and heating properties that relieve pain or illness symptoms like sinus congestion or muscle pain.
Other oils are said to help with digestion, nausea, migraines, supporting the immune system, fighting infection, killing bacteria, repelling bugs and more!
What Oil to Wear? Not All Super Heroes Wear Capes But They Do Wear Essential Oils!
Here is my “Justice League” of essential oils and their most commonly acclaimed superpowers.
Peppermint: Cooling and refreshing, congestion relief, helps digestion (especially gas), mental alertness, muscle pain, migraines and headaches
Ginger: Warming, helps digestion (especially nausea), anti-Inflammatory, muscle pain
Lemon: Anti-bacterial, antioxidant, anti-depressant, repairs skin, mood booster
Lavender: Reduces stress and anxiety, reduces itching, bites and burns, helps with sleep
Eucalyptus: Cooling, muscle pain, kills fungus and weeds, repels bugs, anti-inflammatory, reduces mucus
Sweet Orange: Sweet, cheerful, awakening and energizing, boosts immune system
It is important to note, that many studies are unsure if aromatherapy really works or if it’s a psychological placebo effect. Oils have different effects for everyone. You won’t know how they work for you until you give them a try. If all else fails, at least they smell good!
To essential oils and beyond!
