The Benefits Of Using Essential Oils At Home

Aromatherapy is a holistic treatment practiced by many people to remedy particular ailments and encourage relaxation.

Though the therapeutic claims aren’t set in stone, users of essential oils swear by the long-lasting positive effects of inhaling the scents. Medical professionals also support some of these claims. Hence, people incorporate daily aromatherapy routines at home for wellness.

Using essential oils at home has several advantages aside from promoting good health. If you have a set of bottles ready for use, continue reading to learn how beneficial they are for you and your family:

Understanding The Essential Oils  

Essential oils are concentrated extracts, coming from different plants. These oils are specifically used in various aromatherapy or for various conditions. Clinically, essential oils have shown various benefits. However, these oils are caustic in nature, and you need to use them with great care.  

The oils mainly capture the scent and flavor of the plants. Each essential oil has unique characteristics and essence. You can obtain these through distillation (which is via steam and water). You can also get the essential oil through cold pressing.  

The essential oils are often used in aromatherapy, an alternative form of medicine that plays a huge role in great health and well-being. Once all the aromatic chemicals have been extracted, you can combine them with a carrier oil in order to create a product that is totally ready to use.  

The process of making the oil is very necessary. If the oils have been processed chemically then you can never consider them as the true essential oils.   

Popular Types of Essential Oils   

You may find more than 90 types of essential oils. Each comes with its unique characteristics. They also provide potential health benefits. In this section, I will provide the top 10 popular essential oils that have good health claims associated with them. Read on… 

The Top Benefits of Oils: Using Essential Oils At Home 

Alternative medicine enthusiasts have already subscribed to the overall power of essential oils years ago. However, the increasing availability has made them popular recently.  

In this section, I will discuss the top benefits of oils at home. Read on to know more… 

1. Better Sleep

For many individuals, using essential oils before bed is a must because of their effectiveness in encouraging sleep. Lavender, in particular, is the go-to scent for those with sleep issues or bouts of insomnia or anxiety.

This is because lavender essential oil has mild sedative properties that promote emotional ease and is also believed to relieve headaches and sinus congestion which could hamper sleeping patterns.

To help you get a more restful sleep, rub a few drops on your body, like your wrists and temples. Inhaling the scent should induce a state of relaxation and calmness.

You may also dab some lavender oil on your clothes or pillowcases, so even if the scent evaporates from your skin, you’ll still be able to smell the scent of lavender the whole night.

2. Natural Fresheners

Essential oils are perfect for removing foul smells in your home and on your other personal effects. Instead of using synthetic scents to freshen rooms, especially your bathroom, drop some lemon essential oil onto cotton balls and leave them on your sink or toilet. Other fresh-smelling fragrances include grapefruit, fir, and pine.

These scents also complement one another, so you have the option of combining two or all of them into one effective freshener.

Fresh-scented essential oils also work against stinky shoes. Just follow the same method as the one mentioned above. Leave one cotton ball with essential oil inside each shoe and let it rest overnight. By morning, the shoes should smell much more pleasant.

Carpets and rugs benefit from essential oil, too. Mix 12 drops of lavender oil with an ounce of baking soda or cornstarch and store it in a container for around two days. When it’s time to use it, give it one more mix and sprinkle the solution onto the fabric. Vacuum it after 30 minutes, and you should have a clean and scented floor covering.

3. Neutralize Kitchen Odors

Kitchens are prone to scents clinging onto the walls, drapes, and nearby appliances. If the hard-to-remove smell of seafood or spices bothers you, essential oils can solve the problem.

You can use a cool-mist humidifier with drops of lemon, cinnamon, clove, or cardamom essential oil and put it somewhere in your kitchen. It will diffuse the concentration into a milder scent that won’t irritate anyone’s nose while neutralizing the lingering odors produced by cooking.

If a diffuser is unavailable, you can put oil drops into a spray bottle instead. Fill it with water and spray the mixture around your kitchen for a fresher-smelling room.

4. Pest Prevention

Any homeowner’s nightmare includes a pest invasion. While it’s recommended that you call professional exterminators to deal with the issue, you can use essential oil to fight back in your own way.

Peppermint essential oil-soaked cotton balls positioned in spots where you think mice are entering may protect your home from an infestation. Make sure you use undiluted oil since mice abhor the concentrated scent of peppermint. You may be able to prevent mice from invading your home.

You can also keep fruit flies at bay by leaving around the scent of eucalyptus, lavender, or lemongrass. These pests hate any essential oil scent. So, if you put cotton balls with drops of the oil on spots where you see the flies, the insects may avoid going nearby. Another benefit of the scented cotton used for pest prevention is that you’ll also have a room that smells amazing.

5. Fragrance For Clothing

Doing the laundry ensures your clothing is clean and smells great. But if you want your clothing’s fresh and clean scent to last longer, some essential oil should do the job.

To do this properly, drop your favorite essential oil scent on a piece of terry cloth or absorbent tissue and put it in the dryer.

Light floral or fruity scents work best in freshening up your clothes far better than regular laundry detergent or fabric condition. Try to avoid stronger fragrances since essential oils tend to stick to fabric longer than other scents.

You can even dab some oil onto newly-washed clothing with stains that aren’t washing machine-friendly, like vomit or grease. The essential oil will block the foul smell and keep it smelling fresh. Leaving some more cotton balls with the same oil in your wardrobe will also make its fragrance last much longer.

Reduces Inflammation 

The essential oils can help to cure inflammatory conditions. According to a 2024 study, essential oils are useful to reduce colitis.      

There are some of the best essential oils, such as thyme, bergamot, clove, or fennel, that help to provide a cure for joint pains and reduce muscle inflammation in your body. However, none of the studies has been able to talk about the side effects. So, you must consult with a doctor before you start with the essential oils.    

Other Major Uses of Essential Oils: Benefits Of Oil  

Essential oils have many uses other than aromatherapy. There are people who love to use essential oils to scent their homes or maybe freshen up things during laundry. You can also use them as a natural scent in your homemade cosmetics or high-quality natural products.  

No wait! There are more! It has been suggested that essential oils can provide a safe and environment-friendly alternative way to man-made mosquito repellent, for example DEET. However, the results about their effectiveness have been mixed.   

Conclusion

Essential oils can do more than promote wellness and health. They also have several benefits for homeowners, like freshening up repugnant odors and protecting a home from pesky pests.

When you plan to use essential oils for your own home, ensure that you store the bottles in cool and dry areas away from the reach of small children and pets.

If you have allergies to particular fragrances, are pregnant, or have a health condition, don’t forget to seek advice from a health care provider before using any essential oil.

Read Also:

• Factors To Consider Before Buying A Cool Mist Humidifier For Your Home
• Disinfect Your Surroundings In 5 Easy Ways