Essential oils aren't just lavendar and vanilla to make the room smell good. They do actually have healing and balancing properties. Lavendar not only calms your mood, it is also an excellent antimicrobial agent and mucolytic. Thyme happens to be one of the strongest in the category of antibacterial and antifungal. Eucalyptus is a very strong dissinfectant. There's also rosemary, grapefruit, lemongrass, ylang-ylang (good for balancing us feminine folk), tea tree, and some others stuck in my drawer at home that I can't think of off the top of my head.
Here are some uses that I've found that worked:
- Athletes Foot - My hubby has had the worst case of it. Not like raging bad but just plain stubborn. What finally turned the corner for him was using a combination of tea tree, lavendar, rosemary, and thyme. I've also been sprinkling eucalyptus in the shower after he's finished in there.
- Earache - Mix 5 drops of lavendar, 5 drops of tea tree, 3 drops of thyme, and a tsp of olive or almond oil. Dab a cotton ball in it and place the cotton ball over (not in) the ear canal of the hurting ear. Change every 5-6 hours as needed. I slept with mine in my ear. It's not the skin contact with the oils, it's the exposure to the oils as they become air born.
- Hand Scrub - 1 cub epsom salts (or sugar), enough sweet almond oil to make a scrub, 15 drops of lemon or lavendar oil. Mix thoroughly. To use: Dampen hands, use a spoonful of scrub on hands and wrists, rinse off with warm water, and pat try.
Keep in mind that although these are just oils, they can be very potent. Some oils come from different forms of the same plant, rendering some useful for skin applications and some only for aromatic purposes (they may be irritating to the skin). Like thyme...for topical uses, you only want thyme thujanol.
I have two favorite places to check out essential oils. One is the website for the Veria channel (we have DishNetwork). http://www.veria.com/ And go to the page for the show "Everybody Nose". She has some of her recipes listed in there under the different show episodes. The place I like best for purchasing essential oils I can't find locally is Emily's Oils and Essentials. http://www.eoils.net/ She has a wonderful variety and has a short information blurb on each oil.
If you have ever tried essential oils or happen to try one of the uses listed above (the hand scrub is easy and oh so nice!), let me know. I always like to hear what other people have found that works.
4 comments:
ehhh, you went all girly on me with this post. I must now slink back to my man cave.
...with my tea tree oil.
-Chris
Weather Moose
A totally unexpected post from an engineer. I'm very impressed.
I tell ya, tea tree oil has some seriously effective properties.
For being a major in the sciences, I really don't trust mainstream medicine any further than I can throw it. I mean, it's all good and well and has it's place, but I also firmly believe that there are remedies that work better WITH our bodies rather than fighting our natural systems. I'm still having issues with my body post c-section and have found accupuncutre and massage therapy not only great for me physically but also mentally. Now, my hubby....you aren't sticking him a needle unless it has some darn good medicine in it! :)
Does Lava come in this flavor? How about hand cleaner? Is aroma therapy like using after shave? Oh well, MUD
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