Felice's Essentials: Peppermint Essential Oil

Welcome to my series on how to use my favorite essential oils.

Today, I've got peppermint essential oil for you! Peppermint is one of the most popular oils and you can use it for such a wide variety of ways. Check out 10 easy ways to use peppermint:

1. Boost Your Workout. Rub one drop of peppermint between your hands and then inhale before going for a run or working out. It will increase your oxygen uptake and increase your energy.

2. Calm an Upset Stomach. Rub a drop of peppermint on your stomach or inhale from your hands to calm queasiness. Works great when you feel queasy in the car!

3. Cool Down. If you start to feel over-heated, rub a drop of peppermint on the back of your neck or the inside of your wrists to cool down.

4. Release Head Tension. When head tension strikes, rub a drop of peppermint over your temples. Be careful not to get it in or too close to your eyes!

5. Loosen Up. Mix 2-3 drops of peppermint with some fractionated coconut oil and rub over tense or tight ligaments, like those on the bottom of your feet. 

6. Breathe Easy. If you are bothered by stuffiness, rub a drop of peppermint across your sinuses to help you breathe a little easier.

7. Keep Ants Away. Mix about 20 drops of peppermint with water in a 4oz glass spray bottle. Shake well. Spray anywhere you see ants to keep them away.

8.  Freshen Your Breath. Use a drop of peppermint with lemon in water for a healthy, refreshing mouth rinse.

9. Brownie Refresh-mint. Add 4 drops of peppermint to your favorite brownie recipe. Minty yumminess!

10. Keep Kids on Task. Diffuse peppermint (with wild orange, if you'd like) during homework time to keep your kids focused.

How do you use peppermint? Leave your favorite use in the comments!

Felice's Essentials: Lavender Essential Oil

Welcome to my new series on my top 10 essential oils and how to use them. 

I'm starting with lavender, which is the one oil that people are most familiar with. It is user-friendly and very versatile. Lavender is a go-to for a range of issues from sleep to bug bites and lots of things in between. Let's check out how you can use lavender!

1. Sleepy Time! Lavender is one of the best essential oils for sleep. Rub a drop of lavender on the bottom of your feet, or back of your neck for sweet slumber.

2. Relax. Add 5 drops of lavender to a half cup of Epsom salts and add both to your bath water for a relaxing soak.

3. Sting Soother. Put a drop of lavender on a bee sting or bug bite to take away the itch or sting.

4. Burn Relief. Dab a drop of lavender on a burn to help your body heal itself quickly and to reduce swelling, redness, and the pain of a burn.

5. Stop Sneezes. Add equal parts lavender, lemon, and peppermint to a roller bottle with fractionated coconut oil. Roll under your nose and behind your ears to relieve seasonal sniffles. (This is also a good way to use essential oils for snoring.)

6. Diffuse Away Soreness. If you've overdone it in your workout and your muscles are sore, diffuse lavender at night to help with recovery. You'll sleep better and your muscles will feel better the next morning!

7. Freshen Laundry. Add 2-3 drops of lavender to wool dryer balls to freshener your laundry, naturally, without the toxins found in dryer sheets!

8. Love Your Nails. Mix a few drops of lavender with fractionated coconut oil. Rub on your fingernails and cuticles each night before bed to help strengthen your nails and soften your cuticles.

9. Relieve Irritation. Rub lavender on skin irritation, including pesky chafing. It will calm your skin and allow it to heal.

10. After-Sun Soother. If you've gotten too much sun, rub lavender on red areas.

Do you have any favorite ways to use lavender? Please share them in the comments!

Using essential oils aromatically

The most popular way to use essential oils is aromatically, which includes using a diffuser, inhaling oils from your hands, or using diffuser jewelry.

DIFFUSING:

Diffusing is one of the best ways to experience oils. Certain essential oils, when diffused in the air, can be stimulating, while others can be calming and soothing. Diffusing can have amazing emotional benefits, and can purify air of some airborne pathogens and unwanted odors. No-heat diffusers are recommended because they do not change the chemical structure of the oil that is being diffused.

INHALING USING YOUR HANDS:

Add 1-2 drops of essential oil onto your hands and then rub your hands together. Cup your hands over your nose- breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.

DIFFUSER JEWELRY:

Other ways of diffusing oils includes wearing diffuser necklaces or bracelets. These are typically made of clay, lava beads, suede, or some other material that will capture and slowly release the aroma, and require just a drop of oil.

Aromatic use is a particularly effective way to use oils for emotional support and stress or anxiety reduction.

Want to get started with essential oils? Send me an email at felicepd at yahoo.com or visit my Start Here page to just jump right in!