10 Ways I Use Essential Oils Everyday

You may be interested in essential oils, but don’t really know how you would use them. Let me walk you through a day of mine and I’ll show you how you may use essential oils for digestion to enhance your life.

1. Meditation / Journaling

I am not consistent about doing a morning practice, but when I do, it sure helps set a great rest of the day.

Using essential oils for meditation during a morning reflective practice can help wake you up, focus your mind, or set a mood or intention.

I like to use a diffuser for these sessions. Which oil you put into a cold mist diffuser for this practice is very flexible. Here are a few ideas:

• Lemon: Lemon is a very clean scent that can focus your mind and wash away the sleepiness of the night

• Cedarwood: This woodsy aroma is somehow grounding and uplifting at the same time

2.    Shower/ Hair

I think the use of pure essential oils in home-spa/beauty routines needs to be discovered! It is so powerful.

If you shower in the mornings, why not use that time as natural therapy! During the shower, you can use oils aromatically to open your lungs or wake up your brain.

You can also use essential oils with your shampoo and conditioner to beautify your hair while inhaling them for aromatherapy.

• Peppermint: this is a great one for both a wake-up call and for hair care. Shake a few drops of peppermint essential oil into your palm and inhale deeply three times. Then add your shampoo and wash. Peppermint will detox your scalp, controlling dandruff and oil, supporting hair growth and adding volume.

3.  Skin Care

Skin care is another area where essential oils shine.

• Frankincense is the ‘king of oils’ for several reasons, one of which is skin. It helps prevent skin sagging and wrinkles. Its antioxidants nourish the skin. Add a drop of oil to your palm before mixing in your moisturizer and applying.

• Other oils I use on the skin are ylang-ylang and cedarwood.

4. Hormone Balance

Life has become busy and toxic, making it harder and harder to maintain hormone balance. There is a simple way to support your hormones with an essential oil.

That oil is called Clary Sage, and sometimes you can get it in a ‘rollerball’ that you simply uncap and roll over your lower abdomen liberally. Use twice a day and see what happens! This blend can be used at any age, even after menopause.

5. Digestion

One of my favorite oils to help calm digestion is DigestZen. You can put a few drops under your tongue, or you can use the handle roller bottle version of DigestZen and rub it directly on your belly when you need support.

6. Cravings

After lunch is when my energy tends to drop and I want something sweet. Esential oils to the rescue! You can use it before a meal to prevent overeating, or after a meal to prevent a trip to the cupboard or Starbucks for sugar and caffeine.

Peppermint can be used for cravings, to freshen breath and to provide natural energy.

7. Cleaning

Ah, cleaning: a necessary evil. I don’t love cleaning but I also don’t like crumbs everywhere or sticky drips of who-knows-what on the counter. I know germs can be lurking in this debris.

Cleaning with essential oils is non-toxic and gives peace of mind that your kitchen is really clean.

Many, many essential oils are antibacterial. This is because oils protect their plants in this way in nature. To make a cleaning spray, and ½ water to ½ vinegar and about 20 drops of essential oil.

Some to consider:

• Oregano: a spicy, strong antiviral and antibacterial

• Orange: a more pleasant smell but still kills germs

8. Fatigue

As I mentioned, afternoon is my sleepy time, so I look for natural ways to pick myself up. I’ll mention a few non-oil methods first.

Squeeze a whole or half lemon into water and drink. Take a ¼ teaspoon of sea salt with water (if you don’t have high blood pressure.) Take a 20 minute horizontal cat nap or reading session.

With oils, you can boost your adrenals with rosemary and basil. Rosemary is more stimulating, while basil is more blissful. 

9. Headache

If I’m going through an afternoon energy/stress roller coaster, sometimes I get a headache. Popping over-the-counter pills regularly is dangerous, so try essential oils.

Peppermint distracts your body to relieve tension. Dilute with ½ coconut or grapeseed oil and apply everywhere it hurts.

10. Sleep

Many, many women struggle with sleep and, although I’ve gotten better, I still do sometimes. Whether you are a full-time or part-time insomniac, having a sleep routine with oils is really beneficial.

Maybe you start with a walk, or some yoga, and move on to tea or reading. Using a diffuser in your bedroom is a great way to lower cortisol from the day and get sleepy.

If you don’t yet have a diffuser, you can shake a few drops of oil onto a tissue and put on your pillow.

A classic oil for sleep is lavender essential oil, which lowers cortisol. You can optionally pair it with a grounding oil like vetiver.

My very favorite sleep blend is Serenity. I love the scent and so does my son, who uses it in his room most nights.

Learn More!

Check out my free guide on simple hacks for thyroid support with essential oils!

You want help for your thyroid symptoms ASAP! Cut to the chase with this straight-forward guide, outlining the exact techniques I use to help keep my Hashimoto’s in remission.

Let me help you start addressing your symptoms now!

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Bridgit Danner, LAc, FDNP, is trained in functional health coaching and has worked with thousands of women over her career since 2004. She is the founder of Women’s Wellness Collaborative llc and HormoneDetoxShop.com.

The Best Essential Oils for Mood and Sleep Support

Have you ever used aromatherapy or experienced a boost in your mood after you’ve encountered a familiar smell that triggered a fond memory? If so, then you know how smell can directly affect how you feel. In fact, it’s smell that often triggers memories and emotions. And it’s smell–more so than the other senses–that can best influence brain activity and help us calm down.

So when it comes to feelings of overwhelm and anxiousness, it makes sense that aromatherapy can help.

Science backs this up, too. In a study conducted at Ruhr University in Germany, Professor Hanns Hatt suggested that, “Essential oils may affect a number of biological factors, including heart rate, stress levels, blood pressure, breathing, and immune function.”

And in a 2014 study conducted by the American College of Healthcare Sciences, “58 hospice patients were given hand massages once a day for one week with an essential oil blend in 1.5 percent dilution with sweet almond oil. The essential oil blend consisted of equal ratios of bergamot, frankincense and lavender. All patients who received the aromatherapy hand massage reported less pain and depression, concluding that aromatherapy massage with this essential oil blend is more effective for pain and depression management than massage alone.” [1]

When it comes to calming your mind and de-stressing, here are 7 essential oils I recommend:

Bergamot:

With both calming and uplifting abilities, Bergamot can dissipate anxious feelings while simultaneously providing cleansing and purifying benefits.

Cedarwood:

With properties that help to soothe the mind and body, the warm, woody scent of Cedarwood promotes a relaxing environment.

Frankincense:

Often called the “king of oils, ” Frankincense promotes feelings of peace and overall wellness when used aromatically.

Lavender:

Lavender is often considered a must-have oil to keep on hand at all times due to its versatile uses, including calming and relaxing properties that promote peaceful sleep and ease feelings of tension.

Roman Chamomile:

While providing a sweet, floral aroma, Roman Chamomile can soothe body systems as it supports calming effects for the skin, mind and body.

Vetiver:

With a unique, exotic aroma, Vetiver is known to provide a calming, grounding effect on emotions, promoting restful sleep.

Ylang Ylang:

Derived from unique star-shaped flowers, Ylang Ylang is often used to support healthy skin and hair, while simultaneously providing a calming effect and promoting a positive outlook.

I suggest diffusing these oils during the day, and applying a couple of drops to your wrist, chest, and back of neck while you’re out and about.

You might be wondering, if essential oils help calm your mood, then can they help for sleep? The answer is ABSOLUTELY!!!

Quality sleep is essential. If you’re not sleeping well or sleeping enough, you simply can’t be your best self. Your energy tanks, your mood is off, you get sick easier, you crave unhealthy food, and you just don’t feel well.

Experts recommend that adults get at least 7–8 hours of sleep every night. Unfortunately, about 33 percent of Americans are not getting the recommended amount of sleep per night, and approximately 1 in every 5 adults in the United States experiences occasional sleeplessness or difficulty sleeping.

Depriving your body of sleep has been linked to many health risks and places a tremendous burden on virtually every organ system in your body. Lack of adequate sleep affects our ability to lose weight or to maintain a healthy weight; influences how we feel, learn, and behave; negatively impacts our cardiovascular health and overall wellbeing; and can reduce reaction time and interfere with our ability to drive.

All of the oils recommended above have powerful calming properties and are perfect to diffuse in your bedroom to support restful sleep. You can also consider adding a few drops to an epsom salt bath before bed or applying a couple of drops to the bottom of your feet before bed.

All of these practices will help calm and relax your mind, so you can easily drift off to restful sleep.

Whether you are overwhelmed with grief or sadness, need to be energized and motivated, or need calming and peaceful feelings throughout your day, essential oils can be helpful in supporting your mood and your sleep.

I would love to hear from you! Do you use essential oils for mood and sleep support? Please share your favorite oils and how you use them!

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Jen Broyles is a Certified Holistic Health Coach and essential oils educator who helps people regain their health and vitality naturally through nutrition, stress-management, essential oils, and natural solutions.

Jen has a special interest in gut health, detox, mood, and hormone imbalances. You can visit her website for healthy living advice, practical essential oils tips, and delicious recipes at www.jenbroyles.com.