10 Popular Essential Oils & How To Use Them Around The House
Lemongrass Oil or Lysol?
Essential oils have a rich history of use in folk medicine. People have long sworn by their healing and stress-relieving qualities. Now, with a greater emphasis on natural and alternative medicine in the Western world, they’re gaining popularity in mainstream circles and their uses go beyond smearing them on your body. They also have many applications around the house. Here are ten popular ones and their uses in the home.
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1. Lavender
Lavender is made from those cute purple flowers. Its aroma is more than just pleasant–it’s anti-inflammatory and has calming and healing effects.
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1. Lavender Cont'd
Add a few drops of lavender to a diffuser to impart a lovely and relaxing floral scent or enhance your bath and help melt your stress away. If you add it to a spray bottle with water you can use it to freshen up linen or a room.
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2. Tea Tree
Tea tree oil is made from Australian tea leaves. It’s touted for its antibacterial properties that are used to treat acne and fungal infections, but there are also plenty of ways to use it around the house.
2. Tea Tree Cont'd
Add it to laundry as a disinfectant or mix it with water in a spray bottle for an all-natural cleaner. Just note that tea tree oil is poisonous if swallowed.
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3. Peppermint
We’re all familiar with the freshening scent and taste of peppermint because it’s commonly found in breath mints and toothpaste. The scent is energizing and may help soothe headaches, and nausea, and improve focus.
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3. Peppermint Cont'd
Peppermint can be used in household cleaners for its anti-microbial properties. It also works as a natural bug repellent. Spray your counter with an emulsion of peppermint and water to drive pests away.
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4. Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus oil is known for its wonderful aroma, often used in perfumes and soaps. What’s more is it’s antibacterial so it helps you heal and boost your immune system.
4. Eucalyptus Cont'd
Make an all-purpose cleaner and bug repellent with it by diluting it with water in a spray bottle. During cold season, put it in a diffuser and feel your nasal passages clear.
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5. Lemon
Extracted from lemon rinds, this essential oil is antibacterial and antioxidant-rich. It’s been shown to reduce anxiety, relieve morning sickness, and heal wounds.
5. Lemon Cont'd
Add it to a spray bottle with water for a surface cleaner or diffuse it for an energizing aroma that may help you focus and ease a sore throat during the cold season.
6. Frankincense
Frankincense comes from the trunk of the Boswellia tree and is popular in Chinese medicine. It’s anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial, and might even play a role in killing cancer cells.
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6. Frankincense Cont'd
Add it to a diffuser for grounding and stress-relieving aromatherapy in your home. Mix it with baking soda for a scrub effective on grease marks and other stubborn stains. It also has skin-rejuvenation properties so add it to your bath.
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7. Orange
Made from the citrus fruit’s skin, orange oil is popular for its sweet and fruity aroma. It’s also effective in killing fungi and bacteria.
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7. Orange Cont'd
Give your home a mood boost by adding it to a diffuser. Put it in your next bath or add a few drops to a cotton ball and stick it in a smelly shoe for a powerful odor-neutralizer.
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8. Rosemary
This oil is extracted from the rosemary plant. It has an herbaceous aroma and is believed to promote relaxation, and digestion, and soothe muscle pain.
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8. Rosemary Cont'd
Mixed with vinegar and water, rosemary makes a great addition to a home-made cleaning product. When added to a diffuser, the aroma promotes relaxation and focus.
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9. Patchouli
A member of the mint family, patchouli has an earthy, woody, and warm scent bouquet that makes it popular in the perfume industry. It’s antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-depressant.
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9. Patchouli Cont'd
Patchouli’s scent is extraordinarily relaxing. It’s believed to be an aphrodisiac so diffuse it in the bedroom. 10-20 drops diluted in warm water makes for a great household cleaner.
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10. Lemongrass
Known for its distinct herbal aroma and anti-inflammatory and pain-reducing qualities, lemongrass oil is commonly used in aromatherapy and massage. It also has antioxidants and anti-bacterial qualities.
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10. Lemongrass Cont'd
Add lemongrass oil to your cleaning products to kill mold or use it to polish lackluster wooden surfaces in your home. It also has relaxing and sedative properties that make it an ideal oil to diffuse before bed.
