Essential oils. The table of useful properties and application for the face, hair, weight loss, bath, mixing, skin, aroma lamp, bath, inhalation

The best way to cheer up and improve your health without leaving your home is to arrange an aromatherapy session. To learn more about essential oils, their properties and their proper use, see the table below.

What essential oils are extracted from

Essential oils are oil-like liquids, insoluble in water, having a pronounced smell and having strong pharmacological properties. They are obtained from various parts of plants: from leaves, stems, roots, seeds, wood. For this, freshly harvested raw materials are used.

Here are some extraction methods, i.e. obtaining essential oils:

• distillation method with water. It is the oldest and ineffective way;
• steam distillation method. Most commonly used in modern industry;
• cold pressing method. It is used to obtain oils from citrus fruits;
• maceration method. Oil is extracted using fats. It is mainly used in the processing of flower raw materials.

The most widely used oils are citrus, peppermint and ylang-ylang.

The beneficial properties of essential oils

Essential oils affect various body systems.

Here are their most useful and effective properties:

• antibacterial. Many oils act as powerful antiseptics, kill pathogenic bacteria and viruses;
• anti-inflammatory. The ethers act on the foci of inflammation, and gently soothe them;
• wound healing. Oils contribute to the speedy regeneration of the epidermis; Scratches and other damage to the skin heal much faster.
• antispasmodic. Esters of orange, coriander and peppermint are a natural antispasmodic and effectively eliminate muscle cramps;
• sedative. After an aromatherapy session, the person feels relaxed and rested.

You can also highlight the diuretic and expectorant properties of oils.

Aetheronos classification

Oils can be classified into the following groups:

• floral. They are obtained from jasmine, roses, geraniums, and some other plants. Soothe, relieve stress, relieve headaches;
• woody. They are obtained from tea tree, pine, eucalyptus, juniper, cedar, and other trees. Useful in skin care, normalize heart rate;
• citrus. Extracted from grapefruit, lime, lemon, mandarin. Invigorate, strengthen the immune system;
• spicy. Extracted from ginger, cardamom, coriander. Relieve stress, warm, help get rid of a cold;
• tar. Extracted from incense, myrrh, fir. They have an antibacterial effect;
• exotic. Extracted from exotic verbena, patchouli, sandalwood. Restore the emotional background, improve sleep.

Table of beneficial properties of essential oils

Essential oils, properties and applications, the table below discloses their full benefits. Here you can see which combinations of oils are the most successful, and find out information about contraindications.

– cures colds and flu

relieves migraine pain

stimulates the liver

Oil name	Therapeutic and cosmetological properties	Where is used	Indications for use	Counter indications	What oil can be combined with
Anise	– neutralizes bad breath – improves kidney function – tones and moisturizes the skin	for the treatment of skin and hair, added to cosmetic masks	chronic kidney disease -insomnia gastrointestinal diseases	Gastritis, enterocolitis, peptic ulcer of the stomach or duodenum	Coriander, caraway, mint
Orange	– improves visual acuity -fights stomatitis normalizes carbohydrate metabolism	to fight cellulite	cellulite -premenstrual syndrome -fading skin	Sensitive skin, tendency to allergic reactions, citrus intolerance	Sage, Lemon, Lime
Basil	– improves blood circulation relieves muscle pain -stimulates hair growth	in cosmetology for hair treatment, in everyday life for repelling flying insects	migraine pain digestion problems vegetative-vascular dystonia	Epilepsy, hypertension, pregnancy	Grapefruit, eucalyptus, thyme
Bergamot	– strengthens blood vessels – has antibacterial properties -increases skin elasticity	cosmetology as a part of facial products	-colds high cholesterol -fast fatiguability	-pregnancy -dermatitis ulcer during exacerbation	Basil, Nutmeg, Sage, Thyme
Clove	-fights colds infections – establishes a menstrual cycle -increases sex drive	at home for scaring away moths, in cooking for preparing fish dishes	-stomatitis -asthma irregular menstrual cycle	first trimester of pregnancy -hypertension -sensitive skin	Eucalyptus, Lemon, Sage
Geranium	-improves the functioning of the lymphatic system -heals wounds – restores the hormonal background	Used to treat ear diseases with folk remedies, in the manufacture of face masks and hair	-weakened immunity periodontal disease liver disease	-children under 6 years old Breastfeeding Period – taking birth control pills	Orange, Mandarin, Basil
Grapefruit	– improves digestion normalizes fat metabolism -fights cellulite	It is used in the production of anti-cellulite products, massage oils	-overwork -obesity tendency to swelling	citrus intolerance -atopic dermatitis	Lime, coriander, lemon
Ylang ylang	– removes emotional excitement -acts like an aphrodisiac – smoothes the skin	It is added to skin and hair care products and massage oils.	dermatitis -problem oily skin -insomnia	low blood pressure -pregnancy lactation period	Lemon, Rose, Jasmine
Lavender	– strengthens the heart muscle normalizes sleep – cleans pores	Used for healing burns, preparing cosmetic baths	-insomnia acne, acne -burns 1 and 2 degrees	-Iron-deficiency anemia -low pressure -period of rehabilitation after surgery	Tea tree oil, geranium, clove
Lemon	Used for oily skin. It is used for medical purposes for inhalation and other procedures.	-rheumatism -chronic fatigue Bad breath	citrus intolerance oncological diseases	Thyme, Rosemary, Ginger
Juniper	-increases the production of gastric juice – has anti-rheumatic effect -heals wounds	Used to treat cardiovascular disease, It is used in cosmetology for body care	-atherosclerosis -diabetes -gout	infectious kidney disease -hypertension	Basil, Mint, Incense
Mint	– relieves toothache and headache – cleans the airways – reduces heat	It is used in medicine for therapeutic inhalations, in cosmetology for face and hair, in everyday life against parasites	itching from insect bites -bronchitis -inflammation of the gums	-children under 6 years old peppermint allergy oncological tumors	Orange, anise, benzoin
Neroli	– strengthens hair follicles -fights cellulite – makes stretch marks on the skin less noticeable	It is used for aromatization of rooms, therapeutic inhalations, added to cosmetics	-hair loss menstrual pain -eczema	-3 trimester of pregnancy -children under 1 year old -epilepsy	Bergamot, fennel, nutmeg
Sandalwood	– reduces pressure – relieves skin itching relieves symptoms of cystitis	Used for massage and body care	-hair loss -acne -neurosis	kidney disease -pregnancy -children under 1 year old	Mandarin, geranium, neroli
Eucalyptus	-fighting parasites – soothes the skin Helps to focus	It is used for therapeutic inhalations, used in cosmetology	-herpes furuculosis -bronchitis	taking homeopathic medicines -whooping cough	Lime, lavender, cedar
Rosemary	– eliminates acne relieves headache – relieves nausea	It is added to cosmetics, used for massage, used in cooking	acne -increased oily hair -dark spots	-hypertension -epilepsy	Nutmeg, black pepper, cinnamon
Tea tree	– relieves skin irritation – has a bactericidal effect – removes from warts	Used for inhalation, part of massage oils and facials	skin rashes -dandruff chronic runny nose	-children under 6 years old -oncological diseases lactation period	Coriander, cypress, patchouli
Patchouli	– promotes restoration of skin cells -reduces the secretion of the sebaceous glands – strengthens nails	Used in cosmetology and in the manufacture of home masks	-fading skin -hair loss -overwork	-asthma – the age of the child is up to 1.5 years -gastritis	Tea tree oil, bergamot, camphor
Fir	– improves metabolism – relieves joint pain -heals wounds	It is used for therapeutic inhalations, the manufacture of hair care products	-pneumonia -bronchitis -cough	-individual intolerance to oil -pregnancy and lactation	Grapefruit, Ylang Ylang, Jasmine
Cedar	-fights gum disease – strengthens the cardiovascular system – relieves symptoms of edeochondrosis	Used in cosmetology to combat the manifestations of skin diseases	burns -rheumatism -acne	-children under 12 years old kidney infection tendency to emotional overexcitation	Orange, pine, ginger
Pine	– relieves dizziness Eliminates nausea – has a calming effect on the skin	Used for therapeutic inhalation and skin care for the face and body.	-cough -cystitis -urethritis	gastric ulcer -duodenal ulcer uterine tone during pregnancy	Cedar, Mandarin, Chamomile
rose flower	– smoothes expression lines – has a diuretic effect – destroys bacteria	It is added to face and body creams, used in the preparation of homemade masks.	chronic overfatigue -insomnia -dry skin	-pregnancy dermatological diseases burns on the skin	Lemon, Juniper, Myrrh
Jasmine	– removes hoarseness struggles with cough promotes hematopoiesis	It is used in cosmetology for facial skin care procedures.	eye diseases hormonal imbalance -panic attacks	-gastritis kidney disease -1 trimester of pregnancy	Lemongrass, Sandalwood, Neroli
Thyme	– is a natural antioxidant -fights flatulence – eliminates fungus on nails	Used to treat acne, get rid of dandruff, fight against hair loss	-fungal lesions of nails -cold -stomach upset	-cholecystitis -emphysema -duodenal ulcer	Tea tree oil, geranium, nutmeg
Cinnamon	– acts as an antispasmodic – destroys viruses and bacteria -stimulates hair growth	It is used for the manufacture of certain drugs, is part of cosmetic cosmetics	early stage of cellulitis -inflammation of the gums insect bites	-hypertension -oncological diseases -pregnancy	Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Clove
Sagebrush	– possesses antiparasitic action relieves swelling -tightens pores	It is used in aromatherapy, cosmetology, used in everyday life as a means of combating insects.	-The presence of warts and papillomas, – chronic stress; – upper respiratory tract diseases	-epilepsy -asthma pregnancy period	Hyacinth, jasmine, tea tree oil
Mandarin	– removes toxins and toxins – removes constipation tones skin	Included in body care cosmetics, added to home masks	acne and age spots muscle pain after exertion -insomnia	Allergic reactions to citrus fruits	Coriander, marjoram, jasmine
Vanilla	– promotes the absorption of carbohydrates – eliminates nervous tension nourishes the skin	– used for skin and hair care – used in cooking for flavoring confectionery	Seborrhea -diabetes gastrointestinal disorders	-pregnancy -individual vanilla intolerance	Benzoin, Bergamot, Vetiver
Cypress	Eliminates bleeding gums cope with wet cough normalizes pressure	-added to oily skin and hair care products -in everyday life helps repel insects	-inflammatory processes in the oral cavity menstrual irregularities -increased oily hair	-psoriasis tendency to form blood clots mastopathy	Eucalyptus, fennel, oregano
Sage	-heals wounds – has an expectorant effect – smoothes wrinkles	-used in the manufacture of shampoos and other hair products -for inhalations about colds	respiratory diseases -atherosclerosis -gastritis	-hypertension sleep disturbances -period of pregnancy and lactation	Lemon, Cypress, Neroli
Fennel	– removes swelling – stimulates digestion – removes toxins from the body	– used in cosmetic procedures for the body	diseases of the genitourinary system -flatulence food poisoning	-hypertension -epilepsy -children under 1 year old	Basil, anise, benzoin

Essential oils, properties and applications, the table given here helps to use them correctly.

All of these oils are used in aromatherapy and the aromatic industry in the manufacture of perfumes.

General recommendations for the use of essential oils

Here are some tips to help you use your oils more efficiently:

• start using a new oil with a minimum dosage. This is especially important for people prone to allergic reactions;
• Do not allow the substance to enter the eyes or mucous membranes;
• the maximum time for taking an aromatic bath should be 30-40 minutes;
• for pregnant women, children and the elderly, the dosage should be half the average;
• Do not get carried away with invigorating and refreshing scents before bedtime.

On days when aromatherapy is used, it is recommended that you drink plenty of clean water.

Baths and baths with essential oils

An aroma bath is a great way to relax. How to cook it right

Here are a couple of ways:

• to get a hot bath. Dissolve 5 drops of orange oil in 2 large tablespoons of olive oil. Pour the mixture into water. Pre-mixing oils is necessary to prevent burns on the skin;
• get a hot bath, dissolve in it 100 grams of coarse sea salt. Add a mixture of 0,68 fluid ounce of almond, and 5 drops of ylang-ylang oil.

  

How to use essential oils in a sauna and bath:

• Do not apply them directly to heating elements;
• Next to the heat source, you need to put a heat-resistant vessel with water, where a few drops of the substance will be added. They can not be dissolved in base oil, if it is not planned to apply the mixture to the skin.

Massages

To properly massage with essential oil, you need to dilute a few drops of ether in the base oil – that is, any habitual and suitable for massage.

Features of the use of massage oils:

• mixtures of mint, lavender and sage are used for a relaxing massage;
• if the goal of the session is to relieve pain, cloves, jasmine or juniper are suitable;
• citrus, neroli and geranium oils are used for anti-cellulite massages.

Before the massage, it is forbidden to smoke and take alcohol.

Inhalation

Essential oils, properties and uses, the table describes as suitable for therapeutic inhalations. Inhalations with essential oils are used as a tool for the prevention and treatment of respiratory diseases.

The process itself consists in inhaling aromatic medicinal substances. During hot inhalation, inhale the hot steam.

The easiest way to do this is to prepare a bowl of hot water, where therapeutic decoctions and essential oils will be added.

For cold inhalations, water with a temperature not exceeding 39,2 – 32°F is used. Also, procedures can be carried out using a special device – a nebulizer.

Using such procedures with essential oils, it is possible to reduce swelling of the mucous membrane, thin the sputum, and relieve bronchospasm.

Essential Oils for Hair Care

Essential oils, properties and applications – the table suggests that they are very effective in hair car
e.

Here are some recipes:

• mix the yolk of a chicken egg with 1 small tablespoons of liquid honey. Take 2 large tablespoons of olive oil, combine with 3 drops of rosemary and fir oil. Mix everything, apply to the roots of wet hair. Wash off after 20 minutes. The mask helps to increase the density of hair and get rid of dandruff;
• 5 drops of tea tree oil add in 1 large tablespoons of any vegetable oil. Pour 1 large tablespoon of aloe juice, apply to the roots and scalp. Wash off after 15-20 minutes. The mask accelerates hair growth.

Also a couple of drops of any oil can be added to the finished conditioner balm. This will add shine and make combing easier.

Face skin care

In facial care with the help of essential oils it is important to correctly determine the type of skin:

• mask for oily skin . Dilute 1 large spoonful of dry blue clay with water to the consistency of sour cream, add 3 drops of any citrus oil diluted in 1 large spoonful of base cosmetic oil. Soak for 15 minutes, rinse with warm water. The mask narrows the enlarged pores and mattifies the skin;
• mask for dry skin. Combine the egg yolk, 1 small spoonful of liquid honey, 1 large spoonful of olive oil and 2 drops of tea tree oil. Wash off after 10 minutes. The product cleanses the skin well and relieves inflammation.

If red spots and itching appear on the skin after applying the mask, it means the oil is not suitable. Its use must be discontinued.

Essential Oils During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a contraindication to the use of most essential oils. This is due to the fact that a woman’s sensitivity to odors is exacerbated. Oils can also provoke uterine tone, which, depending on the duration of pregnancy, threatens a miscarriage or premature birth.

Without fear, you can use the oil of orange, lemon, eucalyptus, peppermint and lavender. They give calm, moisturize the skin – which is important for the prevention of stretch marks, and give energy. If the pregnant woman felt unwell during aromatherapy, the sensation should be stopped immediately.

Essential oils for children

Essential oils, properties and uses – the table states that some of them are not recommended for children. This is due to the fact that babies are much more sensitive to odors. The first two months of a child’s life is not recommended to use oil – neither for massage, nor for aromatization of a nursery.

Later, you can use the following tools:

• Lavender oil will help the child fall asleep and relax his nervous system. It can be used from 2 months;
• during the same period, it is easy to connect chamomile oil. It relieves abdominal pain;
• after one year, the use of fennel oil, bergamot and sandalwood is allowed.

When adding oils to bathing water, it must be remembered that the dosage should be minimal, and the oil must first be diluted in an emulsifier – for example, in ordinary vegetable oil.

Use of essential oils in aroma stones and lamps

Aroma stones and aroma lamps are used to flavor rooms. The lamp is a ceramic bowl, heated from below by the flame of a candle. For the manufacture of aromatic stones, rocks are used that can absorb odors well. They can be made from gypsum, clay, or salt dough.

What aromas are best used for home:

• for the bedroom, ylang-ylang, lavender, incense, sandalwood are suitable. These are relaxing scents;
• the smell of lemon, grapefruit, orange, rose, ginger will be appropriate for the study. They invigorate and give energy;
• the living room can be aromatized with patchouli, rosemary, neroli oil. These smells create an atmosphere of comfort.

Fragrances can be mixed with each other, checking the table of their compatibility, and create unique compositions.

Cosmetics with essential oils

Due to its properties described in the table, essential oils are widely used by the cosmetology industry.

Here are the tools you can see them:

• peppermint oil is often found in protective lip balms;
• Tea tree oil is included in ointments and creams aimed at combating dermatological diseases. It is also found in washing gels;
• jojoba oil is a part of balms and masks for dry damaged hair;
• in the compositions of daily creams you can see chamomile oil, rosemary, ylang-ylang, tea tree.

Moisturizing and anti-inflammatory oils are added to face care products, and nourishing ones for hair and body. Usually their concentration is quite low, but this is enough to see the effect.

Can I use essential oils inside

Opinion on this subject is twofold. According to the recommendations of WHO – the World Health Organization – essential oils are not recommended for oral use. It is believed that they act several times faster by inhalation, and it is most advisable to use them either in this way, or only externally.

This is due to the high concentration of active substances in the oil. They can irritate the mucous membrane of the esophagus. Some oils have a toxic effect, and this can adversely affect the functioning of the kidneys and liver. At the same time, some experts in the field of aromatherapy find it acceptable to use oils inside.

In order not to harm the body, the following rules must be observed:

• use only 100% natural substances;
• never take oil in its purest form. It must be diluted in an emulsifier, which is 1 large spoonfuls of vegetable oil or heavy cream;
• Do not exceed the maximum allowable dosage and do not take the oil for more than 7 consecutive days.

If after taking the oil inside, nausea, vomiting, and pain in the stomach appear, the general state of health sharply worsens – it is urgent to seek medical help.

How to choose a quality essential oil

Here are a few rules to help you choose a truly high-quality product:

• you need to pay attention to the price. Since to create natural oil, more than one dozen pounds of raw materials need to be processed, high-quality goods will not be cheap
  . Also abnormal is the situation when all the offered oils have the same price;
• the bottle should be equipped with a dropper or pipette, and made of dark glass;
• the label should contain the botanical name of the oil in Latin;
• if the product consists of essential oil and its base, the percentage of both components should be indicated on the label.

In addition, it is worth choosing only trusted manufacturers. It will not be superfluous to preoccupy yourself with the search for product reviews.

How to store the product

There are certain recommendations for the proper storage of essential oils:

• The bottles should be in a dark place, protected from sunlight. Since most bottles have plastic caps, they must be stored strictly in an upright position so that the oil does not come into contact with plastic;
• after each use it is important to tighten the cap tightly;
• citrus and pine oils should be stored in the refrigerator, everyone else will feel great at room temperature.

There is another way to find out that the essential oils described in the table above have not lost their beneficial properties, and they can be used without fear – you need to focus on smell. If the oil has acquired an unusual, sour, repulsive odor, most likely the product has deteriorated.

Video on the properties and uses of essential oils

Essential oils most needed in a home medicine cabinet:

How to use essential oils in a bath: