How To Use Essential Oils For Mind, Body & Soul
What Are Essential Oils?
Essential oils made from botanicals (flowers, leaves, seeds, roots, etc.) distilled, extracted, or cold-pressed to produce these beautiful, highly concentrated oils.
The use of essential oils is documented throughout history, from the Egyptians using them for medicinal, beauty care, and spiritual connection to the Greeks, the Romans, and now globally. One of the most famous citations regarding essential oils is in the Bible with the three Wise Men bringing Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh to baby Jesus (they must be precious!).
Before we start talking about the uses of some of our favourite essential oils, let us share a word of caution. Essential oils are the best choices over synthetic perfumes, commercial air fresheners, linen sprays, personal care products (which may contain substances toxic to our body, brain, and environment). Not all essential oils are created equal.
How To Get Started With Essential Oils
Choosing a good quality oil ( pure and certified organic) free from pesticides and added fillers or other synthetic compounds is essential to its ultimate purpose of being a natural/better choice over other artificial synthetic substances.
Also, as we all know, nature is powerful, and this power comes with immense benefits and some side effects if used without caution and care. Here at Alkimista, we always say not to ingest essential oils – unless prescribed by a health practitioner – and to always test a drop of oil on your wrist skin before applying to wider areas for topical use (to look for any irritation or other possible reaction).
Now to the fun stuff… Your imagination can only limit the uses of essential oils!
Traditional Uses Of Essential Oils
Traditional uses are cleaning, laundry, air spray (my fav!), diffusion, relaxing baths, body spritz, diluted in a carrier oil for body massage, skin lotion, or face oi.
Personal ways of creating special rituals of connection and meditation enhanced by the power of nature, the options are many.
Special rituals (see more details in the free guide attached)
We love creating unique space and time – even if only for a few minutes – to set an intention for the day, for a project, for our health, or to send good vibes for a loved one in need. Sitting in silence, breathing deeply and visualising our day going well or simply asking a question and waiting and listening for guidance. We may hold a crystal, lit a candle, and inhale an intuitively chosen essential oil straight from the bottle before meditating to enhance the experience and get to a deeply relaxed state much quicker.
Personal use found that if we use a particular scent when we are deeply relaxed, during, let’s say, meditation. The next time we use that same aroma, our body remembers and goes much more quickly in that associated state. Interesting, did this ever happen to you? It seems a bit like the smell of a particular food that made us feel happy in our childhood when smelled again brings on those happy memories/feelings almost instantly. For me, this happens with the aroma of freshly baked apple cake…ah, pure bliss!
Click here to download the Alkimista Connection Ritual.
Our Favourite Essential Oils and How To Use Them
LAVENDER (Lavandula Angustifolia) – Certified Organic
The properties of Certified Organic Lavender Essential Oil are r
relaxing, calming, soothing and sedative. It is helpful for stress relief, soothing anxiety, enhancing blood circulation and may reduce pain. It is excellent for use in relieving acne, scarring, eczema and fine lines.
Traditional Uses For Lavender Essential Oil
- Cleaning (For a cleaning paste: add a few drops of oil to baking soda & water – For a cleaning spray in a glass spray bottle, add: 250ml water – 125 ml white vinegar – 20 drops lavender),
- Deodorising (fill a small spray bottle with distilled water and a few drops of Lavender essential oil – spritz over linen, use as an air freshener, or body spray after showering)
- Diffuse – to enhance calm and relaxation
- Massage – dilute few drops of lavender in a carrier oil (almond, coconut, olive, etc.) for a relaxing massage.
- Bath – a particular study has found that using a few drops of lavender in your bath may result in the development of a helpful procedure for improving psychological well-being. We love to add a cup of Epsom Salts and soak in for at least 20 minutes for added detox and muscle relaxation effects.
Personal rituals and practices of connection, healing and transformation finding PEACE IN THE HERE & NOW
The Alkimista Lavender essential oil has been set with the intentional energy of PEACE and the element symbol of water, which relates to the sacral chakra. This energy promotes peaceful emotion, creativity, gentleness and flow. It assists us in letting go of pain and regret of the past, and the worries and anxiety for the future, by bringing us back to the present.
The present, this moment in time, where we are alive, and everything are well.
In the now, we can truly feel grateful for life and savour that love that is inherently inside of us, available to be accessed at any time. In that feeling of peace, we can start to understand who we are and what is important to us.
ORANGE SWEET (Citrus Sinensis) – Certified Organic
The properties of Certified Organic Orange Sweet Essential Oil
are cheerful, warming, and uplifting. It is useful in reducing cold and flu symptoms, inflammation, strengthening the immune system, soothing irritated or dry skin, and can help you feel more relaxed and calm in periods of stress.
Traditional Uses For Orange Sweet Essential Oil
- Cleaning – (add a few drops to baking soda & water),
- Deodorising – (fill a small spray bottle with distilled water and a few drops of Lavender essential oil – spritz over linen, use as an air freshener, or body spray after showering)
- Inhaling – breathe in the scent straight from the bottle at the first signs of cold & flu
- Diffuse – to enhance calm and joy.
Note: Citrus oils are usually not recommended for topical applications due to their possible reaction with sunlight and may cause rashes or skin discolouration.
Personal rituals and practices of connection, healing and transformation
CONNECTING TO OUR PURPOSE
The Alkimista Orange Sweet essential oil, set with the intentional energy of PURPOSE and the element symbol of fire which relates to the solar plexus chakra. This energy promotes personal power, happiness, will and intellect. Often, we dwell and struggle with finding our purpose in life, but if we stop for a moment and listen and pay attention to the clues and synchronicities, it almost reveals itself to us. Fire is dynamic and fuelled by passion; it is the element of strength, fullness, action and life force, a lot like that beautiful orange growing under the summer sun.
BERGAMOT (Citrus Ausrantium L.ssp.bergamia) – Certified Organic
The properties of Certified Organic Bergamot Essential Oil are calming, refreshing and uplifting. It is useful in increasing optimism, soothing anxiety, easing over-thinking and relieving negative emotions.
Traditional Uses For Bergamot Essential Oil
- Exactly like Orange Sweet (see above)
Personal rituals and practices of connection, healing and transformation CONNECTING TO OUR FAITH.
This essential, set with the intentional energy of FAITH and the element symbol of air, relates to the heart and throat chakra. This energy promotes love, compassion, self-expression, creativity and new beginnings, an energy that helps us connect back to ourselves. We know that we are part of all that is, and with that, we can connect to all those signs and clues around us that will support us on our journey. That “something” or “someone”, that higher power is here with us and for us any time. Faith supports us in our pursuits of growth, contribution and evolution.
YLANG YLANG (Cananga Odorata) – Certified Organic
The properties of Certified Organic Ylang Ylang Essential Oil are balancing and calming. It is useful in alleviating stress, relieving mood swings, and promoting calmness. It can also be a soothing addition to your sleep routine. It is said to be an aphrodisiac.
Traditional Uses For Ylang Ylang Essential Oil
- Deodorising (fill a small spray bottle with distilled water and a few drops of Ylang Ylang essential oil – used as an air freshener or body spray after showering)
- Diffuse – to enhance a feeling of balance and calm, but also set the ambient for a romantic night (aphrodisiac)
- Massage – dilute few drops of ylang ylang in a carrier oil (almond, coconut, etc.) for a relaxing massage.
- Bath – a few drops can add some stress relief effects to a relaxing bath (potentially a bath for two!).
Personal rituals and practices of connection, healing and transformation
CONNECTING TO OUR POTENTIAL
This essential oil, set with the intentional energy of AWARENESS and the element symbol of earth, relates to the root chakra. This energy promotes a sense of safety, grounding and nourishment, and the ability to see beyond the constructs of society is the element of potential and transformation and stability and stillness. It reminds us of being aware that we have the power of creating our magic every day, no matter how crazy this life can seem.
Alkimista Connection Essential Oil Blend – Certified Organic
Ingredients: Pure Organic Essential Oils of Orange Sweet, Cedarwood Atlas, Lavender, Palmarosa, Rose Otto & Vanilla C02 Extract
The Certified Organic Connection Blend is the first Alkimista blend to be created and has been set with the intentional energy of connection. The energy promotes connection to ourselves, others, nature and the divine. The symbol we have chosen for this blend is the philosopher’s stone. It truly represents the power of connection and our belief in modern-day alchemy -The art of turning the ordinary into something extraordinary.
This blend is perfect for self-reflective practice, meditation and as part of your daily rituals and all other traditional uses (inhalation, diffusion, bath, body/air spray etc.).
Bibliography
A Systematic Review on the Anxiolytic Effect of Aromatherapy during the First Stage of Labor. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30915314
Comparison of antimicrobial activities of natural essential oils and synthetic fragrances against selected environmental pathogens. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29450151
Effects of aroma hand massage on pain, state anxiety and depression in hospice patients with terminal cancer].https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18753801
Fragranced consumer products: effects on asthmatics. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29391919
Handbook of herbs and spices, Volume 1 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780857090393500037
Phthalates, what are they? https://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/chemicals-and-contaminants/phthalates
The effects of lavender (Lavendula angustifolium) baths on psychological well-being: two exploratory randomised control trials. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12594973
Ylang Ylang Oil – WebMD https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-697/ylang-ylang-oil
