Essential Oils Seven Common Ways to use essential oils medicinally
1. As an oil, such as a vegetable oil like grapeseed or olive oil or a waxlike jojoba, with healing essential oil added to it to rub on your skin.
2. As a bath oil containing skin-healing essential oils to use when you bathe. For a similar remedy, you can add a 4-6 of essential oils to your bath water or to a foot or hand bath (cedarwood, geranium, lavender, rose, and sandal wood are good for relieving muscle aches, painful periods, and painful joints). Keep citrus, lemongrass, and rosemary oils to a minimum as they may irritate the skin in the bath.
3. As a tincture (which is in alcohol and water) or sometimes a vinegar that is rubbed on your skin. It often comes as a liniment for sore muscles and joints or a wound antiseptic. Essential oils in diluted vinegar make a good hair rinse.
4. As an aloe-based preparation that contains medicinal essential oils to dab or spray on skin problems, especially burns or poison oak.
5. With an inhalant, inhale the steam from simmering water that contains essential oils or a nasal inhaler to bring essential oils into your sinuses and lungs. Try frankincense, benzoin, cedarwood, bergamot, lavender, lemon, marjoram, Melissa, orange, or sandalwood stimulate the immune system.
This method can also be used to steam the face because it opens the pores to an extended beauty treatment.
6. As essential oils diluted in water for use as skin washes, mouthwashes, hair rinses, air fresheners, body sprays, and douches.
7. As a compress to hold essential oils over an injured area or headache. Do NOT place over an open wound.
Note: Store essential oils in a cool, dark place where they are not subject to changes in temperature. If stored in a refrigerator, keep them in airtight containers to prevent unexpected flavors from affecting your food.
Patch Testing
To test if you’re sensitive to certain oils, apply the oil to an adhesive bandage for 24 hours. If you experience no reaction, the oil is safe to use. If you have an adverse reaction (itchiness to blotchy skin), wash the skin quickly and thoroughly with unperfumed soap and expose the affected skin to air to encourage the essential oil to evaporate.