Essential Oils You Need for Your Aromatherapy Tool Kit

You stock your medicine cabinet with aspirin, cough syrup and band-aids. Why not also keep these essential oils on hand to treat every day aches and pains and other common conditions? 

Start with one essential oil that appeals to you and see how you feel after using it. The wonderful thing about natural remedies like the practice of aromatherapy is that they are, in most regards, safe and easy to use (don’t take internally though, and take care when using on babies and children) and the varieties are endless. Enjoy!

Essential Oils Medicine Cabinet

Roman chamomile (Anthemis nobilis syn, Chamaemelum nobile): Soothing, relaxing; good for inflammations, insomnia, PMS, stress, tension, hyperactivity in children, and general anxiety. This is not the chamomile from which chamomile tea is made. Chamomile tea is made from German Chamomile, Matricaria recutita.

German chamomile (Matricaria recutita): Anti-inflammatory; sedative; good for eczema, insomnia, wound healing, and acne.

Clary sage (Salvia sclarea): Euphoric; antispasmodic, relaxor; good for PMS, cramps, irritability, anxiety, stress, and muscle cramps or spasms. Known as a feminine oil.

Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globules): Enhances the immune system; good for cold and flu (preventative), respiratory congestion, and sinusitis. Only adults should use this eucalyptus species. For children and adolescents, use Eucalyptus radiata.

Frankincense (Boswellia carterii): All-around healer; balancing; immune enhancing; calming, soothing; good for the skin and wound healing.

Geranium  (Pelargonium graveolens): Feminine oil for balancing (with hormones, jet lag, or anything that throws the body, mind, and spirit out of balance); calming; good for PMS. Use geranium only in small amounts because it can be overwhelming in high dilutions.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale): Aphrodisiac; good for nausea, muscular aches and pains, morning sickness, and motion sickness.

Helichrysum (Helichrysum italicum): Bruises, wound healing.

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia): A must-have essential oil, lavender is of benefit to almost any condition. It's calming and soothing, and good for burns, insomnia, diaper rash, cuts, tension headache, PMS, and cramps (use with Clary sage and Roman chamomile).

Neroli (Citrus aurantium): All around stress and anxiety buster; nurturing, antidepressant; cell regenerative; good for mature skin.   

Peppermint (Mentha x piperita): Stimulating; good for muscular aches and pains, headaches/migraines, colds, flu, upset stomach, and nausea. Do not use on infants or toddlers under 3 years of age.

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis): Stimulant; expectorant; cleansing; good for muscular aches and pains, short-term memory, bronchitis, and poor circulation.

Mandarin/tangerine (Citrus reticulata): Calming, soothing; has a gentle aroma; great for young toddlers and children; can be uplifting without being stimulating; safe for all ages.

Tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia): Antiseptic, antibacterial, cleansing; good for nail fungus, athlete's foot, medicinal aroma; use as a mouthwash as a preventative (mix with myrrh in one-half water, one-half apple cider vinegar blend).

Ylang ylang (Cananga odorata): Floral, feminine; nurturing; aphrodisiac; effective for stress relief.

How to Use Essential Oils

In the bathtub, add 7 to 10 drops of an essential oil and inhale the aroma. Adding the oil when you are already in the tub allows you to fully experience its potency.

Use an electronic diffusor to disperse small, aromatic particles of essential oils into the air. This can help with respiratory problems, enhance immune response and emotional well-being, and act as an air antiseptic. You can also use a candle diffusor by just placing 5 to 10 drops of essential oil in water.

Unscented shampoos and soaps can be used for aromatherapy as well by adding 5 to 10 drops of essential oil per ounce. Adjust as necessary to either strengthen or reduce the aroma. The same is true for face creams: add three to five drops of essential oil per ounce of cream.

To make an aromatic spritzer, add 10 to 25 drops per 4 ounces of water in a squirt bottle. Be sure to shake it each time before use. Use it as a room spray, to reduce microbes in the air and enhance emotional well-being.

Make an aromatic massage oil by combining vegetable oil with essential oils. Use organic, cold-pressed oils such as sunflower, apricot kernel, sweet almond, or hazelnut for the vegetable oil, and add 15 drops of essential oil (total) per ounce of vegetable oil. Here's a recipe of massage oil to soothe muscular aches and pains:

           4 drops peppermint oil

           6 drops rosemary oil

           5 drops lavender oil

           1 oz. sweet almond oil

The effectiveness of aromatherapy depends on the quality and wholeness of the essential oils you use, so it's important to use the very best essential oils possible. You want to avoid any  synthetics, reconstructions, perfumes, and other adulterated versions. One of my favorite places for essential oils  is Floracopia www.floracopia.com.

You'll find lots of tips about aromatherapy in my new book Scent to Kill: A Natural Remedies Mystery! Here's the scoop: 

Scent to Kill: A Natural Remedies Mystery

“A well-crafted mystery…Devotees of natural medicine and aromatherapy will enjoy the tips that appear at the beginning of each chapter and scattered throughout the text.” Publisher’s Weekly   

Willow McQuade, naturopathic doctor, along with her hunky ex-cop boyfriend Jackson Spade, attend a party for a psychic TV show that is filming on Long Island’s idyllic East End. However, Willow is much more interested in visiting the estate’s lavender farm, seeking inspiration for the new aromatherapy workshops she'll be holding at her store, Nature’s Way Market & Café.   

Before the party is over, Roger Bixby one of the producers is dead and the police suspect murder. Roger was working on the show, MJ’s Mind, with Carly Bixby, his ex-wife and the new girlfriend of Willow's ex from L.A., TV writer/producer Simon Lewis.   

After Willow leaves the party, she gets a frantic text from Simon asking for her help. Since Simon had a fight with Roger earlier in the evening, and because of his death is now the primary shareholder in Galaxy films, Willow's ex becomes the prime suspect. Simon begs her to crack the case and clear him of the murder. MJ McClellan, the psychic and star of the show also asks Willow for help. She hires Willow to provide natural remedies, including aromatherapy, massage, acupuncture and yoga to soothe the agitated crew of her show. 

To find the killer, Willow has to deal with ghosts in a haunted mansion, a truly dysfunctional family, death threats and “accidents,” while trying to untangle a homicide identical to one committed during prohibition. Thankfully, Jackson has been hired to provide security and is there to watch her back and help Willow solve this spooky mystery. As a bonus, you’ll find dozens of natural aromatherapy cures throughout the book that can improve your health in mind, body and spirit! Visit www.chrystlefiedler.com.