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Essential Oils 101

I know essential oils have been around for a long time, but I didn’t really give them much attention until recently. Staring at a computer for 8+ hours a day can without a doubt lead to minor headaches. However, if you have a lot on your plate, a minor headache can really put a damper on your day and slow you down. A couple weeks ago, I ran into this problem and after telling our incredibly resourceful office manager Marisa about it, she introduced me to Head Ease essential oil – a blend or lavender, spearmint peppermint, rosemary, chamomile and ginger. It comes in an easy-to-carry bottle (perfect fit for my purse!) and is an effective alternative to taking Ibuprofen. After simply applying two dabs of this essential oil to my forehead, it instantly helps me relax. I’m such a big fan that after I first tried it, I ordered two bottles of it on Amazon.

With that in mind, I started doing research and came across a new wave of essential oils I had no idea about. Here’s a recap of what I found.

Lavender        

We’ve all seen or heard at some point or another how great lavender is for us, but did you know that it has anti-inflammatory components as well? The strong scent of lavender reduces anxiety, fights insomnia and boosts our immune system. Given its diverse functionality, I say this is a must-have!

Eucalyptus

I remember my mom always had eucalyptus leaves in our pantry. When I was sick, she would boil the leaves and encourage me to breath in the scent the leaves released from the water. At that time, I didn’t know much about eucalyptus, but I did know it cleared up my stuffy nose in a heartbeat. In the form of essential oils, this minty scent can instantly relax the mind, open up your airways and relieve your body of any tension. Many people also use it as an essential oil to freshen up the home by spraying the rooms with it or adding it to surface cleaners.

Lemon

As you may have guessed it, the scent of lemon is a great mood booster. The fresh smell we are all familiar with can really awaken your senses and according to research, components found in lemon essential oils promote circulation and reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

Peppermint

The strong scent of peppermint is commonly used across a variety of household items (think toothpaste, soap and hand sanitizer). In essential oils, peppermint is one of the most recognizable ones with a long list of benefits. Peppermint oil has shown to help people concentrate, decrease nausea and ease headaches.