What Are Essential Oils & How Do I Choose The Right One For Me?
So I’m sure by now you have heard a lot about essential oils.
And if you’re here right now I can only assume that you are curious about essential oil candles and how they can help you solve your problems.
In layman’s terms, essential oils are compounds extracted directly from plants through the process of separating the oil and water of a plant through steam distillation.
This then creates an extremely concentrated oil with an amazing aroma and more natural health benefits.
One of the most popular uses for essential oils (and for good reason) would be for aromatherapy.
Aromatherapy, which is essentially an alternative treatment to help you overcome a number of different health problems by providing you with a more natural alternative to medication.
In this blog post, I will talk about 8 different essential oils and how you can use them to improve your sleep, reduce stress, and even overcome certain symptoms of depression.
Let’s dive right in!
LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OIL
I always like to start with lavender because it is one of my favorites. Lavender (along with a few other essential oils) promotes relaxation,
And has a calming effect to help those who constantly feel stressed out or anxious.
Lavender also helps to improve your sleep quality.
The calming effect of lavender helps you to unwind and feel sleepier around bedtime.
This is perfect for those who may suffer from insomnia or anxiety.
How to Use:
To unwind and truly enjoy the relaxing scent of Lavender, simply burn a lavender candle in the background 2 hours before you’re ready to go to bed.
Start a warm bath and place a few drops (maybe 5-7) of lavender into the bath and just relax with a good book
You can even take it one step further by adding Epsom salt or a lavender bath bomb into the bath to help you relax.
CEDARWOOD ESSENTIAL OIL
Cedarwood is another calming essential oil that (like lavender) aids in relieving stress and anxiety.
It provides more of a warm and woodsy aroma that helps to create a truly relaxing environment.
Similar to lavender, cedarwood can be used as an aromatherapy treatment to help you wind down for bed.
Its soothing effect reduces stress and allows you to relax making it extremely beneficial for those who suffer from anxiety or the occasional insomnia
How to Use:
One of the best ways to relax to the scent of cedarwood is to place it directly on your pillow.
Applying a generous amount of cedarwood on your pillow or linen will help your mind relax as you drift into a deep sleep.
You can even try mixing cedarwood with another soothing scent like lavender to truly reap the benefits of both of these relaxing oils.
ROSE ESSENTIAL OIL
Rose is another essential oil used to help put you in a better mood and reduce anxiety.
Inhaling rose essential oil helps you to feel more calm and relaxed making it another powerful essential oil to use when you’re feeling down.
It has been said that rose essential oil can help to boost your self-esteem and confidence when dealing with depression.
Now as a fair warning, rose essential oil by itself may help but it is not a cure.
Each essential oil I mention in this post works well by itself, but by adding other activities to your routine to bring more positivity into your life
You will be able to pick yourself when you’re down.
(You can check out my blog post on 6 Simple (But Amazing) Hobbies for Stress Relief here)
How to Use:
Rose is another essential oil that makes a great combination with lavender.
Rose also works well with other essential oils like bergamot, sandalwood, ylang-ylang, and chamomile.
However, when combing with the scent of lavender they work together to increase the feelings of relaxation and helps to slow down your breathing making you feel more calm.
Start by burning a rose candle in the background 2 hours before you go to bed.
Then apply a generous amount of rose and lavender to your wrist or neck right before bed to help your mind unwind to help you wake feeling refreshed and at peace.
EUCALYPTUS ESSENTIAL OIL
Eucalyptus is another one of my favorites because of its effect on seasonal allergies.
It makes it feel easier to breathe, especially when your nose has been clogged up all day and you have been sneezing out of control.
Eucalyptus can also be used to increase productivity.
Combining eucalyptus oil with another powerful scent like peppermint can help you re-energize and refocus when your brain is feeling foggy.
How to Use:
For seasonal allergies simply roll on a generous amount of eucalyptus oil on your temples or chest.
This will help with minor allergy symptoms.
However to clear your sinuses, it helps to add a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil (1 or 2 drops) to a cup of boiling water,
And then placing a towel over your head with your face hovering over the water and inhaling for 5-10 minutes.
PEPPERMINT ESSENTIAL OIL
Peppermint like eucalyptus works wonders for seasonal allergies!
Furthermore, peppermint can also be used to help boost your energy levels when you’re feeling low or drowsy.
This is especially good for when you’re pulling an all nighters working last minute on that assignment that is due the next day,
Inhaling peppermint can help to wake you up when you need a little push.
How to Use:
Simply roll-on a generous amount of peppermint oil on your temples and the back of your neck to give you a little boost of energy and to help improve your concentration.
LEMON ESSENTIAL OIL
Lemon is another popular essential oil that is normally used for aromatherapy because of its ability to aid as a mood booster and to reclaim lost energy.
This is a particularly good scent for those who don’t care much for the smell of lavender.
The strong citrus smell of lemon can also help to increase concentration and mental clarity when you’re brain feels foggy,
or when it becomes hard to stay focused on certain tasks.
Lemon also blends well with fragrances like lavender, eucalyptus, sandalwood, rose, and peppermint.
Depending on your needs, I would try lavender and lemon for a nice mood enhancer,
Or eucalyptus and lemon to alleviate mental fatigue and alleviate stress.
How to Use:
To help improve your mood, you can start by burning a lemon candle in the background while you work.
A good combination for this would be eucalyptus and lemon as it provides a fresh and uplifting scent to help improve your mood and keep you focused.
As I mentioned earlier, lemon essential oil is also good to help you improve your concentration.
To do this, start by rolling on some lemon essential oil on your wrist,
Or simply spraying some lemon room spray in the air around your desk.
GRAPEFRUIT ESSENTIAL OIL
Grapefruit is another essential oil to help reclaim energy and enhance your mood.
The strong citrus smell works similar to lemon in this regard and has also been known to help with reducing depression, and stress.
Grapefruit has a soothing yet clarifying aroma that helps provide an uplifting effect when you’re feeling down or stressed out.
It brings a sense of peace and relaxation when you need it to help you control your emotions and think clearly.
How to Use:
Burning a grapefruit candle in the background at home can help you relax when you’re feeling stressed out.
Furthermore, combining grapefruit with a strong scent like lemongrass will help to clear your mind and make you feel more alert.
Try spraying a generous amount of grapefruit room spray around your desk to help eliminate mental fatigue.
LEMONGRASS ESSENTIAL OIL
Often confused with lemon essential oil. Lemongrass has its own benefits and really helps to aid in controlling your emotions.
This is particularly good for those who suffer from anxiety.
Lemongrass helps to reduce tension and anxiety allowing you to recover quicker from attacks and concentrate on the task at hand.
How to Use:
Try inhaling the smell of lemongrass when you start to feel anxious.
A good combination for lemongrass would be to combine it with grapefruit to help you better control your emotions.
Using a spray bottle to spray grapefruit and lemongrass around your desk, or even just placing a mini candle on your desk while you work can help reduce your anxiety.
Each of our candles comes with a mini scented candle for this specific reason.
We know you won’t always be able to burn your candle, so we wanted to give you something small that you could take with you.
Our minis are small enough to carry in your purse or pocket, but fragrant enough to smell on your desk without burning.
I hope this blog post helped you decide on which essential oil is right for you.
If you have any questions or tips, please leave a comment below!