Essential oil diffuser. Image from Nimvo.com
It was a cloudy, spring day. I had just gotten home from a stressful day at school, and I wanted to flop onto my bed and nap. I entered my room, and a wave of calming scents filled the air. I looked to my left, and I saw a diffuser filling up the air with essential oils. My mother seemed to have set it up while I was gone so that I could come back and unwind for the weekend. This happened about 4 years ago, and I have never looked back. The stress from the outside world was lowered greatly from my experience with exploring and experimenting with different scents with my diffuser. Here are reasons why you should start diffusing your stress away, along with some of my favorite blends to help get started.
Common plants for essential oils. Image from Modernfarmer.com
Aromatherapy, or essential oil therapy, is known to help assist individuals with relaxation while absorbing natural benefits. According to the International Standards Organization (ISO), essential oils are gathered “from vegetable raw material, either by distillation with water or steam or from…citrus fruits by a mechanical process”. Many of these oils were found to obtain properties that reduce stress, help people sleep, and even treat certain infections. Personally, I have found it best used to help me sleep. Certain scents, like lavender, have the ability to calm your body down. There are also citrus scents that help increase energy and improve your mood and focus on tasks. The diffused oils also benefit sinuses; in the warmer seasons, your airways can get cleared due to sinuses, and during the colder seasons, the oils bring more moisture. Breathing becomes easier to improve circulation in your body.
There are many different ways to practice aromatherapy with the most common being inhalation whether it’s using a diffuser or even sprays. Many people enjoy using sprays for the house or even on clothes for an even longer-lasting effect. Others tend to go for more topical uses like massage oils, wax melts, candles, and other skincare products. These methods help absorb more of the oils inside your body effectively.
NOTE: Essential oils should never be applied directly to the skin. All oils must be diluted beforehand if one wishes to perform a topical practice.
Aromatherapy sprays from Good Common Sense Naturals. Image from Instagram.com.
Different oils provide different effects and benefits to the body. Oils that are known to help with relaxation and calmness are lavender, ylang ylang, peppermint, and chamomile. Ones that help wake you up are citrus ones like orange and lemons, as well as eucalyptus and sage. Through the past couple of years of trying out different oils, I found to love eucalyptus, lavender, lemon, and patchouli. This is actually a set essential oil blend called Spa from one of my favorite stores Good Common Sense Naturals. You can find them in Pleasanton, California; they just recently expanded their location! All of their blends are carefully created for different purposes whether you need a mood booster, a stress reliever, or something to help you sleep. Some of my other favorite blends from them include Stress, Focus, and Sleepy. If you’re looking to start at a cheaper price, I also recommend trying Trader Joe’s essential oil collection or heading over to Amazon for some starter packs!
What blends do you enjoy or hope to try? Let us know by tagging us on Instagram, @HerCampusSJSU!