Let me start off by saying that I used to be someone who always thought that people who used essential oils were vegan hippies. As I’ve started growing-up, I have become more and more fond of using various types of essential oils. Not only do they smell good, but they also come with numerous benefits. Essential oils are very versatile as there are many different types as well as different ways to use them. Let me give you the rundown…
- Reducing Stress
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It’s no secret that college students are stressed out. Using an essential oil diffuser with certain essential oils can help relieve your stress or help your room or desk feel more relaxing. Essential oils that help with stress reduction include lavender, lemon, orange, lemongrass and bergamot. My roommate and I have recently purchased an essential oil diffuser for our dorm room and I can honestly say it is one of the best purchases we have made for our dorm. Along with making our dorm room smell incredible (I’m not kidding, everyone who comes into our room always compliments how it smells), it also helps relieve our stress during our 9-hour study days. We usually keep our essential oil diffuser running two or three times per day and its light smell instantly helps us get through our homework and studying. I personally recommend using lemongrass essential oil during the day, because I adore the smell and I found a study that discovered people who smelled lemongrass essential oils felt a decrease in stress, anxiety and tension.
- Helping You Sleep
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Something that I started including in my night time routine is spraying my pillows with a lavender spray before I go to bed. I have noticed that this instantly relaxes me and helps me fall asleep quickly. After doing some research, it has been found that spraying lavender essential oil on your pillows on putting a few drops of your wrists helps increase sleeping quality. I recommend buying a lavender sleeping spray or even creating your own by mixing water and a few drops of lavender in a spray bottle.
- Skincare
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Using essential oils for both your face skincare routine as well as on your body can come with many benefits. It is important to remember that many people can have different reactions to these essential oils so it is best to research which specific essential oil you want to use on your skin and make sure you are using it right and in correct amounts as well. It is best to always use a carrier oil to dilute your essential oil when applying it to your face, for example, coconut oil. Tea tree oil is good for smoothing small bumps on your face, minimizing acne spots as well as reducing redness. You can also use tea tree oil as a blister healer and to treat burns. Grapefruit oil can be used as a remedy known to reduce cellulite and lavender oil can be used for many things including cracked and dry feet, eczema, soothing insect bites as well as being a bruise healer. As I said before, it is important to be aware of your allergies and making sure to research how to use each oil so that you are sure you are using them safely and correctly.
Along with these three benefits, there are a ton of other benefits and ways to use essential oils. Obviously everyone can react to essential oils very differently, but I recommend starting off with a few small bottles of essential oils that have benefits you are looking for or that you sincerely just like the smell of and experimenting with those until you feel more comfortable exploring other types of oils. An easy starting point is getting an essential oil diffuser and seeing how you feel about the smell and benefits it brings for you. Starting off simple is the best way to start incorporating essential oils into your daily routine! I wish you luck on your essential oil journey and that you learn to love them as much as I do.