Essential Oils have been used by people from various parts of the world for their myriad health benefits like fighting infections, prevention of diseases, and relief from stress, to enhance one’s sleep as a plus point they smell great too. Have you ever tried any Essential Oils before? If not, please read on to find out about the health benefits of essential oils and start using them.

Essential Oils are extracted from plants and then distilled into a liquid form which we then use. Essential Oils are completely natural. There are several essential oils available in the market like Lavender essential oil, Eucalyptus essential oil, Geranium essential oil, Rosemary essential oil, peppermint essential oil, etc. You can explore the functions and benefits of different essential oils and try to use them according to your requirements.

But, are you aware that Essential Oils cannot be used directly on your body? They need to be diluted in a carrier oil to be safe and effective while using it on your skin, hair, etc. You can take 2 or 3 drops of your favourite Essential Oil and mix it in 1 teaspoon of carrier oil to make a perfect mixture for application on your skin and hair. You can choose safe and natural carrier oils from Nikura for this purpose.

Health benefits of Essential Oils:

Let us explore the health benefits of essential oils in this article:

1. Stress Reduction:

The usage of Essential oils is a part and parcel of Aromatherapy. Due to the hustle and bustle of our life and work, we are under constant stress. Many people try to use Aromatherapy mainly for the reduction of anxiety and Stress.

Several essential Oils have shown a beneficial effect on the reduction of stress levels. They are lavender essential oil, Orange essential oil, lemon grass oil, etc. Lavender oil has been used for massaging the body after mixing it in carrier oil. Orange essential oil proved to have a positive impact on stress alleviation after a few drops of it were inhaled as per research done.

2. Alleviate Nausea and Headache:

Headache is a very complaint amongst patients visiting their general practitioners. Many people suffer from headaches throughout the world. Many people even suffer from severe headache called Migraine which usually occurs on one side of the head and may be associated with other symptoms like nausea, vomiting, hearing ringing sounds, seeing flashes of light, etc in some people.

Peppermint essential oil has been shown effective results in alleviating Headaches when applied to the head. These results are mainly due to an ingredient called menthol which is a part of peppermint essential oil. Menthol has analgesic or pain-relieving properties.

Nausea is a sensation of feeling like vomiting. Nausea can be experienced by women who are pregnant, when we have any stomach disturbances, in people who are taking chemotherapy for treating cancer, and in some people during travelling which is called motion sickness. Nausea can also be seen due to many other diseases. Essential oils like Peppermint essential oil and ginger essential oil have shown promising results in a reduction of nausea by various mechanisms or actions on our body.

3. Sleep Enhancement:

Many people throughout the world suffer from insomnia, a condition in which you are not able to get a good night’s sleep. A good night’s sleep is an absolute requirement to maintain our physical health and mental well-being. Lack of sleep can induce various other physical ailments and make us prone to anxiety, depression, etc.

There are many things you can do to improve sleep quality like avoiding mobiles or any other screens from a few hours before sleep, listening to calming music, meditation, etc. Aromatherapy or using essential oils can also enhance sleep quality.

The Lavender essential oil has certain compounds like linalyl acetate and linalool which promote sleep. These compounds dull our senses, reduce our pains and help in sleep induction.

4. Antimicrobial properties:

Certain essential oils possess antimicrobial properties which help them fight against certain bacteria, viruses and fungi. Some such essential oils are Eucalyptus essential oil and Tea Tree essential oil.

Eucalyptus essential oil has antibacterial properties. Due to this, it has been used as part of mouthwashes which help fight bacteria in the mouth. Tea tree essential helps fight Herpes infections like Herpes labialis. It has also been shown to reduce the symptoms of Fungi like Athlete’s foot.

5. Health benefits for women’s health:

Many women suffer from abdominal pain or cramps during menstruation. This is called Dysmenorrhea in medical terms. Women generally tend to use painkillers or Analgesics like NSAIDs for menstrual cramps.

But there are several side effects of these medicines like causing gastritis or acidity, indigestion, etc. They are also contraindicated in patients with certain drug allergies to NSAIDs, in people having Asthma, people having low platelet count, etc. In such people essential oils can be a safer alternative, even if it provides little relief from the pain. Certain essential oils when massaged for 1o to 15 minutes on the abdomen have been shown to reduce menstrual pain or Dysmenorrhea.

Some other benefits of essential oils:

Apart from the benefits mentioned above, there are several other benefits of using certain Essential oils. These benefits are related to various essential oils. We are enlisting some of them for your information:

• Reduces muscle pain, back pain, etc
• Reduces stress hormone cortisol levels and enhances your mood
• Helps balancing hormones like estrogen and progesterone
• Improves your cognitive functions
• Makes you energetic and active
• Strengthens your immune system and facilitates fighting the infections
• Promotes digestive functions
• Improves your skin health and hair health

You have seen all the health benefits of essential oils. Hope you have enjoyed reading the article and found it informative. Although essential oils have many health benefits, they can cause problems or side effects if not used correctly. So, you must consult your physician or an experienced and certified aromatherapist for guidance on which essential oil to use and how to use it according to your condition. Hope this helps.