Using Essential Oils at Home

I’ve had a few clients ask me this month about how we can use Essential Oils in other ways, not just for massage. I wrote a blog on this almost 4 years ago, so I thought I would re-post this, for this month. The weather is starting to change and it’s a lovely time to try and nurture our bodies, and to bring these wonderful aromas into our homes. Below are some great ideas – I hope you enjoy reading!

In A Hot Bath - There are few things more satisfying and nurturing for our bodies, than having the luxury of a soak in a deep, warm bath. Essential Oils (about 8-10 drops of your choice for a full bath), can be mixed and added to the warm water for extra effects, and to stimulate your sense of smell, aiding relaxation. A tip is to mix the oils you want with a little milk prior to putting into the bath. The reason for this, is that if you add the Essential Oils directly to the water, they tend to just float on the surface, rather than be absorbed into the skin. If you add them first to a little milk (I use an old egg cup to mix mine!) then add this to your bath, the milk acts as a kind of surfactant, to break down the oil particles, so they blend in better. This also stops your bath being so oily afterwards, so makes it easier to clean! An alternative to the milk, is to add your Essential Oils into some Epsom Bath Salts, which also work really well. You will then get the benefits of both the wonderful oils and the salts.

For A Foot or Hand Bath - If you don’t have time for a lovely long warm bath (or if where you live doesn’t have a bath!), then consider just adding lovely warm water to a large bowl for the hands, or use a footbath instead, to relax your weary feet after a long day. Use approximately 4-5 drops of Essential Oil in one of these (again mix with the milk or salts if you like) and then soak your hands or feet for 10-15 minutes for a little treat, then wrap them in a clean, dry towel. You can close your eyes while you do this to aid relaxation and take away any distractions.

Inhalation - This method works via our olfactory, limbic, emotional and hormonal responses, and can be really helpful for stress and anxiety, and when we feel really tired. It is very effective for treatment of Respiratory conditions too, such as a congested nose or blocked sinuses, headache, sore throats and coughs. You can just pop about 6-8 drops of Essential Oil onto a paper towel or handkerchief and inhale it regularly. Lemon, Eucalyptus, Pine and Rosemary are all good choices (just check the safety datas please for each Essential Oil to make sure they are safe for you before using). You can also use a large bowl of hot water and add the Essential Oils that way, then use a towel over your head to inhale – just be careful please that there are no children or pets around, that may knock it over or burn themselves if you choose this method.

In a Vapouriser or Diffuser - Another way to inhale Essential Oils without the need for tissues or bowls at home, are these. There are a wide variety of Oil Diffusers and Vapourisers on the market and all have different instructions, with regards how many drops of Essential Oils you should use, so you must follow their directions. Some you just add the oils to water in a dish, some are like tealight holders where you put the oils neat into the bowl. These are another great way of getting Essential Oils into your atmosphere at home. If you can’t get one of those, you can always just use a bowl of warm water with a few drops of Essential Oil in…this will leave a lovely lingering scent all over the room… but please do take care using this method if you have children or animals around.

Hot or Cold Compresses - You can add 8-10 drops of Essential Oils and 200ml of water to a clean cloth (a simple flannel works well for a small area), then wring it out, to make yourself a ‘Compress’ to apply to whatever area of the body needs support. You can also buy lovely handheld compresses, but it is not necessary. A Hot Compress should be hot to the touch (but not hot enough to burn) and a cold one should be icy to the touch (but bearable). Hot Compresses are brilliant for muscular aches and pains, to help with menstrual pain and cramps, or to help to draw out splinters. Cold Compresses are generally used for treating sprains, strains, headaches and to reduce fever. They can also feel nice used on the legs, feet or hands to revive us if we have over-worked or are feeling really fatigued, as they are very stimulating and decongesting. Cold Compresses should be kept moist. For cases of pulled muscles or sprained ligaments, you can alternate Hot and Cold Compresses for greatest benefit.

In Other Products - Many of the products you already have at home, like Body Lotions, Face Creams, Hand Creams, Foot Creams etc., could be improved by adding a few drops of Essential Oil! Simply open the bottle or pot if you can, and pop a few drops in (and stir or shake!) to mix. If you are putting cream on your hands, feet or body, you can also pop one or two drops of whatever smell or effect you want for that day on top of the lotion, mix it in, and ‘voila’! You can have your favourite aroma with you everyday. You could do this in your childrens products too – but just please give me a call to check what a safe dosage would be. Even one or two drops of something they like, can make a shower gel or bubble bath more fun. Get them involved.

In The Home - You can use 6-8 drops of Essential Oils mixed with around 600ml of water in a spray bottle, to use as an Air Freshener in the home. You could use uplifting oils like the Citrus or Herb-based Oils in the daytime (and perhaps in the kitchen where there are lots of cooking smells), and then perhaps the more sedative, warming and relaxing Floral, Spicy or Woody Oils at night-time (on bedroom landings maybe) to aid sleep. Please check all safety data before preparing these though, to make sure that the Essential Oils you select are safe for all the family, and any pets.

You can also use a drop or two of Lemon, Lime, Orange, Mandarin or Grapefruit Essential Oils, in your final wash/wipe/rinse, when cleaning out fridges, or washing down kitchen worktops and surfaces. This helps to detoxify these areas, and also leaves a beautiful aroma behind. If you come down to the kitchen in the morning and have last nights dinner smells still lingering, you can also use a couple of drops of Lemon Essential Oil in a small saucepan of boiling water, and leave to boil for a couple of minutes to clear the air! Just be very careful not to let any oil touch a flame if you have a gas hob, as Essential Oils are highly flammable!

Do you have any trainers stinking out the house?! Get spare socks and put a handful of baking soda in each sock, then add 4-5 drops of Tea Tree Essential Oil. Place the socks inside the offending shoes, and leave for a few hours and then remove the sock, and things should be a bit more pleasant! Obviously you’ll have a bit more washing to do, but that might be nicer than living with the pong! The Tea Tree Essential Oil helps to kill any bacteria and remove the odour.

Another nice idea, is that you can get plain drawer liners for your chest of drawers, wardrobes or cupboards etc., and put a drop or two of your favourite Essential Oils onto these, to fragrance your wardrobes. You can also use little cotton wool balls, with a couple of oils added to fragrance an area, or fill some small organza bags with dried Lavender.

You can also add a couple of drops of oil to pillowcases (or onto tissues inside pillowcases if you prefer to avoid staining) to aid relaxation and get a good nights sleep. If you are suffering from insomnia, then you could use a spray or vapouriser in your bedroom an hour or so before you go to bed, then pop the tissue in your pillow when you get into bed too, for best effect.

Essential Oils can also be added to your favourite pot pourri, in bowls all across the house – just add a couple of drops into the bowl and mix around. You can even make your own pot pourri using wood shavings and dried fruit, fruit peels, dried fruit stones, and cinnamon sticks etc. Again this could be a fun thing to do with the kids when you are all at home together.

If you are feeling very adventurous, you can try to make your own fragranced soaps or candles with Essential Oils too – there are lots of options for these online if you are interested in this. You can even learn how to make your own perfume if you want to go for it! Maybe now is the time to try and learn a new skill.

You can also add a few drops of your favourite Essential Oil into your washing up liquid bottle, give it a shake, and then that will smell lovely too! You can add a couple of drops of Essential Oil to some baking soda, and use the mixture to clean your toilet or sinks. Citrus and Herb-based Oils tend to work best for this purpose. It’s also a nice way to use natural products rather than some of the harsh chemicals that are found in shop-bought products, and the Citrus Oils are not too expensive.

Adding one or two drops of Essential Oil into the softener compartment of your washing machine can also add a lovely fragrance – try and choose the lighter Citrus or Floral Oils, as the heavier ones may stain. You may also like to add a couple of drops to a cloth wash ball or flannel, and throw this into your tumble dryer with your towels, to give them a lovely fragrance as they dry.

You can also add a couple of drops of Essential Oil onto a cotton wool ball, and pop it into your vacuum bag, to fragrance the whole house whilst hoovering! This may not be suitable for all vacuum cleaners, and remember Essential Oils are flammable, so don’t use this method on full power just in case!

You could also surprise someone you love with a perfumed handwritten letter! You ‘perfume’ the note by popping one drop of Essential Oil on one of the corners of the writing sheet – then it will smell wonderful when they open it!

Essential Oil Necklaces - There are many different lovely designs and patterns of these online, where the necklaces have little pads inside, that you pop a couple of drops of Essential Oil on, so you have your chosen aroma with you all day.

Please do remember though, that Essential Oils are flammable – so please don’t use near any heaters, candles or fireplaces, just to be on the safe side! I hope you will find some of these ideas useful (or at the least interesting!). If you are using oils near a child, pet or anyone with hypersensitivies/hyperallergies, or certain medical conditions, you should take extra care, and always contact myself or another qualified Aromatherapist for more advice, prior to use.