Guest Post: Simple Aromatherapy Recipes
April 13, 2008 by Kristen King
Filed under Women's Health
This post is part of a series by guest writer Jennifer Chait.
My usual course of action when I have a health issue is to try using oils before I take a medication. I’m not against traditional medications; I would just rather try something less toxic first. Here are some good basic recipes that work for me.
Headache treatment (also makes your hair smell great!)
- 4 drops pure organic lavender essential oil
- 2 drops pure organic peppermint essential oil
Mix the essential oil drops into a few drops of carrier oil. Starting at the back of your neck, massage up along your hairline, to your temple, and upwards, until you reach the top of your head. I hear that many people use this recipe but start at their temples. The reason I don’t is because peppermint is pretty strong. It makes my eyes water when I start at my temples.
Ease premenstrual cramps
This sometimes works for me. I get super bad cramps though. 60% of the time I end up going the Midol route. That said, it does work sometimes, and I know two people who get milder cramps and it works perfectly for them. It sure smells better than Midol anyhow. Even when it doesn’t work perfectly for me it’s relaxing.
- 6 drops pure lavender essential oil
- 9 drops pure peppermint essential oil
- 4 drops pure geranium essential oil
Mix with a good amount of base oil – at least 2 tablespoons and massage over your abdomen and hips and along your lower back.
Body aches
If you workout and have body aches after, you can add a few drops of lavender and some grapeseed oil to a bath. It will relieve muscle spasms and tension.
Sore throat relief
Fill one of the following with water – a cool mist vaporizer or a bowl of steaming water. Add 2 drops tea tree oil and 3 drops lavender. Place by your bed as you sleep. If you use the vaporizer be sure to clean it out well. Oils break down plastic.
Alleviate morning sickness
Mix one drop peppermint essential oil with three drops grapefruit essential oil and one drop ylang-ylang essential oil together. Add to a few drops of your carrier oil. Rub onto your neck, chest, and arms up to two times daily. NOTE: During pregnancy, any treatment you try should first be run by your health care professional.
Abdominal pain due to vomiting
Mix 4 drops of peppermint essential oil with 2 drops clove essential oil and rub over your belly in a clockwise motion. NOTE Abdominal pain that continues should always be a concern. The above treatment is for basic stomach pain. Continuing pain can be a sign of something serious.
Where to Learn More
My favorite book about essential oils is The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy: Over 600 Natural, Non-Toxic and Fragrant Recipes to Create Health – Beauty – a Safe Home Environment
Another good read is Aromatherapy A-Z: The Most Comprehensive Guide to Aromatherapy Ever Published
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is a component of The National Institutes of Health. NCCAM’s website offers fact sheets regarding the use of alternative treatments, publications, and medical and scientific literature searches.
The National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA) is a nonprofit organization that strives to promote public awareness surrounding the benefits of aromatherapy. NAHA’s website is packed with useful information for both individuals who are new to aromatherapy and the more seasoned user.
Among other places, you can visit Jennifer Chait at Offbeat Homes, Slices of Green, Network Blogging Tips, and Tree Hugging Family.
(photo © Jenny Rollo, used with permission)
Tags: womens health blog, womens health, women, woman, health, aromatherapy, essential oils, essential oil safety, aromatherapy safety, alternative medicine, complementary medicine, complementary and alternative medicine, CAM, jennifer chait, lively women, kristen king
I *LOVE* the lavender & peppermint remedy – that is a fantastic idea! I’m really concerned about all the different chemicals we tend to introduce into ourselves for even the slightest problem/discomfort, and am always on the lookout for natural solutions.
(BTW – there’s a good list of more at this reference site)
One supplement in particular that I’ve been using lately is called “5-HTP” and is naturally found in an African medicinal plant. (there’s more information about it at that link).
Are there other natural headache remedies that you’ve come across??
Thanks for the resource, Jessica!
This is great information thanks a lot. I still am amazed at how well peppermint oil makes headaches go way. I will have to try it with the lavender mix next time.
Thanks!
I have switched my mind frame in the past few years to looking towards alternative methods to medications for common symptoms. So naturally when I came across this page I was very excited!
I just want to say that your sore throat relief advice worked wonders and was very easy.
I would also like to offer up a form a relief I stumbled across recently…Its a new approach to relieving your sore throat symptoms and is non-medicated to boot. The product is called Throat Cooler, is for adults and children and is basically a freezer pop that contains Vitamin C and Honey.
I tried it after finding a (B1G1) coupon on google from http://www.throatcooler.com
I found them to be very effective in cooling and bring down the swelling in my throat and seemed to put my kids at ease as well.