Aromatherapy: The Benefits and Recommendations

By Allison Schroeder
Web Content Assistant Manager

According to Healthline, aromatherapy is “a holistic healing treatment that uses natural plant extracts to promote health and well-being” by using essential oils. These essential oils come from plants after they have been steamed or pressed as these methods help capture the plant’s various fragrances.  

Now, I don’t know about y’all, but aromatherapy seems like nonsense until one day you are freaking out about an exam and then you light a candle, and it is like the whole world just melts away. Or have you seen in the movies when a woman goes and takes a bath and lights a candle? That’s a form of aromatherapy. Have you been told that lavender can help you sleep? That is aromatherapy.  

But when it comes to aromatherapy, what essential oils are the best and what are their benefits?

According to John Hopkins and other resources, here are some of the best essential oils to use:

Lavender

Lavender is known to have many helpful properties that can make you feel relaxed. Oftentimes, lavender is used to help a person sleep because it relaxes you and makes it easier to sleep because it helps clear your mind. Which oftentimes helps with anxiety as well.

According to Lush, ancient civilizations had used lavender for healing or cosmetic purposes, either of which caused popularity in civilizations today. Now, we can thank ancient civilizations for the help of relieving stress and helping us sleep a little bit better.

Peppermint Oil

Peppermint oil is great for treating cold-like symptoms, like that of coughs and colds, or muscle aches. Peppermint oil can also be used for its stress-relieving properties, pain relief, and even seems to help improve mental function.  

When applied topically, it can also help relieve headaches and other things like IBS, according to WebMD, Nausea and other symptoms can typically be relieved by the application or scent of peppermint. Personally, I find it so soothing to drink peppermint tea when I have a sore throat because it helps my throat feel less scratchy and sore. 

When using peppermint oil more frequently, the benefits are certainly worth it.

Lemon Oil

Lemon oil is known to help assist with fighting exhaustion and depression, but physically, lemon oil helps clear skin, fight illness, and reduces inflammation. Lemon Oil, according to Healthline, is known to boost your mood and brainpower.

Personally, I have found a great usage out of lemon oil, seeing that my favorite candle is a lemon leaf and ginger, has helped calm me down when I am overly stressed and feeling down because of my inability to focus and think positively about my work despite excelling on my given assignments.

Eucalyptus Oil

Eucalyptus oil is known for multiple health benefits, including fighting illness. Symptoms like coughing and loosening phlegm by rubbing it on your chest, breathing easily, and other great benefits.  

I have personally used eucalyptus oil when I am sick to try and clear out the gunk in my system so that I can breathe at night. It can also help stimulate your brain by increasing circulation to it, which then relieves your mental exhaustion alongside battles “sluggish” feelings.

Himalayan Salt

Lastly, have you seen your friends have those cool Himalayan salt rocks? Those rocks reap great health benefits that include cleansing and deodorizing the air we breathe, helping you sleep, calming allergies, making you feel better mood-wise, and much more.  

Salt lamps, despite just being a cool decoration, are the perfect way to help clean the air around you and bring about positive energy in your space. Despite how it may look, or if you find essential oils a bit crazy, aromatherapy has great benefits that deserve to be explored. 

Reaping the benefits is the way to achieving a better self mentally and even physically. 

 You just need to take a leap of faith and try it out, for all you know it may just change your health.

Featured Image by Allison Schroeder