10 Essential Oils for Summer & Creative Ways to Use Them By Kalishankar Export
Essential oils are some of the best
natural supplies to keep in your home. Besides being incredibly versatile, easy
to use and easy to find, these potent natural substances can improve health in
so many different ways. From sleep and stress to skin and hair care, essential
oils can positively impact almost every aspect of our well-being.
With spring now far behind us and the summer season
blooming, now’s a great time to take stock of what you have and add to your
collection others that will serve you well during these months. Here’s a
list of essential oils to help you smoothly navigate summer:
1. Spearmint-
With its crisp, clean and refreshing aroma, spearmint essential oil is perfect for summer. It
has natural antiseptic properties, making it ideal for soothing wounds and
scratches from hiking trips or outdoor play sessions. Spearmint also serves as
a natural insecticide, so it can help keep bug bites at bay.
Spearmint can be applied topically when diluted
with a carrier oil (such as coconut oil), or it can be mixed with water in a spray
bottle and sprayed outdoors to repel pests.
2. Lemon-
Lemon is a great essential oil for cleaning and can
be used on almost any surface. Simply add a few drops to a spray bottle filled
with water and keep it handy for wiping down tables, counter tops, cutting
boards and appliances. Bonus: lemon essential oil also acts as a natural pest repellent, helping to keep away fruit flies and other bugs when you’re chopping
fresh fruits and veggies.
For even greater bug protection (think mosquito buzzing around your porch or patio), add a few drops of the oil to a jar of
liquid coconut oil and place it on a table. Not only will it keep pests away,
it will smell lovely as well.
3. Orange-
Like lemon oil, orange essential oil is
another citrus option that acts as a repellent and can be used both indoors and
outdoors to combat insects and spread a sweet, refreshing and pleasant aroma.
Beyond that, orange oil is thought to have mood
lifting, anti-stress and anti-inflammatory properties. If you’re suffering from
muscle pain, knee pain or other aches, try massaging it (mixed into a carrier
oil like coconut or almond oil) into affected areas.
4. Grapefruit-
Grapefruit essential oil has
natural anti-inflammatory benefits as well. It can be applied to sore muscles
or joints or to wounds, cuts, scratches or scrapes (just be sure to dilute it
with a carrier oil to avoid sting).
Grapefruit oil is also a nice addition to your
natural beauty routine. To use it as a natural cleanser, simply mix a few drops
of grapefruit oil with some coconut oil and apply with some warm water as a
gentle, effective way to remove makeup off at the end of the day.
5. Lime-
Want to create a unique summertime scent in your
home or at an outdoor party? Lime essential oil may be just the aroma you’re
looking for! Again, add a few drops to a jar or container of liquid coconut
oil, tie on a festive ribbon and set out the jars on tables for fun, tropical
ambiance.
Lime oil also can be used (just like lemon, orange
or grapefruit oil) as a pest repellent. Applied (with a carrier oil) topically,
it’s a good headache reliever and mood booster, too. Lastly, like lemon oil, it
simply can be added to a spray bottle of water and used as an all-purpose
cleaner.
6. Geranium-
The summer season often brings changes in
schedules, upsets in sleep (affecting your natural circadian rhythm) or, for some,
struggles with mood (yes, summer depression, just like winter depression, can
happen!).
Geranium oil – a
natural stress reliever and mood booster – can be a great help here. Besides
being uplifting, it’s also well-known for helping to balance hormones (and is
commonly used in candles and beauty products targeted toward women for this
reason!).
To use geranium oil: add a few drops to a filled
water bottle to use as a room spray, add it to your diffuser for aromatherapy benefits or combine it
with a carrier oil and apply directly to sore muscles at the end of a long day.
7. Eucalyptus-
Eucalyptus is one of
the most popular essential oils and well known for its potent, almost medicinal
scent. In the summertime, it can serve as a great antiseptic and antibacterial
oil—perfect if you spend a lot of time outdoors where wounds, scratches, and
other skin issues can occur.
It can also be mixed with your favorite natural
shampoo to help relieve scalp build-up (thanks to its antibacterial
properties), while naturally stimulating the scalp, as well.
8. Lavender-
Soothing and relaxing, lavender essential oil is a must for summer,
especially if you have trouble sleeping. It’s calming, soothing and works
wonders to help you rest and unwind.
Try taking a warm bath or shower and apply a few
drops of lavender oil to a washcloth to gently wipe down your skin. You can
also spray a few drops of the oil on your pillowcase, just add a a few drops in
a spray bottle with water. Or, try mixing it with coconut oil and apply it
as a natural lotion before bed.
9. Clary sage-
This amazing essential oil is one of the most
well-rounded, multi-faceted essential oils that exists. sages said to have aphrodisiac,
astringent and antibacterial properties. It’s also thought to aid in digestion,
can be used as a natural deodorant and can be used to improve mood and reduce
stress.
Like most essential oils, clary sage is very
strong, so one or two drops goes a long way. You can use it to clean your home,
use it in a diffuser or apply it as a natural wound healer. If you’d like to
use it for digestive benefits, apply it with coconut oil and rub in a circular
motion on your stomach right after a warm bath (optimally with Epsom salts) for added benefits.
10. Peppermint-
Possibly one of the most well-loved essential oils
of all is peppermint oil. It does so much more than making your home smell
amazing; it’s also one of the best essential oils to use in the summer months
due to its stimulating and cleansing benefits.
Peppermint oil can be used in a diffuser,
applied with coconut oil as a natural muscle pain reliever, it can be used
outdoors or inside to repel pests like any of these other oils, and it can be
mixed into a natural shampoo to cleanse and stimulate the scalp.
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