essential oils are incredible. they are a host to so many health benefits for the mind, body & spirit. i use essential oils in all of my skin care recipes, home cleaning supplies and through an essential oil diffuser.

what is an essential oil diffuser? the type of diffuser that i recommend is an ultrasonic aromatherapy nebulizer (here, here, and here). what does all of that mean? this diffuser uses ultrasonic vibrations that create a mist/vapor to diffuse your oils into the air without heating them up. it is important to never heat up your essential oils, because heat damages their chemistry, therefore compromising their true medicinal benefits.

sunday’s recipe
what essential oils to use & why

*for concentration and memory assistance, diffuse 3 drops peppermint & 3 drops rosemary essential oil. peppermint is uplifting & restorative, and when mixed with rosemary, aka the herb of remembrance, they work together to enhance memory.

*for fighting bouts of anxiety & depression, diffuse 3-5 drops of ylang ylang and/or 3-5 drops grapefruit essential oil. ylang ylang opens up the heart, inspires peaceful feelings & dispels anger while grapefruit is a major antidepressant (uplighting tonic) & detoxifier. grapefruit essential oil is good for clearing blocked energy as well.

*the headache buster combination, diffuse 2-3 drops lavender, 2-3 drops peppermint & 2-3 drops eucalyptus essential oil. this combo provides anti-inflammatory, space clearing & pain relieving benefits.

*for meditation & grounding, diffuse 3-5 drops frankincense essential oil. frankincense assists in calming nerves and is said to bring blood pressure down. this is one of my favorite scents & it mixes well with others.

*the bedtime blend, diffuse 2 drops frankincense, 2 drops lavender & 2 drops sweet orange essential oils. as you just read, frankincense is a calming oil & pairs well with sweet orange, which is good for insomnia. lavender is well known for being a very relaxing & calming oil as well and smells great when added to the other two.

remember, it is important to use good quality essential oils. when purchasing essential oils look for ‘organic’ or ‘wildcrafted’, and try to source as locally as possible. my favorite brands are young living, doterra and mountain rose herbs.

these are just a few ideas of how you, too, can use essential oils in your daily life. i have gathered this information through attending an essential oil 101 class & through lots of personal reading. i aspire to be a certified aromatherapist someday & will share that journey with you here when it begins. : )

do you use essential oils? what are your favorite oils or blends?