Over 50 Ways To Use Essential Oils For a "Scent-sational" Life
1. For great-smelling towels, sheets, clothes, etc., place a few drops of lavender, lemon, lime, or any other essential oil onto a small piece of terry cloth or an unscented dryer sheet and toss into the clothes dryer while drying. This will also help keep your laundry germ-free. Or add 5 drops essential oil to 1/4 cup fabric softener or water and place in the center cup of the wash. For hand- washing, add 1 drop to the final rinse water. Avoid dark and heavy oils (e.g., patchouli) that will stain your fabrics.
2. Potpourri which has lost its scent can be revived by adding a few drops of essential oil. Then put the potpourri in a sealed plastic bag and let it sit for a few days.
3. Add a few drops of oil to water in a spray bottle and use as an air freshener.
4. Add a few drops essential oil to a pan of water and simmer on stove or in potpourri pot.
5. To enjoy a scented candle, let the wax melt around the wick (which can take a few minutes), blow out the candle, then place a drop or two of oil into the hot melted wax and re-light. Keep the wick trimmed short to keep the flame low so you will smell the oil longer. Also, the fatter the candle, the larger the pool of wax and the more scent you will smell.
6. To dispel household cooking odors, add a few drops of clove oil to a simmering pan.
7. For tired aching muscles or arthritis aches, mix 1 part cajeput, sage, and basil oil to 4 parts jojoba or other vegetable oil and use as a massage oil.
8. Ease headache pain by rubbing a drop of rosemary/lavender oil onto the back of your neck.
9. To blend your own massage oil, add 3-5 drops of your favorite essential oil to 1 oz. jojoba or other skin-nourishing vegetable oil. Don't make too much.
10. Add 10 drops of lemon or any other essential oil to a box of cornstarch or baking soda, mix very well, let set for a day or two in a jar with a lid, and then sprinkle over the carpets in your home. Let set for an hour or more, then vacuum to scent carpets and also help with flea control.
11. To make a natural flea collar, saturate a short piece of cord or soft rope with pennyroyal or tea tree oil, roll up in a handkerchief and tie loosely around the animal's neck.
12. Smelly feet or shoes can be remedied by either dropping a few drops of geranium essential oil directly into the shoes or by placing a cotton ball dabbed with a few drops of lemon oil into the shoes. Athlete's foot? Tea tree is great!
13. Put a few drops of your favorite essential oil on a cotton ball and place it in your vacuum cleaner bag to scent carpets and the air. Lemon and pine are nice. Rose geranium helps with doggy odor.
14. To fragrance your kitchen cabinets and drawers, place a food scent dabbed on a cotton ball in an inconspicuous corner.
15. Are mice a problem? Place several drops of peppermint oil on cotton balls and place them at problem locations.
16. The bathroom is easily scented by placing oil-scented cotton balls in inconspicuous places or sprinkle oils directly onto silk or dried flower arrangements or wreaths.
17. Apply true lavender oil and tea tree oil directly to cuts, scrapes, or scratches. 1 or 2 drops will promote healing.
18. Homemade soaps are pleasant and offer therapeutic effects when scented with essential oils. Use Woodspirit's Soaps which contain pure essential oils.
19. Home-made sachets are more fragrant when essential oils are blended with the flowers and herbs.
20. An essential oil dropped on a radiator, scent ring, or light bulb will not only fill the room with a wonderful fragrance, but also will set a mood such as calming or uplifting. Don't put essential oil in the socket.
21. A few drops of your favorite oil or blend in the rinse water of your hand-washables makes for pleasant results.
22. Anise oil has been used by fishermen for years. Use a drop or two on the finger tips and hands before baiting up. Anise covers up the human scent that scares the fish away.
23. Essential oils or blends make wonderful perfumes. Create your own personal essence! 25 drops to 1 oz. of perfume alcohol. Let age two weeks before using.
24. To dispel mosquitoes and other picnic or barbeque pests, drop a few drops of citronella oil in the melted wax of candle or place a few drops on the barbeque hot coals.
25. 1 drop of lemon essential oil applied directly to a wart is an effective means of elimination. Apply the essential oil daily until the wart is gone.
26. Rosemary promotes alertness and stimulates memory. Inhale occasionally during long car trips and while reading or studying. Or try peppermint, which is stimulating and helps clear the head and eliminate mental fatigue. A little goes a long way in a dashboard diffuser, hanging terra cotta pot, or on a cottonball.
27. Selling your home? Fragrance sells! Fill the kitchen area with the aroma of spices such as clove, cinnamon, and vanilla. Simmer a few drops of the essential oils of cinnamon, nutmeg, and other spices. Geranium oil sprinkled throughout the home creates a warm, cheerful, and inviting mood. Add cinnamon oil to furniture polish and wipe down the wood.
28. Add essential oils to paper mache. The result is the creation of a lovely aromatic art piece.
29. Infuse bookmarks and stationary with essential oils. Place drops of oil on paper and put them in a plastic bag. Seal it and leave overnight to infuse the aroma. Send only good news in perfumed letters.
30. Neck pillows, padded and decorative hangers make more memorable gifts simply by putting a couple of drops of essential oil on them before giving.
31. Overindulge last night? Essential oils of juniper, cedarwood, grapefruit, lavender, carrot, fennel, rosemary, and lemon help soften the effects of a hangover. Make your own blend of these oils and use a total of 6-8 drops in a bath.
32. Essential oils of vetivert, cypress, atlas cedarwood, frankincense, sandalwood, pine, and myrrh all make wonderful firewood oils. Place 1 or 2 drops of oil or blend of your choice on a dried log (real wood) and allow at least a half-hour for the oil to soak in before putting the log on the fire. Use one scented log per fire.
33. Flies and moths dislike lavandin oil. Sprinkle it on the outside of your window frames.
34. Place 1 or 2 drops of sleep enhancing oils such as chamomile, lavender, neroli, marjoram, or hops on your pillow before retiring for restful sleep.
35. When moving into a new home, first use a water spray containing your favorite essential oils and change the odorous environment to your own. Do this for several days until it begins to feel like your space.
36. Ideal scents for the bedroom are roman chamomile, geranium, lavender, or lemon.
37. 1 drop of lemon essential oil on a soft cloth will polish copper with gentle buffing.
38. When washing out the fridge, freezer, or oven, add 1 drop of lemon, lime, grapefruit, bergamot, mandarin, or orange essential oil to the final rinse water.
39. For burns or scalds, drop tea tree (or lavender) oil directly onto the affected area.
40. Place 1 drop of peppermint oil in 1/2 glass of water and sip slowly to aid digestion and relieve upset stomach.
41. Use 1 drop chamomile oil on a washcloth-wrapped ice cube to relieve teething pain in children.
42. 6-8 drops of eucalyptus oil in the bath cools the body in summer and protects it in winter.
43. Add 1 drop geranium oil to your facial moisturizer to bring out a radiant glow in your skin.
44. Place 1 or 2 drops of rosemary on your hair brush before brushing to promote growth and thickness.
45. When the flu is going around, add a few drops of thyme to your diffusor or simmer in a pan on the stove.
46. To bring fever down, sponge the body with cool water to which 1 drop each of eucalyptus, peppermint, and lavender oils have been added.
47. The blend of lavender and grapefruit oil is good for the office. Lavender creates a calm tranquil atmosphere, while grapefruit stimulates the senses and clears up stale air.
48. A blend of geranium, lavender, and bergamot alleviate anxiety
and depression. Use in a room diffusor or 6-8 drops of this blend in the bath.
49. A wonderful massage blend for babies is 1 drop roman chamomile, 1 drop lavender, 1 drop geranium diluted in 2 tablespoons sweet almond oil.
50. 1 drop peppermint oil diluted in 1 teaspoon vegetable oil rubbed on the back of the neck helps to relieve headaches.
51. If you don't have time for a bath, simply place a few drops of your favorite essential oil directly on the shower floor or wall after starting the water for an aromatic steam room. Rosemary, peppermint, and lemon are particularly invigorating.
