Scents'N'Sensibility - Your Home Apothecary, Essential Oils In Your Medicine Chest

Scents & Sensibility Newsletter - Volume II - Issue 11 - March 17, 2001

Your Home Apothecary - Essential Oils In The Medicine Chest

"The way to health is to have an aromatic bath and scented massage every day." Hippocrates.

The high cost of some essential oils makes having one of everything beyond the reach of most homes, but every home can benefit from a basic remedy kit of four or five essential oils. Deciding which oils should be in your kit, can be very difficult as you read the unique capabilities and uses of each oil. Yet with the vernal equinox soon upon us and knowing your own life rhythms, take into consideration the seasons and your family's activities when choosing some must have oils for your home apothecary.

Should your home be lucky enough to be inhabited by high energy teenage boys, who are always collecting scrapes, bruises, cuts and strains, as my home is, or if you are active yourself, you will benefit from the following short list. Some of these oils can be used topically or neat as well as used with diffusers or in sprays, blends, etcetera. Remember, also, that only pure grade essential oils should be used.

Lavender

No home should be without lavender. Lavender is natures remedy to almost everything from burns and scrapes to headaches and fevers. Used neat, lavender can prevent scarring from burns and cuts at the same time that it sterilizes the wound and stimulates the cells to rebuild more quickly. We use lavender almost daily, a drop or two on a toddler's scratch always makes them feel better and guards against bacteria, not to mention it smells wonderful. We have had a couple serious accidental burns in our home and the first thing on them was lavender and then ice and they healed quickly and without scarring.

Tea Tree

Another must have if you have athletes in the house,or even if you don't, tea tree is believed to be a hundred times more powerful than carbolic acid. Yet tea tree oil is not toxic to humans and has powerful antifungal, antiviral and antibacterial properties. Tea tree oil is used to treat candida, ringworm, athletes foot, acne, sunburn, even toothaches to name a few. Flu season is another great time to use tea tree oil in the room diffuser because of its exceptional anti viral properties. We have cured many a case of athletes foot in record time with tea tree oil in our family.

Lemon

Lemon oil is a wonderful water purifier and can be indispensible in the kitchen, (see our March 11, 2001 issue on cooking with essential oils). As the weather warms and flying pests become more common, this antiseptic and antibacterial oil, when used in a blend, can heal insect bites, aid slimming and help disperse cellulite. Lemon will help relieve headaches caused by tension and if added to your favourite cleaning spray, disinfect your home.

Rose Oil

The high cost of rose oil often puts it out of the reach of most people, though the rose absolute is less costly. Still, once you acquire rose either the oil or the absolute, you will find it worth every penny. Rose operates at the highest frequency of any of the essential oils and consists of hundreds of components. Like lavender and tea trea it can be used neat on wounds as an antiseptic and an anti- inflammatory, in a purifier to fight viral infections, or in a blend to soften dry skin. Perhaps its greatest benefit is the mild sedative quality and ability to ease tension while still lifting the spirits and controlling anger. Rose is also fabulous in food.