essential oils top 10 countdown (part two)

Nº 5 – Frankincense

• Headaches & migraines – Frankincense is a superb calming essential oil for treating headaches. Blend with lavender and apply on the temples to relieve tension headaches and stress. It may help to bring relief to migraines as well.
• Pain relief – Add 1 drop neat to minor cuts or bug bites and stings to immediately relief pain and speed up healing. Make a 2% dilution with a carrier oil to use as a massage oil for muscle and joint pains. Add 8-10 drops to a bath tub of water and soak for 20 minutes to relief menstrual pains. Alternatively, dilute with a carrier oil and use as a body massage oil. You can also use it to treat arthritis.
• Immune support – Make a 1% dilution with Jojoba oil and rub onto the soles of the feet once a day to strengthen the immune system and promotes better sleep. This can be done on children as well.
• Crohn’s disease – Make a 2% dilution with a carrier oil and rub around the abdomen to alleviate pain from Crohn’s disease.
• Skin problems – Frankincense is useful when it comes to removing acne, warts and cysts.
• Removing scars – To prevent ugly scarring, add 1 drop daily onto scars to reduce their appearance and to promote healing of cuts and wounds.
• Mosquito repellent – Diffuse to repel mosquitoes and insects.
• For panic attacks – Diffuse to alleviate stress, anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia and depression.

Nº 4 – Peppermint

• Digestive aid – Add a drop of peppermint essential oil to a cup of tea or make a 1% dilution with a carrier oil and rub around the abdomen to relieve stomaches to calm indigestion.
• Breath freshener – Dilute 10 drops to 2 cups of water to make a cooling mouthwash. Alternatively, make an oral spritzer by adding 12-18 drops to a 30 ml (1 oz) of spray bottle of water. Shake well before use.
• Homemade toothpaste – For an all natural toothpaste, mix together 3 tbsp of coconut oil, 3 tbsp of baking soda and 8-15 drops of peppermint essential oil. I found the recipe here.
• Treat dandruff – Peppermint essential oil is effective against dandruff. It also kills head lice and fleas.
• Improve hair health – Add a few drops to your an organic shampoo or unscented shampoo base for stronger, healthier and shinier hair.
• Muscle rub – Make a 2% dilution with a carrier oil for a cooling muscle rub for sore, overworked muscles.
• Obesity – Diffuse to reduce or curb appetite. Weight management is a complex process and this should be approached only as a supplement to a proper dietary regimen prescribed by your dietician.
• Sinus pressure & headaches – Rub a drop or two on your temples, forehead and over sinuses (carefully avoiding contact with eyes) to alleviate sinus pressure and headaches.
• Fever – Rub a few drops to the soles of your feet to reduce a fever.
• Clear hot flashes – Add a few drops of peppermint oil to a bottle of water and mist to reduce hot flashes.
• Reduce fatigue – Inhale before and after workouts to boost your mood and reduce fatigue.
• Instant nausea relief – Inhale for immediate relief from travelling sickness or nausea.
• Flatulence – To remove stomach gas, add a drop to a sugar cube and let it dissolve in your mouth.
• Improve concentration – Diffuse to enhance focus and concentration while studying.
• Insect repellent – To deter rodents, ants and cockroaches, place a few drops of peppermint oil on a cotton ball and place on their path or entry area.
• Plant rescue – Add 4 – 5 drops to a bottle of water and spray on plants to kill aphids.

Nº 3 – Lemon

• Skin whitening – Forget about expensive or worse, cheap dubious commercial skincare products touting skin whitening capabilities containing a host of harsh synthetic chemicals. Instead, add a few drops to your skin moisturiser to brighten your skin tone.
• Reduce cellulite – Add a few drops into unrefined coconut oil or any carrier oil to help reduce the appearance of cellulite.
• Facial spa – For oily skin, add 3-4 drops of lemon essential oil to your facial steam.
• Shiny hair – Add a few drops to your shampoo to clarify hair and make it shinier.
• Flu – Add 2 drops to hot tea and honey for flu or sore throat.
• Bad breath – Add 2-3 drops to a teaspoon of honey to remove bad breath.
• Appetite suppressant – Inhale to curb the cravings for sweets.
• Household cleaner – Mix 1 cup of vinegar, 10 drops of lemon essential oil, and 2-4 cups of water in a spray bottle for a powerful, all-purpose cleaning spray.
• Disinfect cutting board – Rub a few drops on cutting boards to erase harsh odours and get rid of bacteria residue.
• Stainless steel cleaner – Mix 5 drops with olive oil and de-smudge your stainless steel kitchen appliances, or anything that’s made of stainless steel in the house.
• Eliminating price tags – Add a drop of lemon oil to price tags and see it easily slide off.
• Purify water – Add a few drops to purify drinking water.
• Purify air – Diffuse to remove bad odours in the air while uplifting the mood.

Nº 2 – Tea Tree

• Decongest breathing passage – Diffuse or add a few drops to a pot of hot steaming water and inhale vapours. Alternatively, make a 3% dilution with a carrier oil and rub over chest and back. 
• Oral hygiene – Add 2 drops to a cup of water and swish around twice daily to remove bad breath, plague, cure gingivitis, thrush and canker sores. Gargle for sore throat.
• Skin problems – Add a few drops to either aloe vera gel or a mixture of cold pressed oil and honey and apply topically to treat acne, boils, minor burns, eczema, insect bites, psoriasis, rashes, sunburn and warts.
• Cuts & wounds – Apply a few drops to a cotton ball and clean scrapes, cuts, wounds and abscesses. It's anti-septic properties will keep the area clean and aid in more rapid healing.
• Fungal infections – Apply a few drops neat (or mix with carrier oil) twice daily on skin infections such as Athlete’s Foot, corns/callouses, nail fungus, ringworm, shingles and Plantar Warts.
• Remove foot odour – Add 5-10 drops to a foot bath and soak for 10 minutes. This effectively removes foot odour as well as treat infections like those described above..
• Hair care – Add 5-10 drops to regular shampoo and/or conditioner and use daily to eradicate dandruff and head lice, soothes itchy scalp, treats oily and/or thinning hair.
• Earaches – Mix 5 drops with coconut or olive oil and apply a small amount into ear (a couple of drops for babies). Adults can pack ear loosely with a small cotton ball. Reapply as necessary.
• Cradle cap for infants – Mix 5-10 drops with some carrier oil and rub on affected area. Leave it on for 10-15 minutes and then wash hair. Make sure not to get any into the baby’s eyes when rinsing!
• Diaper rash – Mix 1-2 drops with a cold-pressed oil and rub on problem area. Do not use any essential oil directly on baby’s skin!
• Surface disinfectant & deodoriser – Add a few drops to a spray bottle of water or vinegar. It is multi-purpose and can be used on any surface.
• Animal care – Mix 1 tbsp with a cup of water to be used as bath for pets with mange, lice, ticks, ringworm and fleas. For abscesses or puncture wounds you can apply a few drops directly on the affected area.

Nº 1 – Lavender

If you could only choose one essential oil to stock your medicine cabinet, I would recommend none other than lavender essential oil. It’s the most versatile and useful, and, considering its over a hundred benefits and applications, it’s unbelievably affordable.

• Antiseptic – Use directly on cuts and wounds to prevent them from getting infected and quicken healing.
• Insect bites & stings – Apply a drop or two to bring instant relief to pain or itch from insect bites and stings.
• Relieve stuffy nose – Add 5 drops to a diffuser and inhale fumes.
• Ease headaches & migraines – Blend 2 drops each lavender and frankincense or 1 drop peppermint in 1 tbsp (15ml) coconut oil and apply to temples to take away headaches and relieve stress.
• Earaches – Mix 5 drops with Jojoba oil and apply a small amount into ear (a couple of drops for babies). Adults can pack ear loosely with a small cotton ball. Reapply as necessary.
• Combat insomnia – Place 2 drops directly on your pillow to help battle insomnia. Be careful not to as strong lavender aroma becomes stimulating instead of being relaxing.
• Peaceful sleep – Diffuse a blend of lavender and chamomile for a deep, peaceful sleep.
• Mosquito repellent – Add a few drops to a carrier oil such as sunflower oil and spritz it on your body to repel mosquitoes.
• Calm nerves – Diffuse to clam anxiety and stress. 
• Depression – Diffuse to combat the negative emotions associated with depression.
• Skin care – Add to your skincare products to restore skin complexion and cures acne.
• Anti-aging – It’s powerful antioxidant properties helps slow down the skin aging process.
• Skin problems – Can be applied to treat problematic skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis,
• Hair care – Add to your shampoo to disinfect scalp, kills lice and prevent hair loss.

So, there you have it. The top ten most important essential oils for your home and family of all time. Hope this has been useful to you,