Getting the Most out of your Essential Oils: In the Kitchen and in Health
There is no denying the fact that Organic Essential Oils are becoming widely popular. This is due, in part, to the major health trends that have made their way through society and seem to have stuck pretty strongly. With youth and beauty becoming a heavy desire, and mental health gaining far more recognition, the demand for Aromatherapy products has risen drastically and the essential oil industry is booming because of it.
Nearly forgotten after a period of popularity, but gaining ground again
There are a wide variety of ways that essential oils can be used. From aromatherapy to cooking, muscle fatigue treatments to deep tissue massage, these oils have come to the forefront of many different industries and found their place. This is especially true of the mental health and wellness arena, where aromatherapy is taking on a larger role, much like it held a few decades ago.
It is not the first time that the usefulness of essential oils has been widely known. In fact, up until the early 1980’s these oils were very popular and used for plenty of things. Eventually, they fell into the “Hippy Medicine” category and society seemed to have forgotten about them until physicians of all types began to push their usefulness again in the past decade.
Organic Essential Oils have uses within the kitchen that are great
There is no denying that organic essential oils are quite useful to have in the kitchen. They make great additions to a variety of recipes, including Christmas snacks, salads, cakes, soups, and a variety of other dishes. In fact, you may already be using essential oils in your recipes.
Have you ever used Almond Oil? How about Oil of Peppermint? Pure Vanilla Extract? These are all examples of essential oils. You can also find essential oils for the kitchen such as:
- Cumin
- Thyme
- Sage
- Cilantro
- Dill
- Celery
This is just a short list, as there are quite literally dozens of organic essential oils that are often used in commercial kitchens to save on expenses or substitute when an ingredient is empty in stock, such as black pepper or dill.
Essential Oils are becoming far more popular for mental health as well
Aromatherapy is not a new concept however, it is one that lost interest for a while. With dozens of homeopathic physicians appearing in the past couple of decades these oils are regaining their value in the mental health field. These physicians have trained in the practical applications of essential oils to aid in the treatment of a variety of illnesses including anxiety, depression, manic depression, PMDD, PPD, and many more illnesses related to mental health.
The appropriate use of essential oils truly can help these patients as their physicians work together with them to find which ones aid their moods and which do not (or cause an adverse reaction). Between doctor and patient, a list can be created with varying results listed and a map is made that helps to determine which essential oils should be used for different situations based on the patients’ reactions.
What else can essential oils be used for?
Since you obviously want to get the most value out of your essential oils, it is important to know the variety of uses they hold. We’ve listed a few handy ideas below to get you started, although this list is certainly not complete and you should research other uses for the oils yourself as well.
- Satchets of Dried Wildflowers Sprinkled with Essential Oils – This is a sure way to freshen up a room, such as your shower room. The humidity of the room will warm the oils in the dried blooms, making the room smell lovely.
- Diffuser Sticks in Jars with Diluted Essential Oils – This option works much like the satchets, except that the diffuser sticks tend to hold their scent much longer than satchets. If you choose to soak the sticks rather than place them in a jar with oil, you will be able to create a mix of scents to blend together.
- Essential Oils Dropped in with Laundry – If you wish, you can add a small amount of essential oils to your wash cycle, or even create an essential oil ragball to toss in the dryer. This will help to make your clothes smell nice, as well as helping to keep that “water smell” away that many washing machines gain over time.
No matter whether you are cooking with your oils or trying to gain some relief from stress or anxiety, essential oils can help you find a positive outcome. In return, you will want to get the most out of your essential oils and we hope we’ve helped to give you an idea of how to do that. Be sure to research more about organic essential oils and why pure essential oils are vital in cooking. This will help you to be safe while providing you with the information you need to select oils that work best for you.