Surrounded by mystery and thousands of years of use, essential oils are now coming to the forefront of the new nutritional movement.
One that prefers discovering the healing properties used by Cleopatra, Julius Cesar, Leonardo DaVinci and more throughout the ages in loo of today’s chemical cocktails.
Below you’ll find our extensive list of essential oils, their benefits and how you can best use them to revive the wisdom of the ancients to help you with today’s modern needs.
Disclaimer: Please note that; the following is for educational purposes only and we are not intending to diagnose or treat any disease state, nor recommend a treatment, cure or remedy for it. If you are unwell in any way you should consult your nutritionally educated healthcare practitioner.
What Is Arnica Essential Oil?
Arnica essential oil is generally cold pressed from the flowering plant Arnica Montana.
It’s primarily native to the northwestern portion of North America. It can be found growing anywhere from the Yukon, throughout most of the Northwestern United States to as far south as Northern New Mexico.
Does Arnica Oil Alleviate Pain And Inflammation?
Yes, according to multiple studies and literally thousands of years of empirical evidence, Arnica Montana has proven to be both safe and effective when used as prescribed on the label.
One study cited in Springer reported that, quote: “Sixty-nine patients (87%) rated the tolerability of the gel as “good” or “fairly good,” and 76% would use it again. Topical application of Arnica Montana gel for 6 weeks was a safe, well-tolerated, and effective.”
How To Use Arnica Oil Gel As A Pain And Inflammation Reliever
All Arnica products sold in the United States will have clear instructions on their labels. Simply follow those, they will have the best recommendation for you based upon the strength and concentration of their product, not to mention other ingredients.
What Is Fenugreek Oil?
The best fenugreek oil will come from cold pressing fresh, organic fenugreek seeds.
It’s main benefit other than being a cooking spice is that the oil concentrate has been said to help grow hair. So…
Does Fenugreek Oil Help To Grow Thick, Shiny, Healthy Hair?
Thousands of years of use with likely millions of testimonials throughout the ages say yes, that it does help stop hair from falling out, that it also helps hair to be more lustrous, thicker and fuller.
But what does science have to say about the matter, does modern science agree?
Yes, there have been numerous studies on whether or not it effects hair growth and each of them that we were able to find concluded that it did help.
It appears fenugreek oil contains weak phytoestrogens, sterols and anti-inflammatory agents that may help to correct the testosterone driven receptors in the scalp and thereby slow or stop hair loss.
How To Use Fenugreek Oil For Hair?
Just add 3 to 4 drops to your favorite conditioner that you use after shampooing. Rub it into the conditioner before applying to your hair and then rinse out with the conditioner as normal.
It can be used with shampoo, however, the cleaning agents in the shampoo may just end up striping the oils from your hair anyway. So, the conditioner method is preferred.
Essential Oils For Cellulite
Cellulite has plagued women for centuries, however it became especially worrisome during the sexual liberation era of the 1960’s when women started to adorn miniskirts and short shorts.
Now with their thighs and hamstrings showing they really started to look for cellulite remedies that work.
Do Essential Oils Help To Alleviate Cellulite?
According to different literatures there are as many as 10 different essential oils that are supposed to help lessen the appearance of cellulite, but in truth only a few have any scientific backing to support them.
The oils listed below are the ones with both the best legend and lore proclaiming their effects and with the best science to back them up.
Cedarwood, cypress, fennel, geranium, grapefruit, juniper and lemon.
How To Use Essential Oils To Reduce Cellulite?
The first tool you’ll want to go get is a cellulite massager that you’ll use to help break up the tension between the fat and water deposits that create that cottage cheese look you’d rather not have.
This cellulite massage tool also helps deliver the essential oils to the skin and helps them penetrate as well by helping to work them through the top layers of the dermis.
You’ll then apply the essential oils that you’ll most likely buy in a formula. The reason for a formula is that all the research and study of how much of each oil works best has already been done for you.
You simply get a formula that’s already had great success for thousands of people without having to spend months learning and studying.
Apply the formula to the desired area and massage with the cellulite massager for 3 to 5 minutes.
If you get the right formula, like the one we recommend, then many people report seeing some results from the very first massage session.
Essential Oils For Nausea
Nausea generally manifested by sea sickness or air sickness is caused by the equilibrium not being able to adjust to the changing conditions, waves or motions fast enough and so you feel sick to your stomach.
We are not speaking of which oils are best for pregnancy related nausea, we are not allowed to do so as we are not licensed Doctors. Please see our disclaimer above for additional information.
Which Essential Oils Are Best For Nausea?
The top essential oil for nausea has always been ginger. Ginger oils seem to calm the stomach and intestinal tract quite well.
Ginger oils have a long history of safety so long as you stay within the recommended dosages on the labels of the products you purchase.
Other oils that have enormous numbers of testimonials for their effects are: Mint oils both spearmint and peppermint, lavender oil, cardamon oil and fennel oil.
What you’re really going to want to do is to get a top-rated nausea relief blend of oils where all the blending work is done for you and all in one product.
These tend to be the easiest and have the best results.
Can Essential Oils For Nausea Really Help?
The answer to that is yes, according to both science and historical use, yes, they do work and work rather well.
According to one study published in Science Direct 73 patients suffering from postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) “had a 75% favorable outcome” after using a blend of essential oils.
In a meta-analysis Liebert Pub wrote of the information found in 5 papers with a total of 328 participants that; “Their results suggest that the inhaled vapor of peppermint or ginger essential oils not only reduced the incidence and severity of nausea and vomiting but also decreased antiemetic requirements and consequently improved patient satisfaction.”
There are so many other studies that demonstrate their effectiveness that it would be near impossible to include even 10% of them here.
So, yes, the proper essential oils used in the right formula can help alleviate nausea from most causes.
Which Essential Oils For Carpal Tunnel Are Best?
Many essential oils such as marjoram, lavender, eucalyptus, lemongrass, and peppermint have been studied and used in medicine. However, the one that has provided consistent results in clinical trials is Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L).
In just one study published in Science Direct, they stated that: “Chamomile oil improved symptomatic and functional status of patients with severe carpal tunnel syndrome.”
Yes, there are volumes of empirical data that shows that marjoram, lavender, eucalyptus, lemongrass, and peppermint have good effect as well. But none of them has the science behind it as does the chamomile.
So, if you see a formula with chamomile and any or even all of the other listed oils then you’ll likely have a great product.
Essential Oils For Kidney Stones
Kidney stones can be incredibly painful and not something you should fool around with. If you’re having severe kidney pain, you should seek the counsel of your nutritionally educated healthcare practitioner.
We scoured the research archives and were not able to find any science backing up any essential oils for kidney stones. Even though there is a small amount of empirical evidence that some few oils might help, we will not be presenting any of them here.
Our reasons are simple. Most oils have volumes of proof that they work. So, if one doesn’t, then we let you know that as well. We are not interested in luring you in to buy an oil that has no solid evidence behind it. This is your health we are talking about, and we take it seriously.
What Are The Best Essential Oils For Tendonitis?
There is a good amount of science backing up the use of arnica montana and chamomile for helping to relieve the pain and inflammation of tendonitis.
You can use the pure oils by rubbing in just a few drops of each one at a time to the affected area.
Or you can get a formula that already has them blended together. That choice is yours.
As in most cases a premade formula tends to have as good if not better results if the company has a reputable formulator. Plus, the formula is much more convenient and in the long run typically costs less anyway.
What Are The Best Essential Oils For Rosacea?
Before we answer that question, we had better give a brief definition of what rosacea actually is.
What Is Rosacea?
Rosacea is a common skin condition where the blood vessels in the skin become irritated and then inflamed. When they swell, they become more pronounced, thereby becoming more visible. Rosacea generally shows up as redness, a full pattern of visible blood vessels or even as puss filled red bumps.
Older people and middle-aged women are generally more susceptible, and science is still uncertain as to why.
What Causes Rosacea?
Science is also uncertain as to what exactly causes rosacea. However, there are multiple markers that indicate that one or many forms of micro-bacteria may be the culprit.
This would seem to make sense as we age our skins immune system becomes less able to combat certain bacteria and fungus’s. These fungus’s then basically cause an allergic type of reaction with the body producing inflammation as a result.
This may point to why certain essential oils that are usually used as antiseptics have enjoyed pretty decent success in alleviating it.
So….
What Are The Best Essential Oils For Rosacea?
When you read above in our section what causes rosacea that good credible science suggests that it may be a reaction to a micro-bacterium, you will understand why the following oils have enjoyed success in combating it.
The essential oils that help with rosacea are: tea tree, rosehip, rosemary, evening primrose, lavender and cypress.
The reason you will want a formula that contains most if not all of these ingredients is that each has its own purpose in the formula, such as: tea tree is an antiseptic, rosehip contains Vitamin C, rosemary is an antibacterial, evening primrose contains essential fatty acids, lavender is very soothing, and cypress is also an antiseptic although a milder one.
As for dosage and application of a formula, please see the label for instructions.
Which Essential Oils Are Best For Dandruff?
As published in Jundishapur J Nat Pharm Prod. 2015 November we quote “Based on the results, medicinal plant extracts have marvelous effects on dandruff removal with fewer side effects.”
Multiple studies around the world have shown bergamot, lemongrass, tea tree, and thyme to all be effective against dandruff.
What Causes Dandruff?
Many if not most cases of dandruff are actually caused by a fungus that causes the top layer of the skin to attempt to protect itself by producing a sluff layer of dead skin as a sort of armor you might say. When your armor falls off in flakes you have dandruff.
This reaction is what causes the irritation that leads to the itching that so many people experience.
How To Use Essential Oils To Fight Dandruff?
This is rather simple and easy to do. First acquire a top-grade formula with most or all of the essential oils listed above. Then just add the prescribed amount into your shampoo that’s in your hand. Mix the oil and shampoo together and then apply it to your hair as you normally would.
If there are no instructions on the label, a couple of drops should do the trick.
Which Are The Best Essential Oils For Warts?
There are several essential oils that have been shown over hundreds of years to produce great results with wart removal. They do take a little time, generally 2 to 6 months. However, they do let you remove the wart without having to resort to chemicals to ‘burn’ it out that so many worry are toxic to their health.
The essential oils that have the greatest lore and science to back them up are: neem oil, tea tree oil, cinnamon bark oil, oregano oil, Frankincense oil, Clove oil, Cypress oil.
These oils specialize in killing off the bacteria and the HPV virus that cause warts. They also help in healing the skin, disinfecting to limit infection, and aid in deep penetration to get at the core of the wart itself.
Finding a formula that contains most of these ingredients will be your best bet.
Which Essential Oil For A Sprained Ankle Is Best?
There are many that you could use and the essential oil cremes and gels will usually have a combination of ingredients. But, according to empirical and scientific evidence, the best essential oils for a sprained ankle are: arnica montana, zingiber (common name ginger) and mint – either peppermint or spearmint.
As you may have seen earlier in this article arnica montana is quite likely the number one essential oil to be used for all types of bruises, strains, and sprains, it just flat out works and has a ton of science to back it up.
Ginger and mint oils are long known for their deep penetrating, warming action. This warming is them stimulating blood flow and soothing inflammation in the area which facilitates healing.
Is Oregano Oil Good For Uti (Urinary Tract Infection)?
Yes, in fact, in the prestigious publication Plants Journal they quote: “Oregano oil may be an effective alternative to antibiotics in the treatment of UTI.”
Multiple studies again and again have shown oregano oil to be equal to or in some cases even better than allopathic medicines in the treatment and mitigation of urinary tract infections.
2 things are important: A). Get a super high-quality oil, there are cheap oregano oils out there that will do little or nothing to help you. B). Follow the label instructions for best results.
What are The Best Essential Oils For Pink Eye?
First, let’s get the 300-pound gorilla in the room out in the open. You want to be very careful what you use next to your eyes. Do not use harsh astringents or other irritants, you could cause temporary or even permanent damage.
That being said, science points to the use of high oleic acid oils such as avocado oil to use in soothing and healing the pink eye stye (sore) next to the eye. But, they are NOT recommended for direct treatment into the eye as they may carry other agents like pesticides or impurities.
If the pink eye persists then this might be one of those rare times when it might be better to see a nutritionally educated health care practitioner.
What Are The Best Essential Oils For Blackheads?
Both science and lore proclaim the three best essential oils known at the time of writing for blackheads are: tea tree oil, lavender oil and oregano oil.
All three have astringent properties while the lavender also has soothing, and healing aspects not found in the other two.
It is curious that witch hazel, although not an essential oil, has not been mentioned in any of the multitude of studies under our purview, as it’s one of the best and least toxic astringents around.
Do take care when using any products around your eyes and follow the labeled instructions for safety’s sake.
What are The Best Essential Oils For A Toothache?
First, yes, essential oils have been used for literally thousands of years to numb the pain from a toothache as well as help to cleanse the decay generally associated with a toothache. There are several studies that back up it’s history of use and show that, yes, science does indeed concur.
The essential oils most commonly used and most often cited in studies are: clove oil, nutmeg oil, eucalyptus oil and peppermint oil.
The clove oil will numb that tooth right up. Anyone who has chewed on a piece of clove can tell you that your whole mouth and tongue go numb afterwards. The oil is incredibly concentrated, so the numbing effect is pretty powerful.
Nutmeg oil has two parts, one, it also numbs the tooth, although not as powerfully as the clove oil. It then exhibits a positive effect as an antimicrobial to help kill the germs that might otherwise cause an infection.
Eucalyptus oil and peppermint oil have pretty powerful numbing effects, but they do it in a different manner. They both give that cooling sensation that you may be familiar with from mints. However, eucalyptus is several times more powerful. Then when you combine these to together, they have a synergism that compounds their results to a whole new level.
Using essential oils or any other form of relief is just temporary. You should get your tooth or teeth the attention they need as soon as possible. Just numbing the pain doesn’t take away from the fact that rotten teeth could be poisoning your system.
Don’t wait, get them looked at by a dentist right away.
What Are The Best Essential Oils For Bruises?
Science, legend and lore all suggest that arnica montana oil, turmeric oil and lavender oil are going to be your top 3 oils for bruises.
Arnica montana oil is well documented in helping to alleviate pain and reduce inflammation.
Turmeric Oil has some very nice studies showing that it helps to reduce inflammation.
Lavender oil is somewhat astringent, so if there are any abrasions or even micro abrasions it can help to keep the germ free and heal them. It also has a soothing quality that is legendary amongst herbs.
The fact that these are concentrated into oils means that they are or can be many times as potent as the bulk herbs themselves.
If you have an injury that gives persistent pain or if you think you have a serious injury, please seek the advice or counsel of your nutritionally educated healthcare practitioner.
Neem Oil For Acne – Does it Work?
As published by and in Anil Kumar, Sanjula Baboota, SP Agarwal, Javed Ali & Alka Ahuja Pages 111-122 | Published online: 10 Jan 2014 “Neem oil shows significant antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.”
One of the amazing things just recently discovered at the time of writing is that; neem oil acts as a powerful carrier to transport other pharmacological agents deep into and even past the skin into the body.
So, scientists are now looking at using neem oil to carry their acne fighting drugs into the affected area to kill off the bacteria.
The reason this is exciting is, it shows that neem oil is effective at penetrating to and into the acne site itself and once there it kills the gram positive and gram negative bacteria that are the cause of the acne in the first place.
This demonstrates that all that may actually be needed is the neem oil itself.
What Are The Best Essential Oil For Hemorrhoids?
Myrtus communis or better known by its common name myrtle has shown in studies to alleviate hemorrhoid swelling and itching as well as the leading over the counter hemorrhoid medication.
As published in Turk J Pharm Sci 11(1), 1-8, 2014 “The results of this research provide the first clinical evidence on the efficacy of M. communisessential oil in the alleviation of hemorrhoids symptoms and further support the application of this plant as an anti-hemorrhoid agent in traditional medicine.”
Myrtle has been used in traditional herbal medicine for centuries with great effect and now and you can see, science finally backs that up.
However, if you experience anal bleeding, please consult a nutritionally educated health care practitioner as soon as possible. You may have a much more serious condition and it’s nothing to fool around with.
Which Essential Oils For Varicose Veins Are The Best?
Legend, lore and science all suggest that the best essential oils for varicose veins are peppermint oil which we know helps with blood flow and the reduction of inflammation.
Witch hazel who’s astringent properties seem to reduce the vein size making it less protrusive.
And the essential oil or myrtle who’s oil once again shows prominence in reducing inflammation and healing.
If your varicose veins are painful, you should seek the advice or counsel of a nutritionally educated healthcare practitioner as this could be a sign of a more serious vascular condition.
Do Any Essential Oils For Poison Ivy Actually Work?
There are many drying oils that are not true essential oils that have shown mild effects of mitigating the itching and rash of poison ivy, but none that we could recommend.
However, one novel nut oil has had considerable effects with no known side effects and that oil is surprisingly cashew nut oil.
There are a few scientists that think they may have a handle on how it works, but in truth, science seems to be baffled as to how it accomplishes its actions.
All they know is that it works. It almost immediately begins to sooth the itching and it then seems to facilitate healing and recovery as well.
If your poison ivy is serious or has open wounds that are bleeding, please go see a doctor with experience in its treatment.
Which Essential Oils For Restless Leg Syndrome Are Best?
Warning: There are some pages online that may show glycerin can’t help with restless leg syndrome, this is false, it absolutely can help. As published in Arak University of Medical Sciences: “Results: No significant difference found in RLS score between intervention (24.09±5.34) and control (22.9±4.38) groups in beginning of study. While mean of score RLS had significant decrease in massage with glycerin oil group (9.54±4.64) in comparison with the control group (23.23±4.52) (p=0/0001).”
It’s conclusion goes on to say: “Conclusion: it is recommended to use effleurage massage with glycerin oil as a complementary therapy to decrease the RLS in hemodyalysis patients.”
We just wanted to set the record straight, so that if you see sites saying not to use it, you’ll know there actually is strong evidence of its effectiveness.
The other oil that can be used as a stand alone or in concert with glycerin oil is lavender oil. It’s legendary soothing qualities seem to calm the CNS (central nervous system) helping to lessen the effects of nervous leg syndrome.
Do Any Essential Oils For Motion Sickness Work Well?
There are many essential oils that have some efficacy in alleviating motion sickness because studies show that on visually induced motion sickness several of the more pungent oils will work. Some of those being peppermint, sandalwood, lavender and a few others.
But for motion induced motion sickness the one that rises to the top is ginger oil. Multiple studies and hundreds of years of empirical evidence show it to be the king of oils when it comes to motion induced motion sickness.
Some people may wonder how you could have visually induced motion sickness. Well, that’s where you are stationary but the horizon or the object you’re focused on is moving.
Conclusion: All in all we hope that you’ve found that essential oils have many promising benefits and that you’ll start stocking up your medicine cabinet with them right away.
The main oils to ensure that you always have on hand are; lavender oil, tea tree oil, ginger oil, and peppermint oil.
Those are the bare minimum that you need to keep on hand at all times. On top of that, we would suggest a good arnica montana gel or cream as well.
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