I have a new love. Essential oils.
Yup, I’ve crossed that line. The one that took me from being pseudo-hippie like (in a very east coast prepster way) to being one of those people. You know. Remember that roommate of yours whose bedroom smells like a Bath and Body Works? Yup, I bet she used essential oils.
Okay, so it’s not that bad yet. But a few weeks ago I bought a bottle of rosemary and peppermint essential oils. I had read that you could make your own “natural icy hot” by combining those with some olive oil and sugar to make a “muscle relaxing scrub.”
A caveat – I use Icy Hot a lot. A whole lot. I basically walk around smelling like an antiseptic wintergreen lifesaver all day long. But I don’t care. It is the only thing that has been able to relieve my pelvic pain, and God bless my husband for suggesting it. (He probably didn’t foresee that he would have to go to bed with a girl smelling like a box of Altoids, lest he might not have suggested I try it).
So to avoid walking around smelling like a spilled bottle of Listerine, I decided to make my own icy hot by combining a few drops of peppermint and rosemary essential oils with some olive oil (those who are adept at this will probably realize that I should use a better “carrier oil” such as almond oil, but hush, I’m on a budget). That combo works okay, but let me tell you what could really give the Icy Hot corporation a run for its money. I bought a 2oz jar of unscented lotion and added a few drops of the oils to it. Holy goodness, it works like a charm. It’s not the same fire and ice cube sensation icy hot gives you, but a much subtler way to help your muscles relax. And just throwing out a guess here, probably better to use long term.
Another heavenly use of peppermint essential oil that we discovered this week? Because John is on week 2 of the-cold-from-hell, I’ve been doing some research on natural cold remedies. Add a few drops of peppermint oil to a washcloth, toss it in the bottom of your shower, take a nice long hot shower, and you have yourself a delightful nose-clearing, throat soothing minty steam. I tried it myself when my allergies were giving my nose a run for its money, and it was quite lovely. I recommend it even if you aren’t sick. It just smells nice.
So while we haven’t whipped out any essential oil diffusers or branched into sandalwood, eucalyptus, bergamot or the like, I’ve enjoyed the foray into the world of essential oils. A side note – peppermint and rosemary are also supposed to improve concentration. So far nothing, no matter how much of it I inhale, has convinced me to stop checking G-Mail. In fact, right after applying some of these oils, I decided to write this post instead of researching WIC like I am supposed to be doing for this thesis. Oops.
As long as you don’t make the leap into patchouli, I think you’re safe!
Lavender would be a good next step… Works for bug bites, insect stings, relaxation and healing in general. Cheers, D
Say, here’s a thought… if you’ve a nice, sunny garden spot with some extra space; you could “grow (one of) your own”; ) of each of these essential oils.
That would be neat! We have an apartment with no plot though (but I do have some basil on a window sill). How do you get it from plant stage to oil stage though?
Herbs love windowsills (but will do best in that old standby, the terracotta pot).
I’ve got a Rosemary and Lavender that are oh, say 2ft tall? They’re both overdue for a trim, but waiting patiently ’til I can find the time to take them outside.
As to the essential oil part, well I’ll have to do a little research and get back to you. But even if you only used the plant straight up for teas, sachets or cooking; they’d still be well worth the small investment in a “starter” plant (usually sold in a 4inch pot). You know, the ones at the nursery/garden centre intended for your garden. As they grow over the years you up-pot as needed and they’ll be happy for years in your window…. and there’s nothing quite like the feeling you get snipping fresh herbs for the kitchen in the dead of winter; )