A is for Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy definition: Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils for healing and cosmetic purposes.
You can use essential oils for aromatherapy in massage applying essential oils safe for the skin or using essential oils for a diffuser to inhale natural properties effortlessly.
Top Tip: Want to treat tired muscles? Add a drop or two of peppermint essential oil in your body lotionfor a cooling effect
B is for Best Selling
Did you know the best selling essential oil is Lavender. With all its natural properties there’s no wondering why!
Lavender is a well known essential oil for helping sleep. What you might not know is that Lavender is a natural anti-inflammatory, anti fungal and antioxidant.
TOP TIP: Add a drop of lavender essential oil to your night cream for an easy way to use aromatherapy for sleep.
C is for Camphor
Camphor Essential oil is one of the great essential oils to help clear sinuses and help with a cough.
Camphor oil is a common ingredient in pain relief medications and topical creams. Rather than expensive creams and rubs for muscle pain, instead make your own using camphor essential oil diluted with a carrier oil (such as coconut oil).
D is for Distillation
Ever wondered how essential oils are extracted?
Most essential oils are extracted from their source by steam distillation from leaves, roots or wood.
E is for Eucalyptus
The scent of eucalytpus might make you think of vapour rubs for coughs and colds. In addition to this, eucalyptus essential oil is also known to boost activity, vitality, and energy.
TOP TIP: If you’re struggling with sniffles 
a few drops of oil in a diffuser is said to kill germs and airborne bacteria.
F is for Fresh
I make my own fabric freshener with just 2 ingredients – White vinegar + Essential Oils
I create a blend I like to call “Fresh Linen” using Eucalyptus, Lavender, Lemon, Peppermint and Tea tree.
Watch how to make it here
G is for Glass
Essential oils should only be stored in glass as they are powerful enough to break down plastic etc.
The glass containers should ideally not be clear so they are protected from harmful UV rays. There’s loads of pretty ones like these from Green Dreamer UK on Instagram
H is for Ho Wood
Ho Wood is beautifully fragrant wood oil said to have calming properties and is a good choice when needing an essential oil to relax or unwind.
Ho Wood is the perfect essential oil for skin especially for anti-ageing and mature skin types.
TOP TIP: Give your skincare routine a boost by adding a drop of Ho Wood essential oil to your facial creams or serums.
I is for Inhale
The easiest way to use essential oils is to inhale from the bottle. You can also apply a drop to your palm, rub your palms together gently then create a bowl shape around your nose with your two hands to inhale.
Alternatively, you can use essential oils and diffuser.
A couple of drops is all you need in water to spread the fresh scent through your home.
J is for JEWELLERY
Inhaling essential oils on the go is easy with aromatherapy jewellery.
For example, I use an aromatherapy necklace for essential oils to help mental health or I choose essential oils good for headaches for natural relief.
K is for KEEP BUGS AWAY
With the warmer weather on its way, opening doors and windows for a fresh breeze may also invite flies indoors.
You can use these essential oils to keep bugs away by using an essential oil diffuser or creating your own homemade bug spray.
To make your own natural bug spray you need:
- 440ml water
- 1 tsp Epsom Salts
- 25 drops of peppermint essential oil
- Spray Bottle (ideally glass)
L is for Lemon
Lemon essential oil is the essential oil I use most in my home.
It has so many uses, from beauty to cleaning, but here are some of my favourites:
- Sticky Stuff Remover – I use lemon essential oil for removing sticky messes and also for easily removing labels from jars I want to reuse.
- Freshen Up Your Sink/Drains – pour 1/2 cup of bicarbonate of soda down the drain followed by 1/2 cup of white vinegar. Leave for a few minutes to bubble away removing grease and grime. Pour a full boiling kettle down the drain to rinse the bicarbonate of soda and vinegar away. Follow with 1-2 drops of lemon essential oil to fill your kitchen with a lovely lemon fresh scent that travels with the steam from the boiling water.
M is for May Chang
There are many proven benefits of May Chang essential oil from using to enhance the look of your skin, to allowing the citrus scent to help you feel uplifted.
So if you’re looking for mental clarity and well-being or treat acne, skin blemishes or oily skin, May Chang essential oil is for you.
TOP TIP: add a drop to your regular facial toner to help reduce excess oil in the skin and clear out dirt and grime.
N is for Naked Skin
Generally, most essential oils need to be diluted before applying directly to skin.
A carrier oil such as jojoba oil, coconut oil or avocado oil, coupled with add a drop or two of your chosen essential oil can then be applied to skin.
TOP TIP: use your own skin care products such as lotions and even shampoos and conditioners as a carrier for essential oils.
O is for Orange
Ok, actually cheated a bit here as the essential oil included in this months box is actually Mandarin, but we used M for May Chang!
Mandarin essential oil benefits your digestive system with its stimulating effect on both the stomach and the liver.
TOP TIP: Apply to your stomach area (diluted with a carrier oil) to relieve digestive problems such as fluid retention.
P is for Peppermint
Peppermint essential oil is good for headaches as well as other common ailments such as asthma, colic, fever, flatulence, nausea, chest congestion and vertigo.
Additionally, Peppermint essential oil is good for skin as a natural way to treat sunburn, itchiness and inflamed skin.
TOP TIP: add a drop of peppermint essential oil to your after-sun lotion to heal sunburn
Q is for Q&A
We found frequently asked questions for using essential oils, so here’s the answers you’re looking for:
Q: Are essential oils safe for dogs to smell?
We have a dog at home (our German Shepherd, Pippa) and use a range of essential oils at home, however, we haven’t applied essential oils to our dog directly. It’s best to check with a vet if you’re particularly worried which essential oils are safe for dogs.
Q: What essential oils are safe for cats?
Likewise, it’s best to check with your vet who will advise you which essential oils are safe for cats.
There are some essential oils that are toxic to cats so be sure to check before using which essential oils are bad for cats.
Q: Which essential oils are safe for pregnancy?
Before using any complementary therapy consult your GP or midwife.
There are some essential oils safe for pregnancy that can help morning sickness and nausea, tired muscles and joints and improve sleep during pregnancy.
Simply inhaling essentials oils such as ginger, peppermint, lavender and chamomile from the bottle can help morning sickness and pregnancy related nausea.
Similarly; lavender, ginger, chamomile and ylang-ylang can help ease muscle aches. Use these oils diluted with a carrier oil to apply to affected area or add a drop or two to a warm bath for a full aromatherapy experience.
If your struggling to sleep while pregnant, use an essential oil and diffuser in your bedroom prior to sleeping to diffuse essential oils good for sleep such as lavender, chamomile, mandarin and frankincense.
Q: Which essential oils go well together?
Use the droppers in your essential oil kit to create your own essential oil blends. Here are some blends to get you started:
- Lavender + Mandarin = Relaxing Blend
- Mandarin + Lemon = St Clements (great for carpet freshener!)
- Lemon + Lavender + Tea Tree = Clean Air
- Tea Tree + Eucalyptus + Peppermint + Lemon = Cough and Cold
- Wintergreen + Mandarin = Summer Blend
- Mandarin + May Chang = Uplifting
- Lavender + Ylang-Ylang = Refreshing (I add this to my hand cream)
- Lavender + Peppermint + Eucalyptus = Muscle Ease (see our Muscle Ease Massage Oil for this essential oil blend for muscles combined with carrier oil grapeseed oil)
R is for Relaxation
Essential oils are an effective natural way to instantly relax. I have been using essential oils for anxiety choosing essential oil relaxing blends such as lavender and mandarin.
I enjoy creating essential oils rollerball blends so I can use them on the go. Make a rollerball blend with your chosen carrier oil and drops of essential oils that go well together and pop in your bag for moments you need them.
S is for Star Anise
Although aniseed is not my favourite scent, star anise essential oil is great for upset stomach, as a natural diuretic and a natural appetite suppressants that work.
TOP TIP: If you are looking for essential oils you can use in a nebulizer, star anise is great for a runny nose.
T is for Tea Tree
Tea tree essential oil is the oil we use most at home. I think there’s a bottle of tea tree in almost every room of the house!
For the most part, tea tree oil is used for itchy skin, rashes and bites. Most recently, I used tea tree directly to a sore part between my toes and felt immediate relief.
For more ways to use tea tree essential oil take a look at our blog https://between-green.com/2022/07/06/your-new-summer-essential-why-you-need-tea-tree-essential-oil-for-your-summer-holiday/
U is for Uses
Here are some of my favourite essential oils uses:
Add a drop of essential oil to the centre tube of toilet roll to create a naturally fresh scent through your bathroom
Apply 1-2 drops of your favourite essential oil to a cotton wool ball or piece of tissue and pop in the bottom of your bins to neutralise any odours from your bin.
Use essential oils for laundry by applying a few drops to wool dryer balls before putting into your tumble dryer for a scent boost without dryer sheets.
V is for Vs
Essential oils vs Fragrance Oils – Whats the difference between essential oils and fragrance oils?
Fragrance is an umbrella term which can mean so many different things including natural fragrance, synthetic fragrance and perfumes. It can be difficult to determine which fragrances are safe and which scents are not safe.
Essential oils have naturally occurring properties that are hard to reproduce synthetically which is different to how essential oils are extracted from their source (see D is for Distillation)
W is for Wintergreen
Wintergreen has a refreshing and minty aroma which makes it a perfect essential oil for diffusers to create a relaxing and stress-free environment.
Freshen up feet with wintergreen essential oil by adding to a foot lotion or body butter to help smelly feet.
TOP TIP: Add a drop of wintergreen to a cotton wool ball and throw in your gym bag to keep your gym kit fresh.
NOTE: Wintergreen is an essential oil that must be diluted before applying to skin.
Y is for Ylang-Ylang
Last but not least (we don’t have an X or Z) is ylang-ylang essential oil.
As said before, I use ylang-ylang essential oil with lavender essential oil in a hand cream for its refreshing and sweet scent.
Ylang ylang essential oil uses also include relaxation, massage, skincare, hair care, air freshening and use as an antiseptic.
TOP TIP: Add ylang-ylang to coconut oil then leave in the fridge to solidify before applying to cuts and grazes to naturally help heal wounds.
Ylang-ylang essential oil good for hair. Take two tablespoons of fractionated coconut oil and mix them with five drops of ylang ylang essential oil. Spread through your hair using your fingers or a comb to evenly coat each strand from the roots to the end. Allow this to soak for ten to twenty minutes before rinsing thoroughly with warm water.
Get your essential oil starter kit in this months box from Between Green including 12 essential oils and 2 droppers HERE
