MINOR ILLNESSES AND SKIN CARE with Chamomile – Clove – Eucalyptus - Lavender

Time to jump in with both feet on this Oilers Journey.  To be successful, we must first become familiar with the basic essential oils. To be prepared, you should stock your medicine cabinet with certain basic oils, like a basic toolkit. Have enough of these oils to last three months:

Chamomile….Clove….Eucalyptus ….Lavender….Lemon….Peppermint….Rosemary….Tea Tree….and Thyme.

Chamomile – I once grew chamomile so I could have my own organic chamomile tea. I tried to make essential oil from the flowers, but it was way above my pay grade. It’s much easier to purchase Chamomile oil.  This oil works well for eczema, hives and inflammatory ailments such as colitis and gastritis.  It aids digestion, fights infections, soothes discomfort from arthritis, and relieves stress. Chamomile is gentle enough to use on children for their immune system.

A few drops on your pillow will help promote a restful sleep. Put a few drops on the bottom of your feet or put some on your hands and inhale it to help with allergies.  Bee Stings – place a drop or two on the sting and massage into the area. Rashes – a few drops mixed with a carrier oil (more on that below) and then massaged onto the rash. Sciatica – Massage into the lower back, down the thigh and knee area to soothe the pain. Even rubbing into the soles of your feet will aid the sciatica.

Clove –  This oil is great for dental care. It will soothe a toothache in very little time by placing a drop on the area that hurts.   Clove oil is also good for dry skin (rub it on). It also helps with baggy eyes and puffy skin. Mix with a carrier oil for sensitive skin. One source on the internet says that Clove Oil functions as a sexual stimulant remedy for impotence and frigidity. This may be the subject of another post. Plus, I am not sure where you put it or how you use it!

Eucalyptus – Mix with a carrier oil for a valuable chest rub, massage oil and use in the sauna to open up the sinuses and for all respiratory illnesses. Rub it on a sunburn for relief and to ward off mosquitoes. The oil also makes an excellent skin toner.

Lavender – This is the most versatile of all the essential oils. Carrying around a bottle of Lavender oil is like having your own personal first aid kit, perfume and pick me up. It makes very tasty cookies. Rub 2-3 drops of lavender oil into your palms and inhale to bring about calmness. Great for use in crowded areas like planes or subways to carve out your own personal oasis. As a sleep aid – a few drops on your pillow will help you drift off to sleep. A few drops on a bee sting will help reduce swelling and soreness. A few drops on a minor burn will reduce swelling, pain and aid in healing. A drop on a cut will stop bleeding and kill bacteria. To alleviate motion sickness a drop or two on the tip of your tongue will aid in the nausea. Rub lavender on dry and chapped lips or skin for relief.

The next post will continue with the oils we should have in our medicine cabinets.

Carrier Oils

Use any vegetable oil or nut oil as a carrier. Fractionated Coconut is the best. I have used olive oil and sweet almond oil. Just avoid mineral oil and petroleum jelly. These two are by products of petroleum and therefore not natural or botanical. Store your carrier oils in a dark glass bottle with tight fitting top. A cool dark place is also ideal for storage. Essential oils will never go rancid. However, carrier oils over time will go rancid.

Try some and join me on this journey of discovery.