Must Have Ayurvedic Essential Oils in the Medicine Cabinet

The word’ Medicine’ carries the ailing thoughts to our mind about the dull, sick days that we are married to our bed than before. Most of the times in the company of ‘easily digestible-tasteless’ food items and extremely bitter pills, the sick days end up acrimoniously. To be honest, the medicine cabinet looked like a ‘Pandora’s Box’ to me till I enlivened it with the most vital and rejuvenating Ayurvedic essential oils. Ayurveda is the holistic healing methodology that has been in practice for more than 5000 years, striving hard for the harmony of mind and body etched with the human system. The touch of nature through the use of these essential oils has proven remedies from the hectic headache to the chronic cancer. Each of us have a preference to our favorable aromas and you can choose your range of essential oils as per your choice but the must-have Ayurvedic essential oils in your medicine cabinet to manage everything and everyone right from your baby to your grandpa are:

  1. Frankincense essential oil: It’s time to dwell in the luxury proffered by the Frankincense essential oil, rightly known as ‘The King of essential oils’. Originated from the French word ‘Franc’ meaning ‘luxuriant’, this divine oil was offered to God by the ancient Egyptians and was used as a revivifying face mask and as the incredible incense for its sweet balsamic fragrance. With its carminative, expectorant, tonic, sedative, digestive, antiseptic, stimulant, diuretic and astringent properties, this oil helps visualizing, enhances concentration, augments the spiritual power, supports digestion, treats cold, flu, fever, skin infections, alleviates stress and is an essential ingredient in most of the popular skin care products administering dry skin and effects of aging.
  2. Rose essential oil: How can the King be alone without the Queen? Yes! Rose essential oil is celebrated as the ‘Queen of essential oils’. This oil with its soft, tender, gentle and feminine qualities is known to treat skin problems, depression, stress, anxiety and is an excellent aphrodisiac gifted by Mother Nature. Rose essential oil is used as a tonic for nerves, kidney, heart and for womanly problems like irregular menstruation, uterine disorders, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and vaginal infections with its antispasmodic, anti-depressant, astringent, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, sedative and anti-bacterial properties.
  3. Lavender essential oil: More than its curative values, the look at the color of the lavender flowers will bring in peace and harmony at one’s home. Lavender essential oil is claimed as the safest essential oil and can be used even for kids. It has been proved effective in the pharmaco-physio-psychotherapy in the future with its vital presence in the Ayurvedic treatment named Shirodhara. It is extremely powerful in treating respiratory problems, depression, insomnia, stress, insect bites, digestive disorders, bruises and many others. For years together, Lavender essential oil has been a part of hair care and skin care products.
  4. Peppermint essential oil: This oil is an excellent tonic for the nervous system and a friend to the respiratory system protecting the body from viral infections. The fresh aroma rests a calming, relaxing, energizing, refreshing and a vitalizing feeling required to either start up a bright fragrant day or to end up a serene poise day. It is a renowned pain-reliever that supports the function of the liver, and treats asthma, sinus, nausea, intestinal gas, spasms in the bowel and many other health problems.
  5. Tea tree essential oil: How can we forget Tea tree essential oil and its splendid healing properties when we are discussing about the must-have essential oils in the medicine cabinet? This oil is tested and proven in the treatment of dandruff, acne, gum problems, nail fungus, insect bites, athlete’s foot, cold sores, eczema, ringworm, strep throat, corns, Candida and more. Tee tree essential oil is also used as a powerful insect repellent.
  6. Turmeric essential oil: Traditionally known as the ‘Golden Goddess’, Turmeric root essential oil is trusted and scientifically proven to treat and prevent cancerous diseases with its antioxidant, antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties. Apart from this Turmeric herb and its essential oil is used in Ayurvedic treatments for more than 4000 years.

With these six priceless gems, why would you still call it a medicine cabinet? Breathe deep, smile heartily, feel fresh and call it as a ‘Healing Jewel Box’ that spreads smiles, happiness, joy and complete health for the entire family. You can also include few other favorite essential oils of your choice like Rosemary essential oil, Geranium essential oil, Eucalyptus essential oil, Thyme essential oil, Clove essential oil, Chamomile essential oil and Lemon essential oil, fully packed with healing values.

Thought for the day:

To keep the body in good health is a duty… otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.            -Buddha

Suggested Reading:

  1. The Aromatherapy Bible: The Definitive Guide to Using Essential Oils by Gill Farrer-Halls
  2. The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy: Over 600 Natural, Non-Toxic and Fragrant Recipes to Create Health – Beauty – a Safe Home Environment by Valerie Ann Worwood
  3. The Essential Oils Handbook: All the Oils You Will Ever Need for Health, Vitality and Well-Being by Jennie Harding

Reference Links:

  1. An evaluation of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antinociceptive activities of essential oil from Curcuma longa. L by Indian Journal of Pharmacology
  2. Rose Essential Oil in Herbal Medicine by Every Green Herb
  3. Peppermint Essential Oil-Remedies and Cures by Peppermintessentialoil.com
  4. Candida by Wikipedia

Ayurvedic Essential Oils For Your Face

Your face says who you are and shows better about what you really think and the popular saying ‘Face is the index of the mind’ proves it right. All kinds of human expressions like happiness, sadness, pain, angriness, depression, fear, anxiety, stress, shock, surprise and everything else is first conveyed through your face. It can also be called as your body’s brand ambassador and at times even your hidden feelings are revealed through your face.  People first look at your face and determine you even before speaking with you and it has an upper hand in creating the ‘first best impression’. It is your right and responsibility to take care of your face, the most expressive and the impressive part of your system. I can never think of anything else other than the natural skin care shield offered by the protective and healing Ayurvedic essential oils that has been a part of beauty secrets of many for centuries together.

  1. Lavender essential oil: No one can hate lavender if not for its color but for the mesmerizing aroma that it holds by nature. Even your hectic days that make your face dull and gloomy might revive gradually with the soothing fragrance of lavender essential oil. This calming oil has bactericide, anti-fungal, antiseptic and anti-viral properties that help fight facial problems like acne, pimples, wrinkles on the face and tanning of the facial skin. Lavender oil is also said to improve the complexion and give radiant glow to the skin, for which it has been a vital part of Ayurvedic massage therapy, facial creams, lotions and other popular skin care products in the market.
  2. Frankincense essential oil: A firm, fresh and fabulous face is always the symbol of energy and youthfulness. Frankincense essential oil can be your best friend in bringing all the above said qualities with a bracing energy to your face. This oil has anti-bacterial, tonic and antiseptic properties that help in toning, contracting and lifting the facial muscles helping in visible reduction of wrinkles and fights against acne. Few drops of Frankincense essential oil with Jojoba oil can work like a wonder on your face.
  3. Tea Tree essential oil: Tea tree oil is the beauty secret of Australians and more than 300 species of Tea tree has found its native in the land of Kangaroos. This enriching essential oil is known for its immune stimulating properties and protects your skin from the harmful bacteria, viral and fungal infections. Dull, lifeless and oily skin is often treated with the therapeutic benefits of Tea tree oil. This oil is also used as an effective remedy in curing acne, burns, rashes, skin irritations, wounds and tropical infections.
  4. Rosemary essential oil: Dry, tired, mature, sensitive and dead beat skin can be given a new life with a simple soothing massage of few drops of Rosemary essential oil with any of your favorite carrier oils. Rosemary oil works well in treating oily skin as it has been proved to reduce the sebum or excessive oil production when used topically.
  5. YlangYlang essential oil: Extreme secretion of oil or imbalanced release of sebum is the major causes of problems like pimples, acne, dark spots and other bacterial infections. The use of YlangYlang essential oil with its mystical aroma balances the improper sebum secretion and restores the essential oil required for a healthy, glowing and younger looking skin. This anti-depressive essential oil helps calm down the facial muscles and induce a good night’s sleep that would help in vitalizing and reducing dark circles visibly.

Using these Ayurvedic essential oils for your face is not a rocket science and anyone can do it easily with the tip of your fingers as nothing else can caress your face and cradle your tension other than your hands with the magical touch of such enlivening essential oils.

Reference Links:

  1. Health Benefits of Frankincense Essential Oil by Organic Facts
  2. The Tea Tree Skin “Miracle” – The 7 Benefits of Tea Tree Oil by Body Ecology
  3. Carrier Oils by Wikipedia

Ayurvedic oils for common cold

Catching up with common cold is as easy as falling off a log. Though it is not an acute problem, it has the worst power to completely spoil your routine activities. Common cold is often irritating, maddening, frustrating and disgusting. It changes your look and gives the impression of being completely sick. Over-the-counter drugs might often look attractive, appealing and seem to be the quickest way for treating your cold. Frequent intake of such medications might look like granting you instant relief but do not destroy the virus completely and have their own adverse side effects. This may be due to the excess intake of chemical formulas like acetaminophen, intranasal zinc, dextromethorphan (DXM), Tylenol etc.  All you need to take in at this time is a natural therapy like Ayurvedic oils that destroy the harmful virus from within, proffering you better health and a protective shield to prevent recurrent infections.

Causes and symptoms: This might occur due to seasonal changes, contagious virus spread through air, through minute air droplets from the affected person and much more during all times of the year. Each year billions of people in the world are affected by cold and a recent report says that it is over one billion people who are affected by cold in the United States every year. Little ones get cold often from their schools and day care centers when the other children next to them are affected by cold cough, sneezes or blow their nose.

Common cold lasts up to 7 days and the troubling symptoms are runny nose, itchy eyes, scratchy throat, nasal congestion, difficulty in breathing, headache, muscular pain, sore throat, cough, decreased appetite, sneezing and at times may lead to viral fevers also.

Ayurvedic essential oils for common cold: You will certainly feel great if you come to know that using Ayurvedic essential oils for your common cold can treat your illness without making you feel tired and drowsy like your cough syrups and other over-the-counter medicines. Few such energizing Ayurvedic oils are:

  1. Eucalyptus essential oil: This is a celebrated remedy for years together for common cold and its unfavorable symptoms. Eucalyptus essential oil helps in effectively fighting cold, cough, bronchitis, asthma, flu, sinusitis, fever and other such infections. You can use it as a vaporizer, rub or add few drops to your bath tub or to hot water for steam inhalation.
  2. Peppermint essential oil: Peppermint oil with its anti-viral properties is a proven remedy for respiratory illnesses like flu and cold. Peppermint essential oil blended with rosemary and lavender essential oil can be added to boiling water and this steam can be inhaled for getting complete relief from headache, cold, blocked nasal passage, congestion and mental fatigue inducing a peaceful sleep thereafter.
  3. Lavender essential oil: Lavender essential oil is always known for its therapeutic properties and is of great use in treating cold, influenza, cough, headache, insomnia, muscular pains and few other problems related to common cold. This efficacious oil inhibits germs and instantly kills viruses. It acts as a defensive mechanism and boosts your body’s immunity, helping you fight sturdily against cold. You can add it to your bath tub or use it as a room diffuser that will purify your environment by devastating the germs.

No more nervousness or uncomfortable feelings the next time when you get cold as these Ayurvedic essential oils will help you stay as cool as a cucumber and bid goodbye to your annoying cold.

Reference Links:

  1. Over-the-counter drug by Wikipedia
  2. Common Cold from A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia by PubMed Health
  3. Cough and Cold Medicine Abuse by Kids Health from Nemours