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4 Simple Ways to Use Essential Oils

The following are 4 simple ways to use essential oils listed in order of increasing difficulty starting with super simple. It doesn’t have to be complicated!

4 Simple Ways to Use Essential Oils

The following are 4 simple ways to use essential oils listed in order of increasing difficulty starting with super simple. It doesn't have to be complicated!

Sniff the Bottle

The simplest way to use essential oils is to simply uncap the bottle and take a whiff. This use of essential oils is extremely fast and really easy.

In fact, when I am pregnant this is one of the ways I deal with morning sickness. As soon as I feel a wave a nausea coming on I quickly uncap a bottle of lemon essential oil and breathe deeply. What a relief to smell that perfect scent of lemon. I am so grateful for the reprieve! This is a great gift idea for someone with morning sickness.

lemon essential oil

Use a Cotton Ball

A cotton ball is a great way to use essential oils. The full bottle of essential oils is put away ensuring there won’t be any accidental spills. Also, if a particular scent is unpleasant to a person, the cotton ball is easily discarded making the scent virtually disappear.

I often use a cotton ball for essential oils for labor when I’m at a birth as a doula. Women in labor can be sensitive to smells and if they don’t like the smell of a particular essential oil, it needs to be gone fast. So if I put a few drops of lavender essential oil on a cotton ball and place it near her while she’s in a bath, but turns out she doesn’t like the smell, the cotton ball can go bye-bye quickly. Imagine how difficult getting rid of an essential oil in a tub of water would be!

To use a cotton ball, simply put 2-5 drops (depending on the oil as some oils are stronger than others) of an essential oil on a cotton ball and keep the ball near wherever you would like the benefits of aromatherapy.

Buy a Diffuser

One of my favorite ways to use essential oils is with a diffuser.

  1. Simply add water and your essential oil of choice to the diffuser.
  2. The diffuser breaks up the water­ essential oil mixture into millions of microparticles and shoots them out in a stream of mist.
  3. The mist is then absorbed both through your skin and through inhalation.
  4. Additionally, the aromas of the essential oils give your space a pleasant smell.

This is the diffuser I use.

diffuser

One of my favorite essential oils to diffuse is lavender. I will usually put about 3-5 drops in the diffuser above. Sometimes I will add in orange. It smells lovely!

Make a Simple Aromatic Spray

If you’re feeling crafty, a really neat way to use essential oils is to create aromatic sprays.

All you’ll need is a non-plastic spray bottle*, vodka**, water and essential oils.

*Plastic bottles should be avoided because the essential oils actually break down the plastic, therefore adding nasty chemicals to your remedies. Blech!

**The vodka acts as a preservative keeping your spray good for a long period of time.

glass spray bottle

Antimicrobial Aromatic Spray Recipe
(This spray is a natural hand sanitizer (antibacterial and antiviral) and can be used in lieu of conventional hand sanitizer.)
1 ounce water
1 ounce vodka
20 drops clove bud EO
25 drops sweet orange EO
25 drops lemon EO

Children’s Calming Spray
1 ounce water
1 ounce vodka
18 drops sweet orange EO
12 drops lavender EO
20 drops bergamot EO

Products to Buy

To get started, these are a few products you’ll want to buy.

4 Simple Ways to Use Essential Oils

Just to recap, these are 4 simple ways to use essential oils

  1. Sniff the bottle
  2. Use a cotton ball
  3. Buy a diffuser
  4. Make an aromatic spray