If you have simply run out of gift ideas for your mom, sister, co-workers or best friend, then good news! Look no further than great aromatherapy gifts! Even if your friends and family have never tried essential oils or aromatherapy, they can certainly appreciate a nice personalized blend of your favorite scents and smells.

Types of gifts you can give: You can give so many different types of essential oils gifts and you will never get tired of coming up with great gift ideas. Aromatherapy gifts are very popular and they are relatively easy to find and inexpensive. They are gifts that are truly appreciated. In addition, you can dress up the gift and present a nice looking package that will impress.

Bath salts and other scented bath products: Everyone can appreciate bath salts. Who wouldn’t want to sink down in a hot tub of scented water after a long stressful day? Scented bath salts can even work in jetted tubs, where many bubble baths and oils cannot. Look for lavender and vanilla for a relaxing scent or look for masculine scents for the guys. Make a whole bath gift basket and add a few handmade soaps, shower gel and even scrubs. Put the final touches on the basket by adding a nice loofah sponge or a body scrubber and you have a complete gift for anyone on your list.

Essential oil and a diffuser: Even if the person on your list has never tried using aromatherapy, then you can get them started. It doesn’t take much to get people interested in this practice. Go shopping for a good bottle of essential oil and a decorative diffuser. Perhaps they need a little help getting started. Head off to your bookstore and pick up an easy to follow aromatherapy book to complete the gift.

Candle and essential oil: Great scented candles make with good oils are always an appreciated gift. Don’t buy the first candles you see. If you want to give a highly scented and effective candle, then make your own or purchase good ones. You can also give them a bottle of your favorite essential oil and a candle and tell them how to get the maximum effect by adding the oil to the melted wax. Add a nice candle lighter and a candle extinguisher.

A gift card: Not sure if they will like any of this stuff? You simply can’t go wrong with letting the recipient buy their own aromatherapy products. Find a store that has a good selection or an online store and purchase a gift card. Of course, you can also give a gift card to a spa or aromatherapy treatment center. This will always go over well with your friend, family and co-workers. They can get a luxurious massage using popular essential oils. This is truly appreciated and will show your friends how much you care.

There are many great aromatherapy gifts that you can give. Look around for the best selection and have fun shopping and giving. 

Tags: aromatherapy blends as gifts, aromatherapy, essential oil

Using essential oils as an antiseptic: You can go to your local grocery store and purchase expensive antiseptic and disinfectant sprays for your home, or you can go the natural way and use essential oils. When you add essential oils to vinegar, you have just created a great way to ward off germs. This method has actually been used for centuries—way before you could buy those sprays in stores. Some of the essential oils that you can look into for this purpose include poppy, pine, peppermint, tea tree oil, rosemary and eucalyptus.  

Once you have gotten the hang of mixing your essential oils, some great uses for disinfectant include using the essential oils mixed with water as a spray to kill germs in your bathroom. This can also double as a great room freshener, too depending on the oils you choose. If someone in your home is sick, then your essential oil spray can help kill those germs in the air, as well.

Do you have pest in your home? Did you know that using drops of peppermint and cold water can help fight off mice and other small insects? These small pests dislike the smell of peppermint and will steer clear of these areas. The added benefit is that peppermint is safe for your home and you can use it around children and pets without the fear of getting them sick.

You can also add essential to your first aid kit. Do some research and find out which ones can help aid healing. Eucalyptus is great for congestion when rubbed on the chest and neck area and tea tree oil can help with a multitude of ailments. It can ward off lice, soothe insect bites and help sunburns and small cuts and scrapes, too.

Now, you can also focus on using essential oils in your home to make it smell great, too. There are many ways of using oils in the home for that purpose. You can purchase a wide variety of diffusers and let the calming scents fill the air in your home. Light a candle and let some of the wax melt, then blow out the flame. Add a few drops of the oil to the wax and relight. You will soon have the wonderful fragrance filling the air. Experiment with the different scents and mixes of essential oils you can use to create a mood in your home. Citrus smells are always clean and refreshing any time of the year and lavender and vanilla can calm even the most stressed. You can easily add the oil to boiling water, too for a nice smell in the home.

Tags: using essential oils in home, aromatherapy, vanilla

You may think that essential oils are only for people that use them in spiritual ceremonies, or for people who shun traditional medical care. This is not true. Essential oils can do so much more for you that they are certainly worth a try. Here is a look at three great uses for essential oils.

Using essential oils for your health: Even people who do go see a doctor on a regular basis, can get a lot of use out of essential oils. Even very common and widely available oils are handy to have around the home for your health. Tea tree oil is probably the most popular. You can use tea tree oil to soothe skin irritations, fight acne and skin blemishes and even help do away with bug bites. Other essential oils can help with congestion and fight off colds. Rub peppermint or eucaplyus on your body with a carrier and it will quickly help break up congestion in your chest. There are many great uses for essential oils that can benefit your health, so learn all you can about these wonderful and helpful oils.

Massages with essential oils: Many people love a good, deep tissue massage. There are lots of spas that specialize in massages, or if you are lucky, you have a partner who will give you a massage now and again. You can ramp up your massage by using essential oils. Either use the oils with a carrier and rub them into your skin, or use them in a diffuser while you are getting a massage and breathe in the scents. Either way, they will benefit you and help you relax. If you have never had an aromatherapy massage, do your research into the types of oils you like. You may find a spa near you that can specialize in these kinds of massage. These types of massage will relax your body and your mind.

Essential oils for aromatherapy: Perhaps the most popular way of using essential oils is through aromatherapy. There are many ways that oils can be used for this purpose. You will first want to find the oils that you like the best and then you will want to use them around your home. You can even put a fee drops in your bath for a relaxing touch. Look into the different types of diffusers that you can use and you are well on your way of benefitting from aromatherapy and the many essential oils that are on the market.

Once you get the hang of using essential oils, you will love what they do for your mind, body and your spirit. 

Tags: ways to use essential oils, aromatherapy

Lavender is a little purple flower that often grows wild. You have probably seen and smelled it before. It is a beautiful flower—and the beauty of this little flower extends way beyond its looks. When made into essential oil, these flowers can give you a boost in many ways in and around your house. In fact, when you know the meaning behind the name, you will see that it really says it all. The word “lavender” comes from the Latin word “lavare”, which means “to wash”. Lavender gives off a wonderfully clean scent in both flower form and oil form. You will see many people love to grow lavender around their home for its scent alone.

Now, once lavender is made into an essential oil, what can it do for you? More often than not, the question becomes “what can lavender not do?” Lavender is known for its healing properties in many ways. If you have ever soaked your tired, worn out body in tub full of lavender scent, you know that it will relax your mind and body. Tired and aching muscles and menstrual cramps are also eased by using a little lavender. Even people with arthritis will tell you that a good massage using lavender will help ease the suffering. It is certainly worth a try when all else fails.

Lavender relaxes your mind and your body, too. If you have tossed and turned during a restless night, then try a bit of lavender scent in your room. It will help you drift off to sleep. In fact, there are actually many lavender products out there designed with this very purpose in mind. You can add lavender to your wash when you launder your sheets and pillow cases for a nice, relaxing scent at bedtime. You can also bath and lotion your baby in lavender scented baby products in hopes of getting a good night’s rest. You can even find room products that will waft lavender scent into the air at night when you sleep. Forget the sleeping pills—try lavender instead.

Want great looking hair and skin? Well, lavender comes to the rescue yet again. Did you know that a good dose of lavender added to your hair can help fight off lice? Got skin irritations? Lavender can soothe dry, itching skin any time. Like tea tree oil, lavender can also serve as a disinfectant and can help with acne, bumps, scratches and bites. It can also be added with a carrier to help soothe eczema.

With all that lavender can do for you, what are you waiting for? Buy some today and start seeing the benefits immediately.

Tags: lavender in aromatherapy solutions, aromatherapy, essential oil

Why does eucalyptus work so well? Like many plant materials, it has healing properties all of its own. You might be surprised to learn that the leaves from this tree are very similar to the rubs and creams you can buy for your chest when you have a cold. It smells very similar, too. It can help fight off the symptoms you get when you have the cold and flu. Plus, it is natural and safe to use around children.

The next time you are feeling under the weather with coughing and congestion, consider using eucalyptus. You might be surprised at the results. It can help break up the phlegm that can build up in your chest and it can also serve as a natural germ killer. Did you know that this essential oil can also serve as a diuretic and may also help lower blood sugar? What other medication do you know that has so many healing properties?

One of the best ways to use this essential oil for coughs, colds and the flu is by inhaling the vapors. If you have ever used a vaporizer, then you know how this works. You will place several drops of the oil in boiling water. Pour the water in a heavy bowl and bend over the steam. Be careful, it is hot. You can even form a “tent” over your head with a thick towel and breathe in for a few minutes. You will immediately feel it working. You can also burn candles with this essential oil in the room for an immediate effect. Mix eucalyptus with other oils such as rosemary, lemon or tea tree oil and you can get the same effect.

Another great way to use this oil when you are feeling sick and congested is to actually rub it on your body. Find a good carrier, such as almond oil and mix a few drops of eucalyptus along with tea tree oil. You can then use it as a massage and rub it on your chest and neck. The idea is that it will start to break of the phlegm in your throat and chest. It is always a good idea to mix eucalyptus with something else, as using it alone can cause skin irritations.

There are a few warnings you should know about using eucalyptus. Prolonged use and exposure to this oil can cause liver damage or failure, therefore, it should be used sparingly and only when necessary. In addition, never use this oil and treatment on infants or on children and elderly with a suppressed immune system.

Tags: eucalyptus for cold, aromatherapy

Studies suggest that peppermint can be used for medicinal reasons as well. It is soothing to the throat when you are suffering from upper respiratory ailments and can stop a cold dead in its tracks. Plus, peppermint is safe for children, too. You can actually grow peppermint in your garden and use the leaves to spice up your recipes and drinks, too. You simply cannot go wrong with letting peppermint spice up your life a little.

Interestingly enough, the history of using peppermint goes back for centuries. For years, people have recognized peppermint for its unique healing properties. At a time when you could not simply walk into the drug store for a medicine, peppermint was widely available to help. Not only can peppermint heal coughs and colds, it is also well known for helping with digestive disorders. If you are feeling a bit queasy, a dose of peppermint can help. You can also use peppermint to help with the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Now you know that restaurants give out peppermints at the end of the meal not just for fighting bad breath!

How about asthma? Peppermint can help with that, too. In fact, you will find a wide range of uses for peppermint that you may have never even considered. Allergies can benefit from peppermint, too.

When you want to use peppermint, the best way to do it is to use it in either aromatherapy or take it internally. It is not recommended to take straight peppermint oil, but peppermint candies work well. You can also grow and harvest your own peppermint plants. Even if you do not have a green thumb, you will find that peppermint is a cinch to grow. It just needs some good light and water. You can even plant peppermint in your garden to ward off pests. Ants and mice hate peppermint, so you can grow it to protect your other plants.

Another great way to use peppermint is to boil a cup of peppermint tea. Pour hot boiling water directly over the fresh leaves. You can even purchase dried peppermint leaves that will work well for this purpose. The smell is wonderful and you will find it helping you in no time at all.

There is perhaps no other plant known that is so versatile and easy accessible. The next time you are thinking about peppermint, remember it is not just for the holidays! You can use it all year long to benefit your health. 

Tags: peppermint, aromatherapy, peppermint tea