Essential Oils
(Photo by: Kelly Jones)
What are essential oils? Well, they’re amazing! But, they are also highly concentrated oils that have been extracted from plants and contain an aroma and some medicinal properties.
The first time I ran across these ingenious holistic aromatherapy concoctions someone was selling them on Facebook, which turned me off of them immediately. I thought, must be the new social media craze like those wraps or waist trainers. So I never gave them a second look until my sister tried them. She has really bad allergies, and is basically allergic to anything outside. She bought an Aqua Stone – a natural, cordless humidifier – and eucalyptus oil, and she hasn’t stopped using it since. Eucalyptus oil is extracted from the eucalyptus leaf and may help to support the respiratory system, and soothe and ease seasonal allergies and asthma. It also has a strong aroma that may help to clear respiratory blockage and provide soothing relief as well.
I decided I would give it a try when my fiance caught a cold, so I could really see if it works. I purchased my own Aqua Stone from Amazon and some essential oils – peppermint and eucalyptus – from Gloria’s Good Health in Decatur. They can also be purchased at Angel Touch Massage Therapy & Wellness Center in Florence. I put peppermint oil, which is soothing, cooling, and anti-inflammatory, in the cordless humidifier. I made a rub from 2 drops of eucalyptus oil and 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, and it worked! He woke up feeling so much better, which made me a true believer in essential oils.
So stay out of that medicine cabinet and reach for the essential oils next time a cold strikes!
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