Jane Wilks - 101 Small Ways to Use Oils: Pure essential and fragrant

Copyright 2013 Jane Wilks

This book is a very simple concise guide on howto use aromatic oils in all facets of everyday life. It is packedwith lots of useful tips.

This includes using both pure essential andman-made fragrant oils. Both types have benefits to offer.

Synthetic fragrant oils offer a tremendousvariety of scents which are very affordable. The scent too is oftenlonger-lasting than that of pure essential oils.

Pure essential oils are strongly scented andhighly concentrated plant compounds. They are generally morevolatile by nature and the scent can dissipate more quickly thansynthetic fragrant oils. In addition, some essential oils can bevery expensive due to their availability and method of extraction.As they are so highly concentrated, they can also be very powerfuland as a general rule, should be handled with care. If you havehigh blood pressure, a hypersensitive skin or are pregnant, certainessential oils should be avoided. Always take note in that respectand seek expert advice.

Using aromatic oils on a daily basis can becomea pleasurable way of life. As well as enhancing our surroundings,pure essential oils offer many aroma therapeutic benefits. They canaffect the mind, spirit and body. Fragrant oils can also make usfeel good about ourselves. Unlike pure essential oils they do notoffer the physiological benefits of pure natural plant oils, butthey can also bring about pleasant associations in our minds.

They say that it is the small simple pleasuresin life that count.

Listed below are 101 small ways to use oils inthat manner.

Live simply, live wisely and enjoy

CONTENTS

Bathroom and body care

Kitchen and dining

Laundry

Bedroom

Lounge

Office

Beauty and skin care

Craft and gift

Pet care

Garden and pest repellents

Travelling

General cleaning

Car

First aid

Cooking

Bathroom and body care

6 8 drops of Eucalyptus oil in abath cools the body in summer and protects it in thewinter.

For a sweet- smelling bathroom, dab afew drops of fragrant oil onto the spout of the hot tap and turn iton for a moment to release the fragrance.

For a simple toilet room freshener,drop a couple of drops of fragrant oil onto the inner cardboardtubes of the toilet rolls. It smells lovely and the fragrance laststo the end of the rolls.

. Place a few drops of pure essentialoil such as Peppermint onto a facecloth and place it at your feetin the shower. The warm water spray will help release the scent foryou to enjoy its refreshing benefits. It will help you feelenergized for the day.

Place a few drops of your favouritefragrant oil onto towels draped over your towel rail heater. Thewarmth will help release the lovely scent which will diffusethrough the room for hours.

Add a couple of drops of Rosemaryessential oil to your home brand bottle of shampoo. It will help topromote glossy and healthy hair.

Before you pull out the bath plug, adda few drops of fragrant oil to your bath water after you havefinished having a bath. Close the bathroom door for a few hours orovernight and there will be a lovely aroma imparted throughout theroom.

To create a pleasant, disinfectingbathroom spray, add 10 20 drops of pure essential oil such asLavender, Rosemary or Thyme to 200ml water in a spray bottle.Regularly spray into the air and over toilet surfaces.

Make your own scented bath salts byadding - 1 teaspoon essential oil such as Lavender or SweetOrange to every cup of either Epsom salt, sea salt or bakingsoda.

Make your own simple toothpaste byadding 3 drops of Peppermint essential oil to cup baking soda and cup salt. Mix in a little water to form a paste. Store in asmall-lidded jar. Use as required.

For a soothing foot bath, add 2 dropsLavender essential oil and 2 drops Peppermint essential oil to abig bowl of hot water. Soak the feet for 10 -15 minutes.

For a simple deodorant spray, addsome baking soda to a small spray bottle of distilled water. Add afew drops of essential oil such as Cypress or Lavender essentialoil to the mixture. Shake well before using.

To make a simple bubble bath mixture,add 1 tbsp honey and 5 drops Lavender essential oil to cup plainshampoo. Combine well to use.

Kitchen and dining

Add 5 10 drops in total of yourfavourite pure essential or fragrant oils, to the water in your oilburner on a nearby kitchen windowsill. Enjoy the aroma as youprepare a meal.

Dispel household cooking odours byadding a few drops of Clove Bud essential oil to a simmering pot ofwater. The Clove oil lends a festive and warm, spicy fragrance tothe room. (Do not leave the pot unattended)

To scent your kitchen cupboards anddrawers, put a few drops of fragrant oil onto cotton wool balls andplace inconspicuously in the corners.

A few drops of essential or fragrantoil can be dropped onto cloth table mats whereby the heat of thefood on the plates will help release the scent. This is lovely fora special occasion.

Enjoy a scented candle at the diningtable by placing a couple of drops of fragrant oil into the hotmelted wax around the wick. (Do this afte ryou have initially let the candle burn for a minute or two and isthen blown out.) You can then safely relight the candle.

Put a few drops of fragrant oil ontoa paper towel or cardboard tube. Add it to the contents of yourrecycling bin to mask any unpleasant odours.

. Clean your fridge with a drop or twoof pure essential oil such as Lavender or Lemon added to the finalrinse water.

Laundry

Add a few drops of your favourite oilin the rinse water of your hand-washables.

Put a few drops of your favouriteessential or fragrant oil onto a face cloth and pop it into thedryer with your clothes. It will impart a lovely scent to yourclothes.

Add 5 drops of essential or fragrantoil to cup fabric softener or water in the centre cup of thewashing machine.

Make your own fabric softener byadding 10 drops essential oil such Eucalyptus oil to a 2 litrecontainer of white vinegar.

Add tsp (20 drops) Eucalyptusessential oil to the rinse water in your washing load of sheets tohelp eliminate dust mites.

Add a few drops of Lemon essentialoil to your laundry wash water in the machine to help cut throughgrease. The Lemon oil also disinfects and leaves a pleasant odourin your clothes.

Eucalyptus is an effective greasestain remover. Simply add a few drops to your pre wash soakingwater for heavily stained laundry items.

To lend a lovely fragrance to yourironing, add 2- 3 drops of your favourite fragrant oil to the wateryou pour into the iron for steam.

Rub perspiration stains on clothingwith Eucalyptus essential oil before washing.

To make a lovely linen spray, add 10 12 drops of Lavender essential oil and 2 tsp vodka or Witch hazelto 1 cup distilled water in a spray mist bottle. This can be usedin the iron when ironing, or it can be directly sprayed onto towelsor bed linen.

Bedroom

Sprinkle a couple of drops ofessential oils such as Rose or Ylang Ylang onto your sheets beforegetting into bed to help create a sensual, romantic atmosphere.

Sprinkle a few drops of yourfavourite fragrant oil onto paper drawer liners to subtly scentyour lingerie and underwear.

In the wardrobe, place a couple ofdrops of essential or fragrant oil onto your padded clothes hangersto help scent and protect your clothes from moths. Pure essentialoils such as Patchouli, Lavender or Cedarwood are effective in thisrespect.

To repel moths, soak a cotton woolball with a few drops of Patchouli essential oil and place in thecloset.

Combine a couple of drops of pureessential oils such as Lemongrass or Lavender with adessertspoonful of baking soda. Shake the mixture into your shoesto help dispel foot odour.