Whether it’s a quick splash in the morning or a luxurious soak in the tub after a long day, a bath with aromatic salts or essential oils will bring you comfort this season.
The snap in the crisp fall air ... the invigorating chill that heralds the change of seasons ... the gorgeous riot of color ... the sniffles, sneezes and chills of seasonal bugs .... oops! Sometimes it seems as if there's little we can do to avoid catching that cold that is making its way around the neighborhood, classroom, or sanctuary. Sure, popping Vitamin C on a daily basis may help many of us shorten the inevitable bout. But also incorporating some natural healing tips from the world of aromatherapy may help you this year — if not completely ward off that flu bug, at least shorten the duration or ease symptoms until you’re back on your feet again.
The science of aromatherapy offers natural healing solutions through botanicals specifically sourced for a variety of medicinal purposes to help improve the quality of life. Investing in a few key essential oils from a reputable source — organic if possible — is key to tapping the natural healing properties inherent in essential oils. Using essential oils will offer stress relief as well as assist your body’s natural capability to fight illness, including the common cold or the dull stomach or headaches that accompany season flu bugs. And even if you’re lucky enough to avoid a seasonal sniffle or two, you can tap into aromatic facials, sprays, and baths to help ease you through stressful holiday times or a slight bout of insomnia.
All essential oils have antiseptic properties and some, such as lemon and eucalyptus, are antiviral as well. Diffuse eucalyptus essential oil to clean and purify the air. If you don’t own a diffuser, toss a teaspoon onto your shower floor before showering and inhale deeply. You can also make a refreshing room mist. To diffuse oil into the air, mix about 10 drops in seven tablespoons of water and add the mixture to a spray bottle. Then you can spritz the mixture around the room to freshen up stale air.
Other popular oils for respiratory problems include basil, cedarwood, frankincense, lavender, and sandalwood.
Room sprays can also help ease you into slumber: Choose lavender as your essential oil and spray liberally in the bedroom to relax you before sleep.
Don’t have time for a soak when you’re feeling a bit icky? Try a facial steaming blend to help combat a stuffy nose or achy head that may signal the start of a cold. Mix 3-4 drops of each essential oil into a bowl of steaming hot water. Carefully lean over the bowl for a few minutes, and breathe deeply. You can also place a towel over your head to catch escaping aromas; however, please be careful not to get too close to the hot water.
Inhale Blend 1
- Eucalyptus
- Neroli
- Geranium
- Lavender
Inhale Blend II
- Melissa
- Carrot Seed
- Tea Tree
- Lemon
To help boost your immune system, get plenty of rest, take your vitiamins, drink plenty of water, and soak in an aromatherapy bath for 20 minutes once or twice a week. Try one of these recipes, blending 3-4 drops of each essential oil with one cup of Epson salts to ward off the chills and keep those germs at bay.
Winter Warming Bath 1
- Cinnamon
- Cardamon
- Ginger
- Neroli
- Vanilla
Winter Warming Bath II
- Rose
- Ylang Ylang
- Sandalwood
- Frankincense
- Jasmine
If you already feel a cold overtaking you, drop everything and start to take care of yourself! Brew some chicken soup, pour some hot green tea, and head for the tub. Boost your bath blend with one of these warming essential oil soaks; again, blend 3-4 drops of oil with one cup of Epsom salts.
Bath for a Winter Cold
- Sage
- Eucalpytus
- Clove
- Sweet Orange
- Bergamot
- Grapefruit
Bath for the Flu
- Lemon
- Cypress
- Sage
- Juniper
- Fennel
- Bergamot Mint
- Relax Bath
- Lavender
- Lavendin
- Neroli
- Bergamot
- Clary Sage
Nothing feels better after a day battling traffic or seasonal crowds than to retreat to the bath. These blends will help you re-balance and rid the day of stresses small and large.
Bath for Beating the Blahs
- Frankincense
- Cedar
- Linden Blossom
- Cypress
- Lavender
Bath for a Cheerful Heart
- Sweet Orange
- Pink Grapefruit
- Sweet Lime
- Clary Sage
- Tangerine
Whether you’re a power walker or a power shopper, you’re going to enjoy easing sore muscles with an energizing, perfect-for-Autumn blend. (Even the guys will like it!) Blend two drops each of the essential oils in one cup of Epsom salts to rev you up for an evening with family, friends, or football!
Autumn Power Bath
- Juniper
- Pine
- Clove Bud
- Rosemary
- Silver Fir
- White Spruce
- Lavender
- Blue Sage
- Vanilla
Aromatherapy is a way to bring wellness to your everyday life. It is meant to enhance your skincare, not replace it. Never injest essential oils and please keep blends out of reach of children and pets. If you are pregnant, are breast-feeding, are taking pharmaceutical products, or have a family history of serious illness, please consult your family doctor before using essential oils in any way.
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