Inside: Best essential oils for the home & how to use them. Includes press samples.
If you are looking for natural ways to enhance your home, health and lifestyle then essential oils are a great place to starts.
Essential oils have various uses, having health benefits as well as being a natural home fragrance for everyone to enjoy. Ease of use and a pleasant scent will have you adding more to your collection as time goes on.
This post will take a look at an entry level essential oils gift set from Nikura, talk you through the benefits of each essential oil and how you can use them as part of your daily routine.
What are essential oils?
Essential oils are extracts from plants, which capture a scent and flavour which makes each extract unique. These extracts are then combined with a base oil to create the essential oil we can then use for our home and our health.
The oils can be extracted from leaves, from roots or even the bark and are carefully distilled to create a product that harnesses the power of plants so that we may feel their benefits too.
Essential oils have been used and enjoyed for thousands of years – and for good reason. Their properties have an effect on our limbic system (the part of our brain responsible for memories, emotions and stimulations) and so can trigger a response dependant on the properties of the oil.
So lavender will trigger our nervous system to relax, whereas peppermint will stimulate and get us up and about.
Of course, there are practical application too, with lemon and tea tree having excellent cleaning properties and ylang ylang having anti-fungal properties.
Nikura essential oil collection
Nikura is a reputable brand which provides high quality products to support your wellbeing. Each of the products are vegan-friendly and are produced in the UK.
As well as essential oils, you can also purchase carrier oils to be able to create a diluted product for applications such as shampoos, soaps and even massage oils.
Entry Pack Essential Oil Gift Set
If you are looking for pure essential oils then this gift set is a great option. With 7x 10ml bottles in the pack you can pick and choose according to you daily needs.
Included in the set:
- Eucalyptus
- Lavender
- Lemon
- Peppermint
- Rosemary
- Tea Tree
- Ylang Ylang
The oils come in fully recyclable amber glass bottles and each bottle has a tamper-proof lid for added security around little ones.
My personal favourite is the Lemon oil as it fills my home with a fresh scent and generally leaves me feeling uplifted each day. I also love the Tea Tree and have been using it to clean my home.
Benefits of each essential oil
There are many different essential oils to choose from, each with their own benefits and scents to suit every taste. For the purpose of this post, we shall look at the benefits of the oils in the Nikura starter pack.
Eucalyptus Oil. This has a minty scent and is well-known for its airway-clearing properties. Give your immune system a boost and recover from colds sooner with a few drops in a room diffuser.
Lavender Oil. A popular choice for bedtimes, blended to make lotions, massage oils and used in diffusers to relax the nervous system and send you peacefully to sleep.
Lemon Oil. This is the best smelling oil for a home. Often found in air fresheners and cleaning products, you’ll want to diffuse this around your home or use it to wipe down your kitchen surfaces with its hygienic properties.
Peppermint Oil. An excellent choice if you are looking to boost energy for your family, With stimulating properties it can improve breath flow and relax sore muscles too.
Rosemary Oil. A good choice for anyone wanting to improve cognitive function and lower stress – perfect for students or anyone working from home.
Tea Tree Oil. This is a great essential oil to use around the home as a natural cleaning agent. It works as a natural disinfectant and can kill mould at the root, preventing it from returning again.
Ylang Ylang Oil. An essential oil with anti fungal and antibacterial properties, perfect for improved overall health and especially good if you are looking to lower blood pressure.
How to use essential oils at home
With different essential oils having different properties, you will choose an oil based on a specific purpose. Then you choose how to deliver the power of essential oils into the home using different methods.
Diffusers
Whether you are using an electric diffuser or a reed diffuser, the idea remains the same. Add a few drops of your chosen oil into a diffuser and top up with water according to the instructions for the unit. The essential oil will be diffused into the air for all to enjoy, whether it is in your living room or a bedroom.
Oil burners
Much the same idea as a diffuser, except you add the oil to the burner and allow it to vaporise into the air.
Spray bottles
If you are wanting to create a cleaning product using Lemon or Tea Tree, simply add a few drops of essential oil into a spray bottle and top up with water and white vinegar. Check out this recipe for a cleaner you’ll love!
Carrier products
If you want to make a soap, shampoo or massage oil then you will need to dilute it, either into a carrier oil or whatever ingredients you are using for the product. You can even use them to make your own candles!
Whether you are inhaling the oils, using them on your skin, or using them to clean your home, you know you are using the power of nature instead of filling your home with chemicals.
Find out more at nikura.com.
VINEVIDA
Wednesday 19th of July 2023
Hey Katy, I love using essential oils for relaxation, but I'm wondering if you have any tips for safely using them around pets? Are there any oils that should be avoided?
Thank you.