Perhaps you overheard someone on the street discussing them, or maybe you caught a glimpse of a TV segment on the topic. Whatever the case may be, one thing is for sure – you have certainly heard of essential oils. Even if you are not sure exactly what they are or how you could take advantage of them, you probably know that essential oils are widely used by many people who firmly believe in their beneficial properties.

The reason behind the popularity of essential oils is probably their diverse application – they can quite literally be used for anything!

As great as essential oils are, before you try something it is always best to know exactly what it is that you are using. In the case of essential oils, you would be taking advantage of concentrated liquids, extracted from different plants. You could also find them under names such as volatile oils, ethereal oils and aetherolea. Whatever the name, the product is always pretty much the same – a concentrated liquid with a strong, saturated smell of the plant it was extracted from.

Apart from the aroma, essential oils also have the capabilities of their plant counterparts, but are usually stronger than the plant. Essential oils are normally extracted in distilled in laboratory environments so that no pollutants can contaminate the oils. Though essential oils are usually perfectly safe, if you are pregnant, nursing or have a serious medical condition you should consult with your physician before using any form of the product.

Now that you know about the nature of essential oils, you might be interested to learn about their numerous applications. Those who have never used plant extracts before might be surprised to learn that their benefits spread beyond the bounds of the culinary and cosmetics worlds, even though those two sectors certainly value essences.

Essential oils are a green, perfectly natural product that has a lot of applications for minor health issues, household dilemmas, beauty products and, perhaps most popularly, relaxation practices.

Even if you have never tried essential oils, you have certainly heard of aromatherapy and its benefits for both physical and mental wellbeing. Aromatherapy is a form of ancient alternative medicine that many find to be a reliable source of spiritual, cognitive, psychological and physical health.

All that the practice entails is that some essential oils can be inhaled to promote relaxation and general wellbeing. You could either directly inhale a few drops, dilute them in your bath or spray a bit of the liquid on surfaces around your home.

Household applications are also a popular use of essential oils. There are hundreds of practical and perfectly safe options for utilizing the oils’ potential. Cleaning greasy surfaces, removing unpleasant odor and stains, maintaining leather goods, returning the shine to windows, mirrors and crystal vases, removing the gunk from tile grout and getting rid of mold are just a few of the cleaning applications of essential oils.

You could also employ them as fabric softeners, tools for pest control and insect repellent. Having a few essential oils around the house will help you keep your home in great shape, without ever having to use any harsh chemicals.

Perfect health and abundance of energy is something that most people strive towards – essential oils can be a great helper in that area. As long as you don’t have any serious medical conditions, you can use essential oils to treat many sorts of pain, injury and general discomfort.

Some oils can reduce nausea and gastrointestinal discomfort, while others will help you sleep better, remedy overworked muscles, ease itchiness, reduce skin inflammation, soothe burns and many more. Of course essential oils can also be used as energizers, gently stimulating your cognitive functioning. Certain types of oils can also do wonders for skin problems, scalp irritation, hair and nail issues.

Though essential oils as a group have many wonderful applications, it is important to remember that every kind is used in a different way. Picking the right type of essential oil for your needs and applying it correctly means you will be able to get the most out of the product. In any case, essential oils are always a wonderful alternative to chemical-ridden products that often do more harm than good.