Calming oils are becoming quite popular these days, often mentioned in ads, cosmetics labels, and wellness discussions. These oils are not only ingredients in body care products, medicines, and teas, but they also offer a variety of benefits for our bodies. Let’s explore some of the perks you can enjoy from using calming oils.
**What are calming oils?**
Calming oils are natural compounds extracted from plants that capture a flower’s scent and flavor. They are obtained through processes like mechanical extraction and distillation. Despite being called “oils,” they aren’t oils in the traditional sense. They are termed “essential” because they contain the essence of the plant they’re derived from.
**Benefits of calming oils:**
– **Boosts Mood:** These oils can relax muscles and tissues, which is great for lifting your mood. Some, like lime, thyme, lemongrass, and pine, have antidepressant effects. Simply inhaling them or rubbing them on your hands can have a soothing impact, helping balance your mood and make you feel better.
– **Reduces Stress:** Many calming oils are used in aromatherapy to manage stress and anxiety. For example, scientists have found that orange oil can reduce anxiety. Numerous oils have calming properties that act swiftly to help lower stress.
– **Increase Attentiveness:** Certain oils can enhance focus, stamina, and concentration by stimulating parts of the brain related to memory and learning. They reduce stress and anxiety, which in turn helps clear negative emotions and improve focus.
– **Improves Sleep:** These oils can help relax the mind and body, improving sleep quality. Research on older adults with dementia showed that using lavender oil near the pillow enhanced sleep duration and quality.
– **Reduce Anxiety and Pain:** When inhaled, calming oils travel to the brain via the olfactory system, helping regulate the nervous system and ease pain or anxiety through relaxation and relief.
– **Helpful for Better Skin:** Applying a few drops of calming oils to your skin can be beneficial. Lavender oil, in particular, is great for soothing, nourishing, and relaxing the skin, delaying signs of aging like wrinkles and fine lines, and helping maintain a youthful appearance.
– **Relieve Headaches:** Peppermint oil is one of the best remedies for headaches and migraines. It contains menthol, which helps relieve pain by relaxing head muscles. Just apply diluted drops or inhale them, and your headache might disappear within minutes.
– **Reduce Nausea:** Calming oils also help ease nausea by relaxing muscles and tissues. If you’re feeling nauseous, try inhaling a bit of peppermint or lavender oil to calm your stomach and prevent cramps.
– **Other Uses:** Besides health benefits, some calming oils add flavor to food. Lime and lemongrass are popular in cooking, while orange oil can keep ants away. Some vapor rubs also contain eucalyptus extract.
In summary, calming oils offer benefits not only for the skin and overall health but also for a variety of practical uses around the home and in different industries.