Tip 38: The Essentials about Essential Oils

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Natalie Cadranel

Friday, November 03, 2006

Essential and Natural oils, derived from plants such as lavender, peppermint, and eucalyptus have been used in countless products to provide various benefits like softer skin, an immune system boost, and lovely aromas. These raw plant materials, consisting of the flowers, leaves, wood, bark, roots, seeds, or peel of various plants have many great uses.

Historically, many have been used for medicinal, aesthetic, pest management, and aromatic purposes.

Try replacing more harmful products with organic essential oils.

To help rid your house of pesky insects, swap out harsh chemicals for essential oils, such as garlic (fleas), pepper extracts, and citrus oil (Mosquitoes).

Keep Your Garden Healthy: Plant garlic in your garden to keep pests from destroying your food, herbs, or flowers.
Make your own flea collar: Just place a few drops of repellant essential oil on a cloth collar and repeat weekly. Try orange oil, cedar, or eucalyptus. Keep in mind that essential oils can be irritating so use only a few drops. The good thing is that it won’t be nearly as toxic as the collars sold at pet stores.