Essential Oils for Winter

Depending on where you live winter can be one of the most enduring seasons we can experience. While nutritional diet, plenty of sleep, and making sure you get the optimum amount of vitamin D are major steps to maintaining our health, plant remedies offer a more natural way to keep you balanced. Whether it's through herbal teas, tinctures, bath soaks, or steams, there are many ways to bump up your self care practice. The following oils are ones that I've found not only reminiscent of the season, but useful in areas that are most affected by the cold weather.

Scotch Pine

Pines are one of the few trees that stay alive and green through all seasons. The pinecones littering the forest floor is often the only sign we see of change. It's also the representation of our Christmas trees. All around the aroma of pine brings a earthy nostalgia. Pine is great for use in diffusers and inhalers. Whether it's for a refreshing pick me up, or to support you during the sniffles.

Siberian Fir

Another member of the evergreen family, Fir offers a more warming and camphorous aroma. While also useful in diffusing blends, it's high ester content and warming scent makes it helpful in baths and muscle rubs after a day in the cold. Whenever using oils on skin make sure to dilute with a carrier oil.

Cedarwood

A much heavier evergreen oil, it may be used when you're in need of grounding, emotionally or physically. I've enjoyed using this oil in face steams to ease discomfort from coughs or sore throats. Cedar is also great for a healing massage blend. Helping you to persevere.

Eucalyptus

Many of us have had experience with eucalyptus in many name brand products. Used in showers or chest rubs to ease breathing troubles. Diffusing in your home can keep the air fresh. For a exhilarating pick me up, you can create a salt scrub with Eucalyptus. Focusing on the chest and back.

Peppermint

Of course we couldn't go without peppermint as a staple of wintertime. It's cooling bite actually makes it unideal for use on the skin or in baths unless greatly diluted. Although the coolness can feel great on treating sore spots. Peppermint serves best in diffusers and inhalers to bring mental clarity, and ease in our breath. It's also well known from pregnant women to ease nausea. It's potent aroma is often used in the borders of gardens to keep out unwanted insects.

Cinnamon Bark

One of the many great spices to keep you warm in winter, cinnamon is a great diffuser blend to liven up your space when it's feeling bogged down. While the bark oil is too potent to use any other way, for something lighter and safer on the skin you can find the leaf oil instead.