10 Brilliant Ways to Use Essential Oils in Your Everyday Life

Essential oils are having a moment. Devotees have long praised essential oils for their therapeutic properties. Now these products, which are simply oils extracted from plants, have gone mainstream. You can easily pick up essential oils at wellness stores or online. But what to do with them? Below, we share 10 things to try.

Soaking in a comfortable tub is one of the easiest ways to practice self care at the end of a long day, and incorporating essential oils will make you forget you're in your own bathroom and not at a luxe spa. Add a few drops of lavender or rose oil to a spoonful of carrier oil like coconut oil, then drizzle the mixture into the warm bath. These essential oils can also be used in homemade bath bombs.

Douse a cotton ball with lemongrass or tea tree oil and tuck it in the bottom of the trash can where it will mask smell. If you're like most people, you probably have a few other stinky zones in your home, like wherever your sneakers are kept. Make a deodorizing spray with rubbing alcohol and a few drops of essential oils and spritz it inside smelly shoes.

Spritzing your yoga mat with essential oils is an easy way to engage your sense of smell while enjoying your yoga practice. Make a simple spray using water and a few drops of an oil that won't irritate the skin; tea tree and rose oils are both good options. After spritzing the mat, wipe it down thoroughly so the oil droplets don't make the mat slippery.

Prefer DIY cleaning sprays over the chemical-laden type you find in stores? Vinegar will get surfaces clean, but it doesn't smell great on its own. Combing essential oils and vinegar in a bottle is a simple solution. Citrus oil is an especially good choice for this, as are lavender and tea tree oils.

When sending cards or letters to friends and family, add a special touch by spritzing the paper with an essential oil spray. Call it your signature scent. How sweet is that?

Oils including peppermint and eucalyptus can be useful in easing aches and pains. Experts generally don't recommend putting essential oils directly on the skin, largely because some types can cause irritation. Dilute the oils well by adding just five or six drops to an ounce of a carrier oil like coconut or olive oil. Do a test on a small patch of skin first, and if you have no adverse reaction, rub it over achy joints and sore muscles.

Fresh flowers brighten up a space, yet can sometimes get pricey. Save fresh blooms as an occasional treat and instead make a cost-effective floral display using silk and other artificial flowers. When you're happy with the arrangement, spray it with rose oil diluted in water. Administer another spritz whenever the scent starts to fade.

Enlist essential oils the next time you're tempted to reach into the candy bag: peppermint oil is said to help curb sugar cravings. Use it in a diffuser after dinner, or whenever you're most likely to experience those cravings.

We all want skin that's silky smooth and smells good, too. Skip the pricy lotions and creams and instead, make a batch of homemade body powder. With simple ingredients like cornstarch and a few drops of an essential oil you love, it takes just minutes to create your own powder. Dust it on areas where you tend to sweat.

When everything feels overwhelming and you need to calm your mind and body, essential oils can help. Lavender, rose, and chamomile oils are popular choices for people with anxiety. The next time a wave of anxiety hits, put one of those oils in a diffuser, or make your own steamer by adding a few drops of oil to a bowl of just-boiled water. Put a towel over your head and hold your face several inches above the water, then focus on your breathing while the scented steam wafts over you.