Patchouli Essential Oil: Not Just for Hippies!
Patchouli Essential Oil: Not Just for Hippies!
Patchouli essential oil is one of the most popular selections among avid natural health buffs. This uniquely named plant most often brings to mind images of hippies in tie-dyed shirts hopping onto their Volkswagen bus. Its long reputation and hippie-history often leaves this important essential oil out of the limelight. However, it has quite an extensive list of uses around the home.
This essential oil is derived from a plant that hales mostly from the mint family. It comes with a rather pungent scent that is reminiscent of both the woods and a faintly mint aroma. There’s no mistaking its signature scent, even from a distance. What makes this plant so popular through the ages? Take a look at some of these interesting ways you can use patchouli essential oil in your daily routines.
Create a Stress Free Environment
Whether you want to create a Zen meditation space or simply calm down a couple of hyperactive kids, patchouli naturally makes you feel more peaceful. It can help you to feel grounded at the end of a long day or ease your anxieties about the day ahead. Many natural health enthusiasts claim that patchouli can help to relieve some of their symptoms of anxiety and depression with daily topical application and diffusing.
Diffusing it is perhaps the easiest way to take advantage of these natural effects. Place a few drops in your favorite diffuser to create an atmosphere that is reminiscent of a high-end spa. You can also mix patchouli with other calming oils like frankincense, clary sage, and lavender for a more intense relaxation experience.
Clear up your Skin
In addition to its benefits for your mental health, patchouli essential oil is also a great addition to your beauty routine. You may find that it can help to soothe irritated skin and help acne-prone skin to become healthier over time. Instead of purchasing an expensive wrinkle cream, a few dabs of patchouli oil could help to minimize the appearance of facial aging.
The best way to harness this power is to apply it at night, shortly before bed. Wash your face with a gentle cleanser to rid your skin of harmful toxins that can counteract the work you’re trying to accomplish. Then, mix a couple of drops with your moisturizer or apply directly to the skin. Let it soak in overnight and enjoy the glow of healthier skin in the morning.
Fade Away Scars
Do you have an unsightly scar that you wish would fade a little faster? One of the little-known benefits of this essential oil is its ability to help generate new skin cell growth. When applied regularly to the affected area, you should see the blemish start to slowly disappear with time. It’s best to use this on new scars while they are still in the healing stages, if possible. Older scars can still benefit from the ways that patchouli can minimize their appearance, but it won’t be as significant as it could be with a new scar.
Add it to your First Aid Kit
Like many other popular essential oils, patchouli can be used in a variety of ways to improve your overall health. It’s an important addition to a natural first aid kit as it can be used on burns, bumps, and bruises to minimize their overall appearance. The natural antibacterial properties of this essential oil make it ideal for even the newest scrapes. Because it also stimulates new skin growth, it can speed up the healing process.
You should be aware that essential oils should never be added to a gaping wound. If this is the case, you will still need to seek medical attention.
Make your own Lotions
Want to combine all of the advantageous properties of patchouli oil in one simple step? Creating your own lotions and cosmetic items allows you to experience all of the benefits ranging from relaxation to clearer skin. This powerful essential oil is a natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory liquid, which makes it ideal for all-over applications. You can help to rid yourself of any irritated skin associated with dryness, help scars to fade away, and create a peaceful and relaxing environment for yourself simultaneously.
Combine one part coconut oil, one part beeswax, and two parts jojoba oil in a double boiler until they are completely melted. Stir them regularly and add ten to twenty drops of patchouli oil when finished. You can customize this scent by adding drops of balsam fir essential oil, lavender oil, or sandalwood. Any combination you can think of can be used in this homemade concoction.
When finished, place the homemade lotion in a jar and store for up to six months.
Keep away Insects
If mosquitos are ruining your summer plans, it’s time to mix up a bottle of natural homemade insect repellent. Instead of the chemical scent of commercial bug spray, this natural version will smell more like a perfume. Mix up a bottle in just a few minutes to make your summer plans far more comfortable.
Combine two parts grapefruit and patchouli oil with one part clove and lavender essential oil. Add one-half cup of a light-colored oil such as almond oil or fractionated coconut oil and mix thoroughly. Spray liberally to keep the bugs at bay or apply using a small roller bottle.
Conclusion
When it comes to essential oils, patchouli often has a bad reputation as an ingredient only hippies would use. Unfortunately, this means that many people will never experience its ultimate healing properties. It offers relaxation and grounding at the end of a long day, as well as several other home remedies that could be just as effective as commercially manufactured products. Give patchouli essential oil a chance in your repertoire of oils today, and we bet that it will be one of your favorites in no time.
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