Essential oils aren’t just for diffusers or aromatherapy. While they work wonders that way, there are plenty of other creative, practical uses you might not have explored yet. From room sprays to lozenges, essential oils offer a whole range of benefits. In this blog, we’ll walk you through some unique ways you can use essential oils in your daily routine—from cleaning to soothing a sore throat.
Liquid Preparations and Sprays
Creating your own essential oil-based sprays is easier than you might think. You can make natural room deodorizers, disinfectants, gentle cleansers, or hydrating skin conditioners using natural essential oils online. However, there's one small issue—essential oils don’t dissolve in water. But don’t worry! There are natural solutions to emulsify (or mix) the oils so they blend perfectly.
Here are a few natural emulsifiers you can use instead of synthetic surfactants (which are often found in soaps and can cause skin irritation):
- Disper
Disper, a Swiss innovation, was originally designed to create essential oil preparations for internal use. It's made from water-soluble fractions of soya lecithin and pure grain alcohol (ethanol). The best part? Disper creates a stable essential oil emulsion in water. Use it at a 10:1 ratio (10 parts Disper to 1 part essential oil) to mix your essential oils smoothly into water.
- Amigel
Amigel is a natural vegetable-based gelling agent. At just 0.2% concentration in water, Amigel can form stable emulsions of up to 25% oil or essential oil compounds. Although it has a slight viscosity, you can still easily use it for sprays. Simply mix one part of Amigel (10%) with nine parts of water (90%), then blend in your essential oils as needed.
- Essential Solubiliser
Created from coconut and almond oils, Essential Solubiliser is a mild surfactant specifically designed to mix essential or vegetable oils with water. For essential oils, use 4 parts solubiliser to 1 part oil. For vegetable oils, the ratio is 1:1. Mix the oils with the solubiliser first, then add them to water. Easy, right?
- Castile Soap
A classic for good reason, Castile soap is made purely from vegetable oils (usually coconut and olive oil). This gentle, natural soap is a fantastic base for essential oil-infused products, like bath soap, natural shampoo, or even gentle cleansers. Use about 6 parts Castile soap for every 1 part essential oil, and you’ll have a mild, effective, and all-natural cleanser.
Gargles for Sore Throats
We’ve all had those days when our throats feel scratchy or we’re dealing with hoarseness. Aromatic gargles can help! Essential oils with anti-infectious and mucolytic properties, like Red Thyme (at a tiny ¼% of the total), are especially great.
Here’s how you can make a simple gargle:
- Use 0.5% to 1% essential oils (that’s around 20 to 40 drops per 100mL of water) and blend it with Disper in a 10:1 ratio. This solution stays mixed and ready for use.
- If you don’t have Disper, you can mix the same amount of oils with water, shake it well, or use a blender for a more even mix. Just remember to use it immediately, as the oils will eventually separate.
Lozenges for Throat Relief
Got a sore throat from too much talking or a minor infection? Essential oil-infused lozenges might just be your new go-to! You can use chewable Vitamin C tablets as a base.
- Prepare a blend of essential oils suited to your needs, like Cinnamon Bark, Cassia, or Clove Bud for their flavor and potent anti-infectious properties.
- Put a drop of the blend on your finger, press it into a tablet, and let it absorb.
- To use, let the lozenge dissolve slowly in your mouth (don’t chew it!) for the full soothing effect. You can have up to 10 lozenges a day.
Honey and Essential Oils
Honey is another fantastic medium for essential oils, particularly when you’re dealing with a sore throat or irritation. Simply mix in up to 10% essential oils into pure honey. When your throat feels scratchy or dry, take a small "lick" of this mixture every 10-15 minutes for relief. It's a natural, soothing solution that’s easy to make at home.
Final Thoughts
Essential oils offer more than just a nice scent—they have so many practical uses, from cleaning to health remedies. Whether you're making a room spray, soothing your throat, or adding oils to your bath soap, essential oils can be a natural, effective part of your routine. Next time you're looking to elevate your home remedies or cleaning products, give these methods a try!