In the home vaporizer, orange essential oil can work both spiritually, mentally and physically. Physically, it is a great disinfectant and can be helpful for the bladder and kidney, gallbladder, heart and digestive system. It can also reduce fever and act as a disinfectant.

Orange essential oil should be refrigerated and never stored in a warm place.

Because it is a culinary favorite, it works well in the home vaporizer.

Lemon essential oil’s shelf life is only 8-10 months, though it can last longer if a stabilizer is used.

Emotionally, lemon is used for mental fatigue or heaviness. It can help aid concentration for those having trouble with memorization and other cerebral activity. It is good for overcoming confusion and for decision-making, as well as for depression and fear.

Therefore, lemon oil can be used in offices or at work desks. It combines well with hyssop.

Physically, lemon oil is antibacterial, and is also helpful for neutralizing unpleasant odors. It works well for colds and infections, as well as conditions such as asthma when combined with Roman chamomile and hyssop. Although a gargle or a diffuser are the most effective ways to take it, a vaporizer is sometimes recommended.

Lemon oil mixes well with cedar, eucalyptus, fennel, juniper, Swiss pine and lavender.

The plant has a very deep effect which is warming and grounding, but also light and airy. It is good for people who are spacy or not in their body, which sometimes manifests as poor circulation. It is specifically useful for extroverts who need to look within for whatever reason.

Because the plant grows well in warm environments, it transfers the feelings of warmth to those who need it–specifically those deprived of warmth, both physically and emotionally. Physically, the oil also helps detoxify the body and works as an antibacterial and antiviral agent.

The oil combines well with lavender and should be used with a vaporizer only in small doses. It can be mixed with flowery plants like verbena as well as citrusy oils like lemon, orange, grapefruit and neroli orange.

Peppermint has been used for everything from mouthwash to candy, and is often used to flavor bubble gum and even mint liquer. The essential oil of peppermint is clarifying and calming. As an inhalant, it is excellent for nasal congestion. The oil is analgesic, and has been used for everything from fevers to headaches and migraines to skin complaints.

Mint is clarifying and refreshing, stimulating the central hippocampus of the brain. It is good for overcoming mental fatigue and memory problems and concentrating. The essential oil is often used in the office or in conference rooms.

Prolonged use of peppermint as an inhalant should be avoided, and caution must be exercised with children. Mint can irritate the mucus membranes over time. It should not be used for children under the age of six. It should not be used for hay fever.

Mint can be combined with essential oils such as lemon, lime, grapefruit or lemon verbena. As an inhalant, it combines very effectively with eucalyptus and tea tree oil.

As mentioned, mint is refreshing and clarifying, increasing concentration and improving memory. Physically, it has been used for a wide variety of conditions ranging from dizziness to shock, from migraine and headaches to digestive disorders, and so forth. It stimulates lymph drainage and is therefore effective for lymph fluid blockage. Mint is also excellent for muscle and joint pain, sore muscles, bruises and overall weakness.

Unlike essential oils such as lavendar, sandalwood works on a slow, deep level. It helps balance out those who are going too fast, using the law of opposites.

Some have referred to sandalwood as an aphrodisiac. Science tells us that men’s underarm sweat contains the chemical androsterone, which is similar to testosterone and–in light concentration–smells mildly like sandalwood. Perhaps it is the similarity that is attractive to women. If so, this may be the underlying reason why sandalwood is so common in men’s deodorants.

In Ayurvedic medicine, sandalwood is said to be both grounding and etheric, working on the root chakra–an area focused on base survival–as well as the crown chakra, relegated to wisdom and enlightenment. Sandalwood is considered a pure scent, helping reconcile both wisdom from on high and the groundedness we seek in this lifetime.

Sandalwood combines well with more feminine scents such as jasmine and verbena, other aphrodisiacs such as rose and ylang ylang, and similar scents like benzoin and frankincense. In addition to helping with emotional volatility, sandalwood has many other effects. On the physical plane, it works as an antiseptic and helps with tissue regeneration. It has been said to relieve cramps. Warming and expectorant, sandalwood can be used when suffering from throat infections, sinusitis, laryngitis, bronchitis and other similar conditions. Antiseptic and tonifying, sandalwood is great for healing infections. It is, however, contraindicated for those with kidney infections.

First of all, essential oils are extremely strong. They are the oils of sometimes thousands of pounds of plants, and are incredibly potent. Therefore, you’ll want to keep the dosage small. Most essential oils only require three to five drops to a large amount of hot water. Some, like thyme, only require one or two drops.

Another precaution is in the essential oil itself. Make sure that it is 100% pure essential oil and is therefore not diluted with other oils.

Finally, some essential oils are contraindicated for certain conditions. Use caution or consult a health care provider if you have asthma, allergies or other conditions or if you are pregnant or nursing.

Some great essential oils for inhalation include lemon, cypress, eucalyptus, lemongrass, lemon, ocean pine, juniper, cedar, chamomile, angelica, sage, myrtle, thyme and hyssop.

Essential oils can be combined, if you’re hoping to combine the properties of several oils for a harmonious effect. For flus, try using sage with thyme, juniper and/or angelica. Coughs can benefit from a combination of cypress, hyssop, thyme and sage. Sinusitis-like symptoms may benefit from lavendar, rosemary, angelica, cypress and/or thyme. Eucalyptus, pine and lemon are excellent for a cold.

When combining remedies, you may wish to have more drops of the essential oils which you think would be more helpful for the condition. Hyssop, lavendar, sage and rosemary come to mind.

Thyme essential oil stimulates the immune system and is known for its antibacterial and antifungal properties and is therefore extremely useful as a disinfectant, which is why it is often used in cleaning supplies. It has antiviral properties as well. It can be used for respiratory and digestive problems.

It has been posited that thyme is useful in supporting the formation of white blood cells; if accurate this would explain why it is so helpful in fighting disease and protecting against infectious diseases. It acts as an expectorant, antispasmodic and antiseptic. Use it in your home vaporizer, inhaling the diluted oil, if you are suffering from bronchitis, sinusitis, whooping cough, the flu or the common cold.

Two types of thyme essential oil are commercially available. T. serpyllum is wild thyme, and T. vulgaris is garden tyme; the cultivated version. Essential oil of thyme is most often derived from T. vulgaris. Thyme is a member of the mint family. Like other mints, it can be combined with lavender for a more soothing effect.

Thyme is a uterine stimulant and should therefore be avoided in any stage of pregnancy. It is further contraindicated for anyone suffering from epilepsy or epileptic conditions, hyperthyroidism or high blood pressure.

The oil from the red cedar (Juniperus virginiana), are typically used, though there are essential oils made from the Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica) which grows in parts of North Africa and is similar to the cedar trees of Lebanon (Cedrus libani) , which were used for their healing properties since times of old. Red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) is also used at times.

Cedar essential oil is extracted from wood chips and saw dust, creating a thick and yellow essential oil. Sometimes the needles are used, though this is more common in perfume products than in essential oils. The plant is also often used for oily hair, strengthening hair growth, and for hair loss, detoxifying the hair roots and scalp.

The scent is warm and harmonizing, and are specifically healing to the bronchial system especially when inhaled. Antiseptic and healing, cedar essential oil works as an expectorant and a mild diuretic. Emotionally, it is rejuvenating, strengthening and calming and can be used to temper aggression, relieve nervous tension and sooth fear. As a masculine herb, it has traditionally been used to increase independent action and integrity.

Cedar mixes well with other masculine essential oils such as juniper and bergamot as well as more flowery scents such as jasmine, neroli and bergamot. When used in an aromatherapy lamp, cedar oil can work as an insect repellent, especially when combined with oils of eucalyptus, geranium, cypress and/or cloves.

One should exercise caution when inhaling cedarwood oil as it contains thyon and can cause severe thirst, heartburn and irritation to the stomach lining and central nervous system. Cedar is a known abortifacient, and is therefore contraindicated for pregnant women or women seeking to become pregnant.

Vetiver is an excellent choice for those suffering from stress, nervousness and disconnectedness. It is grounding and rejuvenating, strengthening the spirit. It combines well with oakmoss, as well as other oils with very strong scents such as geranium, sandalwood and ylang ylang.

The scent of vetiver is reminiscent of a forest floor–wet, strong, musty, earthy, spicy and full. This is why it is so incredibly grounding to those who are feeling scattered or disconnected, connecting one to the very roots of the forest in which the plant grows. It is useful for all sorts of emotional imbalances, overwork, insecurity, burnout, depression, fatigue and even anger, guilt and anxiety.

The oil is cooling and is incredibly sticky, and can be used for arthritis due to its ability to regulate circulation.

Vetiver has been processed in Haiti since the 1940s, thought it is processed in many countries. The best quality oil is from roots that are one and a half to two years old, and that are chopped and soaked in water before distillation. Vetiver essential oil is said to improve with aging. Oil distilled in Haiti is more floral than that distilled in other countries, where it is smokier. Oil distilled from wild vetiver, known as Khas or Khus, is superior to the cultivated variety but is only made in India and is hard to find outside of the country.

Both Roman and German varietes of chamomile have the same properties and application, so you may use whichever is available to you.

Chamomile tea is incredibly popular for stress, poor appetite, indigestion, insomnia and anxiety. Chamomile oil has been used in witch hazel as a treatment for eczema. Homeopathically, chamomile has been used as a remedy for emotional distress, particularly in children. Boericke’s Materia Medica lists “peevishness, restlessness and colic” as indicators, with chamomilla restoring a mild, calm and gentle disposition. It is often used by homeopaths for everything from teething and colic in babies to menstrual or labor pains in women, in addition to the emotional conditions mentioned. Chamomile essential oil has also been used as an eyewash, ointment for insect bites and mothewash.

The scent of chamomile is fresh and fruit, somewhat reminiscent of apples. It is harvested and dried in the summer, and the fresh flowers can be dried at home so long as no pesticides or chemicals were used in growing the plant.

Chamomile essential oil may be used in your home vaporizer for a wide range of dis-eases. It is particularly useful for eczema, mucus and asthma, and can be used for whooping cough. Treatment for these conditions should be taken only under medical supervision, and should be avoided in pregnancy (chamomile is a utermine stimulant).

Chamomile essential oil is blue in color due to the azulenes it contains. It is sometimes difficult to find but can be ordered online.