If your New Year’s resolution is to get back in shape and look your best, and all other weight loss plans that you have tried are stalled, you need to explore some fine ingredients and herbal extracts that will burn fat as you apply or smell them. Essential Oils can prove to be a natural aid for weight loss and maintenance. Apart from reducing the stress caused by today’s hustle and bustle of life, these Essential Oils and scents will kill all undue food urges and curb those chocolate fantasies. Essential Oils work directly on the hypothalamus gland, which regulates appetite by sending hunger signals to the brain. When this gland is activated, you hardly feel the craving for extra nibbling. With that said, here is an insight on what you should know about using Essential Oils For Weight Loss.
Facts About Weight Loss
The two images below show 13 facts about weight loss.
Best Essential Oils for Weight Loss
So what kind of Essential Oils can be used for weight loss? The list of possibilities is quite long but the most popular Essential Oils used in weight loss include:
1. Peppermint Essential Oil
Peppermint Oil is an Essential Oil that contains the cooling sensation of menthol. It’s known for its properties of relaxation and can even help you get rid of headaches. This popular Essential Oil is also known for its ability to curb appetite and reduce cravings. Lastly, take a smell of it before you exercise and it will help with stamina.
2. Lemongrass Essential Oil
Lemongrass Oil is an Essential Oil often used in sport related therapy, but is also a great weight loss aid. This Essential Oil is extracted from the long light green stalks of lemongrass, yet ends up being a light yellow color. Lemongrass Essential Oil can cure acne, athlete’s foot, muscle aches, and much more, not to mention will help you lose all those extra pounds.
3. Spearmint Essential Oil
Spearmint is an aromatic Essential Oil similar to Peppermint Oil yet more universally appealing in its pleasantness. Extracted from the Spearmint plant, Spearmint aromatherapy can both cure a fever and help with your midnight food cravings.
4. Rosemary Essential Oil
This pleasant smelling Essential Oil derived from the Rosemary plant. Rosemary Oil can help with your acne and smells sweet and fresh. It’s known for its many medicinal qualities and when used with weight loss therapy will boost your health while shedding fat.
5. Grapefruit Essential Oil
Grapefruit Oil is a well-known energy booster derived from grapefruits. Grapefruit Oil helps the body to get rid of water retention and bloating. The limonene content of grapefruit allows the body to release fatty acids into the bloodstream where they are used for energy.
6. Sandalwood Essential Oil
Sandalwood Essential Oil provides your body with an overall sense of well-being which ultimately helps you overcome stress eating. It has been used for centuries in many cultures around the world to provide people with emotional balance.
7. Ginger Root Essential Oil
Ginger Root Oil can aid weight loss by helping to improve digestion and resolving other digestive issues. It works to increase energy while warming the body and acting like an herbal tonic to stimulate the systems of the body.
8. Lime Essential Oil
Lime Essential Oil is obtained from Citrus aurantifolia, which is also known as sour lime. This Citrus Oil has a high content of vitamin C, which is cellulite’s worst enemy. Aroma therapists use it to cure depression and treat people who are suffering from intense nervous tension.
9. Bergamot Essential Oil
The fresh smell of this plant Oil oozes positive energy and happy feelings. Bergamot Essential Oil effectively cures the problem of depression, which is one of the vital causes of obesity. It is excellent for people who tend to eat more when they are emotionally disturbed.
How To Use Essential Oils For Weight Loss?
The natural form of many Essentials Oils is dense and highly concentrated. Its undiluted application to skin may harm certain skin types. Therefore, these Oils should be properly diluted to make them mild enough for safe application. Dilution levels may differ depending upon the usage, purpose, individual health, age and other health-related conditions. Similarly, the way it is being used also affects its quantity and dilution.
Here are some of the best ways you can use Essential Oils to benefit from their Weight Loss effects:
1. Add Essential Oils to your bath
Direct application of undiluted Oil can irritate or damage the skin and mucus membranes. To avoid any risks, the safest way is to add it to your bath. It is a wonderful way to relax and steal an escape from the stressful and hectic lifestyle. Depending on your skin type, you can add up to 20 drops of an Essential Oil. It will do wonders for people who want an effective solution against cellulite. This natural way of reducing weight is much better alternative of lasers, surgeries, synthetic creams and other electrical procedures. You will not only look attractive, but will also feel beautiful. Essential Oils mixed in your bath, will eventually reduce fatty cells from your body. It is an easy-to-use every day treatment that will give you long term benefits.
The most popular Essential Oils to include in your baths are:
- Ginger
- Peppermint
- Rosemary
- Basil
- Lemon
- Grapefruit
- Orange
- An anti-cellulite Oil blend
Mixing 5 drops of juniper berry with 5 drops of orange and 5 drops of cypress will form an effective anti-cellulite Oil blend. It will significantly reduce water retention in your body, thus making you slimmer and smarter! You can also consider mixing the Oil in a small amount of bath bubbles before pouring it into the bathtub. Be careful, for some Oils can quickly evaporate, therefore it is best that you add the Oil in the last few minutes of the bath.
2. Using Burner or Vaporizer
Essential Oils can also be used by means of vaporizers, burners, diffusers and light-bulb rings. These highly concentrated plant Oils have a strong aroma and fragrance that can be spread throughout a space when heated. It directly impacts your appetite through effecting the body’s sensory organs.
Although adding 6 drops of oil has always been enough for me, the amount of Oil to be added may be different depending on various factors:
- The type of diffuser, vaporizer, or burner used
- Age of people who are present in or around the room
- Size of the room
3. Using Essential Oils in Lotions; Anti Fattening Creams
One of the many uses of Essential Oils can be in the form of homemade lotions and creams. Making these creams and lotions is very simple; all you have to do is dilute or mix the Oils in an un-perfumed cream or lotion.
Many people find the Oiliness of these Oils rather annoying and irritating. When these Oils are mixed with a plain base cream, the strong therapeutic characteristics of the Oil are transferred to the cream, making it anti-fattening. It is an excellent solution for people who naturally have an Oily skin.
4. Adding Essential Oil to a massage blend
Aromatherapy became popular as scientists began to unleash the hidden healing properties of Essential Oils. While it is known for its soothing and healing effects on body, mind, and spirit, it is also effective at weight loss. Now that there is enough clinical evidence to support these claims, many massage practitioners have started using these Oils as a part of their therapy. While it’s direct application affects body’s metabolism rate, its physiological effects help in calming the tensed nerves through inhalation.
5. Using Essential Oil Body Wrap for Weight Loss
Since cellulite is basically an impacted build-up of toxins under the skin, you may consider using a good detox body wrap to help reduce the appearance of your cellulite. Because Grapefruit Essential Oil has some awesome detoxification effects, it can help your body rid itself of toxins, even the ones that are responsible for that unsightly cellulite. You will find that most of the body wraps used in commercial spas are actually based on botanicals and make use of Essential Oils with grapefruit being the most logical choice.
Recipe for anti-cellulite body wrap
Ingredients needed:
- 10 drops of Grapefruit Oil
- 2 drops of Cypress Oil
- 5 drops of Rosemary Oil
- 2 drops of Peppermint Oil
- 2 drops of Ginger Oil
- of Coconut Oil (or other massage base Oil)
Directions:
- Massage your body wrap mixture onto your waist, massaging in the direction of your heart in order to stimulate your lymphatic system. Proceed to massage the Oil into other problem areas such as hips, thighs and buttocks if needed.
- You will now need to drape your body with a lightweight cloth like muslin or thin linen.
- Now you will need to wrap the covered sections with several layers of plastic wrap. Wrap the plastic tight enough to keep the cloth in place.
- While the wrap is working its magic, make sure to drink at least 2 glasses of water in order to help your body flush out all of the toxins.
- Keep the body wrap in place for 45 minutes to 1 hours. Once the time is up, undo the body wrap.
Some safety precautions to follow when using Essential Oils
It is always helpful to understand the safety precautions before using or applying Essential Oils. Here are some of the major precautions you need to follow when using Essential Oils for their weight loss benefits:
Use lower dilution rate for elderly people trying to lose weight
While the use of Essential Oils is known to improve the general health of elderly people; however, one has to be careful when blending and mixing Essential Oils that are to be used in their weight loss therapy. Since aging often causes weakness, experts suggest a lower dilution rate for older people trying to lose weight. In addition to that, their ongoing medication, health conditions and illnesses should also be kept in mind before making the choice of the Essential Oil fit for their use.
Heart patients trying to lose weight should choose their Essential Oils cautiously
While Essential Oils and are known to promote good health, it may be harmful to people who are already suffering from diseases, especially cardiac issues. A heart patient trying to lose weight should never use peppermint Essential Oil for his massage as it may trigger an increased heart pulse.
Care for sensitive skin
People with sensitive skin are usually prone to allergies, rash, irritations and reactions. For such individuals, certain Essential Oils should be used with care and precaution, as they are more likely to cause skin irritation or sensitization than other normal Oils. Experts suggest doing a patch test’ before applying a new Oil or Oil blend.
For those that are trying to lose weight and have sensitive skin at the same time, you have to be extra cautious when using Oils such as Oak moss, Benzoin, Cinnamon, Black pepper, Clove, Lemon, Pine, Ginger, Fennel, Parsley seed, Basil, Lemon verbena, Wintergreen, Citronella, Peppermint, Lemongrass, Cumin and Oregano.
Women trying to lose weight must avoid using Essential Oils that induce menstruation
Some Essential Oils stimulate the blood flow in the uterus or pelvic area. They were traditionally used to induce menstruation. Some of the Essential Oils that promote the monthly discharge include Clary sage, Rose, Jasmine, Cinnamon, Peppermint, Ginger, Angelica, Rosemary and Sweet fennel.
Hepatoxicity and Essential Oils
Some Essential Oils used for weight loss cause hepatoxicity (liver toxicity). No one should take the following Essential Oils orally – DO NOT SWALLOW – unless advised by an experienced medical practitioner. These Oils cause no harm through skin absorption – such as when massaged: Aniseed, bay, basil, buchu, cassia, cinnamon, fennel, clove, tarragon.
Certain Essential Oils may impede concentration
While it is important to lose weight, the work you do for your livelihood is equally important. Certain jobs require a high level of concentration and some Essential Oils are too relaxing to use in such circumstances. Some Oils may make it hard for you to concentrate and you should avoid them as a diffuser or having aromatherapy with them if it is mandatory for you to have high levels of concentration during work.
Pros And Cons Of Using Essential Oils To Lose Weight
Pros
1. Using Essential Oils for weight loss makes you a lot more healthier
In addition to providing the weight loss benefits, Essential Oils support emotional and mental clarity. They support all the body systems, from brain to heart to lungs to liver, making them a healthy alternative to weight loss surgery and medications.
2. Essential Oils work on the emotional well-being of an individual
Emotional state is known to trigger the desire for food. The sense of smell can suppress the irrational emotional responses we have towards food.
Cons
1. No regulation and limited research
There is no regulation or clear cut advice on who can benefit from the use of Essential Oils and who can manufacture them. Due to less research done on this subject, it is difficult for the medical community to endorse the weight loss benefits of Essential Oils.
Conclusion
Feeling of sadness makes you eat that delicious chocolate ice cream. Eating ice cream aggravates the symptoms of sadness even more and another form of food is reached to ease the feeling of sadness. Therefore, the cycle continues. Using Essential Oils as a method of weight loss makes sense as most of the weight gain has its roots in the disorders of the mind.
So there you have it, use of Essential Oils is certainly an avenue worth considering if you are one of those that have tried all the possible means to lose weight. The best part is that you can better your results significantly by combining the use of Essential Oils with other mainstream methods of weight loss.
I simply cannot unlove essential oils now because they have been of tremendous help to me. They are a likable alternative to expensive weight loss therapies, which have failed horribly for me.