Recipes Using Basil Essential Oil
Unwind with Aromatherapy
Unwinding doesn’t have to mean meditating like a Buddhist monk for hours (10 minutes a day is enough to maintain mental health), or turning yourself into a pretzel with yoga (like me!). One of the most powerful ways you can lift your mood is by harnessing the medicinal properties of essential oils with aromatherapy. Following are multiple recipes using basil essential oil in a variety of applications to harness the powerful medicinal benefits of its phytochemical compounds.
Just like the aroma of coffee in the morning or those tempting scents that emanate from bakeries, fragrances can deeply impact us, even lift our mood or help us feel less stressed.
End of Day Relaxation
- 8 drops basil essential oil
- 12 drops bergamot essential oil
- 5 drops lemongrass essential oil
Morning Energy Boost
- 8 drops basil essential oil
- 4 drops rosemary essential oil
- 4 drops peppermint essential oil
How to Make Morning Burst Tea
for Adrenal Support
What You’ll Need
- 1 drop basil essential oil
- 1 drop peppermint essential oil
- 1 teaspoon raw honey (more to taste)
- 8 oz. hot water
Directions
- Mix oils and honey.
- Add and mix into hot water.
- Drink and enjoy for adrenal support.
Combining Aromatherapy and Massage
Aromatherapy has long been a popular alternative form of medicine, thanks to its range of physiological and psychological benefits. Aromatherapy massage combines the benefits of deep–tissue massage with the therapeutic benefits of essential oils.
Aromatic essential oils stimulate the senses, relax the mind, and soothe sore muscles and back pain. You don’t need to be an expert, licensed massage therapist to reap the benefits. Just learning how to do a simple massage and combining it with the right essential oils is enough to help you unwind and de–stress.
The essential oils used vary depending on your preferences and the benefits you’re looking for. For example, lavender and chamomile are used to calm the mind, while rose, and pine–like scents suck as sandalwood (agarwood), cedarwood, and balsam fir can lift your mood. The benefits of these essential oils, especially during massage, go far beyond their pleasant fragrance.
The Benefits of Aromatherapy and Massage Combined
The combination of essential oils and massage has a range of benefits on your physical and mental health, and emotional wellbeing. In aromatherapy massage, plant–based essential oils are typically diluted in a carrier oil, such as sweet almond, jojoba or coconut, which is applied to the skin.
The benefits of the aromatherapy massage depend largely on the essential oils used. The scent of essential oils is so strong that even a couple of drops of these plant–derived oils mixed with a carrier oil is enough to induce a feeling of relaxation. Some of the best essential oils for relaxation include: basil, lavender, neroli, Tea tree, Patchouli, rose and sweet orange. If you find that you are dissatisfied with the manufactured products available on the market, then why not make your own? You can, it’s easy peasy with this recipe for making your own basil essential oil.
How to Make Basil Essential Oil
What You’ll Need
- 2 oz. fresh basil leaves, stems removed
- 12 oz. olive oil
- Glass container or jar with tight–fitting lid
Directions
- Take the fresh basil and separate the leaves from the stems.
- Pour the olive oil into the container or jar.
- Carefully stuff the basil leaves into the jar with the olive oil.
- Seal the jar.
- Store at room temperature (preferably in a sunny spot) for one day.
- The next day, strain the oil into another clean jar, squeezing the basil leaves to extract as much oil as possible.
- Discard the basil leaves.
- Store remaining oil refrigerated in an air–tight sealed container for up to one week.
Promotes Healing
After a physical injury, trauma or stress, it takes a while for our body and mind to heal. Whether the recovery is from on–going or short–term stress, aromatherapy massage can help you unwind. Aromatherapy has been shown to help ease depression, improve sleep quality, reduce stress, and provide headache and migraine pain relief.
Calms the Mind
A regular massage is relaxing, but this relaxation experience is amplified when combined with aromatic essential oils. There are myriad scents to soothe and calm your mind.
Uplifts Mood
Taking some time out from your busy schedule for self–care is important for mental health. A little “me” time will improve anyone’s mood. Scientific research has shown that many essential oils have mood–lifting properties.
Alleviate Pain and Inflammation
Pain and stress have a cause–and–effect relationship. Stress will cause muscle tension that ultimately develops into physiological pain. Aromatherapy with essential oils can help you unwind and relax. Furthermore, they can help treat inflammation and alleviate the symptoms of joint pain, neck pain, and backache. The massage itself will relieve muscle tension.
How to Make Muscle Spasm Relief Blend
What You’ll Need
- 20 drops basil essential oil
- 15 drops lemon essential oil
- 15 drops marjoram essential oil
- 25 ml fractionated coconut oil
- Glass bottle or jar with a tight–fitting lid
Directions
- Pour coconut oil into bottle or jar.
- To coconut oil in jar add essential oils and combine well.
- Store mixture in the bottle or jar in a cool dry place away from sunlight.
How to Give Yourself an Aromatherapy Massage
Of course, the average person can’t give himself a full–body massage due to lack of reach and training, for starters. However, you can give yourself a relaxing localized foot massage that incorporates the benefits of aromatherapy. This is a simple, natural way you can unwind at home on a regular basis, without needing a professional.
- Sit on a chair with one foot on top of the opposite thigh.
- Take your chosen essential oils diluted in a carrier oil mixture and apply to your skin using your fingers.
- Hold your ankle with one hand and use the forefinger and thumb of the other hand to put pressure on the back of the ankle to relax your Achilles tendon.
- Then, begin making circles using your thumb, work from the bottom of the heel towards the toes.
- Repeat on the other foot.
How to Make Lemon Basil Cleaning Spray
What You’ll Need
- 8 drops basil essential oil
- 10 drops lemon essential oil
- 8 oz. distilled or filtered water
- 4 oz. organic white vinegar
- 16 oz. refillable bottle with spray nozzle
Directions
- Pour water and vinegar into bottle and combine.
- To this bottle mixture, add the essential oils and shake vigorously to mix well.
- Store mixture in a cool dry place away from sunlight.
- Shake well before each use.
Here I’m sharing a homemade lemon basil cleaning spray recipe that is sustainable, zero waste, plastic free, and cost saving. As always, due to its very nature, different people may react to it differently. So my advice, as usual, is to first test the finished recipe on a small patch of skin on the outside of you arm, and wait a good 12-24 hours to ensure no allergic reaction.
Sources:
10 Benefits of Basil Essential Oil including Recipes
https://www.doctorshealthpress.com/food-and-nutrition-articles/alternative-remedies-food-and-nutrition-articles/10-benefits-of-basil-essential-oil/
By Jon Yaneff, CNP – March 17, 2017
How to Unwind with the Benefits of Aromatherapy Massage
https://www.betterly.com/uk/blog/aromatherapy-massage-benefits
by Lisa Marlin, 2021