Vanilla essential oil is quite well known and its delicious sweet fragrance is used for a lot of things- from cakes, pastries, ice-creams to perfumes! Not only is it appreciated for the fragrance, but also for its skin, hair and health benefits. Vanilla is a herbaceous plant and you get its extract from the beans. More on unusual uses for vanilla essence>>
Here is a simple recipe for this amazing oil along with its benefits and uses:
RECIPE
To make vanilla essential oil, take some vanilla pods and chop them. Add them in carrier oil and keep it infused in it for 2 weeks with occasional shaking. Use it whenever you want. Another method is to keep the vanilla pods infused in concentrated ethyl alcohol for 2 weeks with occasional shaking and to pour it in a dish to let the alcohol evaporate. The oil left behind is your pure vanilla essential oil. The oil quantity will be less in this method so make sure you use a lot of vanilla pods.
BENEFITS AND USES
HEALTHY SKIN
Benefits: Vanilla essential oil is beneficial for healthy skin and to maintain it because it contains vitamin B complex that includes niacin, vitamin B 6 and thiamine. It also has anti-oxidant properties that keep your skin free from environmental pollutants.
To use: To nourish your skin, you can use a vanilla scrub. You need 3 tablespoons of brown sugar, 3-4 drops of vanilla essential oil and some lemon juice. Mix everything together and use this to massage your face and then wash it off.
TOOTHACHE
Benefits: Vanilla essential oil has anti-inflammatory properties that reduces the inflammation in the gums around the tooth thus reducing toothache. It also has anaesthetic properties that helps reduce the pain.
To use: To use vanilla essential oil for toothache, simply take a little amount of this oil on your finger and apply it on the aching tooth and on the gums. Massage for some time and leave it overnight.
SILKY AND SHINY HAIR
Benefits: Vanilla essential oil coats your hair to make it silky and shiny and also strengthens the hair follicles.
To use: You need to make a hair mask by using Shea butter, vanilla extract, jojoba oil and almond oil. Melt 1 cup shea butter, 2 tablespoons of jojoba oil and 2 tablespoons of almond oil. Once it is melted, add 1 tablespoon of vanilla essential oil to it. Let the mixture cool down and start whipping it until it becomes a smooth whipped cream. Apply this on your scalp and hair and keep it for 1 hour. Shampoo it off to reveal shiny and silky hair.
ANTIDEPRESSANT
Benefits: Vanilla essential oil works as an antidepressant. Vanilla oil has a calming effect on the brain, which helps with anger, insomnia, stress and anxiety.
To use: If you feel stressed out or depressed or even if you are going through PMS, you can simply smell vanilla essential oil to calm you down. Always keep a small bottle of vanilla essential oil handy if you frequently get mood swings. Apply it on the pressure points so the smell lingers around you and keeps you calm.
ANTI-SPLIT ENDS
Benefits: Vanilla essential oil has moisturizing properties that seals in the moisture in your hair and keeps it from getting dry and splitting. It also closes the hair shafts that tend to develop into split ends if not treated.
To use: To use vanilla essential oil for split ends, simply take a little amount of oil (maybe 4-5 drops) o your palms and rub it on the ends of your damp hair after hair washing to seal in the moisture.
SOOTHE BURNS
Benefits: Vanilla essential oil had anti-inflammatory properties and can heal minor burns. It is also antimicrobial that can prevent growth of bacteria and infections related to it.
To use: Never use vanilla essential oil undiluted just like other essential oils. You can mix vanilla essential oil with coconut oil and apply it on the burns several times a day until you see improvement.