Basil essential oil's benefits and uses

Basil Essential Oil, also called Sweet Basil Essential Oil, is derived from the leaves of the Ocimum basilicum botanical, better known as the Basil herb. Basil belongs to the Mint family and, traditionally, this culinary botanical’s seeds and leaves – even its essential oil – found their main uses in cooking worldwide, as it was reputed to eliminate harmful bacteria and odors. Basil and its derivatives were popular ingredients in beverages and Italian foods, such as pizza, pasta, and salads. They continue to be popular ingredients in pickled or fermented foods, sauces, pastes, condiments, and meats. Furthermore, they have come to be common additions to perfumes as well as oral hygiene products. Today, they remain ideal for supporting skin, hair, and kidney health, soothing headaches, head colds, coughs, stomach spasms, diarrhea, and constipation, and for addressing a loss of appetite, intestinal worms, and fluid retention.

Benefits of basil oil

Used in aromatherapy applications, Basil Essential Oil is ideal for soothing or eliminating headaches, fatigue, sadness, and the discomforts of asthma, as well as for inspiring psychological endurance.

Used cosmetically, Basil Essential Oil is reputed to refresh, nourish, and help support the repair of damaged or lackluster skin. It is often used to balance oil production, calm acne breakouts, alleviate dryness, soothe symptoms of skin infections and other topical ailments, and to support the skin’s suppleness and resilience.

In hair, Sweet Basil Oil is known for contributing a light and refreshing scent to any regular shampoo or conditioner as well as for stimulating circulation, regulating the scalp’s oil production, and facilitating healthy hair growth to reduce or slow the rate of hair loss.

Used medicinally, Sweet Basil Essential Oil’s anti-inflammatory effect is reputed to help calm skin that is afflicted with complaints, such as acne or eczema, and to soothe sores as well as minor abrasions.

Uses for basil oil

For a naturally soothing, decongestant vapor rub, Basil Essential Oil may be diluted in 1 tablespoon of a carrier oil before being massaged into the chest. Suggested carrier oils include Jojoba and Coconut.

To soothe and prevent acne breakouts, begin by diluting 1-2 drops of Basil Essential Oil in a small amount of a light, fast-absorbing carrier oil. Suggested oils include Sweet Almond and Argan. Next, dip a cotton ball into the blend and dab it onto freshly-cleansed areas of skin affected with acne. This simple mixture is reputed to cleanse the skin of external pollutants, bacteria, and excess oil and to reduce redness. For enhanced effectiveness, Basil Oil may be incorporated into face mask recipe along with honey, lemon juice, and a powdered cosmetic clay. These ingredients are also known to promote the skin’s clarity and brightness.

To soothe sore or aching muscles, inflammation, swelling, and tightness, dilute 2-3 drops of Basil Essential Oil in a preferred carrier oil, then massage it into the affected areas.

Basil Oil may be diluted in Apple Cider Vinegar and combined with Baking Soda to remove any build-up of excess oil or product residue and to restore the natural pH of the scalp.