Cover head with towel and inhale. Also ideal for facials - but do not use if there are thread veins. Take care not to let any oils enter the eye area. Asthma suffers should not use. Compresses A very effective way of using essential oils to relieve pain and swelling and to reduce inflammation.
Hot compresses use for chronic pain - backache, arthritis, abscesses, earache and toothache.
Cold compresses for acute pain - headaches, sprains, and other hot swollen conditions. To prepare hot compresses - fill bowl with very hot water, add few drops of essential oils, skim top surface with flannel and apply to affected area changing compress when it has cooled to blood heat. Cold compresses are prepared and used in the same way except use ice water or ice cubes in flannel. Alternate hot and cold compresses for sprains and muscle problems starting with hot and finishing with cold. As the essential oils are inhaled with this method, it is excellent for creating a mood atmosphere, use in a sick room, as a disinfectant and for removing unpleasant smells.