Essential oils have been becoming increasingly popular today—and for good reason. People use essential oils at natural remedies for everything under the sun, and new uses are discovered every day. You might use essential oils to help you sleep better, to alleviate a cold, or to add a nice aroma in the bathroom, but the uses for these oils are never ending. If you’re looking for a few new uses for essential oils, keep reading for some ideas and inspiration.

Get Rid of Hiccups

There are dozens of crazy remedies for hiccups—holding your breath, hanging upside down, and “scaring” the hiccups away are just a few. While some of these methods might not give you success, you can easily get rid of your hiccups using peppermint oil. Peppermint oil not only helps dispel hiccups, but it can also aid many digestive issues as well. In order to help get rid of hiccups, simply inhale directly from the peppermint oil bottle for close to a minute. You can also add one drop to your finger and rub it directly on the back of your neck, under your hairline.

Tooth Remedy

Clove essential oil is commonly used in dentistry or sold over the counter for toothache related issues. According to a pediatric dentist in Winnipeg at the Polo Park Dental Centre, it is known to be one of the strongest analgesic powers around and is also a great antiseptic. Applying the oil straight to the affected area will help numb and heal infection. If taste is a problem, simply add a drop to your toothpaste and brush as normal.

Treat Cold Sores

Cold sores are obnoxious, unsightly, and always seem to last forever. The ever-popular tea tree oil will not only keep your sold sore from scabbing over, but it can help to heal a small cold sore before it gets too bad. As soon as you feel one coming on, mix some tea tree oil with coconut oil or even olive oil and apply directly to the location. You can apply this mixture multiple times a day until the cold sore is gone. Make sure you never consume tea tree oil—it is toxic and shouldn’t be ingested.

Grow or Thicken Hair

There are several essential oils out there that help promote hair growth, even if you lack hair to grow in the first place. Lavender helps unclog hair follicles, allowing hair to restart its natural growth patterns. Rosemary helps inspire growth by rousing the blood vessels in your scalp. Cypress aids with blood circulation, ensuring your scalp gets an accurate blood levels. All of these oils can be either applied topically to your scalp or even added into your shampoo; one drop per ounce.

Remove Splinters

Surprisingly, it is relatively easy to draw splinters out using Clove oil. Not only do the strong analgesic properties help numb the pain of the splinter, but when the oil is placed topically on location, it actually helps to literally draw the splinter out of the skin. Once it is drawn out enough, you will be able to remove the piece with tweezers. Thankfully, clove is also known for its antibacterial properties, so any cut or abrasion left by the splinter will be disinfected for you.

While these remedies might seem creative or unusual, there are hundreds of uses for these oils just waiting for you to try. By researching uses for essential oils, you can find helpful ideas for how to use them in your housework, for health remedies, and beauty tricks. If you are interested in natural healing and home remedies, essential oils hold endless possibilities with countless benefits.

 Do you use essential oils? Which are your favorites?