Top 8 Essential Oils You Should Try

Essential oils (EO) continue to soar in popularity as health-conscious individuals turn away from chemicals and learn to benefit from natural remedies and beauty aids. From using Lavender EO to reduce stress, to soothing muscle aches and pains with an oil infused Rosemary EO, essential oils are used to improve health and wellness in myriad ways. Learning more about the most useful essential oils will help you make informed decisions for your health and home, and ensure you get all the benefits from nature’s most potent remedies.

What are Essential Oils?

According to the Natural Association for Holistic Aromatherapy, essential oils are created by distilling beneficial plants like lavender, rosemary, and lemongrass. Citrus oils, including the useful Sweet Orange oil, are created by crushing the plant. The distillation process results in a potent product that retains the benefits of the plant. Essential Oils are used to reduce stress, improve your mental state and mood, alleviate skin ailments, and even heighten your cognitive abilities and memory.

Getting Started with Essential Oils

Each essential oil is unique and beneficial in its properties. Learning more about commonly used oils can give you some ideas for stocking a wellness cabinet or inventory for your home. Here are the top 8 essential oils you should try:

Lavender Essential Oil

Long associated with stress relief and improved cognitive capacity, Lavender Essential Oil is also used for a variety of other purposes. From promoting good sleep and relaxation in children and adults to repelling bugs and warding off depression, Lavender essential oil offers something for everyone, including:

• Kid-safe bath products perfect for bedtime
• Stress-busting personal care items
• Promoting relaxation and a healthy sleep cycle

Eucalyptus Essential Oil

This powerful decongestant alleviates the discomfort of cold symptoms. With a strong yet attractive scent, Eucalyptus Essential Oil is used in homemade and natural cleansers. This invigorating oil also boosts energy levels and lightens your mood. Common uses include:

• Relief from arthritis or other joint pains, a balm or cream containing Eucalyptus oil can provide respite from pain and discomfort
• Use an essential oil diffuser at the first signs of a cold to reduce discomfort and congestion
• Use in personal aromatherapy for extra added energy
• Add to household cleaning recipes for a sweet, clean scent

Frankincense Essential Oil

Used for topical applications after diluting in carrier oils like coconut oil or jojoba oil, this powerful and freshly scented oil helps combat acne and other skin breakouts, or even reduces signs of aging. Frankincense is commonly used for stress relief, bath solutions, soaps, and other products designed to reduce tension.

• Use to treat blemishes or acne
• Skin-soothing addition to soaps and other products
• Use to reduce stress and create a balanced mood

Lemongrass Essential Oil

Distilled from dried lemongrass, this light, and freshly scented EO has many uses in any household. The lemony fresh scent makes Lemongrass Essential Oil is ideal for both bath products and household cleaners, while the oil’s antiseptic and antimicrobial properties improve your overall wellness and resistance to illness.

• Use in a diffuser to ease depression and aid mood balance
• Apply topically for fever reduction
• Apply to skin for wound care
• Add to household cleaning formulas for a fresh scent

Peppermint Essential Oil

The crisp scent and powerful yet appealing flavor of peppermint essential oil make it an ideal addition to your natural medicine cabinet and kitchen. Natural peppermint enhances your breath, works as a natural remedy for stomach pain and nausea, and even helps with nail care and beauty applications.

• Add to toothpaste and mouthwash to freshen breath
• Add to tea or tonics to alleviate nausea
• Use in a diffuser to boost energy levels and reduce stress and fatigue
• Use in lip balms and other beauty-care products for a natural addition of flavor and aroma

Sweet Orange Essential Oil

This potent anti-spasmodic EO is also a natural sedative, whether you’re having trouble unwinding after a hectic day at work or suffering from insomnia, Sweet Orange Essential Oil offers many benefits for humans – but bugs don’t like it much. This natural insecticide keeps your home bug-free without putting your pets at risk.

• Add to cleaning products for a citrusy scent
• Trickle on a cotton ball and tuck into cabinets to naturally repel bugs
• Use in a diffuser or in the bath to promote healthy sleep and relaxation

Tea Tree Essential Oil

One of the most flexible and useful oils, Tea Tree essential oil is a natural remedy, beauty aid, and powerful home care remedy. As a beauty aid, Tea Tree oil is helpful for healing dry skin and dandruff. It’s often present in natural hair products and remedies. Both eczema and psoriasis respond well to tea tree oil. This EO provides relief for many skin-related issues.

• Use topically on the skin to treat cuts, scrapes, and minor burns
• Add to toothpaste or mouthwash to kill bacteria that causes bad breath
• Use in a foot soak for a powerful athlete's foot remedy
• Add to a diffuser to eliminate mold spores and prevent mildew in damp areas of your home
• Use as a spot treatment for blemishes, cold sores, or acne

Rosemary Essential Oil

The sweet aroma is the first thing you notice, but Rosemary Essential Oil does far more than provide a pleasantly scented environment.

• Add to a carrier oil to soothe muscle aches
• Use in a diffuser while studying or working to improve cognitive function
• Add to tea or tonic to settle digestive upsets and stomachache

While there are many essential oils to choose from, the oils listed above offer the most immediate benefits and are a good introduction to your EO adventure.