Our Top 5 Essential Oils (Plus 5 More)
There are a wide variety of essential oils out there. Each one has its own scent and range of health benefits. Thousands of years of trial and error have allowed us to develop a deep understanding of these remedies and all they can do for us.
While they do present some dangers, when used appropriately and diluted correctly, these oils can become your secret weapon for natural whole body wellness.
Breathe them in, soak them up or get squeaky clean.
It may sound funny but quality essential oils are good for your skin (be sure to dilute them properly!), as an addition to your shampoo or liquid soap, and in diffusers. In fact, many of these oils are popular ingredients in homemade cleaners and toiletries. Natural living experts like Wellness Mama use essential oils when creating recipes for homemade beauty products, air fresheners, cleaning products and even laundry detergent. The possibilities are endless!
There’s a reason that these oils have made a resurgence in popularity over the past two decades. They work. They’re a simple ingredient that can make your life better (while making it smell better too!).
Below we’ve posted 5 of our favorite health-boosting essential oils. Beside each one we break down why they’re so good at making you feel great. Use any of these in moderation and you’ll immediately know why they made our list.
For our complete top 10, click the button below for a bonus infographic outlining 5 more essential oils and their benefits:
So the question you’re probably asking yourself is…
“How do I use essential oils?”
Unlike other kinds of oils, like our seed oils, for example, you can’t just drink these or put them straight onto your skin. Essential oils are extremely powerful and concentrated. Even though they come from natural sources, you need to be careful. Essential oils need to be diluted before you use them on or in your body. If you’re planning on just gulping one of these essential oils back, think again.
The Hippy Homemaker has a great article about taking special precautions when ingesting oils (by mouth, by nose, or by any other orifice…this does not include inhalation). In it, Christina Anthis (the Hippy Homemaker) reminds us that “there are plenty of natural sources of poison, that aren’t safe for haphazard use simply because they are natural.” Essential oils can be ingested but you need to do it properly and in small doses. If you’re determined to use them this way, visit thehippyhomemaker.com to learn more about doing so safely. In general, what we recommend though, is to use these oils topically and as aromatherapeutic ingredients.
For aromatherapy: Diffusers are becoming more and more popular every day. If you’re not familiar with them, diffusers are small machines that release a gentle mist of cool water and essential oil into the air. The result? Think of diffusers as natural air fresheners. The key word being “natural”. Most synthetic air freshener sprays, gels and powders are filled with toxic chemicals that can have extremely serious health effects in the long term. Using a diffuser with essential oils to take their place can fill your home with a wonderful aroma that is also good for your health. Plus, it humidifies the air too
These machines are a convenient way to use essential oils safely. Blending essential oils to use in your diffuser is a great way to create distinctive and enticing scent combinations for your home. Plus, by combining oils, you get combined benefits too. The Prairie Homestead has 20 amazing recipes for essential oil blends. Use them to eliminate pet smells, increase alertness, improve sleep or reduce stress, among other things.
You can experiment too! Mix and match oils to create the aroma that is most pleasing to you. If you’re looking for some more great ideas for combinations check out the essential oils in our EASE Deep Soak line by clicking this link.
There are other ways to use essential oils in aromatherapy. Keep your eye on the blog — we’ve got a whole post about the ins and outs of aromatherapy with essential oils coming up later this week.
For your skin: Essential oils are great for your skin if you use them correctly. Don’t put too much oil on your skin as essential oils are extremely concentrated. If you want to use an essential oil all over your body or face, you can blend a few drops into a less-concentrated oil (sometimes called a carrier oil) like black cumin seed oil, flax oil or coconut oil. Be sure to consider the scent of the carrier oil and how it will mix with the essential oil you’ve chosen (flax is an especially great option because it doesn’t have a strong scent). You’ll get the aroma and the benefits, without the worry of causing a rash or a burn or absorbing too much essential oil into your bloodstream. For blemishes, you can apply 1 drop of essential oil (tea tree is a good choice) to the blemish and wipe off with a damp washcloth after a minute.
You can also use a bioavailable solution like this…
You simply spray it on your skin and a balanced amount of essential oil is absorbed by your skin immediately. Within seconds, you can feel the oils working.
No matter how you decide to use these essential oils, you’ll be impressed by the results. Millions of people use essential oils worldwide every day and their lives are better for it. We hope that you become one of them and start experiencing the benefits first-hand. Essential oils have earned their place in Mother Nature’s medicine cabinet and they deserve a place in yours as well.
Give them a try.
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