5 Essential Oils to Get Started

Last month I went through a day in the life using essential oils. Some people expressed interest in essential oils in the comments of that post, and I even received feedback from some of my friends on it. I started to think about the five essential oils I’d recommend to get started on your collection, or if you’re just interested in trying out a few and stopping there.

As always, if you’re interested in using essential oils I highly recommend using high quality oils from a brand like Young Living (the oils I use), or DoTerra. They’re a little pricier than other oils you can find, but you know they’re high quality and no fillers were used. Also, a little goes a long way. A half bottle of peppermint oil lasted all summer and I use it daily. If you’d like to purchase from Young Living and you’d like to use my Member ID, it’s 12102166. (I’ll make a small commission if you use it.) Don’t feel like you need to, though, even if you order from YL. Just make sure you’re using quality oils.

So, without further ado here are the five essential oils I’d recommend to get started. Keep in mind that you should do your research (I listed some resources in my first post, along with some of the accessories I love, including my beloved diffuser) when using essential oils to ensure you’re using them correctly. At the end of the post, I also included some of my favorite blends using these oils.

1 // Peppermint.

I think this is my favorite essential oil; it’s one that I use on a daily basis. Peppermint can help with headaches, so I carry a rollerball of peppermint oil with me and rub it on my temples whenever I get one. It can also help with stomach issues and nausea. Peppermint has an invigorating and energizing scent, so I love diffusing it, but I’d stay away from diffusing it before bed because of that.

//  Peppermint  |  Peppermint Vitality

2 // Eucalyptus.

(Picture coming soon. I forgot to take one.) Another favorite of mine. This is great for opening up the sinuses. At the end of August I got a bad cold, so I used eucalyptus quite a bit and it made me so much more comfortable. I rubbed it on my chest and by nose to help open up airways. I also love putting a few drops in the shower; the hot water creates a eucalyptus steam. I put a few drops right on the floor of the shower, however if you’re worried about stepping in the oil and slipping (I have a small shower, so there isn’t a lot of room to move) you could try a wet wash cloth with a few drops of oil at the bottom of your shower. (PS – There are a few kinds of eucalyptus oil… I use eucalyptus globulus, which is linked below.)

//  Eucalyptus

3 // Lemon.

Lemon is such a versatile oil. I find the scent incredibly calming and uplifting. It’s also a nice, clean scent. A friend of mine has said if she doesn’t have enough time to do a deep clean before friends come over, she diffuses lemon and everyone thinks she did. Not only does it smell clean, but it’s great to use when you’re cleaning, so it’s used in a lot of DIY cleaning products. I also like to diffuse it with some of the other oils in this post, so keep an eye out for some of those below. To be honest, lemon isn’t my favorite of the citrus oils (although I love it and it’s a must-have oil for me), but because of it’s versatility it’s the one I’d recommend to get started.

//  Lemon  |  Lemon Vitality

4 // Thieves.

Thieves is another oil that’s great for cleaning. It also supports a healthy immune system. True story: I think I was coming down with the cold I was hit with at the end of August while I was in Colorado at the beginning of the month, but whenever I started to feel a little off I’d diffuse thieves and rub it on my chest and feet. (Keep in mind, thieves is a warming oil, so your skin can heat up where you apply it. Again, it’s important to do your research when using oils.) I got sick once I stopped using thieves to ward off that cold. It’s also perfect to diffuse during fall, because it has a cinnamon-y scent!

//  Thieves  |  Thieves Vitality

5 // Lavender.

I don’t actually like the scent of lavender oil, but it’s an oil that I like to have in my collection. It’s great to add to skincare products to help reduce redness in your skin, and I’ve found that diffusing lavender at night actually does help me fall asleep when I’m having trouble with that. If you have any skin issues–like eczema–lavender can also be helpful. It’s helped my dad find great relief from his eczema, and his experience with it is actually what inspired me to try out essential oils. Until then, I had always been pretty skeptical of them.

//  Lavender  |  Lavender Vitality

My Favorite Blends Using These Oils

>> Peppermint & Lemon. This is a blend I diffuse when I need to focus. It’s energizing and I always accomplish a lot when I have this going. (My preferred blend is actually Wintergreen & Orange. I don’t have Wintergreen right now, so I diffuse Peppermint & Orange. Peppermint & Lemon is fantastic, too, and I use this as well.)

>> Peppermint & Eucalyptus. I started to use these when I ran out of my Breathe blend, and now this is what I use when I need to diffuse something to help open up my airways. (As a side note: I read that peppermint, eucalyptus, and rosemary is a great DIY breathe blend. I haven’t tried it yet, but I just got a bottle of rosemary so I’m going to try it out.)

>> Eucalyptus & Lemon. I don’t diffuse this a lot, but when I do it just seems so fresh and clean. I love it!

>> Lavender & Lemon. I’ve tried diffusing lemon with lavender a few times to add a scent I like to a scent I don’t like.

Have you tried any of these oils? If you love oils, what would you include in a starter pack? What are some of your favorite blends using these oils?

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