The Top 5 Essential Oils Everyone Should Have in Their Homes!
High quality Essential Oils are not cheap. If you are new to oils it can be a bit of sticker shock to pay $20 for a little bottle of oil that’s not much bigger than a tube of lipstick! If you’re not careful the investment of oils might turn you off entirely. Or, you might end up spending way more than you wanted to! Bottom Line: You don’t need $500 worth of oils! So, here are the top Essential Oils that everyone should have in their homes!
“We each have the innate ability to heal ourselves. To empower ourselves with natural solutions, instead of succumbing to life-altering chemicals. There's a time and place for pharmaceuticals, but it shouldn't be the first answer, nor the only form treatment.”
― Dana Arcuri
Full disclosure, I have a lot of oils…like A LOT of oils but it’s a collection that I have grown over the years and, if I’m honest, there are only a handful that I use on a daily, or even on a weekly, basis.
High quality Essential Oils are not cheap. If you are new to oils it can be a bit of sticker shock to pay $20 for a little bottle of oil that’s not much bigger than a tube of lipstick! If you’re not careful the investment of oils might turn you off entirely. Or, you might end up spending way more than you wanted to!
Bottom Line: You don’t need $500 worth of oils
The variety packs, with their dozens of tiny bottles, stylish travel cases, and bright colored labels are tempting, I know, but rest assured that you do not need hundreds of dollars worth of essential oils to get started using botanicals. Here are a list of the TOP 5 Oils I believe that everyone should have in their homes…the three I consider my holy trinity of oils, a number 6 oil, if you can swing it, and I’ll share with you which one I would snap up if I could only buy ONE bottle. So, here are the top Essential Oils that everyone should have in their homes!
Tea Tree Oil - Naturally antibacterial, great for wound care, Can help soothe pain related to toothaches, and does a great job of battling acne and other dermatological issues.
Lavender Oil - Also great for wound care, full of calming qualities and helps aid emotional and mental health, can be used as a sleep aid, helps soothe skin rashes, minor burns, and insect stings plus it has anti-aging benefits.
Peppermint Oil - Can help to clear sinuses and ease pressure that leads to headaches, aids in settling an upset stomach or soothing motion sickness. Keeps many bugs and insects away and can help with concentration and focus.
Frankincense Oil - Has anti-inflammatory properties, can help with bruising, great for skin-health, aids in mood and emotional support, promotes circulation and can help soothe the symptoms of nerve damage.
Lemon Oil - Great for cleaning and helps to purify the air. Works as an all natural “goo-gone.” Helps to support mental health and uplift mood and is great for the skin.
Lemongrass Oil - BONUS OIL (Yes, this is different that Lemon Oil) Naturally anti fungal and can help significantly with foot and toenail issues. Great for cleaning, and also helps to detox the air. Full of antioxidants, it can help to support gut and GI health.
My trio of “holy trinity” oils are: Tea Tree Oil, Lavender Oil, and Peppermint Oil…I call these my “medicine cabinet” oils. From bee stings to motion sickness, headaches, cuts, or even minor burns, with these three oils, there isn’t too much that can go wrong in your home that they can’t help with.
If I could only buy ONE bottle of oil, it would be….drum roll, please, Lavender Oil! Great for the body and great for the mind!
The basics of essential oils may seem mysterious and complicated but with good quality oils and the right education it’s really nothing to be confused by. In fact, you may be surprised to learn how many simple ways there are to reap the benefits of a more natural and non-toxic health and wellness routine by just incorporating essential oils into your daily life in very small, unobtrusive ways! The earth and all it’s gifts daily nurture and sustain us…let us always be grateful!
I really hope that these tips have given you a little more insight about the world of Essential Oils and how you might use them in your home! Got more questions? Drop them in the comments below and I’ll be sure to answer them!
Sarah Seeds, CNHP and UNOS Ambassador
Sarah, aka: The Plant Based Ginger, has been in the plant-based community for 20 years and has worked in natural skincare as well as the health and wellness sector. Over the years her love of holistic wellness, essential oils, and plant-based cooking has merged to create the PBG website and social brand. Sarah is currently living back in Central Florida, where she was raised, after spending over a decade up in Ohio’s Amish Country! She is a Certified Natural Health Practitioner, UNOS Ambassador, Homecook, Coffee Lover, and Fur Mom!
Is Your Essential Oil Lady Lying to You? Top Three Tips from someone who is NOT earning a commission!
Essential Oils! Nature’s pharmacy! No matter their religious, scientific, or social world-views humanity has been medicating itself with botanicals since the dawn of time. In the last decade, the use of essential oils has once again, skyrocketed but not all of the information being shared about them is safe! Check out these three tips to make sure that you’re using the right oils, in the right ways, to help and not hurt you and your family!
Essential Oils! Nature’s pharmacy! No matter their religious, scientific, or social world-views humanity has been medicating itself with botanicals since the dawn of time.
In the last decade, probably more specifically the last 5 or 7 years the use of essential oils has once again, skyrocketed, thanks in large part to several national, multi-level marketing, (at home business) and direct sales companies that have started branding and selling them.
I guess that I should start by saying that, I am not now, nor have I ever been a consultant for a company selling essential oils. Well then, you might ask...how is this girl qualified to tell anyone anything? Well...Like I mentioned above, I have been using Essential Oils, directly, in my daily life for well over a decade, and indirectly via natural and handmade products for close to 15 years. I am a CNHP, (Certified Natural Health Practitioner), and a Certified Health Specialist, as well, with Board Certifications from AADP (The American Association of Drugless Practitioners) and next semester will begin my journey to becoming a Master Herbalist. Whew...now that that’s out of the way…
I remember when I first got into using Essential Oils, back when people assumed you were some kind of ancient witch, peddling your snake oils and hippie voodoo! It never ceases to make me giggle that many of the people who I tried to talk to about holistic healing, natural health, and yes, essential oils, the ones who looked at me like I was a crazy person and even worse, some kind of spiritual heretic...are, you guessed it; now direct sales consultants, selling essential oils.
I’m not here to bash any brand or company in particular and no, I’m not planning to share with you the brand of oils that I use personally, (send me a message or reach out on IG if you’re really dying to know.) I will say, I do not buy from the big MLM brands. But, if you’re interested in essential oils, (and you should be) here are the TOP THREE TIPS from someone who loves oils and who is NOT earning a sales-commission!
Tip 1: Don’t believe the Marketing Myth of “Certifications”
Now, my agenda here is not to get down on consultants who sell Essential Oils, or the multi-level marketing companies that recruit them, however, in my industry, I meet a lot of them...and over the years I have heard some pretty quirky things. For example, just this week I heard this (again) from someone I know personally:
“Make sure to only use (Insert her EO brand here) because they are the only oils that are certified to be used internally.”
Sounds innocent enough. She’s just trying to educate and protect her customers, right? Well, it would be innocent enough, if any of it were actually true, and this is where the problem lies. Whether or not this gal was intending to lie or mislead her friends, customers, and closest social media friends or not, (for the record, I don’t believe that she was) the information that she was providing people, the information that she was likely provided by her parent company simply isn’t true. Well, it’s not the entire truth! Let me explain…
Currently in the US there is no regulatory agency at the national, federal, or state level that tests, certifies, accredits, recognizes, licenses, authorizes, or approves essential oils. Let me say that again...there is absolutely no government agency (like the FDA) that regulates essential oils, or really much of anything else in the holistic, homeopathic, and natural health and wellness industry...and for most of us in the industry, that’s just the way that we like it!
So, what was this consultant talking about? Well, many of the MLM Essential Oil brands do, in fact, have programs in place where their oils are tested and certified for quality, but they are internal certifications only.
Quality control is extremely important, and for the sake of the integrity of the industry at large, I am thankful that these brands do check and double check their products by rigorous standards but we need to remember that they are merely internal standards. Based on the internal certification of a particular brand, of course their oils will be “the only ones to be certified for internal use.” They obviously aren’t going to “certify” another brand’ s product with their internal program. So, when they say that their oils are the only oils to be certified…blah, blah, blah, they are technically correct, because they are the only oils that they internally tested.
You may say that I am simply arguing semantics, and you may be right...but what is semantics if not the implied meaning of a thing? And, in this case, the implied meaning is very clear. “Only our certified oils are safe. Other oils are not. Don’t put yourself in danger. Buy only our oils!”
This just isn’t true. Be very wary of anyone attempting to tell you that “their” product is the “only” product that is “safe.”
Tip 2: Be careful of the “If one drop is good...two drops are better” mentality.
As Americans, one of the easiest marketing traps that we fall into is the lie of, “If a little is good, more must be better.” Chalk it up to the influence of capitalism, our need for constant improvement while being notoriously impatient, or just the simple fact that more of something does sound like a better option than less of something. No matter the reason, we fall for it…hard and the Marketing Directors of the world are thrilled that we do.
More bubbles in our detergent.
More points on your credit card.
More food on our plates.
More eyelashes on our faces.
More, more, more…
This kind of thinking can be very dangerous when it comes to the use of essential oils but, sadly, that often doesn’t stop young, inexperienced, or under-educated consultants from using this as a sales method. And, why wouldn’t they? The more product that you, as the consumer, use the more product that you repurchase and the more commission they can earn.
One of the more dangerous examples of this that I can recall, in recent history, was when I heard a consultant with a mainstream MLM company selling her customer on the benefits of grapefruit oil, which can be used to help support a healthy metabolism, however this consultant said the following:
“Grapefruit oil is great for weight loss. All you need to do is put 10 drops into a glass of water or juice and drink it each morning as soon as you wake up. It’s so simple.”
It was everything for me not to scream…”No, dear god, if you have any emotional attachment to your liver, please do not do that!”
Essential oils are the distilled and pressed essences of herbs, roots, nuts, and flowers and they are very, very potent. Honestly there is not a single oil that I would ever recommend ingesting 10 drops of in one sitting for any reason. I wouldn’t use 10 drops of oil to diffuse in my home over the course of an entire day…not to mention the fact that almost all citrus oils, when applied topically, or when in ingested, can make you photo-sensitive and extremely likely to burn in the sun! (But, no…this consultant didn’t bother to pass along any of that information!) 10 drops and guzzle it down. “It’s so simple…”Personally, do I ingest essential oils? Yep, I do.
Am I ever going to tell you that you should…or what oils to ingest for what reasons/illnesses…or what dosage to take? Nope! I’m not!
Want to know why? Because, even with all of the training, education, licensures and experience that I have with essential oils, I’m not a doctor and legally I can not diagnose, prescribe, or treat patients…and yes, that does include telling someone that they can lose weight by drinking 10 drops of grapefruit EO in their water or juice everyday!
When it comes to Essential Oils, more is not better and you should steer clear of consultants or sales-people who frame the benefits of oils in a light that assumes that it is or who try to “prescribe” a regimented dose or regular use to treat your medical condition.
Tip 3: You don’t need $500 worth of oils
Full disclosure, I have a lot of oils…like A LOT of oils but it’s a collection that I have grown over the years and, if I’m honest, there are only a handful that I use on a daily, or even on a weekly, basis.
High quality Essential Oils are not cheap, although, in my experience the MLM brands tend to be even more expensive than they need to be (mostly because there needs to be the consultant commission built into the retail price of their oils.) If you are new to oils it can be a bit of sticker shock to pay $20 for a little bottle of oil that’s not much bigger than a tube of lipstick! If you’re not careful the investment of oils might turn you off entirely. Or, you might end up spending way more than you wanted to!
The variety packs, with their dozens of tiny bottles, stylish travel cases, and bright colored labels are tempting, I know, but rest assured that you do not need hundreds of dollars worth of essential oils to get started using botanicals. Here are a list of the TOP 5 Oils I believe that everyone should have in their homes…the three I consider my holy trinity of oils, a number 6 oil, if you can swing it, and I’ll share with you which one I would snap up if I could only buy ONE bottle.
Tea Tree Oil - Naturally antibacterial, great for wound care, Can help soothe pain related to toothaches, and does a great job of battling acne and other dermatological issues.
Lavender Oil - Also great for wound care, full of calming qualities and helps aid emotional and mental health, can be used as a sleep aid, helps soothe skin rashes, minor burns, and insect stings plus it has anti-aging benefits.
Peppermint Oil - Can help to clear sinuses and ease pressure that leads to headaches, aids in settling an upset stomach or soothing motion sickness. Keeps many bugs and insects away and can help with concentration and focus.
Frankincense Oil - Has anti-inflammatory properties, can help with bruising, great for skin-health, aids in mood and emotional support, promotes circulation and can help soothe the symptoms of nerve damage.
Lemon Oil - Great for cleaning and helps to purify the air. Works as an all natural “goo-gone.” Helps to support mental health and uplift mood and is great for the skin.
Lemongrass Oil - BONUS OIL (Yes, this is different that Lemon Oil) Naturally anti fungal and can help significantly with foot and toenail issues. Great for cleaning, and also helps to detox the air. Full of antioxidants, it can help to support gut and GI health.
My trio of “holy trinity” oils are: Tea Tree Oil, Lavender Oil, and Peppermint Oil…I call these my “medicine cabinet” oils. From bee stings to motion sickness, headaches, cuts, or even minor burns, with these three oils, there isn’t too much that can go wrong in your home that they can’t help with.
If I could only buy ONE bottle of oil, it would be….drum roll, please, Lavender Oil! Great for the body and great for the mind!
The basics of essential oils may seem mysterious and complicated but with good quality oils and the right education it’s really nothing to be confused by. In fact, you may be surprised to learn how many simple ways there are to reap the benefits of a more natural and non-toxic health and wellness routine by just incorporating essential oils into your daily life in very small, unobtrusive ways! The earth and all it’s gifts daily nurture and sustain us…let us always be grateful!
I really hope that these tips have given you a little more insight about the world of Essential Oils and how you might use them in your home! Got more questions? Drop them in the comments below and I’ll be sure to answer them!
Sarah Seeds, CNHP and UNOS Ambassador
Sarah, aka: The Plant Based Ginger, has been in the plant-based community for 20 years and has worked in natural skincare as well as the health and wellness sector. Over the years her love of holistic wellness, essential oils, and plant-based cooking has merged to create the PBG website and social brand. Sarah is currently living back in Central Florida, where she was raised, after spending over a decade up in Ohio’s Amish Country! She is a Certified Natural Health Practitioner, UNOS Ambassador, Homecook, Coffee Lover, and Fur Mom!