Essential Oils Uses – six essential oils every home should have

I first got into Essential Oils when I lived in London, worked in an office and had a mortgage. (I feel I have to begin with that to clarify that it isn’t only forest dwelling hippies that appreciate essential oils!!)

Essential oils now form a key part of my health and beauty regime. (Something about the term “beauty regime” makes me gag a little. And would probably make you roll on the floor with laughter were you to ever spy my “beauty regime” in action – swiping oil on my face a few times a week…)

I carry three tiny bottles of essential oils around with me everywhere – tea tree and lavender and a rescue blend. And then I have a few others that I have come to depend on. I want to get even more into it but our budget doesn’t yet allow for a library of essential oils, and I don’t have the time to Know All The Things about each one. So I am both a big fan, but also a bit of a newbie. (Just a note on the expense- although essential oils are dear, but they replace SO SO MUCH, these tiny weeny vials of oil go so far and can cut spending in lots of other areas. Unexpectedly, since enjoying essential oils so much I now mostly make all my presents- putting beauty scrubs and bath salts and candles I’ve made with a few drops of essential oils into teacups. Such a lovely inexpensive gift. People WAY prefer that sort of thing to the secondhand toast stamps I used to give out. I really don’t know why. You can get a Jesus waving on your toast, or a smiley face…)

While there are a few things to recognise, for example, the potency of essential oils (billions* of lavender plants are crushed to make a bottle of lavender oil! *maybe not billions?) and being careful with them whilst pregnant or around children, they are relatively simple to use. Use a carrier oil, such as coconut or jojoba, and add 3-5 drops of essential oils per tablespoon. (Please do check out Wellness Mama’s page on risks associated with some essential oils.)

When Neal’s Yard got in touch about working with them I was well up for it. I thought I could tell you about the six essential oils I use and then, if you liked, you could click through from here, have a rumble around their website and buy some things, and I will get a percentage. (HA. How is that for straight up? I want to be clear that I am an affiliate, but also MEGA MEGA into the organic natural beauty they purvey.) Besides it is basically Valentines Day – love yourself right up and buy some smelly treats.

My six fave Essential Oils and my top Uses:

Lavender
Lavender is the gateway drug of essential oils. You get lavender to help you sleep better and then the next thing you know you’re off peddling bergamot and star of bethlehem to your next door neighbour to help her dog with his anxiety about crossing the road. I use lavender on our pillows if we need help resting and I use it on my skin to help with itchy bits or problem skin. I also use it in our bug balm (recipe below) and chuck it in all my homemade beauty gifts such as facial scrub. Click here to check out Lavender Essential Oil.

Rose
Rose essential oil is a bit dearer than lavender but it is AMAZING FOR SKIN. I wish there was something more intense than capitals because I would be using it. I have a homemade face serum (recipe below) with rose and it makes my skin next level soft. It has been used for a gazillion years. Like, in that legit neanderthal movie, Croods, there would be rose oil in the vanity drawer, if they zoomed in. Find Rose here.

Lemon
Lemon essential oil adds the PIZAZZ to your homemade cleaning products. If you use soapnuts (or any natural cleaner) for laundry and soap (as we do) adding a few drops of lemon both makes it all smell super clean and actually does tackle far better the grease. A real germ killer. Can’t do without it. Click here for Lemon Essential Oil.

Peppermint
Peppermint is another essential oil that has heaps and heaps of uses, but my two main ones are as an ingredient in our bug balm, and as part of our teeth cleaning paste. I also use it in homemade beauty gifts a lot. Click here for your minty Peppermint Essential Oil.

Frankincense

How I chuckled when I first bought a bottle of frankincense. It just seems so holy! If you are into natural skin care you can not skip frankincense – it rejuvenates skin cells. It is botox in a bottle. I first experimented with it for Cosmo and found it to be easily as effective as any expensive high street serum. Click here to buy Frankincense Essential Oil.

Tea Tree
This is one that I keep in my bag. We put it, diluted, on any cut or wound. I swill my teeth with it. I put it on pimples and itchy bits of my head. I add it to homemade beauty recipes, our bug balm and our cleaning products. I am like a Beleiber but for tea tree instead of a wild young pop star. If there was a poster of tea tree essential oil it would be covered in smudges from my lips. (Hey! There’s a money spinner! Posters for hippies! Like, just pictures of essential oils and also sprouting beans in glass jars.) Click here to buy Neals Yard Tea Tree

SOS Remedy
A cheeky extra…. the thing that probably first turned me on to all this flowery magic was probably Rescue Remedy. I was a bit of a doubter and then I came to rely on it and these days, when the kids are hurt, it is the very first thing I turn to and it is a game changer. I’ve used it for myself regularly for about 5 years. You can get your SOS blend right here.

RECIPES:

Bug Balm

I make BUCKETS of this stuff. The place we live has these tiny little midgies that eat your ankles relentlessly. I keep a jar in every part of the farm, pretty much.

1 cup of olive oil
2 table spoons of beeswax

Melt these together gently and when they are mixed, drip in:

10 drops of peppermint
10 drops of lavender
10 drops of tea tree

If you have citronella that is obviously a classic too, but I roll with what we have on hand. I also stick in a few drops of neem oil too, but it isn’t necesary.

Face Serum
Place 4 tablespoons of jojoba oil in a glass vial. Add 12 drops of rose essential oil and 12 drops of francincense. Shake well every time and use morning and night. Or whenever you remember.

Calm Down Potion

This one is really tricky. (I jest.) Take a glass bowl of boiling water and shake in 8 drops of lavender oil. The room will fill with the scent and everyone will promptly fall asleep! No, seriously, it truly can make a really lovely part of your settling down evening routine.

So yep, go right ahead and browse Neal’s Yard. You know you’ve got to love yourself before you can love others, right?

Posters for Hippies coming soon.