I know for me, when I was starting my essential oils collection, it felt very overwhelming to know which oils to buy. I wanted to get the ones that would give me the most benefit while I tried out this whole essential oil thing! Even posts about “must-have” essential oils were overwhelming, because I didn’t feel like I could go and get 17 different oils all at once! I’ve built my collection slowly.
I thought it might be helpful for you to know the top three oils I recommend getting first! These oils mentioned in this post have tons of uses and are very diverse. Many of them are safe to use with kids, so they’ll be helpful for your whole family.
You may want to read my previous post on which essential oil company I recommend and why.
One quick thing – all of the essential oils I mention in this post will last 10 years when stored in a cool, dark place! No need to worry about them going bad before you can use them! Also, each of these are available in two sizes, 5ml and 15ml. The 15ml is a better deal, but when you’re trying to save money, the 5ml is a great option.
Top Three Essential Oils – Singles
Lavender
I’ve been using lavender oil for years and years, but more recently I’ve discovered more uses for it! I love putting a drop or two on my pillow at night to help me fall asleep. I often diffuse lavender in our bedroom while I read before bed. The girls love it when I rub it on their backs before bed too! Lavender is great for burns and I have personal experience using it on both a small burn on my finger and on sunburn. Lavender also provides relief from insect stings and bites. I got stung by a bee or wasp (I didn’t see it closely) and using lavender oil on it helped relieve the sting right away! I also like rubbing lavender on my temples or the back of my neck for headache relief. There are many oils you can use for this, but lavender works well for me. You can read more about lavender’s uses here.
Melaleuca
This oil is extremely diverse in its uses! Melaleuca is anti-bacterial, so it’s great for infections, as well as cleaning up anything “icky”! I use melaleuca for treating acne or other facial blemishes (it even works on the “boil” type acne). I also clean with melaleuca all the time (it’s in my “for anything nasty” homemade cleaner), especially when dealing with mold, bacteria, or spilled bodily fluids (hey, I have kids, so it’s pretty common!). Since I don’t use bleach, melaleuca is my go-to “chemical” for disinfecting! Another use is for cleaning the seal of a front loading washing machine, which can get a little stinky. Melaleuca cleans it right up! When I feel like I’m coming down with a cold and my lymph nodes on my neck start to feel sore, I massage melaleuca onto my neck to fight off the infection. I also used melaleuca to fight off mastitis. I massaged it into the affected breast and placed a warm, moist compress on it also. I didn’t have to go on antibiotics! Melaleuca has a very strong, medicinal scent, so it takes a little getting used to. But it’s one of my top three EOs because it can be used in so many different ways! Find out some more ways to use melaleuca here.
Peppermint
I have been a little cautious about peppermint oil because it is not generally regarded as safe to use with children under 13 (based on the studies I have read, but feel free to do your own research), and when used in large quantities while breastfeeding it can deplete the milk supply. (I have used peppermint in small amounts while breastfeeding without any problems, but proceed with caution if you’ve had milk supply issues.) But I do think this is a great oil to have in your stash! Rubbing peppermint on your temples can relieve headaches. It’s lovely when added to a number of homemade products, such as lip balm or foot scrubs. I like to inhale peppermint (out of the bottle) to eliminate queasy feelings related to motion sickness or anything else. You can put a bit of peppermint oil on a cotton ball and place it in a room that needs a fresh scent! Peppermint is very invigorating, so you can use it when you’re feeling droopy in the afternoon. I’ve added it to coffee before and it’s really tasty (one drop for a whole pot is plenty!). When you’re congested, you can inhale peppermint out of the bottle to open up your passageways. Learn more about peppermint here.
Bonus: If you can get just one more, choose Frankincense.
Frankincense is a wonderful oil and is so great for your skin. When diluted it will last a long time, so it’s a great investment. I use frankincense every night on my face (it’s great for dry spots, acne, scars, wrinkles, and many other things!). I have had acne scarring on my face since I was 17, but after using frankincense on my face this year, it has faded considerably! I love how frankincense smells and how calming it is! I like to use it when I need to calm down and refocus. I also use this one on my lymph nodes when sick or starting to feel sick. See how else to use Frankincense here.
Many essential oils come already blended together with other oils, allowing the oils to work better together! Here are my three favorite blends from RMO/NAN.
Top Three Essential Oils – Blends
First Aid
This oil blend is fantastic, and if you have kids, you should definitely get it! We use it all the time for scrapes, cuts, and minor injuries. The clove bud oil in this blend acts as a topical anesthetic to relieve pain almost instantly. I’ve even used this on painful insect bites when I didn’t have lavender with me. The helichrysum italicum in this blend heals the wound quickly. I used First Aid on a toe injury (the toenail fell off) and it healed more quickly than I expected. We use this oil a lot!
Tummy Rub
This oil blend is amazing too, and I carry it with me everywhere. Because we eat so healthy at home, when I eat out I often feel a little “off” digestively. I just apply a little bit of this oil to my stomach, and I have relief from queasiness, bloating, or gas. I have used it (heavily diluted) for the kids too when they’ve had tummy issues. I think it smells great, so just inhaling it can help me feel less queasy too.
Breathe Ease
I do not personally use this blend with children since it contains eucalyptus oil (feel free to research this yourself), but my husband and I have used it for head congestion and colds. If you’re familiar with “steam treatments” (where you fill the sink with steaming hot water, close the plug, put your head down, and cover your head with a towel to trap the steam), you can add a drop of this blend to the water to help open up your nasal passages. (Don’t open your eyes, though, as it could sting.) You can also put a drop on the floor of your shower while you take a hot shower. This blend will help relieve lots of different respiratory conditions! A great alternative that’s a little more kid-friendly is Deep Breathe.
You can find all these oils at Rocky Mountain Oils and at Native American Nutritionals.
For deals, specials, and coupon codes, I recommend signing up for the newsletters at Rocky Mountain Oils and Native American Nutritionals. They offer different deals, so sign up for both! I love all the coupon codes, free oils with purchases, and sales on different EOs. There’s always something fun going on!
If you’re new to essential oils, what questions do you have? I’ll do my best to find an answer for you!
If you’re familiar with essential oils already, what are your top three favorites?
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which I will always disclose to you when using. If you choose to purchase anything through these links, it will help support our family and this blog. Thank you! All opinions in this post are my own. Also, I am not a doctor, so please consult your physician for medical advice.
Anonymous says
Hi Aliesha, Great article!! When you put lavender on the pillow do you do a drop in center on the case? And also, when you rub on the girls back, do you use a carrier oil or just a drop in your hand? I can believe that would be wonderful to do on the kids after their bedtime bath!
Thanks~Jen
Aliesha Caldwell says
Hi Jen,
I just use a drop or two of lavender directly on my pillowcase and then just spread it around with my hand. For the girls, I have a roller ball filled with jojoba oil and several drops of lavender oil. I rub it on their backs, necks, or feet.
Anonymous says
what diffuser do you have? would you recommend it? I just started looking to buy one and have been feeling a little overwhelmed.
Thanks,
Lynn
Aliesha Caldwell says
I use (and like!) a cheap GreenAir diffuser I bought from Puritan’s Pride. Here: http://www.puritan.com/green-air-brand-0605/mist-spa-vapor-diffuser-034839?scid=30531 It does the job!
Liz says
I use peppermint oil when mark lifts weights and has sore muscles. Since I am breastfeeding, I do put it on with medical gloves (don’t ask me why we have latex gloves, but we do, so I use them). I also put it on a cotton ball and threw it in the bottom of our trashcan and it made a huge difference!!!
Question: Tell us how you dilute your oils, where you get the roll-on bottles, and if you dilute a little at a time, or dilute a lot so you don’t have to do it so often.
Anonymous says
Great idea on the trash can Liz! I’m going to try that one today. Im pregnant right now so I’m cautious with the oils but I love them. I’ve been using them off and on for years and do use lavender when I do homemade wipes.
~Jen
Marah says
Just ordered the emergency kit and the lemon oil. I am so excited! I need to take the course that came with the Ultimate Bundle.
Anonymous says
How do you use frankincense on your face? Do you dilute it with a carrier oil? I have pretty dry skin, especially in the winter, and was wondering if that would help it.
Aliesha Caldwell says
I use frankincense mixed with jojoba oil as a moisturizer on my face before bed. I don’t go crazy with it, but I target the areas that are more dry. I think it would definitely help your skin!
Natalie@She Builds Her Home says
Great post! I agree with these and was just thinking of starting to blog about how we are using oils…we are new to them!
I have been using frankincense on one of my daugter’s arm where she has a large scar from a bad burn and it made a huge difference in a matter of days. I need to be better about remembering to do it, because it really made a difference and I would love for it to continue to fade since it is so large. I love lavender…use it pretty much daily for so much!! And peppermint for headaches! I had my first oil “mishap” with peppermint, where I put it on for a headache and shortly after went to run errands on a chilly/windy day and it gave me a “brain freeze” feeling lol! It made me laugh and I made a mental note not to use it before going outside this winter 😉 I have been wanting to get melaluca, but the brand I use has been out of stock for awhile so I’m waiting on that one! Thanks for sharing your favorites! I quickly found that we have our arsenal of “must have oils”. I think my tops ones are lavender, lemon, peppermint and the thieves blend from YL.
Emily says
Thank you so much for this post! I’ve been looking into EO’s myself, but I have been shocked at how hard it is to purchase from some of the companies who want you to become a sales rep. Totally not interested. It’s also very helpful to me to know what to buy! I’ve been clueless as to where to start!
Emily says
Also, what do you use as a carrier oil?
Aliesha Caldwell says
Usually I use jojoba oil, but occasionally I use coconut oil too!
Anonymous says
I am currently using YL essential oils, but have read some amazing things about NAN oils and am seriously considering making the switch, that being said, I use diluted thieves every night on my kids feet to boost immunity…would you recommend doing this with Immune Strength or is it your opinion that I’ve been using the thieves in excess? Thanks for your help!
Aliesha Caldwell says
Personally, I would probably only use immune strength (diluted) on my kids once a day when there is sickness going around or they are fighting something off. I would go by these guidelines for dilution: http://go.rockymountainoils.com/SH4q You can also email NAN/RMO and ask them your question… they are very helpful and knowledgeable!
Jan says
Thank you for all this good info!! I’m just getting into essential oils. I plan to order lavender and peppermint, but I’m curious as to why you chose the lavender and peppermint you did. RMO has 2 different kinds of each, which kinda makes things confusing! You linked to the Bulgaria Lavender, but there is also Hungary Lavender. You linked to the USA Peppermint, but there is also India Peppermint. I would love to hear the reasons for your preferences. Thanks!!!
Aliesha says
I linked to the two I use (Bulgaria Lavender and USA Peppermint). I’ve tried both of the lavenders and this one is my preference, but the other one is great too! I picked the USA Peppermint because it is grown in the USA, but I’m sure the India peppermint gets the job done too! I haven’t tried the India Peppermint, but I have heard that the USA Peppermint smells a bit sweeter. So it really does come down to preferences!
Jan says
Thank you! Glad to get your perspective. The Hungary Lavender is now out of stock, so I’ll just go with the Bulgaria instead. Still undecided about peppermint. I’m used to actually smelling the plant itself, so not sure I want the sweeter smelling USA one, but I like the idea of keeping it in the USA too. Thanks for your reply!
Meagan says
Do you dilute lavender when you use it topically?
Aliesha says
Most of the time, yes. Lavender is great for burns, but I wouldn’t use a carrier oil on a burn, so I use lavender neat in that instance.