You started today like normal – with your usual morning routine. You woke up, got dressed, did some self-care practices, and went to work. But throughout the day, you notice your feelings are a bit more heightened than usual.
You have a lot on your mind – and you’re feeling stressed about a recent experience like:
- The client presentation that could lead to a promotion.
- The explosive fights you’ve had with your life partner.
- The passing of a loved one that makes you question your spirituality.
On days like this, essential oils can help. They’re a natural and effective way to restore balance in your life – and it’s easy to add them to your morning, self-care routine.
Because essential oils are more than just fragrances. They’re key to harmonizing your body, mind, and spirit. They can transform your environment, uplift your spirit, and guide you toward a more centered state of being.
Let’s explore what essential oils are, their wide-ranging benefits, and how to use them in your daily life.
What Are Essential Oils?
Essential oils are concentrated plant extracts that harness the plant’s scent and flavor, or “essence.”¹ Each oil is composed of the natural chemicals in plants – which give each one its unique essence and therapeutic properties. These natural chemicals interact with our bodies in various ways, offering a range of health benefits.
To create essential oils, the plant’s essence is extracted through a steam distillation or cold pressing process. This process, and the plant’s origin, can influence the composition of the oils – which also influences how they interact with your body.²
The goal is to use essential oils that align with your energy and intentions. When used correctly, they can strengthen and benefit all parts of your being: body, mind, and spirit.
How? By working through your sense of smell and skin absorption – which impacts the limbic system in the brain. This part of your brain affects your emotions, behaviors, five senses, and long-term memory.³
So essential oils aren’t just about pleasant aromas – they can significantly influence your mental and physical states, too.
The Benefits of Essential Oils
Essential oils offer many benefits. They can be mood enhancers, energy boosters, or calming agents – depending on your needs and the specific oil used. Some common benefits include:
- Enhancing relaxation
- Improving sleep quality
- Reducing stress and anxiety
- Improving skin health
Some essential oils even have antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.
The key to benefiting from essential oils lies in their proper use. Essential oils can be incredibly good for you when used correctly – serving as a natural complement to your self-care routine. But they also carry health risks when used incorrectly. So, it’s important to understand each oil’s specific use and potential effects.
Let’s dive into the properties of seven essential oils you can start with.
7 Must-Have Essential Oils
When it comes to using essential oils, it’s important to pick the ones that work for you, your intentions, and your energy.
But getting started in this field can feel overwhelming. You’re probably wondering, “Where do I start? There’s so many to choose from!”
To make things easier, I put together a list of seven must-have essential oils. All of these oils are key components in my homemade chakra sprays and rollerballs – and I recommend them to my clients all the time.
If you want to check out some other goodies I recommend, head to my Amazon Store for some of my favorite oils and accessories. (As an Amazon Associate I may earn commission from qualifying purchases.)
#1 – Ylang-Ylang:
Ylang-ylang essential oil comes from the flower petals of the tropical ylang-ylang tree – which is known for its sweet, floral scent. It’s commonly used in perfumes like Chanel No. 5. (So you’ve probably smelled it before and not even realized it!)
This essential oil is ideal for calming your mind or lifting your spirits. It offers benefits such as:
- Improving your heart functions, mood, and energy levels
- Increasing blood flow in your body
- Reducing inflammation
- Improving the look of your skin and hair
- Reducing the symptoms of anxiety and depression⁴
Because of its grounding and calming effects, it’s a great essential oil to support your root chakra. Over time, ylang-ylang can help you feel better and stay healthier.
#2 – Cedarwood:
Cedarwood essential oil comes from cedar trees. It’s known for its grounding properties and calming effects. So it pairs well with your root chakra – or when you need to feel safe, content, and secure.
Cedarwood oil helps relieve anger and ease nervous tension. It also has uplifting qualities that can fight off feelings of negativity – making it a favorite during meditation and yoga.⁵
Cedarwood essential oil also has many other benefits like:
- Reducing skin problems like eczema
- Improving hair growth and scalp health
- Improving sleep by being a natural sedative
- Increasing focus and concentration⁶
With this essential oil, you can find the grounding you need when life feels chaotic.
#3 – Neroli
Neroli essential oil comes from the flowers of the orange tree. (You may hear others refer to it as orange blossom essential oil). Its benefits include:
- Reducing skin conditions and irritations
- Decreasing seizures and convulsions
- Relieving menopausal symptoms
- Lowering blood pressure and heart rate⁷
It’s also beneficial for your sacral chakra, which is linked to your creativity and emotions. Neroli essential oil is particularly effective when it comes to rebalancing this chakra or helping you maintain its equilibrium.
Neroli oil’s sweet, floral scent can also stimulate an under-active sacral chakra – which promotes a sense of balance and well-being. Its scent can help you find a relaxed state while alleviating symptoms of stress and anxiety. All of which help you maintain a healthy sacral chakra.
#4 – Bergamot
Bergamot essential oil comes from a citrus fruit native to Italy. And it’s the key ingredient in Earl Grey tea – so you might have tasted it before and not even realized it!
It’s known for its uplifting and gently relaxing properties – and offers benefits such as:
- Reducing stress, anxiety, and fatigue
- Destroying bacteria that can lead to food-borne illnesses
- Lowering your cholesterol
- Reducing pain and inflammation⁸
Like neroli, bergamot essential oil is particularly effective for the sacral chakra, which is connected to your emotions. It helps invigorate your senses and encourages the release of repressed emotions, like stress or tension. This makes it a great choice for balancing and supporting your sacral chakra.
#5 – Lemongrass
Lemongrass essential oil is beneficial for the solar plexus chakra – which is associated with personal power, self-esteem, and confidence. So this fresh, citrusy essential oil can boost your self-assurance and mental clarity.
When the solar plexus chakra is unbalanced, you might feel insecure or indecisive. Lemongrass essential oil helps balance and strengthen this chakra – promoting feelings of confidence while reducing your stress and anxiety.
Additionally, lemongrass essential oil has antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. With these benefits, it can greatly improve your physical health – especially when it comes to gastrointestinal problems like ulcers, nausea, or diarrhea.⁹
Lemongrass oil’s powerful aroma makes it a great choice for enhancing personal power and physical well-being. Just remember – don’t put it on before bed because it can give you a burst of energy!
#6 – Lavender
Lavender essential oil has been used for thousands of years, all the way back to Roman times. It’s an incredibly versatile oil that has anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antidepressant, antiseptic, antibacterial, and antimicrobial properties – and includes benefits like:
- Improving your sleep and insomnia
- Treating cuts and burns
- Promoting healthy skin and hair
- Relieving pain and migraines¹º
This makes it a must-have oil for any of your chakras. But lavender essential oil is especially wonderful for your heart chakra.
Your heart chakra is located right in the center of your chest – and is all about love, inner peace, and joy. Lavender oil can help you relax, let go of stress, and connect with your heart. It helps you feel more love and peace toward yourself and others. By reducing your stress, depression, and anxiety, you start to feel happier and more relaxed.
So, lavender essential oil is vital during meditation. Or when you want to feel more love and calm in your heart.
#7 – Rose
Rose essential oil is derived mainly from the damask rose. It’s known for its rich floral scent that’s sweet and slightly spicy. Not to be confused with rosewater, rose essential oil can enhance all of your chakras and offers benefits, such as:
- Improving acne and overall skin health
- Balancing hormones and increasing your libido naturally
- Reducing anxiety, depression, grief, or nervous tension
In feng shui, rose essential oil is highly valued because it can elevate the vibrations of you and your space. This promotes a harmonious and positive environment – which can lead to improved emotional well-being and a sense of inner peace.
It’s also important to note – rose essential oil is one of the most expensive oils because of the high volume of rose petals required for its production. It takes about 10,000 pounds of rose petals to make just one pound of oil.¹¹ So don’t be shocked by the price if you decide to purchase it!
Integrate Essential Oils Into Your Self-Care Routine
Adding these oils to your self-care regime can enhance your well-being and personal growth. Essential oils can elevate your daily practices – aligning them with your spiritual journey and goals.
But don’t forget – it’s crucial to understand the purpose and benefits of each oil. If you’re just learning about essential oils, I recommend starting with ylang-ylang, cedarwood, neroli, bergamot, lemongrass, lavender, and rose. All of these oils have amazing benefits and are must-haves for beginners.
If you’d like to learn more about essential oils, head on over to my Amazon store for my favorite oils, books, and accessories. (As an Amazon Associate I may earn commission from qualifying purchases.)
Or book a session with me. We can discuss which essential oils fit best with your self-care routine – and how to integrate them into your reiki, meditation, or yoga practice.
Sources:
- West, Helen. “What Are Essential Oils, and Do They Work?” Healthline, Healthline Media, 30 Sept. 2019, www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-are-essential-oils.
- Ramsey, J Tyler, et al. “Essential Oils and Health.” The Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 29 June 2020, www.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32607090/.
- Bedosky, Lauren. “7 Potential Health Benefits of Essential Oils.” Everyday Health, Everyday Health, Inc, 31 May 2022, www.everydayhealth.com/wellness/potential-health-benefits-of-essential-oils/.
- Levy, Jillian. “Ylang Ylang Boosts Heart Health, Moods and Energy.” Dr. Axe, Dr. Axe, 7 Nov. 2019, www.draxe.com/essential-oils/ylang-ylang/.
- Lane, Jennifer. “Root Chakra Essential Oils – Scents to Feel Grounded and Secure.” Loving Essential Oils, Loving Essential Oils, 23 May 2023, www.lovingessentialoils.com/blogs/essential-oil-tips/root-chakra-essential-oils.
- Axe, Josh. “14 Cedarwood Essential Oil Uses for Wisdom, Beauty & More.” Dr. Axe, Dr. Axe, 6 Feb. 2019, www.draxe.com/essential-oils/cedarwood-essential-oil/.
- Whelan, Corey. “Health Benefits of Neroli Oil, and How to Use It.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 20 Feb. 2019, www.healthline.com/health/neroli-oil.
- Whelan, Corey. “About Bergamot Oil.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 30 Jan. 2023, www.healthline.com/health/bergamot-oil.
- Watson, Kathryn. “Why Using Lemongrass Essential Oil Benefits You.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 13 Apr. 2020, www.healthline.com/health/lemongrass-essential-oil.
- Axe, Josh. “10 Lavender Oil Benefits for Major Diseases and Minor Ailments.” Dr. Axe, Dr. Axe, 31 Jan. 2023, www.draxe.com/essential-oils/lavender-oil-benefits/.
- Price, Annie. “Rose Essential Oil Benefits Skin, Depression and Hormones.” Dr. Axe, Dr. Axe, 19 Jan. 2021, www.draxe.com/essential-oils/rose-essential-oil/.
