My Top 5 Individual Oils

My Top 5 Individual Oils

There are so many oils that I love. Narrowing it down to my 5 favorites would have been impossible, so I decided to write one post about my favorite individual oils and a second post about my favorite oil blends. It was still difficult to narrow down the list, but this is what I ended up with as well as the reasons I love each one.

1.  Lemon

First of all, lemon smells amazing. It is fresh, clean, and fruity, and there is no mistaking the purity of this oil. It smells exactly like a fresh lemon rind. I love to put it in the diffuser with a variety of other oils. When I have a skin breakout, I’ll dab lemon on the spot. It works great and smells good at the same time. But mostly, I love to drink it in my water. Every day I put lemon and grapefruit oil in my water, to help flush out water weight and impurities. It also adds a crisp, refreshing kick to my water, which is a nice change from the plain water I drink the rest of the day.

2.  Lavender

If you want a multipurpose, good-for-almost-everything oil, that is lavender. It helps clear up bug bites and itchy skin, helps when you have a stuffy or itchy nose, helps you relax, and promotes a lovely peaceful night’s sleep. On top of that, it smells fresh and herbal, which I love.

My absolute favorite use for lavender is skin care. I put a drop or two on my face before my moisturizer every day, and my skin has never looked or felt so amazing. Once, I ran out of lavender and my skin rebelled. I had an ugly breakout and felt dry and itchy for days while I waited for my new bottle. I will never let that happen again! One of my children has eczema and lavender has been wonderful for supporting the wellness of her skin, too. I mix a few drops with some whipped coconut oil and put it in a small mason jar for her to use whenever she wants.

Recently, I started adding lavender and cedarwood to my shampoo to support healthy hair grow. My hair grows fast anyway, so I’m not sure yet if this is helping speed it up, but I have definitely noticed that it feels fuller and I have little baby hairs growing along my hair line. I also put one drop each of lavender and cedarwood in my mascara. After just two weeks, I can absolutely tell that my lashes are longer. Amazing!

3.  Cedarwood

You can probably already tell that I love to use cedarwood in combination with lavender for several things, including hair and eyelash growth. Another amazing use for cedarwood is promoting SLEEP! Alone or in combination with lavender (do we see a trend here?), a drop or two of cedarwood on the bottom of my feet before bed helps me sleep wonderfully. I fall asleep fast, sleep peacefully, and sometimes have very vivid dreams. And I love the smell. Not surprisingly, cedarwood smells like the woods. It’s a nostalgic smell to me, reminding me of camping as a child. Sometimes I just grab the bottle and sniff it. Which my husband finds creepy, but that is for a different post all together.

4.  Orange

I love orange oil because it smells so wonderful! Seriously, it is my favorite smelling individual oil by far. I add it to almost everything in my diffuser and it always smells great. Orange and peppermint together? WOW! To me, it smells like fruit and summer and sunshine. The smell makes me feel calm and content, and I absolutely love it. In fact, right before I sat down to write today, I dabbed a little Envision behind my ears and topped it off with a dab of orange. Because somehow, orange makes every other oil smell a million times better.

Orange oil can also promote oral health and whiten teeth. I rub a drop on my teeth or put it directly on my toothbrush, then brush as usual. I have noticed whiter teeth, although my teeth have always been pretty white so it’s not extremely noticeable to anyone else. And I can definitely say that my teeth feel extra squeaky clean when I do this, plust tastes great, too.

5.  Vetiver

Vetiver is one oil that I really don’t think I could live without. I has a very calming affect on me, and is my go-to oil when I’m feel anxious or extra stressed. I normally use it in combination with Joy and orange. I placed it last on this list only because it smells gross, in my opinion anyway. I think it smells like fertilizer, my husband says it smells like bug spray, and I've even heard other people compare it to stinky feet. But I have a friend that thinks it smells similar to cedarwood, and she likes it. This is a good example of how different people can be. Not everyone loves the same scents, just like not everyone prefers the same oils or uses them for the same reasons. Despite the smell, I still use Vetiver all the time, because for me, the benefits outweigh the stink. And I cover it with orange anyway, and sometimes Joy or lavender, too. 

What are your favorite individual oils? How do you feel about the ones on my list? Comment and let me know, I’m curious!

DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical professional. Any information I share is a personal testimony of what has worked for me and not intended as medical advice. Please see your doctor before trying essential oils if you have medical concerns.