10 Essential Oils And How To Use Them

At the end of a hazardous day at college when I just feel like an emotional wreck over just about everything, nothing beats going down two floors to my best friend’s room where I can talk to her for hours…and relax with the scent of essential oils wafting in the air. Essential oils do a whole lot more for you than just make your rooms smell nice, though—even more than you may realize. Here are ten essential oils and how to use them.

1. Lavender

During my freshman year, my junior roommate would once a week give us each a rag to soak in steaming water with a few drops of lavender essential oil and hold over our noses at the end of the day. This essential oil is known for having a very calming effect, and, in college, Lord knows we need something to calm us down. The good thing is, it really does work. Not only that, but it also reduces swelling form bug bites and bee stings.

2. Eucalyptus

This is another perfect essential oil you can use to de-stress after college classes and unnecessary drama has put you through the ringer. With its anti-inflammatory qualities, eucalyptus reduces fever and heals congestion caused by respiratory infections. (And if you need to repel insects for whatever reason, it does that, too.)

3. Peppermint

This is more than that minty candy cane that you can find just about everywhere at Christmastime. If you’re having trouble staying awake studying for a test or whatever other nonsense college is making you do, this essential oil keeps your brain alert. (Alert, alive, awake, and enthusiastic, as one of my teachers would say.) Peppermint is also a very effective pain reliever for sore muscles.

4. Thieves

I had a roommate my sophomore year that was natural everything. And everything—every single thing she had, I swear—was Thieves. This can be found in anything from essential oils to toothpaste to cough drops. Thieves boosts your digestive system, reduces fever, and just strengthens immune system as a whole. Sounds like a pretty good investment, if you ask me.

5. Rosemary

“Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.” The lyrics of an old English ballad, each has its own significance to express a lover’s hope and despondency is his journey to regain his lost love—but where essential oils are concerned, rosemary has a very special significance. Like many essential oils, rosemary creates a very relaxing effect, but it also stimulates your brain for clearer thinking (during a test, pretty helpful). Not only that, but this essential oil is also known to have anti-cancer effects. Give it a try. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

6. Oregano

I remember the first time I tried oregano. Believe you me, this thing will wipe out a sore throat in two days or less. I’ve also read that that when it is applied topically after dilution, it has anti-aging effects. (Though I can’t testify. But, hey, you should give it a try and get back to me in about twenty years.)

7. Tea Tree

Of all the essential oils you can use, I think I can safely say this one has one of the strangest uses. On an extra hot day (when you go outside and you’re literally swimming through the humidity—you know what I’m talking about), you can use tea tree as deodorant. This goes hand-in-hand with its other use as an insect repellant. So the next time you go out on a muggy summer day, try out the tea tree essential oil.

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8. Jojoba

Ever wonder what gives the EOS its smooth texture? This is largely in part to jojoba. This essential oil moistens the skin and heals chapped lips.

9. Lemon

Lemon is more than the slice you put on the edge of your glass to flavor your water. If you have oily hair, you can use this essential oil to dry up some of the excess moisture. And it you want to make your fruits and vegetables last longer, you can also dip them in the lemon essential oil.

10. Frankincense

And last but not least, frankincense joins the line of essential oils in its general uses of boosting immunity, relieving stress, and calming inflammation. The choice to use frankincense boils down to its rich fragrance as opposed to the very herbal scents of eucalyptus and lavender.

So I’ve given you many of the uses of these ten essential oils, but you may still be wondering how to actually use them. The easiest and most popular way is to put a few drops into an essential oil humidifier. However, some people choose to use them topically, though you have to be careful to dilute them in water or carrier oil before you do, as essential oils are highly concentrated. After diluting them, then you can use a rag to apply them to your skin.