I love essential oils, but I TOTALLY get how a lot of people are initially turned off by them. There is a lot of confusing information surrounding oils and when you first get started it’s hard to know what to do with all these little brown bottles. So today I wanted to share about how I got into using essential oils and how I typically use them in our day-to-day life.
I took the scenic route in slowly getting interested in oils for the past five years. My initial introduction to oils was during a bout of insomnia I had while living in our previous home. In hindsight, I can see a lot of external factors for my poor sleep, but at the time I was desperate for a quick fix. So I bought a few oils and a diffuser from my friend who sold oils through one of the MLM companies. While I can’t credit oils exclusively for curing my insomnia (in the end, it was a combination of drinking less, keeping a more tidy bedroom, not using devices in our bedroom, PLUS my oils diffusing), it definitely helped to have a nightly ritual that signaled to my brain that it was time for sleep. I have been diffusing at night ever since.
My next big step into oils came when we moved to Tennessee. We were in a new home and planning to start a family soon. It was one of my goals to swap over to natural cleaning supplies (and also beauty, personal care … all of it really) and so I slowly started to learn more about ingredients in the products we were using and make my own (super simple) cleaning products and room sprays. This quickly became a hobby for me—I LOVE mixing up a little spray to spritz our rooms with while I am cleaning. I loved the feeling of knowing what was in my products and making them myself.
For sleep, I have a few favorite blends. I always use Lavender mixed with something else. If I am stressed or anxious, I mix it with Frankincense (I love this scent!). If I just want my favorite comforting scent to fall asleep to, I mix Lavender with Fir Needle. I also mix in Ylang Ylang quite often. I keep it pretty simple with our bedroom routine because I believe that a very simple night routine is best for good sleep.
In our home, I have now replaced candles with diffusers almost 100%. I still have a few (naturally scented) candles that I will use occasionally, but to be honest, none of them smell as good (or fill a room) like my diffusers do.
Getting rid of candles is one of those things, kind of like dryer sheets, that freaks people out—maybe even makes them feel defensive at first. It’s obviously a personal choice (no judgment from me if you don’t want to give up candles—I get it!). That said, I will tell you the reason I gave them up. It was after learning that artificial fragrance (which is found in almost all candles) can be linked to asthma and trigger allergies*. After giving them up more than a year ago, I honestly don’t miss them at all anymore. I love diffusing different oil blends to go with the seasons and my moods in place of candles.
*Note: Feel free to do your own research! This is my opinion based on the research I have done. I try to be extremely conservative about statements like these, but I do believe that scented candles burning constantly in a home can be harmful to our health over time.
My number one favorite blend for home is Fir Needle with Rosemary and Lavender. I enjoy switching it up for the seasons and trying random blends that people post online and making up new blends.
In my office space, I tend to have two go-to blends. Either an immunity blend with Lemon, Eucalyptus, Clove and Cinnamon. Or a cozy blend like Fir Needle and Spruce with Grapefruit. If I need a fresh blend, my go-to is a few drops of Lemongrass with one drop of Spearmint or Peppermint.
Beyond diffusing, here are a few ways I use oils in my everyday life.
1. I mix one drop of Frankincense oil in with my face oil as a booster. Frankincense is amazing for skincare. I won’t go on my long rant about how I don’t believe in “anti-aging” products in this post, but let me say that I’d rather have a bottle of Frankincense oil than any fancy serum or night cream you can buy at a counter at the mall.
2. I make my own room sprays and cleaning sprays using essential oils, distilled water and some soap if it’s a cleaning spray. They are so simple to make, smell amazing and work just as well as stuff I used to buy at the store!
3. I use wool dryer balls with Lavender and Fir Needle oil instead of dryer sheets for my laundry every day.
4. I mix a few drops of essential oils in with bubble bath or liquid soap in a small dish and add them to my bath water. Do this after the bath is done running, after you are already in it.
That’s it! Super simple! There are a hundred more uses for oils, but this is just what I do in my day-to-day life!
If you have any questions about essential oils, I’d love to chat with you in the comments. xx – Elsie
I bought a small diffuser at Dollar Tree. They have a few oils too.
Hello!I absolutely love this article?.
I don’t know much on oils but I’ve used fenugreek and this small pear oil.
They really smoothened the skinbon my face.
But I sweat a lot and I’ve got a combination skin on my face and my body isn’t dry tho.
I am light skinned and I tend to produce lots of oil from my face but I am not prone to breakouts.
Ice and cold water works well for my face,also steaming.
As for my hair,it is full but doesn’t grow out fast.It is stretchy when pulled out and curls back when released.I need a good oil for the hair growth,one that isn’t heavy and can sink into the scalp faster.
So I just wanted to know what essential oil I can use on my face and body.And also for my hair.
I now this is a lot but do bear with me and I’ll be happy to get your reply.
XOXO?
Are Oui Fresh oils Therapeutic Grade? Can you ingest them?
They are therapeutic grade, check out our FAQ page on the shop site for more info. We do not recommend you ingest them (we don’t recommend ingesting any essential oils regardless of grade, but we know others feel differently so would probably be best to consult your family doctor first).
I started with essential oils about 18 months ago and have found them so beneficial for every member of our family. Now I use them for all my household cleaning. I love trying to mix new fragrances while keeping in tune with the health benefits. Love this information and would definitely enjoy reading more about essential oils and pets.
Where did you get the lovely wall rack that holds your essential oils?
I would also love to know where the diffuser is from if you wouldn’t mind sharing! xx
I have a few questions (being new to the oily life)
*how do you decide what carrier oil to use or are they all the same?
*being new to oils and just wanting to start off simple, what are 5 you couldn’t live without?
*what oil would you use to substitute for Frankenstein (it being on the pricier end for someone just beginning)
Thank you!
This report is just right for me because I bought a new difuser yesterday. I’ve been interested in aromatherapy for a long time. Odors are also sublimated over the skin. Therefore, you can also mix beautiful oils for massaging.
All the best!
PJP
hi! could you please tell me the brand/style name of the diffuser in your 3rd photo (on top of books) .. i would love a tiny one like that and would appreciate the link! thank you!
I’d like to add to the chorus of comments wondering where those gorgeous diffusers are from! 🙂
Love this post. I am slowly trying to switch my house to more natural products & am very curious about oils. Would love more posts like this one. Do you make your own cleaners or laundry detergent? I have been purchasing cleaner or more natural products but I think making them would be the best. There is just so much, it’s hard to take it all in and not be overwhelmed. Also may I ask what face oil you use if you aren’t a believer in anti aging products? Thanks so much!
Would you make a post rounding up your favorite diffusers? Or a post on how to pick a diffuser for different spaces? There are so many options out there and it’s hard to know where to start.
Could you please recommend some diffusers you use? Thank you!
Super boring question but…. how do you deal with the additional humidity in your home from all the diffusing? Do you ever have dehumidifiers going as well? Perhaps it’s different with US builds but older U.K. homes tend to suffer with damp/mildew and sometimes opening windows just isn’t enough (especially on chilly rainy days).
Thank you!
Hi Lucy R – I live in the U.K. in a two bedroom terraced house built around 1830, and have 3 diffusers indoors. There’s always at least one on, and sometimes all three. We’ve never had to use a dehumidifier or had any damp problems. Hope that helps! x
Thanks for the blend recommendations, I love hearing the unique ways different people mix up their oils. Could you make any recommendations on good diffusers? Every time I go to buy one, the bad reviews from people who say it stopped working a week in scare me off! The ones in your post are so pretty!
Hello Elsie! Great post, thanks for sharing! Where do you get your diffusers from? Thank you x
Hi there! Found my way here from your more recent post on diffusers. Essential oils can be flammable and should definitely not be used on dryer balls! I would suggest you edit this post to help keep folks safe. Thanks!
I am fairly new to essential oils. I use a diffuser in the bedroom & it has helped w/My sleep issues. I also have several lava rock bracelets & put a few drops on them & it really does last throughout the day. I plan on putting another diffuser in our living area. I haven’t tried mixing scents yet but that does sound interesting. BTW, I have 4 small dogs & they seem just fine. I’m curious if you can use the oils on pets b/c 2 of my pups have skin issues.
I’m really interested in starting out with essential oils so this post was great! I feel like getting a diffuser is something I need from the beginning to get the most out of them though – you have some beautiful ones in your post, can you please share where they’re from? Or any tips or things to look out for when buying a diffuser? There’s a lot of cheap ones out there so I’m curious to know if thy are generally fine and do the job or if it’s worth investing more. Thanks so much!
What would you say are your top three favorite oils? I’d like to start a collection, but I want to start small.
That beautiful diffuser? Where is it from?