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Skeptical about Essential Oils?  Ya.  I was too.  Find out my thoughts on oils after a year+ of use, along with my 6 favorite essential oils I couldn’t live without, and your many options for buying essential oils.  Hint – there are more options than you think.

essential oils in a box with diffuser

*This post is in partnership with Rocky Mountain Oils.  All opinions and experiences are my own.  THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS.  

**Please note:  I am NOT a certified aromatherapist.  The information shared below is based off my own experience and use, and I cannot be held accountable for your own experience.  Please do your research on how to apply and use each oil, as this article does not go into those safety guidelines.


I’ve got 3 things I want to talk to you about today.

1 – My Views on Essential Oils

2 – The 6 Essential Oils I couldn’t live without

3 – Your options for buying oils – hint, you have more options than you think.

For a more personal approach, watch this video!

I’ve also included my thoughts in text with all the links you’ll need to find the resources I direct you to.

eucalyptus essential oil in flowers

MY VIEWS ON ESSENTIAL OILS

Not too long ago, I shared my first ever blog post that talked about essential oils.  I was just sharing a super easy way to make room spray using my favorite citrus combo, lime, lemon and orange.  Sounds yummy, right? 

I got some interesting comments after that post.  Things like, do oils really work? Is it just a money making fad?  Which ones should I start with?

rocky mountain essential oils

And actually, I loved these questions!  They were the same ones I asked my skeptic self over a year ago.  I told myself that I would not speak about or promote oils until I had taken sufficient time to prove their value and benefits.

So here I am a year later, I’ve used them heavily and invested quite a bit of time and money into learning about them and experimenting with them.  My family has some chemical sensitivities, so I really love that there are plant based pure products that help me sub out a lot of products like cleaners, candles, soaps, medications, etc.

HOW I WILL SHARE MY THOUGHTS ON ESSENTIAL OILS

However, I still maintain a conservative approach to them – meaning, I don’t think they are a cure-all, and I take all the benefits mentioned about each oil with a grain of salt.  

For example, sources say lemon is a cleansing oil, so add a drop to your water.  While I certainly can hope it’s cleansing me, I can’t prove that. I don’t feel any different than I would just drinking plenty of water.  What I do know for myself, is when I add a drop of lemon oil to my water, it smells super nice, tastes fresh and makes me excited to drink some water.

With the hundreds of consultants and sales methods for oils that we have these days, my conservative, skeptic self tells me that perhaps information for the benefits of oils are just passed on, rather than proven.

Now, all well and good.  I don’t want to ruffle any feathers here.  I’m 100% hopeful that the benefits of these oils are all accurate – but I wanted to address this essential oil subject with you, like I would with my sister or best friends.

Which is this – these are the oils I’ve tried.  These are the benefits I’ve seen.

OILS

So that’s why I wanted to share the 6 essential oils I couldn’t live without.  Their benefits have been proven to me time and time again.

Please don’t go and dump hundreds on oils from the start – like I did.  Check out these oils I am sharing, decide what ailments you could use help with, and grow your collection as you see them benefitting your life.

I buy them a few ways and from a few companies, for different reasons, but I’m partnering with a company today that I truly feel is the best way to buy oils without long term commitments, and still great prices.  Rocky Mountain Oils has given me a code to share which will allow you to get one of my favorites for free. But hang tight, I’ll get more into that in a minute.

Right now I want to talk about . . . 

6 favorite rocky mountain essential oils

MY FAVORITE 6 ESSENTIAL OILS I COULDN’T LIVE WITHOUT

Keep in mind, there is this thing in the oil world called blends, where they blend several oils together for lots of benefits.  I’m not going there today. These are just single oils that pack a punch by themselves.

Peppermint Essential Oil

Probably the most used oil in our home – mostly by me.  Here are a few ways I use peppermint essential oil:

peppermint essential oil
  • Headaches
    • I get a lot of tension headaches, and rubbing some peppermint on the back of my neck helps so much.  I only have to turn to medication now in the case of severe migraines. Then they work so good because I only take them a few times a year.
  • Breath refresher
    • If I’m in need of a really good breath refresher, I’ll put a drop on my toothbrush when I brush.  No mouthwash needed.
  • Massage
    • My hubs helps me work out muscle knots in my back with a few drops of peppermint and coconut oil.  FEEEEEELS SOOOOOO GOOOOOOOD.
  • Digestion
    • I’ve sometimes added a drop in my Crio Bru, or herbal teas which helps with stomach upset and digestion – and tastes so good.
  • Diffusing
    • I love diffusing it with lemon and lavender to really freshen up our home.
  • Other Pain relief
    • At times when I’ve felt carpal tunnel pain, I will rub peppermint on my wrist to alleviate the pain.

Just helping with my headaches has me buying this oil again and again, but do a quick search on peppermint to be amazed by what else it can potentially do.

Lemon Essential Oil

I mentioned my intake on lemon a little bit before, but I love love love citrus smells, so lemon is my number one oil that I diffuse.  It’s an inexpensive oil, and thank heavens because I go through a lot of it.

lemon essential oil
  • Mood Elavator
    • You probably already know that lemon is just a happy, uplifting smell.
  • Cleansing Smell
    • I use it in room sprays, linen sprays, countertop sprays – you name it.
  • Cooking
    • Add some while you sauté veggies or to fresh summer salads.
  • Laundry
    • I drop it on wool dryer balls to really freshen up my laundry.
  • Travel
    • Works great as a car refresher.  Dab some onto a paper towel or tissue and let it hang by the air vent.
    • My favorite little trick is I’ll drop some on a sock when I’m packing up a suitcase for travel.  Every time you open your bag you get a lovely smell and your clothes will smell fresh for your whole trip.

Love lemon!  So many uses.

*FYI – Rocky Mountain Oils does not mark internal consumption or ingestions on their oils.  It’s because they take the approach that essential oils are highly concentrated and should not be ingested without the proper guidance and safely guidelines.  Others may be more sensitive than some, so they have chosen to promote the safest ways to use essential oils which are topical application, diffusion and household.  

**For essential oil help from a certified aromatherapist, go HERE.

Lavender Essential Oil

This oil is another powerhouse with tons of soothing benefits.  

lavender essential oil

The main ways I use lavender oil:

  • Skin irritations
    • Bug bites.  Don’t know if it’s just in my kids heads, but a quick dab and they stop itching.
    • Also great for soothing burns
  • Sleep
    • Can’t sleep?  Can’t get a kid to sleep?  I do one drop on the corner of the pillow and away we drift.
  • Laundry
    • I’ll also use lavender on dryer balls or to freshen up a drawer.
  • Diffusing
    • I love diffusing it, especially during allergy season.  Seems to slightly help my daughter who has allergies.
  • DIY Products
    • Fun to use when making soaps and scrubs and other DIY products.

I barely scratched the surface of all the things lavender can do.  Check out my new Pinterest board full of Lavender ideas.  Comment on a pin or two that you love!  I’m slightly obsessed.

Frankincense Essential Oil

They call it the king of oils, and truly, I feel like frankincense is a miracle worker for skin issues.

frankincense essential oil

  • Healthy Skin
    • It blows my mind when it comes to blemishes or blotchy skin.  I’ll just add a dab onto the blemish for a few nights, and it heals so much faster!  I get some blotchy skin in the summertime, and if I can stay up on applying it with my nighttime face lotion, it doesn’t get bad at all.
  • Peace and Tranquility
    • To me, it’s hands down the most calming smell, and I’ll drop some in my lotion when I rub it onto my feet.
  • Diffusing
    • I like to diffuse it when I’m sitting next to the computer and my stress level is a bit high.

Warning – it is a pricey oil, because it is hard to source.  You might run into price variations, with some bottles around $80 to $40.  The difference is usually where it is sourced and the type of plant, and the more expensive ones, unfortunately, are going to be the variety of plant that is good for the skin.  The others work well for other reasons.

For example, Rocky Mountain Oils has Frankincense Sacra, which is going to be best for skin issues.  Frankincense Carterii will help with muscles and general pain relief and Frankincense Serrata is best for uplifting the mood.

Eucalyptus Essential Oil

This was my first experience with oils where I realized, whoa, these work.  I was so sick one year with a horrid persistent cough. In desperation, I asked a wholistic friend for something and she lent me her diffuser and eucalyptus.  The coughing completely ceased when I was by that diffuser. When it ran out, I started hacking again. I will never go into cold and flu season without Eucalyptus by my side.

eucalyptus essential oil
  • Decongestant
    • Besides diffusing it while we are sick, I’ll add a drop or two to the floor on the shower and combined with the steam, it will do wonders for congested airways.
  • Cough Relief
    • As mentioned before . . . miracle worker.  When my kiddos are sick, I diffuse it in their room and they sleep like angels.

Again, many other listed benefits, but to help with cold and flu season is enough for me!  (I’ve read it is a fever reducer, which I will try next time a fever comes to town)  

Tea Tree Essential Oil

Let’s say you can’t fork out the money for frankincense – go with tea tree oil.  It is also amazing for skin issues.

tea tree or melaleuca essential oil
  • Blemishes/Dry Skin
    • Like Frankincense, I will put it on blemishes, scars, wounds, dry itchy skin and it helps so much.  My scalp gets dry and itchy in the winter so I buy shampoos with it in it, and also add some drops to my scalp in the shower.
  • Anti-everything (antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic)
    • I’ll add it to my homemade cleaner sprays for those reasons.

There you have it!  The 6 oils I can’t go without.  There are a lot more I have found to love, especially in the citrus family, but those 6 are where it’s at for me.

OPTIONS FOR BUYING OILS

Okay friends.  You have options for buying oils!  I didn’t know that when I started. I thought there was Young Living and DoTerra.  So I’ve bought from both, they are good. The companies source their plants well and are great at educating.  

These companies are MLM’s – multi-level marketing.  MLM’s usually have great sign on benefits.  You can sign up to be a consultant and get wholesale pricing, which can save you, and they run freebie offers often with point systems to where you can earn free product on so many purchases.  Also, being a consultant can earn you money from selling oils to other people.

There are downsides to MLM’s.  You usually have to commit to purchasing a certain amount a month to stay active as a wholesaler.  

I often feel like the sales approach is a little intense.  You’ve signed up under someone, and they will make money if you purchase, so you’ll just have to be okay with them following up on you – usually.

peppermint essential oil and other favorites

YOUR BEST OPTION FOR BUYING ESSENTIAL OILS

Okay, now I’m excited to tell you about what I feel is the best option.

Rocky Mountain Oils.

  • Free shipping.
  • Not an MLM.
  • You do still get to accumulate points to earn freebies if you want.
  • Their prices are comparative or better than all the wholesale pricing I’ve compared it to, because there is no up-sell on their product.
  • Great education on their site.
  • They publish all testing results for every batch of oils made.
  • Their sources are listed on the oil.
  • Comes with a sticker on the cap.
  • Pure, beautiful oils – with no commitment to buy more every month – because sometimes you can’t do that.
  • You can buy the oils in kits to save money.

Now to be fair, there are a lot of oil companies that are not MLM, but since discovering this one, I stand by it because of how well they source and test their oils.  Basically, the most important thing you can do is educate yourself on a company and ensure they are creating pure products.  Then ask an aromatherapist for further direction.

Essential oils in a oil box

*A word of warning, if the prices seem too good to be true, chances are the oils have additives in them.

After discovering Rocky Mountain Oils, I decided I felt good about telling you about oils more often.  But will you let me know in the comments what questionS you need answered and if you actually do want me to share more natural living and essential oil information with you?  It would be very helpful to hear from you. Also, let me know how you feel about oils! Where do you buy them. I’m sure it would be helpful for a lot of folks.

ESSENTIAL OIL SOURCES

Find my favorite oil books and storage trays below.

Also be sure to read up on some essential oil safety and application.

I hope this has been helpful!  It was a little long, but thank you for sticking around and let me know if you have any more questions.

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21 Comments

  1. Thank you for this comprehensive guide. Peppermint and lavender are my daily drivers. I think frankincense is the one I’ll try out next.

  2. I love lemon EO to make my home made cleaners with! That and sometimes combined with sweet orange, after cleaning the house it smells so wonderful.

  3. Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil is my favorite one. Thanks for sharing the list of essential oils here with us. These oils are really handy for skin and hair improvements.

  4. Hi! I was reading your article on Essential Oils. I am familiar with a few of the big names. I was surprised that Vitality Extracts isn’t one mentioned. Is there a reason why? I’ve found that they offer helpful articles both about singular oils and blends. They are also cheaper than Young Living and they offer large bottles of “popular” oils such as Lemon, Peppermint, Sweet Dreams (a blend) and a few more. They offer discounts and emailed coupons. They even have diffusers and diffusing jewelry. I’m just wondering your thoughts on this company.

  5. Great videos! I don’t have a deep understanding of essential oils (despite working at a retail store before selling/stocking them).

    My girlfriend recently started using peppermint to help with headaches + lavender for stress and sleep. Both seem to be working wonders for her!

  6. Thank you for your informed, balanced view of oils. The balanced part is my favorite. It’s so hard to get that these days, especially with those representing MLM companies.

    I smiled when you talked about eucalyptus oil for coughs. Shows you how long thats been around….when my kids were small (they are all adults now) and they had a cough, I would get a small bottle of eucalyptus oil from the pharmacy and put a few drops in our humidifier (do you even remember those?!) and they had a great night. That was probably close to 20 years ago!

    Thanks for a great post!

  7. FYI young living was ordered by a court to pay doTERRA millions of dollars for false accusations. And for as having to keep up a certain amount to earn points it’s only 1 pv per month to which is only $1.00 to keep earning your points and I would not quit taking my vitamins from doTERRA so I do get that every month anyway, it’s like a win win situation. Also, I only pay $3.99 for shipping and doTERRA gives me that back in points to earn free products so it’s like shipping is free. I don’t know how long ago you were in doTERRA and I’m sure a lot has changed since you were, but I would not buy my oils from any where else. I would also compare my oils to any other company any time. I LOVE my essential oils and I don’t worry about getting sick and my family physician will tell you it’s years in between my visits to him, in fact he would go broke waiting for me to get sick and I’m 53 years old.

  8. I am concerned about the ingesting of oils. Especially because oil doesn’t mix with water. That could lead to damage in the throat or mouth. I find that the Tisserand Institute gives TONS of informative guidance on oil safety. I LOVE Rocky Mountain Oils! So far it’s the only one I have bought from. I do like the positive things you said about other companies. I also like Plant Therapy and Eden’s Garden. RMO and Plant Therapy both give advice based on studies done by a Robert Tisserand.

  9. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I use EO’s for a lot of things. I love what Melaluca oil does, and can used for, but I have found that I have to be VERY careful in using it as it tends to burn my skin, even when diluted with a carrier oil. I say that simply as a caution to others. We all react differently to the same oils. Frankincense is the king of oils. I have surgical scars that are practically invisible because of this oil (I added it to Vit. E oil as a carrier oil).

    Thanks again. I’ve been tempted to try RMO oils to get away from the MLM side of things that I’m currently tied to. It bothers me that others are making money off of my purchases. You helped me think again on that. ♥

    1. Tawna! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts! Yes, you do have to be very careful and I appreciate you bringing that up in the comments here. I tread especially cautious when it comes to oils and kids. That’s amazing to hear a second story of frankincense with surgical scars. Fascinating! Glad you enjoyed hearing about RMO. I’m very glad to have found them!

  10. I am very interested in getting started using essential oils….I have debated on doing so for quite some time. However, the link you say to click on for your kit does not work. The backs link to Rocky Mountain Oils did work but not the one specific for your kit. ? I wasn’t sure if there was a special kit of your favorites they may have put together for your viewers?
    Thanks for all the helpful info on this topic.

    1. So sorry Christina! A little glitch this morning. I’m grateful for your interest and have updated the link, so it should work. If the code doesn’t work either, hang tight. I’m contacting Rocky Mountain Oils. Thanks for your patience!

    2. Christina, the codes and links are good to go! Yay! Enjoy! And about the kit link, there is an organic line that has 5 of my favorites, plus an orange oil. With the free eucalyptus, that will get you all of them. It’s a great deal! Let me know if you have any more questions.

  11. Cami, my husband armpits itch and we have tried a lot of things. Is there an essential oil that you could recommend?

    1. Nancy, I would definitely try the tea tree oil. Make sure you follow dilution rates that I linked to in my sources. If that doesn’t work, definitely take him to a dermatologist. Some skin issues require the pros, for sure. Keep me updated! I’d love to hear if it helps or not. Also, did you see the link to ask your questions to a certified aromatherapist. They might have even better suggestions.

  12. I loved your video. I have been using essential oils for at least 10 years. I actually have lavender diffusing right now. I would guess most people buy essential oils for their smell. When you actually look at the information on their benefits, it is amazing. When I first started using oils my children were very sceptical. Now they come to me when they have an issue they want addressed. I buy my oils in bulk. Since I am Canadian, I buy my oils from a company called New Directions. They have all the information on each oil. I use my oils in everything I make. Soap, creams, lip balm, etc. I couldn’t live without them. I try to stay away from as many chemicals as I can.

    1. I bet you get great prices buying in bulk Lori. I started using them just for the smell actually, because I could tell candles were making me have headaches. But yes, there is so much more to them then smell, it’s so great. Thanks for coming by today! Appreciate your comments!

    1. Clare, all the links and codes are good to go! Thanks for your patience! Let me know if you run into any more problems.