7 Oils I Would Never Be Without

It’s no secret that I love essential oils. I love trying new ones, using familiar ones daily, finding new ways to use oils in cooking, cleaning, and diffuser blends. There are so many different oils with so many different smells and uses, I still haven’t tried them all.

While I would love to own every oil there is and be able to replace them as soon as I used the last drop…that’s not always realistic. . .and my wallet would not be happy with me. But, while I would be hard pressed to choose my FAVORITE oil, there are seven that you will always find on me, or my shelf, and I would never want to be without.

Note: These stories are about how these oils have helped ME. I can make no claims that you will have the same results or experiences.

1. Frankincense

Frankincense is called the “King of essential oils”, and after everything I have experienced with it, I can see why.

Growing up, I loved walking outside barefoot. . .through just about any type of turf: dirt, mud, grass, sand, rocks. I had toughened up my feet so much that I could jog down a gravel road without flinching! But there was one thing I couldn’t toughen against. Since moving to Texas, I learned the hard way that walking barefoot through the yard is sure to attract a swarm of RED ANTS! Yes. . .one summer day I was barefoot in the yard for just a few minutes, helping my dad, and before I knew it, my left ankle was COVERED with fire insects! Before the end of the night my ankle was painful to stand on, hot to the touch and twice its normal size.

All night long I tried several oils and ice packs, trying to bring the swelling and the heat down. The next morning it had barely gone down and was still very hot to the touch. My shoes were bulging where they didn’t use to and were not so easy to tie. Then I had an idea that I hadn’t tried yet: in my training classes I had learned that Frankincense might be able to get to the bottom of a problem like this. So I decided to give it a go! I coated my whole foot, from ankle to toes (I think I did this a couple of times during the day). By the end of the day it was much cooler to touch and not so painful, and the next morning it was almost normal size again!

This was just the first of many instances over the past couple of years where I have rushed for my Frankincense bottle during the summer (see, I haven’t learned my lesson yet about walking barefoot on a Texas lawn).

During my teenage years and early twenties, I struggled with horrible acne scaring along my jaw. As a writer, and a heavy thinker, my hands always find my face and love to scratch off any scabs or bumps they find. This had some pretty big consequences. One day I decided to try Frankincense, and started using it consistently in my skincare routine. After a while I noticed my acne scars diminishing and today I am not afraid to show off my profile. Now, every time I start to see scarring, I know what to do first thing (and second: don’t pick at it!). But only for some scars. Everyone needs to keep at least one battle scar with a story!

2. Peppermint

The one that started it all! Peppermint actually got me into essential oils. I never liked getting sick, and still don’t. I would do whatever I could to avoid it and to ride it out so I wouldn’t have to miss any work or events, or be in bed for more than a couple of hours. From a young age I remember finding myself sucking on hard peppermints when my stomach felt sick (or I had an irritating cough). . .and now I know why.

My mother had just started getting into essential oils and kept a handful from the starter kit on her bedroom shelf. It was late one fall night, I was trying to get get to sleep because I had a big day at work early the next morning and had a 6:00 A.M. wakeup call. But this night my stomach had other ideas. Nausea kept me awake hours after turning in, loathing any thought of food or drink (which seemed to be all my mind wanted to think about), and had me worried about missing work the next day. My body wouldn’t relax, my stomach was calling for me to run for the bathroom and I was just about to give up on sleep or work the next day, when a random idea came to my mind. I had never thought about it before, and wasn’t really sure why I had thought of it, but I was desperate by this time.

I groggily stumbled down the stairs as fast as I could, bumping into a few walls on the way, and went on a frantic search for my mother’s peppermint bottle before my stomach gave out on me. Rubbing a few drops on my stomach and feeling the cool sensation creep over my skin, I still wasn’t really sure what I was doing. . .after all, I had JUST been introduced to essential oils and had not yet been taught what oil to use for what and how to use them. After a few minutes I felt the coolness relaxing my muscles and the scent of peppermint easing my stomach’s distaste of the thought of food. I climbed back upstairs and crawled into bed. About twenty minutes later I was fast asleep and woke up the next morning ready for work and with no signs of a sensitive stomach.

I was hooked on peppermint! To this day I am still not sure how I knew what to do when all else failed, but I’m glad I did. I became a firm believer and it peaked my curiosity about other oils!

3. Lavender

While I don’t burn myself as much as I used to, this has been a lifesaver for me in the kitchen or near the curling iron (I’m afraid I am rather a Jo March with those things). I found lavender to help soothe my burning ear or finger much faster than when I tried applying ice.

This also came to my rescue after a long day of walking. When you are on your feet all day, trying to take in as many sights of London as possible in one day, your feet are bound to get a blister or two. Well, I had a rather large, and painful one! We still had several days left on this trip, and I didn’t want a blister to ruin it. So. . .up in my room, out comes the lavender bottle, and after a little bit of rough surgery, I coated the bottom of my feet before I fell asleep and once again the next morning. It made it so much easier to make it through days of constant walking (and stair climbing) without limping or tender feet. And I smelled really good, too!

4. Jasmine

Everyone has their happy oil. That one scent that just lifts your mood and brightens your day. Jasmine is my happy oil. I would always rush to grab my jasmine when my stress or anxiety started to overwhelm me. My coworkers would laugh at me when I would burst out in genuine laughter over a situation with a customer that we all should have been upset over. One coworker said I made her happy whenever I walked by and she caught the smell of jasmine on me. It’s hard to stay in a grumpy mood when that bright smell hits my nostrils!

5. DiGize

I’ve gotten to where I know my body pretty well. Which foods my body likes and which ones mess with my digestion. I generally try to avoid these foods, but there are times when my taste buds win out over good sense, or my stomach decides to be contrary and have a problem with something it never had before. Enter DiGize! I always make sure I keep a bottle in my purse and bring it with me whenever I go on vacation or eat out. There are few things worse than being on vacation or out on a dinner date or with friends and you find yourself doubled over with stomach cramps due to eating the wrong thing, or feel like there are a bunch of tiny needles pricking your gut. This always happens when I eat fast food chicken or cheesecake.

While on a mission trip, we made a stop for lunch and the sandwich I chose didn’t agree with me. About half way through, I could feel my stomach tightening up. But I didn’t heed the warning. . .I was still hungry and my grandfather’s philosophy of finishing everything on your plate was pretty deeply imbedded in my brain. So I finished it all. Before we made it back to the van I knew it was a big mistake! I tried several different oils, but they just didn’t seem to work so well. Then I decided to pull out my DiGize. I filled one of my vegetable capsules and down it went! I really love this blend because I can feel it working, untying the knots and deflating the bloated stomach the food left me with.

I have noticed a little catch, though: I have to get to it in time. You can’t just let it go on and on for hours before doing anything about it. Once, I forgot my DiGize at home, and left my stomach feeling this way for FOUR hours before I could try and combat it. . .that was NOT a fun night! It took several hours longer than normal, my friends had to help me to the car and my sister had to drive me home. The longer you leave something, the longer it will take to clear it up. But that is pretty much the way it is with anything.

6. Thieves

This blend has so many uses and comes in handy for many different things. But there is one use that sticks in my mind it’s what made me determined to keep this blend on hand.

As I mentioned before, I hate being sick, and don’t like being kept down or missing work. Well, this was one of those occasions. I woke up one morning with a pretty bad sore throat. At this time I couldn’t afford to take any time off work, and I was not looking forward to a ten hour day with a throat that burned every time I swallowed. (Have you ever noticed that you feel like you need to swallow a lot more when you have a sore throat?) While most people like to take a few drops of Thieves in a spoonful of honey…I needed a much quicker solution. I’m not going to lie and tell you that this is the most enjoyable thing to do, but desperate times call for desperate measures! Down the back of the throat went a couple drops of Thieves. It’s not the most pleasant tasting, but after a few seconds I could feel it start to take hold. The inside of my throat was starting to numb (this is a good thing!). After a few minutes, the numbness wore off and, to my initial surprise and delight, the soreness had dissipated, and by the time I got to work I was feeling normal and was no longer dreading to swallow.

7. StressAway

Stress is a big struggle for me. It wreaks all kinds of havoc on my body, especially in my jaw and teeth. I tend to clench my jaw often, most times I don’t even realize I am doing it. During the day I can catch myself and work on relaxing and dropping my jaw. . .but during the night. . .well, that is a different story altogether! Most nights I find my jaw tightening up right before I fall asleep and I wake up the next morning feeling sore and my teeth tender.

Then someone told me about another use for StressAway. I’ve found that rolling StressAway on my jaw and wrists before bed helps my jaw relax and ease my clenching! It also helps improve my sleep some, too. The sweet smelling mix of lavender, vanilla and lime is enough to brighten a sour mood, ease tension and drive just about any stress away! When I worked in an office, several of my coworkers would come to my desk just so they could smell my StressAway, and friends would come up to me when I wore my diffuser necklace and ask for a sniff. Vanilla has a strong pull on its own, then to combine it with several other delicious smells. . .no wonder everyone loves this one!