Minimalist Guide to Essential Oils: 10 Oils You Can’t Do Without

As I scrolled…and scrolled…and scrolled some more, I panicked just a little bit. There were so many. Who knew there were so many different essential oils?

Yes, there were over 150 different essential oils to choose from. I certainly couldn’t afford to purchase them all. But how was I supposed to choose? What did I need to make sure to have on hand if I was going to work towards using essential oils as my first line of defense.

It was so overwhelming.

I just wanted a guide to what essential oils were best to start with.

Have you ever felt that way? My guess is, if you’ve landed on this post you might be currently feeling that way!

What are the top 10 essential oils to start with? That is a fairly common question readers send me. So, I’ve purposed to answer it because, like many of you I know what it feels like to be overwhelmed at the huge list of oils!

Learn more about my favorite essential oils in this post.

How to Choose the Top 10 Essential Oils?

I don’t claim to be an expert, but am merely sharing what my personal top 10 list is. You might have others that you’d add or take away from this list. So how did I choose which oils went into this list?

I chose my top 10 list for the versatility of the oils. I wanted to have oils that do different things and I could use in different ways. I wanted oils for bugs, head and neck tension, seasonal or environmental threats, household cleaning, personal care products, and more!

I also determined these oils would be on my “must have” list because of specific oil blends they can make. There are certain blends of oils that are great for fighting seasonal or environmental threat or to help with sinus and supporting the immune system. But it’s much cheaper to make these yourself from individual oils than it is to buy the pre-mixed oil blends. Not to mention, it’s super easy too.

Without further ado…

Top 10 Must-Have Essential Oils

While I’ll touch on one or two reasons why I like each of these oils, this certainly won’t give you all of the ways you could use each particular oil. They’d all need a post or two to themselves to be that comprehensive.

It’s a good idea to be sure to get some good essential oil education! This can be done via classes or reference books.

1. Lemon

If I remember correctly, lemon was the very first oil I ever purchased. I love lemon for cleaning around the house. It’s particularly good for cutting sticky messes and odors. Lemon is great for general detoxing and is a natural mood booster!

2. Lavender

Ah…gentle, calming lavender. Of course, we all know the commercials about the lavender baby soap that helps to put the little ones to bed. Lavender does indeed have relaxing properties. In fact, I used to diffuse lavender in my twins bedroom every night to help them calm down.

While properties for relieving occasional sleeplessness are certainly it’s most well-known, it can come in handy at other times too. 😉

3. Peppermint

Peppermint is a great addition in homemade toothpaste preparations! Along with being fantastic at helping out with foul breath, it’s also known to help with occasional stomach issues and motion sickness, grumpy babies, and head and neck tension.

My personal favorite way to use peppermint is to improve alertness and concentration. This is a great oil to diffuse in your homeschool room!

4. Frankincense

Frankincense. Yes, like in the Bible. One of the gifts the wise men brought to baby Jesus—the one and the same!

This one makes my top 10 simply because of what it’s done for me. I’ve had a couple of skin issues I was able to make disappear as well as a funky little bump on the tip of my tongue too. I can’t promise it will work for you, but that’s one of the reasons I love it!

5. Clove

What I most love about clove is its ability to help with occasional oral discomfort. Before I knew anything at all about essential oils I was introduced to this one via an oral surgeon.

When I was 21 (I remember exactly how old because it was the winter break during grad school) I had my wisdom teeth removed. Everything went fine until I sprung a dry socket. Owee! One of the worst types of acute discomfort I’ve ever had. It was instantly, and I mean instant, relieved when they stuffed that socket with a cloth soaked in clove oil. Sweet, sweet relief!

A couple years ago when I first learned about essential oils, I knew this one had to be on hand. I’ve learned to use it for more than that too, but it’s always my go-to!

6. Oregano

I love cooking with oregano and I’ve also learned to love having oregano as part of my oils stash too!

This versatile oil has many benefits, you can see it’s effectiveness in this study. Along with that, it’s also known to help regulate menstrual cycles and help with menopause.

7. Eucalyptus

I like using eucalyptus oil, in addition to a few others, for most sinus related things. (Not to be used around small children.)

8. Rosemary

Rosemary is a really unique essential oil. If you read up on this oil in any reference manual you’ll find it has properties that benefit wide array of supporting health—everything from occasional stomach issues to hair care, genital issues and more.

9. Myrrh

Myrrh, another one of those gifts brought to baby Jesus, has some crazy unique properties. It has a wide array of functions including soothing sore issues. It’s also helpful with alertness. I’ve never used it in our school room, but it sounds like it would be a great oil to use to keep the kids alert (or maybe me?)!

10.Cinnamon

Cinnamon isn’t just an aromatic flavoring for tasty treats. Oh no, this oil is one you want to be sure to add to your essential oil cabinet. It helps promote circulation, helps with occasional joints and muscles soreness, and helps to maintain a healthy immune system! (Not to be used around small children.)

BONUS 11. Geranium

So, I know this is a top 10 list, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention geranium. The primary reason I mention it is because the DIY Sinus blend I mentioned earlier requires it. So, that’s your bonus 😉

DIY Essential Oil Blends

If you’re looking for some DIY blends, here are some of my favorites. As I mentioned, you can make these blends, easily, and much cheaper than you can buy them pre-made.

• Just like OnGuard®
• {DIY} Sinus and Immune Support Essential Oil Blend
• {DIY} Immune Bomb
• Mental Focus Blend

If you’ve been using essential oils, tell me what would make your top 10 list! Anything I’ve missed?

Interested in essential oils? Let’s talk! Click here to learn more about essential oils and how to find good-quality oils for your family.

Free Download: Mom’s Essential Oil Cheat Sheet

Would you like a resource to help you learn to use essential oils with your family? Download this free 3-page printable:

• Basic guidelines for using essential oils around kids
• A list of safe, kid-friendly oils essential oils
• Helpful essential oil recipes

Click the link or image below to download the 3-page Mom’s Essential Oil Cheat Sheet. I’ll follow it up with more resources and free printables to help you on your essential oil journey. Grab your copy now!

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease.