10 Must Have Essential Oils for Your Medicine Cabinet

Looking for a natural remedy for your most common aches and pains? Essential oils can help, and we’re sharing the 10 most useful ones for your health.

To be honest, I’m not exactly the “granola” type. I don’t think of myself as being particularly “New Age,” either.

So, when I first heard about essential oils I was pretty skeptical. I mean, of course I love the great fragrances, but I definitely debated the idea they could really do anything other than help my home smell nice. But, I decided to give it a shot to see what all the fuss was about.

Well, five years later and going strong, let me tell you I use essential oils every single day and they’ve literally changed and transformed the life and health of my family. They’re now an integral part of our life. Even my husband (who is also DEFINITELY not the granola type) is hooked.

You see friends, the biggest selling point for me was the fact that 100% pure essential oils are all-natural. They’re made solely from plants. Just as you’d eat an extra orange or two when you’re feeling a cold coming on (boost your vitamin C) or spinach when you need energy (keep those iron levels strong), essential oils come straight from nature. These aren’t crazy chemical supplements with ingredients you’ve never heard of. They’re not crystals or smoke and mirrors. These are simply the goodness and benefits of nature.

Essential oils come from concentrated and distilled plant extracts. In fact, to create 15-ml of lavender oil it takes 27 square feet of plants. Why do I know this? Because I visited the Young Living farms in Utah and was able to see the process for myself. All that plant-goodness and those positive properties are condensed down into the bottle of oil. That’s why you only need a drop or two to get all the benefits.

As a family, we use essential oils for all kinds of applications. While they aren’t a substitute for medical treatment (like an orange doesn’t cure a cold), in my experience they certainly help fortify our resolve and benefit our bodies. Of course, I need to add the caveat the FDA restricts any public claims about the medical benefits of essential oils.

While they aren’t a substitute for medical treatment (like an orange doesn’t cure a cold), in my experience they certainly help fortify our resolve and benefit our bodies. Click to Tweet

*THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THESE PRODUCTS ARE NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE, OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE.

I can only share with you the oils we use as a family, the purpose for which we and others use them and the peripheral benefits we’ve seen. It’s very important you always seek the attention of a medical expert in any case of injury or illness.

If you’re interested in exploring more about essential oils, please read ourEssential Oils 101 Guide. We use oils to help bring comfort for many different issues from anxiety and stress to sleep to appetite control and even concentration. We use oils to keep our home clean and fresh and to enhance our homemade cleaning products.

One of the top ways we use essential oils is in our family medicine cabinet. We’ve built a stock of “first aid kit” oils to soothe and bring comfort for scrapes, cuts, burns and other minor injuries. If you’re looking to stock your family kit, I suggest purchasing a set of roller ball bottles and a carrier oil such as almond, jojoba or fractionated coconut oil. Due to the high concentration of essential oils, it’s important to use a carrier oil instead of applying them to your skin directly.

You can also use oils to create a spray using witch hazel and distilled water, with a few drops of your preferred essential oil. Oils can be diffused as well, but for first aid purposes most oils are used topically or sprayed (using a carrier).

10 Must Have Essential Oils for Your Medicine Cabinet

Ready to prepare your medicine cabinet? Here are the top 10 single essential oils to start your first aid kit.

1. Lavender

Lavender is one of everyone’s favorite starter oils and it appears in many oil blends, as well as skincare products. It’s a classic, soothing oil, which many people find relaxing and calming. We use it to comfort minor burns, scrapes, scratches and bug bites*. We also use lavender in our diffuser before bed and for massages. It’s one of my most-used oils.

2. Peppermint Vitality

Another perfect starter oil, peppermint is classic, refreshing, clean and energizing. Peppermint is a key component of many blends, used to soothe the symptoms of respiratory issues. The scent of peppermint often helps stuffiness feel clearer. Many people also like it to create any “icy-hot” sensation for tension. Peppermint may also soothe digestive issues.

3. Tea Tree (Melaleuca)

Tea tree oil is a wonderfully cleansing oil. You may have seen this ingredient in many skin care products (including acne creams) and in soaps and other cleaners. The invigorating scent of tea tree smells clean and adds a tingle to dandruff shampoo and body wash. I also love tea tree in my DIY housekeeping sprays.

4. Lemon Vitality

Does it get any fresher than lemon? The bright, cheery, energizing smell of lemon smells clean and rejuvenating. Lemon is the go-to oil for household freshness. It’s also used in lotions and face wash to reduce the appearance of blemishes. Many serums and facial products contain lemon due to its concentration of vitamin C. With lemon and other citrus blends, use caution in the sun as they may cause photo-sensitivity.

5. Lemongrass

Lemongrass gets its name from the citrus aroma, but it also has a wonderful herbal quality making it a top choice for home use. Many people like to use lemongrass in a bath after a workout or rub it on swollen ankles, bruises and bumps. Lemongrass is very relaxing and it’s a great addition to homemade cleaning products, air fresheners and to clear out musty, stale odors (like after your family’s experienced a bout of the stomach flu).

6. Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus is the ultimate in head-clearing, refreshing scents. This oil is used in many applications, such as Young Living Breathe Again, thanks to the tingling qualities. It’s perfect for athletes after a workout, who want to unwind and destress when they have tired muscles. It’s also excellent for giving you an energized boost. You’ll feel awake and refreshed when you smell eucalyptus.

7. Copaiba Vitality

Copaiba has recently become a popular oil. It’s very soothing and promotes an overall sense of wellness. This woodsy-scented oil comes from South America, where it’s commonly used to ease a variety of ailments and concerns. This sweet-smelling oil creates a relaxing atmosphere. It’s wonderful for diffusing.

8. Oregano

Another kitchen favorite, oregano is an herb in the mint family as well. Oregano is wonderful for uplifting and relaxing strain and stress. It’s featured in Young Living’s Ortho Sport Massage Oil for use after exercise. A few drops of oregano on your feet will help you feel calm at night as well. Oregano oil has been used by some as an alternative therapy for calming the effects of allergies.

9. Clove

Clove is a wonderful, spicy, comforting scent. The oil itself is gently warming and even creates a slightly numbing effect. Clove oil is often used to ease dental and skin issues. It’s featured in many cleansing blends and it’s a wonderful addition to your first aid kit. Clove oil is often energizing and the spicy aroma is a diffuser favorite.

10. Frankincense

Frankincense is without a doubt one of the favorites among essential oil users. It’s highly versatile and some users apply it to their scars, stretchmarks and rashes. Other people like frankincense for an uplifting boost during cold and flu season. Many skincare products for anti-aging and wrinkles contain this great ingredient. Frankincense is perfect for a stress-relieving oil to help after a long day. No first aid kit should be without this addition.

In addition to the single oils, Young Living also offers many fantastic oil blends. Thieves is my number one go-to for my first aid kit, with a blend of clove, lemon, cinnamon, eucalyptus and rosemary. Legend has it this blend was created by grave robbers in the Middle Ages to ward off disease as they robbed victims of the plague. (Yikes!) The properties of this oil are said to be very cleansing to help fortify your wellbeing and resolve to tackle any illnesses that “plague” your household.

The other oil blend I really love for first aid is PanAway. This is a minty, fresh blend of wintergreen, helichrysum, clove and peppermint, which is perfect for sore muscles, achiness, colds and headaches. It’s very soothing and smells absolutely fantastic.

The R.C. oil is one of my favorites. With a blend of spruce, Cyprus and eucalyptus, this oil is he ultimate in energizing and head clearing. It smells like a SPA DAY! Immediately when I use this in the shower or diffuse it, I feel so invigorated. This is perfect for after a workout!

Many of the great first aid kit basics along with my go-to staple oils: Thieves, PanAway and R.C. are included in the Young Living Premium Starter Kit. It’s perfect if you’re ready to stock your essential oils “medicine cabinet” or first aid kit. This covers all the basics.

There are many wonderful oils available through Young Living. They offer a “Seed to Seal” guarantee their oils are 100% pure and overseen throughout the entire process: growing, distilling and bottling. Always use pure, therapeutic-grade oils to ensure you’re getting the highest quality product.

These are our go-to oils for first aid and a healthy family. They’ve soothed our scrapes, scratches, aches and discomfort many times. If you prefer using natural, plant-based solutions in your first aid kit and medicine cabinets, these oils are the perfect place to start!

Here is what to do if you’d like to order:

1. Head over to the Young Living page here and fill out your information. It only takes a second, I promise!

2. BE SURE the “Wholesale Member” option is checked so that you don’t end up paying retail prices (which are 24% more than wholesale).

3. BE SURE the “sponsor ID” and “enroller id” say 2081607 (This is so that I can send you your bonus freebies!)

4. If you do not feel comfortable putting in your social security number (this is only for tax purposes if you decide to turn this into a business) then you can get an EIN from the IRS in just a few seconds here and use that number instead (the IRS just needs to be able to connect some number with you for tax purposes). They need a Social Security Number or an EIN because if you make $600 or more per year selling Young Living products, you will receive a 1099 form in the mail (which is required by law). Young Living will never share this info with anyone.

5. Select which starter kit you want to get. Again, I highly recommend the Premium Starter Kit with the Home or Dewdrop Diffuser, which is the one that contains the 11 oils and also the one which will get you the additional freebies. Those are the oils that I use almost every single day! You can get the kit that’s $160, or you can get a kit for $170 with a different style diffuser. (I have both and I personally like the home diffuser better.)

6. If you already know that you want to be ordering regularly, then you can go ahead and sign up for Essential Rewards right there when you order your starter kit! It’s an amazing way to earn FREE oils with your order every month! It’s a completely OPTIONAL program, so if you’re just wanting the starter kit for now then you can just skip this part of the sign-up process. I’ll send over an email with more details on that part of things after you sign up.

7. Go through the checkout process. Young Living accepts most major credit cards, including Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express.

8. After you sign up, FILL OUT THIS FORM letting me know that you signed up through this promotion so that I will know to send you your freebies

To recap, here are 10 Must Have Essential Oils for Your Medicine Cabinet

1. Lavender
2. Peppermint Vitality
3. Tea Tree (Melaleuca)
4. Lemon Vitality
5. Lemongrass
6. Eucalyptus
7. Copaiba Vitality
8. Oregano
9. Clove
10. Frankincense

Other essential oil resources:

• 10 Ways We Use Essential Oils Every Single Day
• Essential Oils 101
• How to Illness Proof Your Home: 9 Powerful Ways to Stay Healthy

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