How to choose the right essential oil for you

One of the biggest questions asked in the aromatherapy world is, what is the right oil for me? There are so many different options to choose from and it can be hard to know which ones might be right for you. There are a few things to consider when picking out an oil.

  • What do you want it for?

  • What are you hoping to accomplish?

  • Do you have scent aversions?

  • How will you be using the essential oil?

  • Do I have medical interactions?

These are important things to consider because you don’t want to just pick an oil because you like it or because it smells nice. Although it is a key factor if you actually enjoy the scent of the oil. Picking an oil based solely on the smell ignores the fact that essential oils have many therapeutic properties that go beyond the scent. It is also important to consider how you will be using the oil and what you want to accomplish. If you need a strong pain relief and want to use it topically, peppermint might be a good choice as it is common for pain but it also might not be your best choice because it has a topical max of 5%. If you were hoping to use it at 10%, something else might be better or even making a blend with peppermint in it might be a better option.

You also want to consider what medicines you are taking or medical conditions that you have because some oils shouldn’t be used with some medications or medical conditions. Some oils can also be used aromatically or topically with medical interactions but shouldn’t be ingested with them and vice versa. If you want a list of essential oils and their medical interactions than check out the post I did about it here.

Something else to consider are the symptoms you are having and what you want to accomplish with aromatherapy. If you are anxious you will want more calming oils or oils that are traditionally used for anxiety. Geranium is a good one for anxiety but it is not the only one. Many people don’t love the smell of Geranium and it won’t do much to help anxiety if you hate the smell. Also while stimulating oils are great, they might not be the BEST choice for something like anxiety. If you are looking for something for depression you might want to steer clear of the calming ones and look for uplifting ones. A lot of this depends on the person and personal preference as well. Sometimes the calming or stimulating oils are great for depression and anxiety.

To find out which oil would suit our own personal needs we need to ask ourselves a few questions and evaluate the oils we are looking to use. I also highly recommend finding a certified aromatherapist and asking for a little help, whether you book a consultation or simply follow the advice that they are sharing. This will ensure you are getting the best advice vs relying on someone who was simply trained by a company to sell more essential oils. Often the advice of those who are simply sales people isn’t the best advice and can do more harm than good, because they weren’t taught to discern what is beneficial and instead push to sell more. Aromatherapists are trained to ask the right questions in regards to your needs and pick oils based off of those answers.

What do you want the oil for?

Do you have a muscle cramp? Headache? Menstrual pain? Anxiety? Depression? Looking to clean or purify the air? Looking for something to add to a lotion or soap? All of these things are something to consider when you are looking to use an essential oil. If you are looking for something that can help with emotions or sinus issues diffusing might be best and you don’t have to worry about proper dilutions. If you want physical help with something, it’s important to know which dilution would be best and how to dilute. You can dilute the oil by adding it to a carrier by measuring out drops to carrier oil. You can see a post on carrier oils here, and you can snag a free dilution chart here.

What do you hope to accomplish?

If you have pain do you want it gone? Looking to manage? If you have anxiety do you need something to calm you, or maybe something that can bring you back down if it gets too bad? Many oils share the same traits but some are better than other, and some even work better when blended together and utilize their different constituents to make something that works perfectly for you. We will go over oils for certain things later, but definitely look into different oils and see what might work for you. Any book by Valarie Ann Worwood is super helpful in finding essential oils for certain things. Most essential oil retailers also list the properties of the oil they are selling and what it can be used for. Also reaching out to a certified aromatherapist can also be beneficial as well. It might seem daunting but taking the time to find that perfect oil is well worth the time and effort.

How do I want to use the oil?

If you want to diffuse, it’s important to consider what you will pick based off that preference. You can diffuse for pain relief, however you might want to opt for something like lavender for diffusing vs peppermint. The idea is you want to help calm yourself down which in turn can make the pain more manageable, peppermint can be a great one for pain topically but its aromatic use is more for congestion relief due to its menthol content. Alternatively if you have no preference on how you use the oil, you will want to pick which method will most serve you. Topical for physical issues, aromatic for mental or sinus issues. While it’s not a strict rule, this generally will give you the best results for aromatherapy.

What do I need to consider when using aromatherapy?

Do you dislike a certain smell? Are you on medications? Do you have an autoimmune disease, diabetes or any other medical condition? While the amount of oils that have cautions regarding medications and associated conditions isn’t a long list there are still some to avoid on medications or with certain conditions. I recommend checking out my list of essential oils and there reactions that I linked above and below, this can be incredibly helpful and help you choose the correct oil. It is important to use essential oils appropriately as this will yield the best results.

Another thing to consider is personal preference or how an oil might react to your body. Lavender might be a calming oil but if you hate the smell of lavender it won’t be all that calming. If your body simply doesn’t respond to an oil or it doesn’t work the same for you, it is also a bad choice. You will have to try a few oils sometimes to get an idea of what you like and see how you react to them. This is also why patch tests are recommended, so we can see if there are any issues regarding the essential oil of choice. It sounds like a lot but it’s really as simple as when you go to a candle store and smell the scents until you find one you like. Much like a candle store, please take some breaks inbetween smelling several different oils to avoid getting a headache due to being overwhelmed by scents.

Common needs for aromatherapy and essential oils to help:

Anxiety: Lavender, Bergamot, Sweet Orange, Lemon, Geranium

Depression: Roman Chamomile, Bergamot, Rosemary, Sweet Orange

Muscle aches: Rosemary (Camhpor), Sweet Marjoram, Peppermint, Wintergreen, Frankincense

Fungal infections: Tea Tree, Basil, Oregano, Thyme

Headaches: Peppermint, Frankincense, Lavender, Ho wood

Cramps: Basil, Sweet Marjoram, Clary Sage, Lavender

Stomach issues: Dill, Ginger, Lemon

Congestion: Eucalyptus (Globulus, Dives), Rosemary (cineole), Peppermint, Spearmint, Frankincense

Allergies: Blue Tansy, Lavender, Sandalwood, Peppermint

It is important to remember however that each essential oil may have some safety or contradictions attached to it and you should reserach that before using an essential oil. Always use the oils safely and dilute appropriately for topical use. Check out my post on which essential oils are safe for which age here, my post on medical interactions here and essential oils here as well as my post on how to safely use essential oils here.

 Thank you so much for reading, your support means a lot. If you have any questions feel free to email me at holisticary@gmail.com or call/text me at 641-631-6355
This blog post was meant to educate and entertain, it is entirely my opinion and not meant to treat or diagnose anyone or to be taken as absolute unwavering fact. Please seek proper medical care and advice. Some links might contain affiliate links, this is at no cost to you and helps the blog.
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What are essential oils?

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Potency and Shelf Life of the Essential Oil