If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you know that I’ve recently ditched candles for my diffuser. I’m obsessed. I’ve been getting so many questions too so I thought I’d share a little 101 on how to use essential oils!
Why I switched to essential oils.
I love candles. Seriously love them (especially the ones from Anthropologie). However I noticed that when I burned them, I would get stuffy and feel extremely congested. My eyes turned red and itchy and after a few hours, it was just plain uncomfortable. I did a little bit of research and found out that candles contain synthetic fragrances which are therefore, toxins. When you smell synthetic fragrances, they trigger the “fight or flight” response in your body. Ways your body might react include: stress, increased heart rate, or even anxiety.
While I didn’t experience any of those symptoms, the congestion was something that really irritated me. If you’ve read Visions of Vogue for awhile, you know that I’ve make the switch to safer products so it made sense for me to do the same with scents. If you’re curious about other products that I use for a healthier lifestyle, read up on my makeup routine and skincare routine. You can also check out this Ingredient of the Week series for a resource to find ingredients you don’t want to see on your labels.
Synthetic fragrances are also in air fresheners, soaps, perfumes, and more. Last week when I was sitting in my bosses office, he sprayed air fresher after finishing his lunch during a meeting. I immediately got stuffed up and felt like I needed to escape (or “flight”)! It’s crazy how aware I was of the effects of synthetic fragrances after researching essential oils.
How to use essential oils.
There are 2 ways to use essential oils: topically or aromatically. So far, I’ve used our marble diffuser to experience the benefits of them aromatically. They help your mood, kill pathogens in the air, and generally make your space smell amazing. They can even make you breath better! Topically, they are used to target specific areas (apply to that area) of the body or overall (apply to your feet).
To use your essential oils aromatically, I would recommend picking up a diffuser. There are so many diffusers out there depending on your style but I use Hathaspace diffusers. They’re affordable and can be purchased on Amazon (they had the best ratings consistently). Nordstrom also has quite a few difference styles of diffusers if you prefer to shop there versus Amazon!
Which essential oils are the best?
I use doTERRA’s essential oils. Each doTERRA essential oil is also carefully and thoroughly tested using the strict CPTG Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade quality protocol. From my research, this is the best quality essential oil you can get from a larger corporation. They are a level above their competitors (which I won’t call out)! They also make other products outside of essential oils like diffusers.
You can also find essential oils from boutiques and independent stores. Just do your research on the quality or grade of the essential oils!
Where to buy essential oils.
For me, I like doTERRA because it’s convenient. Even though the website looks a little dated, I can order it online and have it delivered. I also signed up for a monthly order that contains my favorite scents and they automatically get delivered to me. I would recommend doing this after you figure out what your favorites are! You can change the order any time during the month too! I opted into the membership to get a discount on the essential oils since I knew I would be purchasing them again and the savings outweighed the cost of the membership.
My favorite essential oils.
After experimenting with my first order, I definitely have a few favorite oils and combinations of oils that I love. I still haven’t tried all of the scents but these are the ones I started out with. They’re a little more “basic” so they’re a safe bet if you’re an essential oils beginner!
- Lavender + Eucalyptus
- Peppermint (really clears up your sinuses)
- Lemongrass (cleanser of negative energy)
I would recommend ordering these 4 scents to start. Another tip I learned was adding a few drops of peppermint to the citrus scents helped them smell more “clean”. Here are some combinations I want to try:
- Oatmeal cookie: 2 drops Cedarwood + 2 drops Cassia + 3 drops Wild Orange
- Zen blend: 2 drops Frankincense + 2 drops Balance + 2 drops Bergamot
- Grapefruit + White Fir (mood uplifter)
Have you used essential oils? Do you have a favorite brand or combination of scents?
Nice post