We are close approaching the time of year when many people promise themselves to incorporate healthier eating habits in their everyday lives or to work out more to stay fit. But have you ever thought about making this the right time to also change out your not so healthy beauty + home products for a more natural, therapeutic option? I know for my little family, the idea of using safe and nontoxic cleaning products around my toddler Chloe Mae is a no brainer. And for myself, swapping out questionable beauty products with ingredients I can’t even pronounce for more natural, chemical free face + body products makes complete sense! Today’s post is going to spotlight those top 5 essentials oil that work well in our everyday lives. If you missed our first installment Aromatherapy + The Universe, go check it out for a great background on what aromatherapy is, how it works and why it’s so important.

Let’s begin!

Building a Home Apothecary

Below are my essential oils suggestions for building a starter kit of sorts for your home apothecary. In our home I tend to use the same 5 oils over and over! I do like to preface, that since my daughter is under the age of 2, there are a few oils I stay away from or at least avoid using until she’s older. According to the National Association of Holistic Aromatherapy, a nationally recognized aromatherapy institution, as well as Robert Tisserand, one of the world’s leading experts on aromatherapy, it is best to avoid Rosemary, Eucalyptus + Peppermint essential oils until around the age of 10. These minty oils can be tough on babies and children’s lungs + possibly affect their breathing. Best to play it safe and stay away.

 

The following oils I highly recommend as beginner essential oils. You will get a variety of uses out of them and they won’t break the bank. I’m also listing their Latin name so you know which essential oil you’re actually buying.

Lavender (Lavender angustifolia):

Lavender is one of the most versatile essential oils and I encourage every home to have a bottle on hand. It’s benefits range from soothing irritated skin like burns + cuts, to calming achy muscles or lulling us to sleep. Lavender is also one of the only essential oils safe for babies through proper dilution and usage. Depending on the batch + species, Lavender has an herbaceous, floral scent.

 

Lemon (Citrus limonum):

Ahh lemon, a very refreshing and familiar scent! Lemon essential oil is extracted from its peel, instead of from the fruit. It is my go to oil for deodorizing the air in my kitchen or bathroom. Lemon also works wonders in homemade natural cleaning products as it has antiseptic and antibacterial properties. It is best to keep lemon essential oil off of your skin as it can cause skin sensitivity or burns when exposed to direct sunlight.

 

Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia):

This is another great oil to have on hand to help with skin irritation, like cuts + scrapes or in cleaning products. It has antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties and has a minty scent without being too “bright” like peppermint. I’ve even used it to deter sand gnats + mosquitos in the spring.

 

Sweet Orange (Citrus sinensis):

This is my second most used essential oil in my home. I use it in our homemade natural cleaning products for its antibacterial properties or in a diffuser for its uplifting and cheery aroma. Just like lemon, orange essential oil is extracted from its peel and will cause sensitivity or burns in direct sunlight. It’s best to use sweet orange essential oil aromatically or in cleaning products only.

 

 

 

Roman Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis):

Your stomach, PMS and colicky baby will thank me for suggesting this one! Roman Chamomile has long been used to calm nerves, relax an agitated stomach, soothe monthly cramps and help teething or colicky babies. It smells somewhat like sweet, ripe apples and blends well with lavender for a super relaxed mood. Roman Chamomile is also a wonderful hydrating and soothing oil for dry, chapped skin. Please avoid use during pregnancy.

 

 

Where to Buy Essential Oils

 

When it comes to purchasing quality essential oils, it really depends on your preference, budget and comfort. I personally recommend buying from a distiller who does GC/MS testing on their batches. Basically, this test verifies the quality and chemical makeup of each essential oil. It’s a great way to find out if the essential oils have been cut with other artificial oils or diluted to make a bigger profit. I love essential oils from Plant Therapy and Mountain Rose Herbs. They publicly post their GC/MS test results, source responsibly and have great customer service.

 

Our Next Adventure

We’ve covered what essential oils are and why you need them in our first post here and what oils are perfect for a beginner apothecary and where to purchase. So it makes perfect sense to learn HOW to use them safely + properly. Stay tuned for our next post on how to use essential oils. And who knows, there may be a hands on workshop available too!

And you can come say Hello to me Saturday December 3^rd for Craft Scout Savannah’s Holiday Market! The event will be held at The American Legion Ballroom off of Forsyth Park, 10am-6pm. I will have plenty of aromatherapy bath soaks, mood + wellness blends, body nectar’s and mama and baby products for you + your loved ones! Check out my Instagram link below for behind the scenes photos + posts!

 

 

Love + Gratitude

 

Thank you for allowing me to share my passion of aromatherapy and natural wellness with you! I’d love to hear your feedback, thoughts + feelings on our mini lesson today! What information would you love to learn more about? Any DIY projects you’ve been nervous to try using essential oils? Want to know more about safety + usage around babies + children? I know we all could use a little stress relief + meditation in our lives too! Keep an eye out for future mini-oil classes and live workshops in the upcoming months. I’d love to meet you and share our excitement over such magical plants + oils from Mother Nature.

 

Stay connected with this Wildflower Gypsy over at Etsy, Instagram, or Facebook for shop updates, new products and future education or email awildflowergypsy@gmail.com with any questions, comments or just want to say hi!

 

 

XoXo my wildflower gypsy’s,

Chelsea Kester

 

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