Want to build your own essential oils stockpile so you can make all those fabulous bath salts, sugar scrubs, & home remedies that you see on Pinterest? While there are hundreds (if not thousands) of different EOs out there, these are the top 20 that you’ll want to keep with your natural health & beauty supplies!

Want to build your own essential oils stockpile so you can make all those fabulous bath salts, sugar scrubs, & home remedies that you see on Pinterest? While there are hundreds (if not thousands) of different EOs out there, these are the top 20 that you'll want to keep with your natural health & beauty supplies!

I love essential oils. I’ve been using them in my daily health & beauty routine since I was a teenager. Not to date myself (or sound pretentious), but I started making my own bath salts long before Pinterest was just a gleam in its developer’s eyes. 😀

Years ago, before we moved and my mom was still making soap, we had an entire 4-foot-tall cabinet filled to the brim with essential oils (and fragrance oils, but those are NOT the same thing). Unfortunately, we somehow ended up losing most of them in the move. Life got busy, money got tight, and for a long time I didn’t even bother trying to replace them.

Then, a couple of years ago, I noticed that while my son was reacting badly to most commercial bath additions (like salts, bubbles, etc). I was also tired of spending $5 on a little jar of salts when I knew I could make a gallon of salts for the same price! I slowly started rebuilding my stockpile, adding a few here, a few there, starting with these top 20 essential oils.

 

Top 20 Essential Oils and What They Are Used For

Heads up, this post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I earn a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Please, please, please use common sense when using essential oils.

  • Don’t apply directly to the skin (unless it’s lavender or tea tree, in which case you can with caution)
  • Don’t drink them (you can use some as a mouthwash, but please dilute first)
  • Don’t apply to open wounds.

Learn how to use home and natural remedies safely to avoid catastrophe. None of this is meant to be taken as medical advice. I am not a substitute for your doctor. 

Now that we cleared all that up, let’s talk about my favorite essential oils that everyone should have! The “buy links” will take you directly to my favorite brand for each one. I use ArtNaturals for most, then a few sources on Amazon for others. For the ArtNaturals links, they’ll take you to the larger size bottles, but just about all of the oils also have a smaller 5ml size, most of which are $4.

10 Essential Oils to Buy Right Now

Let’s start with my top 10 that every home should have! These are the oils that I use most often.

1. Lavender

lavender

Lavender oil is one of the most popular essential oils, and for a good reason! It’s chock full of great benefits!

Benefits of Lavender Essential Oil:

  • Helps create a relaxing sleep environment.
  • Soothes the skin.
  • One of the very, very few EOs that can be applied directly without a carrier oil.
  • Helps relieve anxiety and stress. 
Buy Lavender Oil Here

 

2. Peppermint

Greenhouse Peppermint

Peppermint oil is probably the one oil that I couldn’t live without. I use it every single day to help clear out the cobwebs in my brain and soothe my tension headaches. If I could, I’d wear a little bag around my neck filled with peppermint, and just sniff it all day long! I’d look kind of silly, though!

Benefits of Peppermint Oil

  • Soothes sore muscles
  • Helps banish “brain fog”
  • Relives headaches
  • Deters ants when sprinkled around doors and windows
Buy Peppermint Oil Here!

 

3. Chamomile

Chamomile

While chamomile essential oil is probably the most expensive in the top 10 section, it’s worth it if you have eczema or other skin conditions. There are two different types: Roman and German. Roman chamomile is typically considered more gentle than German chamomile, making it great for DIY diaper rash ointment or baby baths.

Benefits of Roman Chamomile:

  • Soothes eczema and other skin conditions
  • Relieves PMS
  • Helps relieve allergy symptoms
Buy Chamomile Oil Here

4. Lemon

Lemon

There’s a reason why so many  cleaning products smell like lemon: the fruit invokes a sense of freshness that we associate with a clean home. Lemon essential oil is also one of the top essential oils for acne treatment and boosting your mood.

Benefits of Lemon Oil:

  • Boosts your mood
  • It’s a great antibacterial and anti-fungal oil
  • Relieves migraines
  • Helps clear up acne
Buy Lemon Oil

5. Tea Tree Oil

tea-tree flower buds

Tea tree oil is  one of my favorite essential oils for skin healing. It’s also great to have on hand for adding to vinegar and using the mixture to clean your home. It is antiviral, anti-fungal, antiseptic and antibiotic. It’s also one of the other few oils that can be applied “neat” to your skin, however do a spot-test first because not everyone can tolerate it.

Benefits of Tea Tree Oil:

  • Helps clear up athletes foot and other fungal skin issues
  • Good for getting rid of dandruff & dry scalp
  • Soothes cold symptoms, especially when used in a bath salt recipe!
  • May help clear up warts
Get Tea Tree Here

6. Eucalyptus

 058 eucalyptus

Eucalyptus is a great oil to keep on hand in the winter, but it does come with some warnings. NEVER apply it without diluting it. Don’t use it if you have epilepsy or high blood pressure. While it can help soothe a headache in moderation, too much of it can actually give you a headache.

Benefits of Eucalyptus oil:

  • Helps support respiratory health
  • Soothes muscle aches
  • Helps clear brain fog & improves focus
Buy Eucalyptus Here

7. Frankincense

Another Bag of Frankincense

Frankincense oil is great for the skin, and often used in homemade anti-aging facial creams.

Benefits of Frankincense Oil:

  • Calms an anxious mind
  • Ease nightmares
  • Rejuvenate aging or dull skin (use in a base cream or moisturizer)
Buy it Here

8. Rosemary

rosemary

While Rosemary oilTop 20 Essential Oils to Keep in Your Natural Health & Beauty Stockpile is probably most popular as a hair growth oil, I love using it for soothing aching muscles.

Benefits of Rosemary:

  • Relieves headaches
  • Stimulates the scalp
  • Helps promote clearer thinking (clears brain fog)
  • Relieves cramps when used in a massage oil
Get Rosemary Oil Here

 

9. Ginger

root

For people like me who live with constant nausea, gingerTop 20 Essential Oils to Keep in Your Natural Health & Beauty Stockpile is definitely a must-have. You could say it’s an essential essential oil!

Benefits of Ginger:

  • Eases nausea (put a drop on a tissue and inhale the aroma
  • Soothes muscle aches
  • Stimulates the libido!
  • Helps relieve fatigue
Buy Ginger Oil Here

 

10. Sweet Orange

Orange

One of my favorite scents in the world, Sweet Orange is great to have on hand for uplifting bath salt recipes.

Benefits of Sweet Orange Oil:

  • Helps relieve stress
  • Supports collagen production when used in a cream
  • May relieve congestion (use it in a bath or massage oil)
  • Also great for DIY cleaning products!
Buy Sweet Orange Oil

10 more essential oils to buy ASAP

These are the ten that you should absolutely buy, but after you’ve built your “basics” stash.

  • 11. Lemongrass– Lemongrass oil is a common insect repellent, and can also help with digestive issues.
  • 12. Ylang ylangTop 20 Essential Oils to Keep in Your Natural Health & Beauty Stockpile-Ylang ylang oil has a beautiful smell and is often used as a natural perfume. It also benefits relaxation and healthy skin.
  • 13. Lime– Lime oil is beneficial to diffuse when you need to stay alert. It can be added to shampoo to prevent scalp issues such as lice.
  • 14. CloveTop 20 Essential Oils to Keep in Your Natural Health & Beauty Stockpile Clove oil has antiseptic properties and can be used to relieve tooth pain while you are waiting for an emergency dentist appointment.
  • 15. Bergamot  Bergamot oil is great for lifting the mood and helping relieve stress. It can cause increased sun sensitivity, though, so use with caution.
  • 16. Rosehip Rosehip oil is a great one to use in DIY face creams, as it helps moisturize and soothe dry skin.
  • 17. ThymeTop 20 Essential Oils to Keep in Your Natural Health & Beauty Stockpile– Thyme oil is used for respiratory health and is antibacterial, which makes it great for use when fighting illness or cleaning the kitchen.
  • 18. Grapefruit– Grapefruit oil is a detoxifier and can be diluted and applied to cellulite-laden areas of the body to help release toxins from fat cells.
  • 19. MyrrhTop 20 Essential Oils to Keep in Your Natural Health & Beauty Stockpile– Myrrh oil is great for skin health and also fights and protects against parasites when ingested.
  • 20. GeraniumTop 20 Essential Oils to Keep in Your Natural Health & Beauty Stockpile-Geranium oil is great for the skin and also helps balance hormones.

 

If you could only purchase twenty essential oils, these would be the ones you should invest in. They promote health, cleanliness and work together to cover a great variety of everyday needs. Start with a few, and build your collection as you find yourself using them more and more.

Can you think of any other “essential” essential oils to add to this list? Which ones do you use most?