Our Favourite Essential Oils and Their Uses

From supporting better sleep patterns to helping you maintain cleaning routines around the home, you can usually find an aromatherapy oil that fits the bill.

The benefits of essential oils go beyond their wonderful scents, with people making the most of their natural properties to enhance their day-to-day activities.

We’ve handpicked four of our favourite oils to highlight their potential and give you some insight into how they could be beneficial.

What is an essential oil?

Essential oils are natural extracts from plants, flowers and fruits that contain a variety of compound properties.

They are often used as an aromatherapy oil to help the management of stress and anxiety, whilst scientific research continues to uncover new ways in which the natural compounds contained in the oils could prove beneficial for our health.

What essential oils are good for sleep?

Insomnia affects approximately 10% of the population, making it a condition that causes thousands of people to struggle with their sleep every night. [1]

However, not everyone is a fan of taking sleeping tablets so instead turn to natural oil alternatives like lavender.

It is believed that using lavender for sleep can help to calm anxiety and promote relaxation.

Depending on your situation, using the oil could make it easier to relax and drift off to sleep.

This could be due to the presence of linalool, which some research suggests could produce sedative-like effects. [2]

Some ideas on how to use lavender essential oil for sleep:

• Add a few drops to a diffuser and let the scent fill your bedroom a couple of hours before you go to bed.
• Place a couple of drops of lavender onto your pillow so you naturally inhale the aroma once you lay down.
• You can also mix lavender oil with your bath water (be sure to dilute it with a carrier oil) to enhance the calming effect of a long, leisurely soak.

Other oils you could try to improve your sleep include clary sage, sandalwood and chamomile.

What essential oils are good for boosting energy?

There are times when we all need a little energy lift, be it due to mental or physical fatigue.

Reaching for a quick-fix sugar boost can be tempting, although it only ever offers a short-term solution.

For those in search of a more natural and sustainable alternative, bergamot essential oil could be worth a try.

People often use bergamot for energy lifts because the oil is extracted from the bergamot fruit, which is part of the citrus family.

The bright, uplifting scent of these fruits can have a transformative effect and help you to overcome fatigue and drowsiness.

One animal study even found that bergamot extract lifted glucose levels and improved lipid metabolism (the latter being crucial for energy storage), whilst also reducing inflammation. [3]

To boost energy levels with bergamot essential oil you could try:

• Adding bergamot oil to a candle to inject its uplifting scent into the room or using it in a diffuser of choice.
• Dabbing a few drops of the oil onto a handkerchief or tissue and inhaling as and when needed, which allows you to enjoy its scent no matter where you are.
• Blending with a carrier oil of choice and massaging into your skin, which can have an invigorating effect, especially if you are feeling tired.

Peppermint, orange and most citrus oils may also be worth trying if you need to give yourself and energy lift.

What essential oils are good for hair care?

There is huge variety of products that promise to improve the condition of our hair. One ingredient that is often included in commercial brands, but is often overlooked, is rosemary which usually appears in natural oil, extract, or water form.

Research has found that rosemary oil contains antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which could prove useful when it comes to hair and scalp maintenance. [4] 

There is even a school of thought that it could be effective in the fight against hair loss, although more extensive research is needed to understand its effects. [5]

Some of the ways you can use rosemary for hair include:

• Rosemary essential oil is believed to work well as part of a natural hair mask recipe. Once applied, let it soak into your hair for 15-20 minutes before washing out.
• You can mix the oil directly into your favourite shampoos and conditioners. You’ll only need a few drops, and you can use the product as normal.
• Mix rosemary with a carrier oil of choice and massage directly into your hair. Leave it in for 5-10 minutes before washing out with warm water.

Some people also turn to lavender, cedarwood and thyme oil in the belief it can improve the length and condition of their hair.

What essential oils are good for cleaning?

The thought of spraying cleaning products that contain ammonia or bleach around the home doesn’t appeal to everyone.

Lemon essential oil offers a potentially effective natural alternative, whilst also leaving behind a pleasant scent that isn’t artificial.

The presence of limonene and b-pinene compounds in the oil work to disinfect bacteria, pathogens, fungi and other harmful pathogens that build up around the home.

Research has highlighted that both these compounds can work to disintegrate bacteria at cell level, making it ideal to use lemon for cleaning. [6]

Here are a few methods you can try to keep you home looking and smelling great:

• Mix white vinegar, distilled water and lemon essential oil in a glass spray bottle and spritz around the bathroom and kitchen and leave for a few minutes before scrubbing.
• For more stubborn stains, mix the lemon aromatherapy oil with citric acid and hot water inside a plastic tub and clean using soft cotton cloths.
• Lemon essential oil can also be used for polishing wood. Blend with white vinegar and castor oil inside a glass bottle, spray onto the target area and wipe in to clean and shine.

If you are not a fan of the scent of lemon, peppermint, tea tree or eucalyptus also contain antimicrobial properties that can be useful for cleaning.

Final thoughts

Although this is just a bitesize selection of essential oils, it should give you a better idea of their benefits and uses.

Lavender is the standout oil for improving sleep, whilst bergamot oil might be what you need to give you an energy boost. 

Give rosemary oil a try if you want to nourish your hair and if you are looking for a natural cleaning alternative, you may find that lemon oil can work for you.

And remember, when using a new essential oil for the first time, it is recommended that you first carry out a patch test to ensure it is compatible with your skin.