Essential oils are like magic in a bottle. Many are far more powerful than we realize, and get way less credit than they deserve. They can be utilized in a wide variety of situations.
Sometimes the stickiest situations happen when we’re out and about, away from the medicine arsenal at home. Don’t let this happen! Carrying a few essential oils in your pocketbook could be one of the best decisions you’ve made.
Here are the top five I couldn’t go without, after a few cautions.
- Be careful to avoid any oils contacting your eyes.
- Some, but not all, essential oils are toxic if taken internally. Eucalyptus, for example.
- You rarely need more than a few drops.
Eucalyptus essential oil
I can’t say how many times my family has used this. During the colds/flu season, it’s been a life-saver for us. It’s one of the most effective oils for treating a runny nose and helps discharge mucus from the respiratory tract. It’s also mentally invigorating and increases alertness, giving you a greater ability to concentrate.
As an anti-inflammatory, it’s helpful in treating arthritis and lower back pain, as well as muscle cramps, spasms, and sprains. Eucalyptus can boost your respiratory and immune system and helps with a whole host of other problems: poor circulation, diarrhea, bursitis, tendinitis, bladder infections, and fungal infections.
It’s also good for a number of skin problems – oily skin, infected pores, and boils to name a few. Its antiseptic properties help to relieve pain, itchiness, and swelling from bug bites and stings, as well as serving as an effective insect repellent.
Oh, and once you’ve smelled eucalyptus, you can’t forget that powerful scent. It’s a fabulous odor remover.
Lavender essential oil
Excellent for PMS cramps and discomfort. Massage a few drops into the abdominal area for some soothing relief.
As a tension reliever, lavender oil can be massaged directly into the neck and shoulder muscles. Its calming properties relieve headaches, hypertension, stress, depression, anxiety and insomnia. It improves memory, circulation, digestion, skin problems, earaches, hair loss, respiratory problems, and a number of women’s health issues.
As an antiseptic and anti-bacterial, lavender can be applied directly to burns and stings, where it will cool the pain. It will also stimulate blood flow to the affected area, which will aid in the healing process.
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Peppermint essential oil
One of the best oils I’ve found for headaches. Just massage a drop into your forehead – being careful to avoid your eyes!!
Peppermint’s powerful scent can act as an effective air deodorizer. It also has an amazing ability to increase alertness to aid with concentration. In small doses, Peppermint has a cooling, soothing effect, and when combined with lavender it can be useful in treating sunburns.
Peppermint is beneficial in treating osteoarthritis, cramps, muscular relaxation & sprains, and lower back pain, thanks to its anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic properties. It aids with digestion, especially helpful in treating irritable bowel syndrome. It’s an anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and an expectorant that is helpful during coughing attacks.
It can also relieve itching from allergies and is frequently used as an insect repellent. As an astringent, peppermint is good for bacterial or viral infections of the mouth, as well as a variety of digestion issues, nausea and diarrhea. Make sure you look up how exactly to use it in this context, though, as some essential oils are toxic if taken internally.
When my dad was struggling with a sports-related knee injury, I had him rub peppermint oil on the inflamed area. He enjoyed the scent and I think the oil brought some relief to his discomfort.
Lemon essential oil
At a picnic and don’t have anything for the kids to wash their hands with? Put a few drops of lemon essential oil in everyone’s palms. It’s a fabulous antibacterial. Lemon works wonders on sore throats, as well as bacterial and viral infections of the mouth and is a great antiseptic for minor cuts and scrapes — including insect bites and stings.
Helps with circulation, respiratory and digestion issues, and is great for relieving headaches. As an antidepressant, it refreshes and stimulates personal well-being, improves mood and emotions, while also improving your memory.
It’s also great for improving nails & cuticles, is an effective hair rinse, and can even help with hair loss and skin problems. Plus, it smells delightfully fresh and clean!
Tea Tree essential oil
Another family favorite. Tea Tree oil has anti-fungal, antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. It’s well-known for curing bacterial and viral infections of the face and mouth, including sore throats, earaches, and acne & blemishes, and works exceptionally well treating oily skin.
It can be used as another insect repellent. Its healing, antibacterial and anti-fungal properties make it a good choice for preventing infection, as well as aiding in decreasing inflammation and killing bacteria.
A powerful antiseptic, tea tree oil is useful in the first-aid treatment of minor cuts and wounds. As a pulmonary antiseptic, Tea Tree is an anti-inflammatory and an expectorant that’s good for the sinuses. It’s especially helpful in relieving coughs, colds & sinus problems.
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With these five oils, you can work wonders. Make sure to keep them safely packaged in your pocketbook to prevent breaks or spills. Consider putting each oil container in a plastic baggie or two for starters, and don’t leave your purse in a hot vehicle for too long.
Enjoy your new portable magic medicine cabinet!
With the exception of Lavender, I was under the impression that these oils needed a base oil before adding it to your skin. I’ve added eucalyptus to a steaming pot, but never directly on skin. Is it safe?
Also, I have never been able to use tea tree directly on my skin – I always burn. Is there an alternative?
Thanks!
Eveyone’s body is a little bit different. If you have more sensitive skin than most then you just dilute with a carrier oil of your choice. While I’m a big fan of doTERRA, just make sure you’re using the high quality essential oils (doTERRA or Young Living) because not all essential oils are created the same. Most, if not all, of the store bought brands specifically tell you not to ingest or apply to skin. 🙂 By the way, I dont even leave the house without these five oils. They’re my favorite ones!!
I purchased mini bottles from Young Living just for a purse sized kit!! I use the eucalyptus just as an inhaler if I am stuffy. I don’t actually use it on my skin. As for tea tree oil, you could add the carrier oil and place in a small bottle to carry around.
I also made a blend similar to Thieves Oil and carry that with me to use if I have a cold or sniffles or if those around me do!!
Lea, What oils do you blend to simulate Thieves? This is one that I use often and in the diffuser.
Try this recipe, http://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/homemade-anti-bacterial-thieves-essential-oil-blend/
Lea – would you be willing to share your “blend similar to Thieves Oil”? I love it, however, it is very pricey. Thank you
s.
Would u mind shearling your blend for thrives, I like it, if there’s a cheaper way too make it I will make it. I buy my oils from OrganicInfusions.com , thank you for your help
Cheryl, the author of this article uses the Thieves oil by Young Living. A couple of sites with recipes for that blend are http://www.smallfootprintfamily.com/how-to-make-thieves-oil-recipe and http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2013/01/diy-thieves-oil-recipe.html I have not made these blends myself, so cannot verify their effectiveness.
I can’t believe someone would post this without recommending the use of a carrier oil. This article is going wild thru Facebook, while people can get serious sensitization and even hospitalization due to the miss use of these oils, specially Eucalyptus and Peppermint. As an aromatherapy teacher for 30 years, I can tell you, you can get some serious injuries with essential oils, due to the purity and highly concentrated plant material in each molecule. Let’s not forget Essential oils “do” penetrate the blood stream and you can seriously hurt someone with these recommendations. Everything you say about them is true, and their therapeutic benefits are incredible, but you “MUST” mix with a carrier oil. I have seen students be stubborn and take oils internally without knowing the dose, and end up in emergency with a hole in their gut, because they thought they knew it all. Also if you have children, use EXTREME CAUTION when using Eucalyptus oil, I can go on, and on about this, and I am honestly surprise Young Living would allow you to advertise their oils in this way. That’s leaving their liability wide open for trouble.
Good input. Thanks.
While i appreciate the possibilities of using eo’s if the shtf, eucalyptus is a no-go for children under 10. High 1,8 cineole content causes respiratory distress in kids. Learn about the oils before recommending them. And a lot of oil companies include the “do not ingest” not because they’re impure, but because mlm’s push internal use so hard (cya is what it comes down to). What better way to make high sales than to tell people to basically drink it so they have to buy more. Check out the Atlantic Institutes report on injuries caused by e.os, most through internal application.
I just want to clear one thing up. Most of the Young Living EO are GRAS which mean Generally Regarded Safe for Consumption by the FDA. However… please respect the oils as they have been used medicinally for eons. Please do your own research and take responsibility for how you use them. They are amazing!
GRAS If you know what you’re doing and you ingest in the proper way. Putting EO in water is Not the proper way to take EO internally, nor is it safe. There’s already a shortage of organ donors for folks living with kidney and liver disease. If folks continue to stubbornly ignore the serious safety issues, UNOS will need to put restrictions in place prohibiting EO ingestors from receiving transplants the way they have restrictions against alcoholics receiving organs. /certified clinical aromatherapist
Lavender is also used for stopping bleeding I have used it and it stops the bleeding.
Also, if you need a carrier oil you can use organic coconut oil warm and add your oil to it it is good also for using if there is a large area and this is what I use and it works for me.
I can’t use lavender, but I love the others. Instead of lavender, I’d carry frankensense. I mix oils with a carrier oil. My choice is olive oil mostly, sometimes coconut oil. I buy little blue glass roller ball bottles that hold about 1-2 oz. I mix recipes for sinus infections, cough/ phlegm, back pain, etc. And carry the bottles in a small cosmetic bag. My individual oils I keep them in a 1/2 oz size bottle in a smaller cosmetic case. Throw in travel bag or whatever. Watch out for heat… it’s your oils enemy.
I’ve never used oils before but extremely interested…sooooo what is the difrence between using doterra/young living verses ordering online from other health sites? Cost? Quality?
Thank you so much for any input!!!! Shelly
I started using essential oils because my daughter has eczema. Store bought lotions burn her skin so I was looking for a solution. I found a recipe for homemade lotion using essential oils. I made this great homemade lotion and tested it on my daughter and it burned her skin just like the store lotions that were full of chemicals. I couldn’t figure out where I went wrong until I studied further and found the essential oils I had used were not 100% pure oil as advertised. I had made a really nice homemade lotion equivalent to the chemical laced store lotion. Upon further study I started using Young Living oils and that made all the difference in the world. Pure oils will cost more than the cheap chemicals that are sold as pure essential oils. For example: it takes 22lbs of rose petals to create one bottle of rose oil. You are not going to get rose oil that is pure for $6.99 at the store if it takes that many petals to create. I would be happy to give you more info at anytime. You can contact me on Facebook at Young RevOILution Living anytime.
I support using essential oils for a chemical-free lifestyle, but they all must have a carrier oil base. Some companies promote their oil as better, yet have no proof. Saying that something is GRAS (generally safe) means nothing to the one in four who are deathly allergic to it.
Lemon oil is an oil that makes people photosensitive. Placing it “neat” on the skin, while outside can cause serious burns.
Oil and water do not mix, no matter what a salesperson says. Internal use may cause death if the person is sensitive enough.
Doctors require years of training and are held to standards of practice. The highest form on this is embodied by the Hippocratic oath that says: “Do no harm.”
Sales persons are held to no such standards. They may mean well, but a short video of how they grow and then distill their own oils does not cut it. Generally safe is not the same as safe.
Essential oils are highly concentrated and should be treated with respect.
Do no harm. A salesperson who had a day or two worth of training in how to sell oils cannot match a certified aromatherapist. Listen to the experts in the field.
Never neat. Never internal.
I just happen to have all of these, yay me!
Great to stick a couple of homeopathic remedies in that purse as well; arnica 30C for pains, bruises, symphytum 30C for broken bones, eye injuries, apis 30C for insect stings, chamomile for crabby teething babies; just take a couple pellets under your tongue and see if it helps. No bad reactions. Lots more; look up online.
Essential oils, herbs, spices, teas and stimulants are just like any other over-the-counter drug or chemical. They harm the natural response of your digestion, immune system and organs.
Stop innundating your body with foreign substances. Your body knows best how to heal itself and stay healthy.
Just eat plain fruits, veggies, whole grains and water. Nothing more. You’ll be surprised at how much better you’ll feel!