Hello lovelies!

Happy November! I thought I’d kick things off by showing you what essential oils I have in my collection. I don’t use every oil every day of course, but I have used almost every oil in my stash.

The majority of my oils are from Edens Garden.  Edens Garden is an extremely affordable line available on Amazon that offers high quality 100% pure therapeutic grade essential oils. I plan to purchase more essential oils online very soon and will most likely stick with Edens Gardens and DoTERRA. If you know of any other high quality affordable brands, please let me know in the comments section!

I have 21 single oils, 4 Edens Garden blends, and 3 sample-sized DoTERRA blends.

Single Oils

Anise Star – Anise smells like licorice and is used to balance and uplift.

Camphor – Camphor protects against moths and other bugs, but is also great for relieving muscle tension and inflammation. It’s mostly known for its effect on breathing. I like to add a drop of camphor or eucalyptus oil to cotton balls soaked in jojoba oil and stick them up my nose when I have nasal congestion. Don’t knock it ’til you try it.

Cedarwood Atlas – You can bring the outdoors inside with Cedarwood Atlas. This oil is helpful during meditation, and does indeed smell like cedar. I love it.

Cinnamon Leaf – Add a drop or two of cinnamon leaf with peppermint oil to your toothpaste, or diffuse it around the holidays for a spicy, woodsy scent.

Clove  has a spicy Chai latte gingerbread kinda vibe, and is really beneficial for the skin when used topically.

Cypress – Cypress also has a woodsy scent, and opens the lungs. This oil is really great for oily skin and balances sebum production, so I like to add a few drops to my face masks or scrubs.

Grapefruit – I like to add a few drops of grapefruit to my water as a natural flavor enhancer. It’s also a great beautifying oil to add to massage oil recipes.

Jasmine – Jasmine is my favorite oil in my entire collection. I use it in baths, foot soaks, massage blends and as a perfume. It just has such a feminine, floral scent, is wonderful for inflamed skin, and plays nicely with other oils. I have the NOW brand of Jasmine but will be switching to Edens Garden once I run out.

Lavender – Lavender seems to be the gateway oil for anyone interested in essential oils, and it was definitely mine. I still use it regularly in baths and foot soaks, and in homemade perfumes. The floral scent is really calming, and it has tons of medicinal and therapeutic benefits as well. I encourage you to read up on it.

Lemongrass – Lemongrass is a great addition to baths to calm your mind and improve mental clarity. The lemony scent is nice for cleaning as well. Certain oils trigger my allergies and lemongrass is one of them, so I usually reach for other oils.

Patchouli – Patchouli has a very strong musky almost funky scent, but when combined with the right oils in the right way, is a really great addition to body butters, shampoos, or recipes for problem skin.

Peppermint – I use peppermint as a digestive aid, and also as a natural flavor enhancer for water or toothpaste.

Pine – I have it, but I don’t use it, because the smell of pine is too overpowering for me. This is another woodsy-scented oil that helps clear the sinuses and lungs, and a lot of folks like it. Me — not so much.

Rosemary – Rosemary and lavender were both my ride-or-die oils when I first entered the world of green beauty. Rosemary is an extremely beneficial oil for oily skin and dandruff, so I used it a lot in my skincare and shampoo recipes. Many of my skincare problems have cleared since cutting back on meat and dairy, so I reach for this less and less. The scent of rosemary is pretty strong, which a lot of people aren’t crazy about, and to me is like the less obnoxious but still kind of obnoxious version of pine.

Spearmint – Spearmint is a nice addition to toothpaste, and is really relaxing when diffused. Peppermint is a bold, strong, uplifting mint that calls the shots, while spearmint is like a shy, sweet mint that just wants to play with you or help you.

Sweet Orange – I use Sweet Orange for its antidepressant and stimulating properties. The smell of oranges just makes me smile.

Tangerine – I use Tangerine for the same reasons I use Sweet Orange, but I find Tangerine to be a bit more calming. Sweet Orange is more of a morning pick-me-up kind of oil whereas Tangerine is like a long hug kind of oil. Ya feels me?

Vanilla – Vanilla seems to be one of those love it or hate it scents, and I both love it and hate it depending on my mood. Sometimes I find it warm and comforting like a hayride in the fall, and other times I find the scent annoying and childish and cliche. We’re working on our relationship, so just give us time, ok?

White Fir – I couldn’t find White Fir on Amazon, but I linked Silver Fir, which isn’t from the same fir species but behaves similarly. I have yet to use this oil, but the consensus online seems to be that it smells like Christmas trees so you can’t really go wrong with that.

Ylang Ylang – Ylang Ylang is beneficial for lowering blood pressure and relieving stress and anxiety. It is also great for balancing the skin’s oil, which was my reason for purchasing it. I haven’t used this yet, but you can expect to see this oil in a DIY recipe very soon.

Edens Garden Blends

6 Synergy Sampler Pack

Top 6 Synergy & Top 6 Essential Oils Pack

Aphrodisiac – The Aphrodisiac blend was 1/6 of a sampler pack I purchased for under $40 (linked above). I gifted Anxiety Ease, Breathe Easier, Meditation, Simply Citrus and Spring Garden, but I still have Aphrodisiac. Romantic vibes, for sure.

Hope – I like to add Hope to my diffuser in the mornings, or whenever I’m feeling low, and I use Purify as a disinfectant and odor neutralizer in the bathroom.

Sunshine Spice is a blend of Balsam, Camphor, Cinnamon Bark, Cinnamon Leaf, Eucalyptus and Sweet Orange, and has a citrusy, spicy scent.

DoTERRA Sample Blends

Breathe – Breathe by DoTERRA is a cooling respiratory blend of laurel leaf, peppermint, eucalyptus, melaleuca (tea tree), lemon, and ravensara that you can apply to your chest. A beneficial oil to have during cold and flu season, for sure. Folks with COPD have reviewed this blend highly online.

DigestZen – DigestZen is a blend of ginger, peppermint, coriander and anise, and soothes upset stomach and helps reduce bloating, gas and indigestion. DoTERRA is therapeutic grade as well, so I’m able to add a few drops to water and take internally. You can also place a few drops directly in your belly button, which is pretty cool.

OnGuard – The DoTERRA On Guard Protective Blend is an energizing blend of Wild Orange Peel, Clove Bud, Cinnamon Leaf, Cinnamon Bark, Eucalyptus Leaf, and Rosemary essential oils and supports a healthy immune system by strengthening your body’s natural antioxidant functions. I’ve never used On Guard, but some folks like to add a few drops to water and gargle with it in the morning.

Have fun!

Please don’t feel like you need to be an expert to begin using essential oils in your health and beauty routines, but please don’t use them willy nilly either. When you distill plants down to their essential oils, you are left with a very potent substance that can burn your skin, cause bodily harm or kill you if used improperly.

We essential oil lovers hold this truth to be self-evident: that all essential oils are not created equal — so please be sure whatever brand you go with has high standards when it comes to purity and potency. Please be sure you are purchasing certified therapeutic grade essential oils if you plan to ingest them (and still use caution), and do not create your own recipes without a solid understanding of each oil’s properties. I use essential oils daily, but after many years I still rely on essential oil recipe books to guide me.

Any Suggestions?

Are there any essential oils you consider must-haves that my collection is lacking? Do tell! I have a long list of oils I’d like to purchase, so I’m sure I’ll need to upload an updated essential oil collection video in the next 6-12 months. In the meantime, if you’d like to see a DIY recipe video using any of these oils, let me know in the comments section and I’ll add you to my content schedule. Let me know your essential oil favorites and how you use them. I’m always looking for an excuse to go shopping.

Be well. 

Candace Alike Smith is a Las Vegas-based content creator, womb warrior, and matcha enthusiast. Candace founded this site in 2015 to help women of color reclaim their vitality. Follow Candace’s content on holistic beauty, mental wellness, herbs and essential oils, non-toxic products, healthy libations, wellness travel, and self-reflection. Green is her happy color.

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