Ah, essential oils. There are many ways to incorporate them into your life, but we’ve narrowed it down to 101 essential oil uses to get you started! These tips and DIY hacks will save you lots of money, and the bonus recipes are super easy to make. Happy oiling!
Table of Contents
- 25 Essential Oil Uses for Freshening Up
- Homemade Laundry Soap Recipe
- 25 Essential Oil Uses for Cleaning
- Floor Cleaner Recipe
- 25 Essential Oil Uses for Pampering
- Non-Toxic Lip Balm Recipe
- 26 Essential Oil Uses for Health
- Sunburn Soother Spray
25 Essential Oil Uses For Freshening Up
Lemon, lavender, and peppermint are easily three of the most popular essential oils. They’re also some of the most cost-effective EOs! Aside from some caution against using peppermint directly on small children, all three of these oils are incredibly safe and effective for most people. If you’re new to the world of essential oils, I recommend starting with these and trying a few ideas on this list!
1. Add 5-7 drops of lavender to an alcohol or vinegar spray to refresh linens and create a relaxing bedtime ambiance.
2. Put a couple of drops of lavender essential oil or lemon on a cloth in your closet to remove stale odors.
3. Make a lavender spritz for little ones to spray the “monsters” away at bedtime – they’ll be relaxed and ready to snooze!
4. Freshen up an old mattress with a lavender-peppermint or lemon spray. You can also add the oils to baking soda and sprinkle it on the bed before adding sheets.
5. Sprinkle 1-2 drops of lemon essential oil in your washer before adding towels. No more stale smell!
6. Add lemon or peppermint to baking soda and sprinkle in stinky shoes.
7. Wash sporting gear or sprinkle it with baking soda and a lemon peppermint mix to kick that sweaty athlete smell to the curb.
8. Remove cigarette smoke odors with a diluted alcohol or vinegar-based spray enhanced with lemon and peppermint.
9. Clean pet stains with Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap and lemon essential oil. Add water to create a spray that freshens up pet beds!
10. Put 1-2 drops of lavender and lemon in a simmering pot on the stove after dinner to cut the heavy cooking smell. Perfect after cooking something with a lot of spice!
11. Pour a few drops into the bag of your vacuum cleaner for a fresh scent throughout the house.
12. Add essential oils to baking soda and sprinkle on the carpet before vacuuming.
13. Add a few drops to no-additive unscented laundry soap. This creates a custom scent with no synthetic fragrances!
14. Use a drop of lemon as a spot treatment to cut grease and lift stains – especially effective with peroxide!
15. Put a few drops of lemon in ¼ cup vinegar, then place in the washer with clothes you forgot to switch. Mildew, be gone!
16. Add a couple of drops of peppermint or lemon to a gallon of paint to help disperse the chemical fumes.
17. Drop some lemon or peppermint onto sponges or washcloths and run them through the dishwasher for heavy sanitization and refreshment.
18. Put a drop in the inside of the toilet paper roll for a boost of scent every time the roll turns!
19. Brighten potpourri by sprinkling a few drops of your favorite oils onto it to avoid artificial air fresheners.
20. Coat unscented incense sticks in several drops of essential oils and dry for a full day before using.
21. Create a diluted vinegar, witch hazel, or alcohol-based spray with your favorite scented essential oils, then spritz into the potty before use for direct odor control!
22. Combine 10-15 drops of lavender and lemon essential oil with baking soda and sprinkle into the bottom of the diaper pail.
23. Lemon and peppermint combined with baking soda sprinkled into the trash can before the bag goes in will keep trash odors at bay.
24. Freshen the car even if you don’t have a car diffuser – just add a drop or two to a central air vent for a circulated aroma! This is a wonderful hack to calm kids!
25. For more specific car use, choose lavender and bergamot to calm traffic anxiety or peppermint and ginger to minimize car sickness.
Homemade Laundry Soap Recipe
- ½ barDr. Bronner's unscented soap
- 1 gallon + 5 cups purified or distilled water, plus more to top off the jars
- ¾ cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda Detergent Booster
- ¾ cup OxiClean Laundry Baby Stain Soaker
- Bottle of citrus essential oil (lemon, grapefruit, bergamot, orange)
- Supplies:
- Large pot
- 3 gallon-sized glass jars
- Grate the bar of soap over a large pot on low heat – you can split it into two batches if you don't have a large enough pot.
- Add 5 cups of water
- Turn the heat up to medium-high, stir until dissolved.
- Add the washing soda and stain remover. Heat until ingredients are dissolved.
- Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes before moving to the next step.
- Pour 4 cups of hot water into each of the 3 jars.
- Evenly distribute the soap mixture between the jars, then add 40 drops of citrus essential oils to each jar.
- Stir until the ingredients are well-combined.
- Top each jar off with cool water, replace the lid, and let thicken overnight.
- To use, stir the solution, then add ¼-1/2 cup to your washing machine.
25 Essential Oil Uses for Cleaning
26. Add lemon essential oil to a combination of baking soda, 1-2 teaspoons of dish soap, and a dash of vinegar for grout cleaning.
27. Lemon, lavender, and peppermint blend well with tea tree for a disinfecting spray or air-cleaning diffusion.
28. Mix all-natural dish or Castile soap with water and lemon into a squeeze-top bottle; squeeze into the inner rim of toilets and scrub.
29. Add lemon and peppermint to your baking soda, soap, and vinegar grout cleaning solution for a non-toxic shower scrub.
30. Skip the scrub altogether with a daily shower spray! Add vinegar, a squirt of castile soap, and your favorite essential oils to a spray bottle. Use daily after showering.
31. Combine a gallon of hot water with ¼ cup castile soap and a total of 40-60 drops of any combination of essential oils – lemon and lavender work well here – to clean the floors.
32. Wash windows with vinegar and water boosted with peppermint and lemon. (See our favorite essential oil-powered glass cleaner.)
33. Dishes get an extra boost with a drop of lemon in the dishwater or dishwasher soap compartment.
34. Use a few drops of lemon oil on a rag for polishing silverware.
35. Take dusting to the next level with a drop of essential oil on the rag.
36. Refresh old wooden surfaces with lemon oil.
37. Wipe down sinks and surfaces with a dash of diluted vinegar or alcohol-based spray brightened with antiviral lemon and antibacterial lavender.
38. Clean the fridge with a few drops of lemon and lavender added to some vinegar, water, and a dash of all-natural dish soap.
39. You can mix all-purpose cleaners so they’re ready to go – try combining all three (lavender, lemon, peppermint) with a bit of dish soap, vinegar, or alcohol, and water as an all-purpose disinfectant cleaner.
40. Cut grease by adding lemon oil to your unscented dish soap.
41. Burned pan? Add some lemon oil to a bit of water and boil to loosen the burnt residue.
42. Bugs don’t like peppermint – spritz it on them directly or add to baking soda and sprinkle it around bug entrances.
43. Clean cutting boards with lemon and lavender to stop the spread of food-borne illness.
44. Sticky surface? Soak a rag in water and add a bit of soap and lemon oil – lay it over the sticky spot, then wipe it up a few minutes later.
45. Put some baking soda and a combination of lemon, lavender, and peppermint into a mason jar with holes in the lid. Set in the bathroom and shake periodically to reboot its air freshening power.
46. Polish scuffed surfaces with a rag and a bit of lemon oil.
47. Make your hand soap extra fancy with a few drops of lemon and lavender mixed in. To really elevate your solution, use a foaming pump!
48. Spritz cut produce with diluted lemon oil to minimize browning.
49. The best cleaning tool is good old-fashioned motivation – diffuse peppermint for a stimulating energy boost to get you going.
50. Clean stainless steel with lemon or peppermint and a dash of soap mixed into the water.
Floor Cleaner Recipe
- ¼ cup Dr. Bronner's liquid castile soap
- ¼ cup Murphy's oil soap
- 25-30 drops lavender or lemon essential oil
- 1 gallon hot distilled water
- Supplies:
- Large bucket
- Mop
- Mix the soaps and essential oils in a large bucket.
- Pour in hot water and gently stir.
- Use as you would any other floor cleaning solution.
25 Essential Oil Uses for Pampering
51. Add a drop of peppermint to all-natural toothpaste.
52. Make your own mouthwash with a diluted alcohol base and oils like peppermint, clove, and myrrh.
53. Shampoo is transformed with just a few drops of peppermint or lavender shaken into the whole bottle.
54. Make DIY deodorant with baking soda, cornstarch, coconut oil, and your favorite combination of oils.
55. The most basic, frugal lotion is simply coconut oil scented with a bit of lavender oil.
56. Acne doesn’t stand a chance against antibacterial lavender oil. Apply a drop neat or slightly diluted to a cotton ball and swab affected areas.
57. You can’t beat sugar scrubs made with lemon, lavender, or peppermint. They also make great gifts!
58. Make a soothing facial mask with honey and lavender oil.
59. Rebalance the skin’s pH with a witch hazel, lavender, and peppermint toner.
60. Soothe tired feet by diluting peppermint and lemon into an evening foot soak.
61. Dilute lavender into an Epsom salt mixture for a calming bath.
62. When showering, put a few drops of peppermint on a rag in the bottom of the shower. The steam will create an energizing aromatherapy experience.
63. Melt a bit of beeswax into your coconut oil and lavender mix for an all-purpose soothing balm.
64. Massage your aches and pains away; dilute peppermint or lavender into the carrier oil of your choice.
65. Add a bowl of water and essential oils to a sauna to maximize their respective benefits.
66. A vinegar rinse is excellent for conditioning your hair but smells like a pickle jar. Add some lemon and lavender to freshen it up.
67. Fix cracked feet with an overnight application of lavender and coconut oil.
68. Settle into a refreshing night of sleep with lavender diffused at your bedside.
69. Create a simple perfume with your favorite oils diluted into a carrier and poured into a rollerball.
70. Beat dandruff with a few drops of lavender and a couple of drops of tea tree added to shampoo.
71. Whiten teeth periodically with the odd but effective combination of lemon and fresh, mashed strawberries mixed with coconut oil. Rub onto teeth, let sit for a couple of minutes, then rinse off.
72. Add your favorite essential oils to a small amount of alcohol or witch hazel in a spritz bottle, topped off with water for a custom body spray.
73. A small spritz bottle of peppermint essential oil in alcohol and water makes a quick and easy breath spray.
74. Peppermint and lavender in coconut oil relieve tension, especially massaged onto the temples for headaches.
75. Diffuse peppermint and lemon before and during exercise routines for energy and endurance.
Non-Toxic Lip Balm Recipe
- 4 tablespoons coconut oilor Mama Z's oil base
- 2 tablespoons beeswax
- 5-10 drops lavender essential oil
- 5-10 drops lemon or peppermint essential oil
- Supplies:
- Double boiler or glass jar
- Lipbalm tubesor salve tins
- Fill a saucepan with 1-2 inches of water and place over medium-low heat.
- Place the coconut oil and beeswax in a double boiler or glass jar. Set in the saucepan.
- Melt the ingredients, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and stir in the essential oils.
- Pour into lip balm tubes or salve tins.
- Use as you would any other lip balm.
26 Essential Oil Uses for Health
76. Soothe mild burns with lavender and coconut oil.
77. Anti-inflammatory lavender and cooling peppermint are necessary for any balm made for soothing sores.
78. A drop of lavender directly on bug bites can soothe itching.
79. Inhale or massage diluted peppermint oil for headache relief.
80. Include lavender in massage oil blends to help relieve body aches.
81. Breathe clear with peppermint added to aromatic chest rub formulas.
82. Or, simply place a drop each of lavender, lemon, and peppermint into a bowl of steaming water. Lean over it and breathe deep.
83. Improve digestion with a drop of peppermint or lavender diluted into honey and added to your favorite drinks.
84. Inhale peppermint to relieve acute bouts of nausea.
85. Soothe psoriasis, eczema, and other inflammatory skin conditions with lavender preparations.
86. Calm inflamed sunburns with an aloe vera, lavender, and peppermint spray.
87. Diffuse or inhale lavender to lessen the severity of anxiety.
88. Find a boost of energy with stimulating lemon and peppermint diffusions.
89. Melt the stress away with lavender rubbed onto temples and neck.
90. Cleanse the air with antiviral lemon and antibacterial lavender diffused.
91. Help curb cravings and appetite with peppermint diffused between meals.
92. Improve focus and calm anxious minds by diffusing lavender during study times.
93. Dilute peppermint onto a rag soaked in cool water and sponge onto the neck and back of someone feverish. (Head to the doctor if it gets too high!)
94. Keep lemon and peppermint on hand to inhale when morning sickness takes over.
95. Add lavender to compresses for an added anti-inflammatory effect.
96. Make a gentle spray of lavender and water to ease kids’ minds that you can take care of boo-boos when they’re too old for magic kisses but too young to shake it off. (Do shake the bottle, however!)
97. Add some diluted peppermint to your clove-based toothache remedy and apply with a cotton ball or swab.
98. A drop of peppermint and lemon mixed into a spoon of honey can soothe a painful sore throat.
99. Massage diluted lavender oil around lymph glands and ears to help ease discomfort and promote drainage for ear infections.
100. Put a drop or two of lavender into your humidifier per the manufacturer’s instructions for a quick, multi-purpose diffuser.
101. Cold sores are soothed with a drop of lavender applied with a cotton ball or swab.
Sunburn Soother Spray
- ½ cup distilled water
- ⅓ cup aloe vera gel
- 10 drops lavender essential oil
- 5 drops peppermint essential oil
- Supplies:
- Glass spray bottle
- Place the water, aloe vera gel, and essential oils in a glass spray bottle.
- Replace the lid and gently spray to mix.
- To use, apply to sunburnt skin.
