With so many essential oils to choose from, it can sometimes be difficult to know where to start when it comes to using them. Diffusing is a great way to enjoy the many benefits essential oils have to offer – not only can you enjoy the beautiful aromas of the oils, but also their many therapeutic advantages.
Regardless of your personal favourites, below I have listed the 5 best essential oils for diffuser use. With these 5 you can be guaranteed of having something to help with anything – respiratory problems, mood enhancement, antiviral, antifungal, antiseptic and so much more.
Each of these oils can be used alone, or in combination with the others. This gives you plenty of options to achieve the desired result while having fun experimenting.
Lavender
Lavender is not called the swiss army knife of essential oils for nothing. It truly is the first oil that should be included in any collection, so if you only want to buy one, make sure it is lavender. It is the best oil for a diffuser, either alone or in a blend.
When diffused, lavender has a calming, relaxing and balancing effect on the emotions. It can be used to help irritability, insomnia, nightmares, stress, nervous tension, hysteria and is generally balancing to the psyche and the body. This makes it perfect for any stressful situation and in bedrooms.
The beautiful fragrance of lavender is another big benefit of diffusion. But not only does it smell good, lavender will get to work by repelling viruses and bacteria. It also creates an unfriendly environment for microbes while cleansing both the air and body of toxins.
Lavender is a universal oil and can be blended with most oils, especially citrus oils.
Eucalyptus
Renowned for helping with respiratory ailments, eucalyptus is another must have essential oil for a diffuser. It works as a decongestant and helps breakdown mucus when coughs and colds are around. Snoring is another condition it can help with.
Highly antiseptic, while also being very affordable, eucalyptus is one of the strongest essential oils to fight viral infections like flu and chicken pox. For general well being, it also boosts the body’s immune system. So, when sickness is around, this is the oil for your diffuser.
The fragrance of eucalyptus is sharp and camphorlike. It can be quite strong so sometimes it is best blended with another oil, such as lavender or lemon to reduce the powerful odor.
Another use for eucalyptus in the diffuser is to repel mosquitoes and other insects. Use alone or with lavender, lemon or tea tree oil for a great smelling repellent.
Lemon
Lemon is top of the list for fighting viruses and bacteria as it is a powerful air disinfectant. If illness is present, diffusing lemon oil will help to kill germs and purify the air.
Plus, it has the huge bonus of making house smell wonderful and clean.
Aromatically lemon essential oil promotes health, healing, physical energy and purification. It’s well-known citrus scent is invigorating and makes a room ‘lively’. So not only is it great for the immune system, it is very uplifting and a mood enhancer.
Lemon blends well with eucalyptus, lavender and peppermint.
Peppermint
If you are tired, worn out but still need to do something, then peppermint is the oil to diffuse. It stimulates the mind, helping with memory and mental performance.
It gives you ‘purpose’, physically clears the head, leaving you feeling bright and fresh ready for mental effort. Definitely not an oil to diffuse at bedtime!
One of the best known uses for peppermint is as a digestive aid. When inhaled, it can help with nausea and reduce motion sickness.
Peppermint is also useful for reducing fever and headache. It has a natural cooling effect to help bring temperature down. When combined with lavender it is even more effective and the two oils combined enhance the action of the other.
Geranium
The only flower oil included in the list, geranium is known as the ‘balancer’, both physically and emotionally. Not only does it smell beautiful, the scent is good for those who feel overly emotional and need more stability.
It is also works as an antidepressant, helping to release negative memories and return a person to a peaceful, joyful state. So for an overall feeling of peace, wellbeing and positivity, geranium is the one of the best essential oils to diffuse.
Geranium can be used as an insect repellant when diffused alone or in combination with other repellent oils like lemon and eucalyptus. It is particularly effective against flying insects.
I must admit that geranium oil is my personal favourite. There is rarely a day that I don’t use it in some way.
Conclusion
It is never an easy task to decide on just 5 essential oils for a diffuser to recommend. There are plenty of others that on any given day, I might prefer e.g. tea tree, orange, pine, cypress, cedarwood, lemongrass and so on. And quite often, a blend of oils is what I most prefer.
However, if you are just starting to enjoy diffusing essential oils, then start with the 5 oils listed above. They are the best all rounders that will never disappoint and the perfect start for your diffusing experience.
In weight loss it calls for grapefruit…..I can not take grapefruit so what else can I use?
There are a few oils that can boost the body’s ability to detox, energize and lose weight apart from Grapefruit. Try Juniper, Rosemary, Cypress, Lemongrass, Black Pepper and Rose. These shouldn’t be ‘taken’ orally but used in a body rub. Choose up to 3 oils and add 3 drops to 1 teaspoon of carrier oil or moisturizer then rub into your body.
I want to make some roller bottles for sleep and pain relief. I know which oils to use. I’m not sure which carrier Oil to use. I have grape seed oil and olive oil.
Hi Fran, both grapeseed oil and olive oil will work fine. A couple of other options that are a little less greasy are jojoba oil and fractionated coconut oil. Good luck, Kristy.
Hi can I use Avocado and sesame oil? They are from the grocery store
Hi Judy, these oils are both edible and that is how you use them. Avocado oil is great in salad dressings and sesame oil is used a lot in Asian cooking. They are produced from cold pressing and are different to essential oils, so don’t put them in your diffuser! Avocado oil is also used on some skin care products. Hope that helps.
Hi I got a diffuser necklace for Christmas and it’s a small ball instead of pads? So how do I blend or combine 2 oils? I read the top 5 oils for diffuser necklace, so excited to try some , how long do they last in the balls? Thank you
Hi Shelley, I haven’t used a necklace like this but if you want to use a couple of oils, I think it would be best to make up a blend first and then add 1-2 drops of the blend to your necklace. There are lots of blends here. Based on what I’ve read, I think you would need to replace the oils every few days, but let your nose guide you. Once the smell of the oils is gone, time to add some more. This means you can try different combinations or single oils every few days. Good luck 🙂
Do you have Instagram?
Not yet 🙂
Hi I was looking at you’re Pinterest page and I had a question? What oils do you use I saw a post of young living? So is that the oils you prefer when saying top 5 oils? Or is that any oil? Doterra ? That’s what I have ? Sorry for 50 questions?
LOL – don’t mind the questions. I use a few different essential oil brands. Both Doterra and Young Living are good brands too but tend to be more expensive. The five oils listed above are different types and most brands will have them. Hope that clears it up.
I got a nice diffuser and a set of 16 essential oil set to start. It has a lot of the basic oils that your blends use. It came from ArtNatural and I have been very pleased. Im new to oils but can’t wait to start really diving into their benefits. I know I will learn a lot as I go along. So far my favorite is Lavender and Peppermint, but honestly I have enjoyed all of them in my diffuser.
So glad you are enjoying your oils Julie 🙂 There is so many wonderful ways to enjoy and use them. Have fun and keep experimenting.
I read that Absolute Rose essential oil (very expensive if real deal) was supposed to be a great anti-aging and promote cell rejuvenation??? Can you help enlighten me? What is this Rose Absolute for? Reputable brand?
Thank you!
Rose Absolute is great for anti-aging and mature skin. The pure oil is very expensive (it takes A LOT of rose petals to make a bottle of essential oil) so it is often diluted (in jojoba oil) which makes it more affordable. As with any essential oil, it is potent so a small amount, even diluted, has benefits. Try the brands listed here or any of your other favorite brands.