Your "Essential" Oil Toolkit

Here at Natural Foods, we believe that knowledge is key! We want to be more than a typical Pinterest article, and instead, be a valuable resource for you all. We strive to educate everyone on holistic alternatives by providing evidence-based research and plenty of resources for you to form your own opinions! This article serves as an overview of important information. We have provided a link to each essential oil post on our blog that you can follow to read more in-depth articles with research links and oil applications in them, and we strongly encourage you to do so!

Sometimes when we see all that can be involved with essential oils, we can feel overwhelmed. We see those with boxes and chests full of essential oils and think that we need the same when really, compiling a basic chest of oils could be all that you need! Having a set of basic oils to have on hand can be key to beginning your journey with essential oils and finding which ones are best for you and your household!

Starting your collection with the knowledge of how to use a few “essential” essential oils can save your wallet and better the health of your home and family. These seven oils are versatile, safe, and effective at relieving many different ailments:

• Sweet Orange
  
  
• Lemon
  
• Tea Tree
  
• Rosemary
  
• Eucalyptus
  
• Peppermint

• ​Lavender
  

You can read more about each oil by following our links to the original essential oil posts! But for now, here is what you need to know about these oils:
Sweet Orange
Sweet, sweet orange. We love this oil here at Natural Foods. Whether it is lifting those winter blues or contributing to that sweet summer smell, its many benefits make it a staple, even in our store! Its calming, mood-boosting aroma help relieve the symptoms of anxiety and depression, and can even calm the mind enough to help with insomnia. Adding just a small amount to skincare products can help to reduce the signs of aging and boost collagen formation as well! It has powerful anti-cancer properties and can also serve as a natural pain reliever when applied topically or inhaled. It repels house flies, mosquitoes, and even cockroaches, as well as helping control other pests and parasites. Its powerful antibacterial, antifungal, and antiaflatoxigenic properties make it a wonderful addition to kitchen cleaners, killing off harmful bacteria and molds that can have detrimental effects when consumed.
Read our post and find our research links about Sweet Orange here!

Lemon
We all know (and probably love) the smell of lemon. Its energizing scent supports cognitive health by boosting creativity and enhancing attention levels, concentration, cognitive performance, mood, and memory. It benefits the respiratory system by alleviating allergy symptoms, killing airborne bacteria and potential allergens, lessening the immune response to allergens, and encouraging the drainage of the lymphatic system. It can improve the health of the gastrointestinal system by providing relief from bloating and constipation, gastritis symptoms, and nausea. The aroma can also curb cravings and help with weight loss! Lemon supports healthy skin by targeting free radicals, enhancing topical vitamin absorption, and repelling insects. Because it encourages the draining of the lymphatic system, it is also detoxifying.
Read our post and find our research links about Lemon here!
Tea Tree
OH, tea tree. The list of benefits goes on and on because, while you can’t ingest tea tree, its topical and olfactory applications are endless! Countless research articles are being published claiming that tea tree can be used in a variety of ways because of its powerful antiviral, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties. Studies support using the oil to fight against viral infections such as herpes, influenza, and warts. It fights fungal infections such as candida, athlete’s foot, toenail fungus, and ringworm. Its antibacterial properties make it a wonderful addition to anything from a cleaning spray to a skin oil! It helps with skin issues, scalp concerns, and body odor. It can also help to sanitize surfaces and purify the air!
Read our post and find our research links about Tea Tree here!

Rosemary
The fresh, earthy aroma of rosemary is one of our favorites! It has claimed its spot on our list of favorites because of its wonderful ability to improve memory and cognitive function. Plenty of research has been conducted regarding its use in schools and in Alzheimer’s treatment. It has also proven to be beneficial if you suffer from hair loss as well as serving as a natural pain reliever when applied topically. It repels mosquitos and controls the spread of ticks, while also aiding digestion and stress reduction. It also has anticancer properties against many forms of cancers!
Read our post and find our research links about Eucalyptus here!

Eucalyptus
You may think that this oil is only good for its respiratory benefits, but let me tell you, it has a wide range of applications, and is so good for so many things! It is antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and antiprotozoal. It provides natural pain relief when applied topically or diffused, and it boosts the immune system! It can even potentially change the way our bodies react to allergens in the air, making it pretty handy when allergy season comes along. It benefits your respiratory system, skin, and gastrointestinal system as well!
Read our post and find our research links about Eucalyptus here!
Peppermint
We all know that cooling minty-fresh aroma of peppermint, but did you know how wonderful it is to use regularly to keep us healthy? Peppermint is effective at relieving muscle aches and pains, joint pain, and migraine, sinus, and tension headaches. It is great for allergies and acts as a powerful decongestant as well. It alleviates digestive issues such as IBS, bloating, indigestion, and nausea. And its cooling, anti-inflammatory properties make it a wonderful addition to your skincare regime as it helps with acne, sunburns, dandruff, eczema, and rashes. As an added bonus, it also helps to repel insects! When diluted, it can be used on infants to provide relief of colic and teething pains, and it can be used to lower a fever when needed as well. Its revitalizing scent energizes the mind and body, enhances mental clarity, and boosts physical exercise performance!
Read our post and find our research links about Peppermint here!
Lavender
Lavender is great to have on hand as it has a wide variety of uses (spoiler: most of the oils in this post do… that’s why we consider them essential!) Besides smelling absolutely amazing, lavender essential oil promotes healthy skin & hair by fighting bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic infections, calming rashes, keeping wounds clean, soothing burns, firming aging skin, reducing allergic reactions, alleviating itchy scalp and dandruff, and fading scars. It can also provide pain relief from migraines, menstrual cramps, and sore muscles when applied topically to the afflicted area. Lavender has powerful antioxidant properties, supports the nervous system, reduces the symptoms of diabetes, kills lice and eggs, and reduces fever.
Read our post and find our research links about Lavender here!​


Using essential oils doesn’t have to be complicated. These seven oils have countless benefits on their own. You don’t have to have a huge collection to reap the benefits of essential oils!  Do you have any questions that we can answer? We would love to hear how you use them in your everyday life! Do you have any that you deem “essential” in your household? Let us know in the comments. We would love to connect with you!

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