Question
I recently became interested in Aromatherapy. What are some good essential oils for a beginner to buy? How many should I start with? Any help you can offer would be great.
Nikki, ON
Answer
It all depends on what you want to use the essential oils for. Essential oils can be used for health care, skin care, general feel good purposes or just used because they smell nice. There are also a number of ways to use essential oils.
Please make sure that when deciding to use and buy some essential oils that you buy one or two aromatherapy books with good safety guidelines. Research the oils you want to use before you use them.
And of course, if you are going to use essential oils on skin, forget to dilute them well. A good general rule for Aromatherapy (unless professionally trained) is: “less is more”. When you buy essential oils also buy at least one carrier oil, such as grapeseed oil, and use it for dilutions. Add only 1-5 drops of essential oil(s) total per ounce of carrier oil, body lotion, bath/shower gel, etc.
When I left home, this is the Starter Home Kit my mother gave me:
9 Essential Oils to Start Your Aromatherapy Collection:
- Lavender (Lavendula augustifolia)
- Lemon (Citrus lemon)
- Peppermint (Mentha piperita)
- Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens)
- Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus)
- Bergamot (Citrus bergamia), preferabley furo-coumarin free
- Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile)
- Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
- Teatree (Melaleuca alternifolia)
If you require a more in depth knowledge and are not ready to take a course in Aromatherapy, there are a number of good authors around. Some of my favorite authors include Chrissie Wildwood and Valerie Ann Worwood. Have fun!
