Essential oils are volatile plant essences that are used in the art and science of aromatherapy. They are also used medicinally, in perfumery, and in the development of natural body care products.

There are literally hundreds (if not thousands) of essential oils, including several varieties of the same type of botanical, available from online suppliers who sell a wide range of natural and nature-derived ingredients. 

But...you don't need thousands (or even hundreds) of essential oils when making your own natural body care products.

With just a selection of 10 essential oils, particularly the oils I list for you here, you'll have a collection of essential oils that will have you covered in the areas of efficacy, usefulness, and scent. 

Making your own natural body and hair care products is a rewarding endeavor that I encourage anyone, male or female, to try at least once.

The Benefits of Using Essential Oils in Natural Body Care

The benefits of using essential oils in body care are abundant.

One of the greatest benefits of essential oils, no matter the delivery or method of use, is that there is an oil available to meet whatever need any person may have at any moment.

Isn't that a fantastic concept?!

Particularly with making body care products, essential oils play an integral role which has little to do with fragrance. That's part of the magic of any aromatic combination of essential oils; the resulting scent is a beautiful complexity of synergy and synchronicity.

Ample research has been conducted that proves the powerful efficacy of essential oils for medicinal, cosmetic, and other uses that benefit our well-being.

Just as we will discuss 10 essential oils that I consider vital to experiment with in natural body care, let's look at 10 to incredible ways essential oils can be used to bless us in our everyday lives.

Another wonderful concept about essential oils is their robust concentrated nature. They are so complex in their molecular makeup that a monumentally effective product can be made with very little material.

For example, with just a carrier oil and an essential oil, anyone can produce a potent:

• all-over massage oil
• facial serum
• baby oil
• beard oil
• hair and scalp conditioning oil
• an oil for any number of treatments and uses

Of course, if at all possible, I will always recommend having more than one essential oil in your repertoire. Start with 1 or 2 and build up your inventory from there.

I've outlined 10 essential oils that I believe are vital to a well-covered aromatic apothecary.

If your "10" is different from my "10", that's okay! 

There is no right, wrong, or one size fits all scenario when it comes to essential oils. I employed the word "vital" here to ensure that we have a useful oil for areas of body care that are typically addressed the most:

• Anti-aging
• Cell regeneration
• Anti-acne
• Sun after-care
• Itching
• Scar/blemish fading
• Anti-inflammatory/skin irritation reduction
• Hair growth/general hair care
• Muscle relaxation
• Astringent and toning

Want a handy list of these 10 vital essential oils at your fingertips to make ordering them easy?

Download the below checklist and keep it in your body care notes. 

Essential Oil Safety, Storage, and Purchasing Best Practices

As beautiful, lovely, and useful as essential oils are, they command respect and your undivided attention.

Essential oils are to be used responsibly and with care. Therefore, it's a good idea to keep some safety tips in mind when working with these remarkable gifts from nature.

Using essential oils safely and responsibly should always be a consideration.

Keeping the above tips in mind ensures that your essential oil blending and usage experiences are pleasing and productive.

Other factors relating to essential oils to be thoughtful of are how to get the most out of your investments during the buying process (essential oils ARE investments with a wonderful ROI), and how to store and care for them over time.

Get Started Using Essential Oils: Experiment and Learn

As with any raw ingredients, whether when you are cooking a meal, or formulating your own natural body care products, experience will be your best teacher, and learning and experimenting with essential oils is no different. You just have to get started and dive in.

I recommend choosing 2 to 3 oils to start, and then building up from there. You don't have to purchase each oil on the list (but if you can, go for it).

Take a quick audit of what you are in need of right now, and purchase oils based on the results you are trying to achieve and/or that will lend a specific desired function.

I'm often asked which essential oils are my favorite, and that is honestly a hard question to answer. But I do have a few that I find myself reaching for the most because of their various uses. They would be...

Blend A Fragrant Life with Essential Oils Email Course

As you continue to become acquainted with essential oils and the benefits they provide us,take your aromatherapy education up a notch and learn how to actually blend essential oils to make unique, nature-based synergies that will enhance your life through fragrance!

Over the course of five days, the Blend a Fragrant Life with Essential Oils email course will teach you the fundamentals of how to choose, blend, and produce a variety of scented products for your home and body using natural, wholesome ingredients, including essential oils. 

Go here, right now, to read more about the course and to enroll.

For now, it's free! 

Excellent Resources for High-Quality Essential Oils

Appalachian Valley Natural Products

Nature's Gift

New Directions Aromatics

Excellent Resources to Learn More about the Chemistry of Essential Oils

A Crash Course in Essential Oil Chemistry

Essential Oils' Chemical Characterization

The dōTerra Essential Oil Chemistry Handbook 

Medical Advice Disclaimer:

The information in this blog article has not been evaluated by the United States Food and Drug Administration. The information in this article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases or conditions. This article provides the reader with practical information regarding handcrafted soap making, based on basic soap-making science and ancient anecdotal practices of health and beauty. In no way should the contents of this article be regarded as medical advice. It is recommended that the reader perform a patch test before using any formula described. The author and all invested parties will not be held responsible for any allergic or adverse reactions, contraindications, or ill effects from manufacturing or using any products described in this article.

©Michelle Morgan, The Anointed Bar, LLC