Two things happen to almost everyone entering the world of essential oils. First: we buy a twelve-bottle set and use three of them. Second: the remaining nine end up in the bin two years later, oxidised.
So start with four. These four cover most everyday situations, and all four are forgiving — meaning it is hard to go seriously wrong with them.
The four oils
1. Lavender — the all-rounder
The most versatile of the lot. Evening diffusing, body lotion, linen spray, a settled mood. If you could keep only one oil, this would be it.
In detail: Lavender essential oil
2. Lemon — the daytime one
Fresh, clean, it lifts the feel of a room instantly. Mornings, the kitchen, a study. It is also an excellent degreaser — good for sticky label residue and kitchen counters.
One important thing: cold-pressed citrus oils are phototoxic. If one gets on your skin, stay out of the sun for 12 hours, as it can cause pigment marks. For diffusing and cleaning this is not an issue.
3. Peppermint — the wake-up
Afternoon tiredness, a long day at a screen, foot care after sport. Go carefully with the amount: one or two drops is plenty.
In detail: Peppermint essential oil
4. Tea tree — the practical one
Diluted for skincare, and perhaps more importantly: for cleaning. It is the base of kitchen spray cleaners.
In detail: Tea tree essential oil
What else you need
Essential oil on its own is not enough. Carrier oil is not an optional extra — it is a condition of use.
A carrier oil. To start with, sweet almond or jojoba are best. Jojoba is technically a wax, so it does not go rancid — it keeps longer.
A dark glass bottle with a dropper. 30 ml, for blends.
A diffuser. An ultrasonic one is simplest. Avoid the candle and warmer types: heat breaks the oil down.
A marker pen. So you can write the opening date on the bottle. Genuinely, this is the best tip I can give you.
The first week: what to do
- Smell all four — separately, without carrier oil, straight from the bottle. Note how each one affects you.
- Diffuse one in the evening, three or four drops. Notice how it makes you feel.
- Mix a simple body oil: 30 ml almond oil + 9 drops lavender. That is a 1.5% dilution.
- Do a patch test: a little of the blend on the inside of your elbow, then wait 24 hours.
- Only then mix anything more complicated.
What not to do in the first month
- Do not buy fifteen oils. You will not use them.
- Do not put oil on your skin undiluted, whatever you have read about it.
- Do not consume essential oils.
- Do not use them on children or animals until you have read up on the rules for that particular species.
- Do not fall for the “therapeutic grade” label. It is not an official classification; there is no independent certifying body behind it — it is a marketing term.
What it costs
Four good-quality oils in small bottles (10–15 ml), one carrier oil and a diffuser together come to roughly the price of a mid-range restaurant dinner. Not cheap, but not the sort of thing you take out a loan for — and it lasts for years.
If you see an offer cheaper than that, it is worth checking the botanical name and the bottle size on the label.
