7 Best Essential Oils for Home Fragrance
With a history dating back hundreds of thousands of years, essential oils have commonly been used in households all over the world for their therapeutic benefits and unique properties, as well as to create a pleasant, inviting aroma in our beloved homes. We’ve rounded up the top 7 best essential oils for home fragrance for you to choose from as well as included a comprehensive guide on how to use them.
What are Essential Oils?
First things first, what are essential oils?
In short, essential oils are highly concentrated, aromatic plant extracts (or “essence”) obtained through distillation or cold pressing. They are typically extracted from the leaves, stems, roots, flowers, bark, or other parts of the plant.
Essential oils contain the volatile compounds that give plants their unique aroma and flavor.
After extracting the volatile compounds (also known as aromatic chemicals), a carrier oil such as coconut oil or jojoba oil is then used to get these products ready for use.
How do essential oils work?
Essential oils are made up of various different chemical compounds that interact with our bodies and produce a certain result. There are 2 main ways to extract the benefits of essential oils:
- Inhale their aromatic chemicals or
- Apply the essential oil directly on our skin.
Keep in mind that essential oils are not meant to be swallowed and should not be swallowed! Consult your doctor immediately in the case of such an emergency.
Inhaling essential oils
The most common way to use essential oils is by using a few drops in our home diffuser. Typically, their aromatic chemicals get inhaled by us, enter our nasal cavity, and interact with the olfactory receptors in our nose.
These receptors then send out a signal to our limbic system in our brain, the system which is responsible for our emotions, our memories, and our behavior.
Our brain then picks up on these signals and gives a command to our limbic system which in turn will change your mood or emotions.
Some scents signal our brain to become calm and relaxed, while other scents invigorate and energize us.
Applying essential oils on our skin
Our largest organ on the human body, the skin, is said to have thousands of receptor sites helping us gather sensory information on our environment and be protected against pathogens.
It’s important to keep in mind that although smells and scents signal our brain to act on our limbic system, applying essential oils directly to the skin will generally have different effects on our body.
The most common effects of applying essential oils to our bodies are antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. This is largely due to the fact that when applied topically, the compounds in essential oils are directly absorbed by our skin and will immediately go into the bloodstream, resulting in a boosted immune system.
Essential oils used for home fragrance
Although essential oils have been around for centuries and their properties and healing effects can’t be dismissed, many people choose to use them in their house to create a pleasant, unique fragrance.
Whether you’re looking to create a specific mood or atmosphere depending on the time of the day, essential oils can be mixed in various ways and create a unique scent that is perfect for you.
Here are the best essential oils to use for an aromatic home fragrance.
Top 7 Best Essential Oils for Home Fragrance
1. Lavender Essential Oil
Lavender is one of the most popular essential oils used for home fragrance. It has a sweet and floral aroma, making it perfect for a calm, soothing environment. Lavender essential oil has been popularly used to reduce anxiety and promote a deeper, more restful sleep. You can use lavender essential oil by adding a few drops to your diffuser or mixing it with water in a spray bottle to create a natural air freshener.
2. Peppermint Essential Oil
Peppermint essential oil has long been used for creating an invigorating and refreshing scent, making your home atmosphere feel clean and energizing. It promotes clear focus and concentration, so use it wisely depending on the time of the day! We suggest you add a few peppermint essential oil drops to your diffuser when you are working from home or when you have guests over and want to make your house smell like it just got cleaned!
3. Lemon Essential Oil
Both lemons and the color yellow have often been associated with youth-like energy, spurring our joy and uplifting our mood. That’s why lemon essential oil is commonly used to create a bright and cheerful atmosphere that has a fresh, citrus scent. Because of its powerful fragrance and bitter compound elements, it is also used as a natural antibacterial and can help to disinfect surfaces in your home. No wonder so many home cleaning products contain lemons! We recommend you use a few drops in your diffuser or simply mix it with water in a spray bottle.
4. Eucalyptus Essential Oil
Yet another fresh, crispy cut smell, eucalyptus essential oil has a really nice superpower: it improves respiratory health, oxygenating your brain better and therefore relieving stress. Because of its minty and woody scent, we recommend you mix eucalyptus essential oil with peppermint to create a unique forestry blend. You can add a few drops from each to your diffuser or try it separately for its refreshing touch.
5. Tea Tree Essential Oil
Want to create a natural and non-toxic home fragrance that gets rid of your bad smells and instantly refreshes your atmosphere? Try tea tree essential oil, a natural antibacterial and antifungal superhero that will not only clean your house of bad energies, but it will also clean you from the inside out! Add a few drops to your diffuser, use it diluted with water in a spray bottle or even as a cleaning solution to disinfect surfaces of your house!
6. Rosemary Essential Oil
Rosemary essential oil has a fresh and herbaceous scent that is perfect for a stimulating and energizing atmosphere in your home. It is best known for its ability to improve memory and concentration, so we recommend you try it out when studying or working in order to improve cognition and learning! Rosemary essential oil can be used by adding a few drops directly in your diffuser and if you’re up for it – try a wild fresh, yet invigorating blend by adding a few drops of either eucalyptus or peppermint essential oil!
7. Orange Essential Oil
With its citric and cheerful fragrance, you can never go wrong with orange! Amongst my favorite scents, orange essential oil makes it a perfect option to refresh, invigorate, and give a playful aroma to your beloved home. Growing up with orange peels in my house during Christmas, the smell is almost unmistakably used during the holidays (amongst other common scents such as gingerbread). But winter or not, orange essential oil can be used in any season of the year for a chilling and relaxing atmosphere. Add a few drops in your diffuser or simply dilute it with water and use it in a spray bottle as a home air freshener.
Conclusion
Essential oils are a natural and effective way to give your home a nice fragrance while also promoting health, wellness, and relaxation. Used for various therapeutic benefits or for mood lifters, these top 7 essential oils for home fragrance are sure to give your surroundings a nice, aromatic change. Just remember to use them wisely, read their instructions, and never ever use in any other way than that which they are intended! Consult your doctor immediately in case of emergencies. And always consult with your veterinarian before using essential oils around your pets.
