Essential oils do more than provide a pleasant sent. The best essential oils, a form of aromatherapy, can offer numerous benefits ranging from rest and relaxation to headache relief and even hair and skin health. You can try adding essential oils to your bath for some serious self-care or using them with one of the best essential oil diffusers to fill your room with mood-boosting scents. Bottom line? They can help you achieve a wide range of goals and take advantage of the many essential oil benefits.
“Essential oils are a type of compound that is extracted from different plants,” explains Monisha Bhanote, M.D., A.B.O.I.M., integrative lifestyle physician and author of The Anatomy of Wellbeing. Some consider these compounds to be the “essence” of the plant, hence the name essential oil.
“Each plant is unique and has different essential oils that each contain different benefits for health and well being,” notes Danielle Ryan Broida, registered herbalist, certified holistic nutritionist, head of education at Four Sigmatic, and co-author of Healing Adaptogens. Whether you’re using rosemary essential oil for healthy hair or lavender essential oil for sleep, there’s something for everyone.
So, what are the best essential oils? While there are a plethora of varieties worth adding to your aromatherapy arsenal, we narrowed down the best of the best along with exactly how and why to use them and possible side effects.
How we chose the best essential oils
We consulted Broida, Dr. Bhanote, countless customer reviews, and tested some ourselves to find the best essential oils for every concern.
Our top picks