In a Cleaning Spray
Add 10–15 drops total of essential oil per 16-ounce spray bottle filled with water and a gentle surfactant like castile soap or white vinegar, or a concentrate like Branch Basics.
Great oils for cleaning: grapefruit, eucalyptus, lavender, or rosemary.
Always shake before each use and store away from sunlight.In the Shower
Add a few drops of oil (no more) to the corner of the shower floor or wall, away from the direct stream of water.
The steam will help diffuse the aroma—great for oils like eucalyptus, cajeput, grapefruit, frankincense, or lavender during cold season. My favorite blend is frankincense and grapefruit.In a Diffuser
Use 4–6 drops total per 100 mL of water, following your diffuser’s directions.
Avoid blending more than 3–4 oils at a time, as too many can become overpowering—it’s the olfactory equivalent of mixing too many paint colors together and ending up with a murky brown.
Use the diffuser for 20 minutes at a time, and never run it overnight in your bedroom.
Running a diffuser for a few minutes before having people over can set a relaxing mood instantly, especially if it contains lavender! (My blend would be one drop of vetiver and two drops of lavender.) In a Tissue
Place two drops of any essential oil into a tissue, and hold the tissue in your cupped hands. Inhale deeply for 10-20 breaths. This simple method works well for managing symptoms like a headache (basil) or anxiety (lavender) and is easy to access quickly.
Afterwards, you can place the tissue in your immediate surroundings or near your pillow where it will continue to release scent for a few more minutes. In Skincare
Never apply essential oils directly to skin without dilution, except in the case of applying lavender essential oil to a fresh burn.
Stick to a 0.5% dilution for face (that’s about 6 drops per ounce of carrier oil) or 2–3% for body care.
Gentle, skin-friendly options include lavender, chamomile, frankincense, and geranium.
For a therapeutic massage oil, I would use 5 drops of lavender and 5 drops of eucalyptus or rosemary in one ounce of carrier oil.
The best carrier oil is pure jojoba oil, which has a long shelf life, and a composition very similar to your skin’s own sebum.