11 Ways I Use Essential Oils Every Day

You know what they say about “an oil a day….” It keeps things smelling good lol.

I am ✨obsessed✨ with things that smell good.

I’m my previous life, that meant every perfume; every scented shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion, laundry detergent, fabric softener, dryer sheets; every candle and air freshener. Every. Single. Thing. It HAD to be heavily scented.

So naturally, I was concerned I wouldn’t ever be able to smell “good” again when I completely cut out fragrance from my life. Thankfully, I had nothing to fear because essential oils replaced fragrance for me. So I still get to smell good – truly good – without all the harmful ingredients.

And honestly? They’re sooo much better!! Legit.

Health benefits aside, one of my absolute favorite things that came out of removing fragrance from my life is discovering the wonderful world of essential oils.

Not only do I still buy scented cosmetic and personal care products to use in my everyday life (except they don’t use “fragrance,” instead they use essential oils), I also use pure essential oils on a daily basis for all the things.

And by all the things, I mean these right here. These are all the ways I incorporate essential oils into my daily life.

1. Perfume

My favorite way to use essential oils is as perfume!

You can use them anywhere you would with a traditional perfume — wrists, neck, chest, hair.

I dab a little drop of Joy essential oil on my chest every morning. If you’re wondering what Joy smells like, think of walking past a field of wildflowers 🪻🌸 on a sunny summer day. Absolutely divine, my friend.

I also like to work a drop or two of my favorite oils through my hair, since it acts as a natural diffuser. That way I can easily smell it throughout the day whenever I get a whiff of my hair.

I’ve tried a lot of essential oils, and these are the ones I keep coming back to and wear as perfume:

2. Anxiety-Relief

I have suffered from anxiety for as long as I can remember. At this point, it’s a part of who I am.

It eventually got to the point that every little thing I did made me feel so rushed and anxious, even something as simple as going to the bathroom and washing my hands.

Living with anxiety sucks.

In addition to daily meditation, journaling, and mindfulness, I’ve found essential oils to be incredibly helpful in relieving my anxiety.

Aromatherapy has been used for centuries. When we inhale essential oils, the scent molecules travel from our olfactory nerves directly to our brains, more specifically the limbic system, which controls emotions and stores memories.

Breathing in essential oils can help activate the amygdala to relieve anxiety. I’ve also found them to be helpful in bringing me back to the present because every time I smell the oil, I think “ooo, this smells so good,” instead of thinking whatever anxious thought was running through my head before.

The oils I use for perfume are the oils I find most soothing and calming to my anxiety, with the addition of lavender. I dab them on my wrists, chest, neck, through my hair, just sniff the bottle, or diffuse them for anxiety-relief.

I especially like to use them while meditating.

3. Diffuser

Candles are cozy, but diffusers are even cozier. And they don’t emit VOCs or have an open flame.

I have a diffuser in most rooms, although the ones that get the most use are in my kitchen/living area, bedroom, and office. I like to leave my most commonly used oils near my diffusers so that I’m more likely to use them regularly.

Lighting a candle is slightly easier than adding a little bit of water and a few drops of essential oils to a diffuser, and you don’t have to clean a diffuser. BUT.

With essential oils, the scent combinations are endless.

They are not harmful to your health.

They smell sooooooo good.

And honestly, they’re a vibe.

I mean, c’mon!! Do you see how beautiful these diffusers are?? Much more cozy than a candle if I do say so myself.

4. Deodorant

I’m sure you’ve heard of the hippie patchouli deodorant trend, but it actually works.

I still use normal deodorant about 50% of the time, but I hate how they leave marks on my tops if I put DO on before I get dressed. And I also hate how it clumps up in the pit of my shirt, making it hard to get out.

So the days I’m wearing a nicer top, I put a couple drops each of Patchouli and Tea Tree on each armpit and it lasts just as long as deodorant.

And these two bottles last me close to a year if I use them half of the time and normal DO the other half.

5. Anti-Itch Remedy

Having suffered from chronic hives for well over half my life, I know a thing or two about being itchy (not to be confused with bitchy, but I know that, too).

Even though I was finally able to cure my chronic hives, I do still occasionally get them, like when my skin gets too sensitive to temperature or pressure. On those rare occasions, I roll on my anti-itch essential oil mix to help until my anti-histamine can kick in.

I’ve also found this SUPER helpful for bug bites, or really anything that causes me to itch. And it smells divine! Lavender + Frankincense = pure heaven.

6. Sinus Relief

My husband has a lot of sinus issues. He used to take pseudoephedrine quite frequently to help with nasal congestion, but hasn’t had to for the last 5 years since he started using SinuOrega and an essential oil sinus roller blend I make for him.

He uses one or both of them most days depending on how things are feeling. As with any nasal spray, the SinuOrega can be drying, but it really helps with congestion.

The sinus roller, on the other hand, is not drying, and he has informed me that it helps bind the mucus together so he can actually blow his nose.

I thankfully don’t deal with this stuff so I don’t fully know how it helps, but this is a staple in our household.

He rolls it on his forehead, nose, and where his sinuses are on his cheeks and it helps him tremendously. Which is great for me because it means he snores less lol.

7. In the Shower

Envision a spa.

Think of how good they smell.

Picture yourself there, relaxed af.

That’s what it’s like to use essential oils in the shower.

Take your favorite oil and add a drop or two to the corner of your tub or shower. Let the steam circulate it and breathe it in.

It’s a vibe.

My go-to essential oil in the shower is Lavender. If one of us is sick or congested, we like to use Eucalyptus to open things up. I like to keep a bottle of each in the shower so I always have them on hand.

8. Gut Issues

Just like with chronic hives, I know a thing or three about gut issues. At this point, I’ve lived more of my life with them than without.

I don’t want to sit here and tell you that essential oils are the cure to your gut issues, because they’re not. Trust me, I wanted them so badly to be.

I saw all of these people saying how amazing Digize essential oil is for tummy issues and bloating and abdominal pain, and it just never worked for me.

As it turns out, my extreme abdominal pain and bloating was caused by low stomach acid, something no essential oil would ever be able to “fix” on its own.

Now what I can tell you, though, is that on the rare occasion I *do* experience some abdominal pain or an upset stomach even after taking a stomach acid supplement, Digize actually works for me now.

It does have a strong smell (I used it at work once and I heard someone say something smells like old lady 😂), but I’ve come to like it and the relief it brings.

9. Adhesive Remover

Lemon essential oil is nature’s goo gone. But it actually smells good.

• Stickers.
• Sap.
• Whatever else is sticky.

Just dab a drop or two on the sticky situation, rub it in with a paper towel, then wipe off with a clean side of the paper towel. And voila!

I even used it to help get sap off a friend’s skirt.

10. Around the House

Essential oils are both practical, like at removing adhesive substances, and they also just smell good. Which makes them perfect for using around the house in otherwise stinky areas.

• Garbage disposal: These things get nasty, so I like to add a couple drops of Purification essential oil to my garbage disposal after doing dishes. Ideally, I would do this once a day, but in reality, I do it every few days when I notice my disposal is getting stinky.
• Garbage can: When I empty the trash, before putting in a new bag, I also add a couple drops of Purification essential oil to the bottom of my trash can. You can also put the drops on a cotton ball and stick that in the bottom of your bin under the bag. Either way works.
• Vacuum filter: I have a cordless vacuum with a washable filter that easily twists off. Instead of getting stinky vacuum filter air blown in my face when vacuuming, I like to put a few drops of my favorite oil (usually Lavender because I need all the calm vibes when cleaning) on the filter. Those few drops surprisingly last a long I love it.

11. Pillow Mist

I like to call this my sweet dreams mist, since it’s a combination of my favorite calm and relaxing essential oils that help me unwind before bed.

• Lavender
• Chamomile
• Frankincense
• Northern Lights Black Spruce

I spritz it on my pillow before bed and fall asleep to the calming scents. It also works as a great room spray.

Bonus: Spot Treatment

Essential oils are often used in skincare products due to their anti-inflammatory and acne-fighting properties.

Whenever I notice inflammatory acne popping up (ha, literally), I like to reach for my oils. My key staples I like to dab on are Tea Tree and Lavender essential oil.

If you have sensitive skin, I recommend diluting them by mixing a drop of the essential oil with some rosehip oil or similar. You could even mix it in with your moisturizer.

Essential oils are so versatile and genuinely smell so good. Because they’re so versatile, one oil can serve multiple purposes.

Your perfume can’t do that.

Disclaimer: The only essential oils I use are from Young Living. I have bought and used essential oils from the grocery store, Doterra, and Young Living, and I keep coming back to Young Living. The Doterra and store bought oils have never lasted long or worked very well, and quite frankly don’t smell as good. For those reasons, I only use Young Living essential oils and I can only speak to the efficacy and safety using Young Living essential oils. If you use a different brand of essential oil and don’t find it works, they may not be quality oils and I would recommend trying a higher quality oil instead.