Essential oils have become a fan-favorite in the wellness space—and it’s not hard to understand why. The fragrant oils are said to be great for everything from promoting sleep and relaxation to boosting energy and concentration. (And even if you don’t go in for that stuff, you have to admit—they smell pretty great.)
“Essential oils often inspire the slight nudge you need to relax, reset, energize and reconnect,” says nutritional energy practitioner Serena Poon. “They [can be] a wonderful value add to your self-care routine and can add a little luxury to otherwise mundane daily experiences.”
More good news? Amazon is loaded with essential oils, so it’s easy to stock up on all the ones you could want or need. Be sure to look for pure essential oils and dilute them using quality carrier oils so as to not harm your skin, suggests Shivangi Tripathi, holistic practitioner and founder of Mata Ayurveda.
Meet the Expert
Serena Poon, CN, CHC, CHN, is a certified nutritionist, celebrity chef, and Reiki master.
Shivangi Tripathi is a holistic practitioner and founder of Mata Ayurveda.
Read on for the best essential oils you can score on Amazon right now.
Best Overall
Lagunamoon Premium Essential Oils Set
Well-rounded set
Good for beginners
Reasonably priced
Packaging could be improved
What do buyers say? 91% of 17,200+ Amazon reviewers rated this product 4 stars or above.
Lagunamoon’s Premium Essential Oils Set makes it easy to stock up on essential oils without breaking the bank. The set comes with 20 different essential oils, which range from classics, like peppermint and lavender, to more out-of-the-box scents, like vetiver and geranium. This well-rounded selection will help you figure out which fragrances you love—plus, since each bottle comes with 10 milliliters of essential oil, you can experiment freely without worrying about running out.
Price at time of publish: $46.99 for best-seller 20-pack gift box
Scent: Assortment | Size: 0.3 fl. oz
Best Budget
Pure Aroma Essentials Essential Oil Set
Inexpensive
Pretty packaging
Light scents
Oils could be more potent
Pure Essentials’ Essential Oil Set is an incredible deal. Seriously—the set gives you six essential oils for the price of one. (And since each bottle contains 10 milliliters of essential oil, you can rest assured knowing you’re not getting short-changed with tinier-than-usual bottles.) The well-rounded set comes with six classic scents—peppermint, eucalyptus, lavender, tea tree, lemongrass, and orange—making it easy to cover your bases. So start experimenting with these six, then restock your favorites.
Price at time of publish: $8.99
Scent: Assortment | Size: 0.3 fl. oz
Best Blend Set
O’linear Blends Essential Oils Set
Scents are pre-blended
Easy to use
Makes a great gift set
Bottles aren't filled to the brim
Blending essential oils can be a lot of fun. But if you’d rather have the blending work done for you, O’linear’s Blends Essential Oils Set is an excellent option. The set ships with six essential oil blends—and the combinations include everything from lavender, tangerine, and sage, to bergamot, orange, and ylang-ylang. These blends are carefully combined to create enticing, well-balanced fragrances. So if you don’t mind skipping out on experimentation, this set is a solid pick.
Price at time of publish: $16.99
Scent: Assortment | Size: 0.3 fl. oz
Best for Relaxation
doTERRA Lavender Essential Oil
Relaxing to use
Larger bottle size than other options
Long shelf life
Expensive
Lavender is widely loved for its purported ability to quell stress, promote sleep, and otherwise encourage relaxation. (And even if you’re not convinced that essential oils can actually do anything, you can surely admit that lavender smells great—and that great smells can create a more soothing and pleasant atmosphere.) doTERRA’s 15-millimeter essential oil bottle makes it easy to stock up on lavender essential oil—giving you enough to last a while. So drop some in your essential oil diffuser or spray some on your pillow to fill your space with a fresh fragrance.
Price at time of publish: $32.50
Scent: Lavender | Size: 0.5 fl. oz
“You can either use lavender oil before bed to help your senses wind down or in the midst of a difficult day,” says Poon. “If you need a midday stress reliever, simply rub a couple of drops of diluted oil between the palms of your hands and inhale the fragrance slowly and deeply for 10 seconds or more.” Just remember that it is possible to be allergic to essential oils, so Poon recommends testing a small dab first to see how your skin reacts.
Best for Sleep
Maple Holistics Aromatherapy Sleep Aid
Calming to use
Inexpensive
Oils are pre-blended
Larger bottle size than other options
Very strong scent
This formula by Maple Holistics includes essential oils like lavender, chamomile, sage, and ylang-ylang, and claims to help promote sleep. The essential oil blend was crafted with sleep in mind, so you can rest assured knowing it’s designed to calm you down and help you get ready for bed. And since it’s made from a few different essential oils, you won’t have to worry about a single, concentrated fragrance distracting you as you try to catch some Zs.
Price at time of publish: $19.95
Scent: Lavender, chamomile, sage, and ylang-ylang | Size: 1 fl. oz
Best for Meditation
Vitruvi Frankincense Essential Oil
Relaxing to use
Different oils to choose from
Potent
Expensive
As far as essential oils go, frankincense may be a less obvious pick, but it’s still a solid one. The fragrance is said to quell anxiety and boost your mood. So it’s a great essential oil to diffuse during a meditation session, and it’s also a solid go-to for everyday use. Though frankincense essential oil can be a little hard to find, Vitruvi makes it easy to stock up on the stuff. The brand’s Frankincense Essential Oil comes in a classic 10-milliliter bottle, which is sure to keep you going for a while.
Price at time of publish: $19 for frankincense 0.33 oz bottle
Scent: Frankincense | Size: 0.33 fl. oz
Best for Concentration
Pure Body Naturals Peppermint Essential Oil
Promotes focus
Feels de-stressing to use
Large bottle
Packaging could be improved
Peppermint essential oil makes a classic addition to any essential oil collection. Not only does the stuff smell great, but it’s also said to boost your memory and your mood—and to cut down on stress, too. This makes Pure Body Naturals’ Peppermint Essential Oil a great pick for your next concentration session. Diffuse a little next to your desk any time you need to focus. (Even if you don’t go in for essential oil benefits, you can enjoy the fragrant addition to your daily routine.)
Price at time of publish: $13.99
Scent: Peppermint | Size: 4 fl. oz
Best for Energy
Plant Therapy Sweet Orange Essential Oil
Feels energizing to use
Fragrant
Inexpensive
May irritate skin upon contact
If you need a little energy, essential oil fans will recommend that you diffuse something fresh and citrusy—and Plant Therapy’s Sweet Orange Essential Oil fits this bill perfectly. The essential oil is derived from sweet orange peels. And since it promises to be so strong, you should only need a little at a time. Pop some in your diffuser any time you need to wake up, and kick back as fresh, citrusy smells fill your space.
Price at time of publish: $8.49 for orange 0.3 oz bottle
Scent: Sweet orange | Size: 0.3 fl. oz
Best for Stress
Rainbow Abby Rose Essential Oil
Feels calming to use
Scent is naturally derived
Fragrant
Scent can linger
Roses smell great, so it should come as no surprise that rose essential oils smell great, too. What may come as a surprise, though? Rose essential oils are said to be calming, potentially helping you cut down on stress and other forms of frustration. Rainbow Abby’s Rose Essential Oil is derived entirely from fresh rose petals, so you can rest assured knowing it should deliver plenty of fresh, natural fragrance. Diffuse a little any time you need to relax, and—at the very least!—enjoy the lovely scent filling your space.
Price at time of publish: $8.50 for rose
Scent: Rose | Size: 0.3 fl. oz
Best Mood-Booster
Vitruvi Bergamot Essential Oil
Scent is naturally derived
Chic packaging
Opaque bottle
Expensive
Bergamot is everywhere in the essential oil space. For the uninitiated, bergamot is short for bergamot orange, a citrus fruit that looks a little like a lime. In the aromatherapy world, bergamot is said to be both calming and uplifting—making it an excellent mood booster. And Vitruvi’s Bergamot Essential Oil, which is derived entirely from bergamot peel, is a great go-to.
Price at time of publish: $16 for bergamot 0.3 oz bottle
Scent: Bergamot | Size: 0.3 fl. oz
Best Soothing
Handcraft Blends Tea Tree Essential Oil
Helps soothe skin ailments
Large bottle
Includes dropper
Must be diluted
Tea tree oil is anti-inflammatory, making it a potentially soothing option for acne-prone or irritated skin. (That said, you’ll want to avoid putting any kind of essential oil on a cut or broken skin. And it’s always a good idea to check with your primary care provider or a dermatologist before applying anything topically.) Handcraft’s Tea Tree Essential Oil comes in a 120-milliliter bottle that will give you all the tea tree oil you could need (at least, for a while). And since it blends well with a variety of essential oils, it’ll make a particularly versatile addition to your collection.
Price at time of publish: $27.95
Scent: Tea tree | Size: 4 fl. oz
Best Post-Workout
Majestic Pure Eucalyptus Essential Oil
Feels soothing to use
Large bottle
Assortment of scents to choose from
Smells very faint
Some essential oils are said to soothe sore muscles, and eucalyptus essential oil is one of them. Plus, the earthy oil smells incredible. (There are some things you do not want to sniff after a workout. But you can rest assured knowing eucalyptus essential oil should smell refreshing, rather than overwhelming.) Majestic Pure’s Eucalyptus Essential Oil comes in a 118-milliliter bottle that should give plenty of fresh oil. So spray the stuff on your yoga mat, your towels, and any other post-workout go-to's.
Price at time of publish: $16.29 for eucalyptus
Scent: Eucalyptus | Size: 4 fl. oz
“One of my favorite things to do is use a couple of drops of diluted eucalyptus oil on a wet washcloth after my post-workout,” says Poon. “This turns my normal routine into a spa-like experience that serves a purpose well beyond cleansing.”
Best for Cleaning
Plant Therapy Germ Fighter Synergy Essential Oil Blend
Great for cleaning
Claims to help with congestion
Invigorating scent
Could be stronger
Looking for an all-natural cleaner? Consider DIYing your own using essential oils. A lemon essential oil can be a great pick for cleaning your home. And since Plant Therapy’s Essential Oil blend combines it with four other essential oils—cloves, eucalyptus, cinnamon, and rosemary—you won’t have to worry about your home smelling too citrusy.
Price at time of publish: $16.99 for 1 oz bottle
Scent: Citrus | Size: 1 fl. oz
Best for Cooking
Zongle Thyme Essential Oil
Infuses food with great flavor
Certified organic
Multipurpose oil
Expensive
There are tons of different ways to use essential oils, including—you guessed it—cooking with them. Some essential oils aren’t safe to ingest, so don’t try to snack on all your favorite scents. But some of them—like thyme essential oil—are safe to use as flavoring in your go-to dishes. Zongle’s Thyme Essential Oil is crafted entirely from distilled thyme leaves, and it promises to be safe to ingest. (But as always, you should double-check with your primary care provider before trying a new dietary supplement.)
Price at time of publish: $26.95
Scent: Thyme | Size: 1 fl. oz
Quality matters. “For topical, inhalation, and diffusing purposes, a therapeutic-grade [essential oil] is ideal,” says Poon. “For consumption with food, choose a culinary-grade essential oil.”
Best for Tea
Pure Organic Ingredients Cassia Cinnamon Essential Oil
Adds great flavor
Warm, pleasant scent
Multipurpose oil
Packaging could be improved
One popular way to use essential oils is to spritz some into your tea or coffee to use it as a flavoring. Of course, not every essential oil is safe to ingest—and many more might taste terrible paired with tea or coffee. But since Pure’s Cassia Cinnamon Essential Oil promises to be both food-safe and flavorful, it might make a lovely addition to your morning coffee or your afternoon tea. (But please be sure to double-check with your primary care provider before trying this—or any other—new dietary supplement.)
Scent: Cinnamon | Size: 0.5 fl. oz
Final Verdict
If you’re just getting started with essential oils, consider buying a set and testing out a few different scents. Pure Essentials’ Essential Oil Set (view at Amazon) offers a budget-friendly way to try out six essential oils. And if you’d rather explore a bigger selection, Lagunamoon’s Premium Essential Oils Set (view at Amazon) is a super solid choice.
What to Look For in an Essential Oil on Amazon
Fragrance
One of the primary benefits of essential oils is that they smell great, so start by finding a scent you love. “The main criteria is that you feel soothed, supported, or elevated by the essential oil,” says Poon. This may take a little trial and error, so be patient and keep experimenting.
Use case
You can use essential oils to set the mood during your workday, your workouts, your bedtime routine, and everything in between. So consider what you want to smell during those moments. You can do a little research about the purported benefits of certain essential oils, or you can keep your focus on the scents. Then, start experimenting with a few essential oils, and stock up on the ones you love having in your routine.
Quality
“Make sure that you are choosing a high-quality oil,” says Poon. She recommends culinary-grade essential oils for food and drinks and therapeutic-grade essential oils for everything else. And remember, it is possible to be allergic to essential oils. So start by testing a small dab of a given oil, and see how you react to it. “Hives, trouble breathing, [or] itchy or red skin could be indications of an allergy,” says Poon.
What is a Dosha?
There are three doshas, or biological energies, at work in every human being: kapha, pitta, and vata. According to the Himalayan Institute, "How these three doshas work together in each of us is a manifestation of our basic nature and determines our physical constitution." They can also determine conditions of growth, aging, health, and disease.
Why Trust Byrdie?
Byrdie contributor Lindsey Lanquist has years of experience in the beauty space. And as an avid shopper, she knows what a bummer a bad product can be. That’s why she makes sure to recommend products that are reliable, comfortable, and widely beloved by those who’ve tried them.
According to our Diversity Pledge, 15% of products in our newly-published market roundups will feature Black-owned and/or Black-founded brands. At the time of publishing, we were not able to find any essential oils on Amazon from a Black-owned and/or Black-founded business. If you know of one we should consider, please email us at contact@byrdie.com and we will evaluate the product ASAP.