Essential oils make a great addition to your first aid kit as long as they’re the right ones AND used correctly. Today, we’ll talk about the top 6 that you’ll want to keep on hand, plus when and how to use them.
Before we dive into the best first aid essential oils, let’s talk common sense for a moment. It drives me absolutely beyond batty when I see people (who are inevitable essential oil dealers) pushing EO use to “cure” everything from a splinter to a sucking chest wound. Okay, I’m exaggerating, but only slightly. I’ve even seen them recommended for eye injuries! Please do not put EOs in your eyeballs, people!
So, I feel like we need to quickly go over what to do and what not to do when using essential oils for first aid before we talk about the best ones to include in your kit rather than after.
How to Safely Use Essential Oils for First Aid
My entire advice on using essential oils safely can be summed up to three words: use your brain. Seriously, if you just think to yourself, “Does this really seem like a good idea?” you’ll avoid most catastrophes. Let me expand, though.
DO NOT replace your doctor with essential oils
While you can use them to treat very minor injuries or ease some symptoms associated with certain illnesses, essential oils are not an alternative to medical treatment for major injuries or medical emergencies.
- They will not stop a heart attack.
- They won’t magically stop excessive bleeding (or any bleeding for that matter).
- They won’t “cure” the incurable (although they can ease some symptoms of incurable illnesses)
- They won’t counteract poisons that have been ingested
In other words, if you would have gone to the doctor before you learned about essential oils, you need to go to the doctor now that you do know about them.
DO NOT apply essential oils directly to your skin
Despite what some EO dealers would have you believe, there are only two essential oils that are “safe” to put on your skin without diluting first: lavender and tea tree oil, and even those can cause a strong reaction.Everything else needs to be diluted in a carrier oil.
If you want a longer explanation on why you shouldn’t use essential oils “neat,” I absolutely love this article by Deep Roots at Home. I found it when I was searching for a second source (since I like to back up what I say).
DO NOT ingest essential oils
Again, there are very few EOS that can be ingested (and none that you can ingest straight). Even the few that can be ingested shouldn’t unless under the direction of a licensed holistic practitioner. Clove oil for a tooth ache is the exception, since you’re not really ingesting it. Check out this article for a longer explanation on the dangers of ingesting essential oils.
DO NOT use without talking to your doctor first if you have preexisting medical conditions
Like herbal remedies, essential oils can interact with certain medications. They can also worsen some conditions. For example, clove oil can increase your risk of bleeding, especially if you’re already taking blood thinners. It can also lead to a dangerous drop in your blood sugar if you’re already hypoglycemic.
See also: How to Safely Use Home Remedies & Natural Medicine
If all of these all-apps DO NOTs have you thinking that maybe you should just skip them entirely, keep reading. See, as I said in the intro, when used correctly, they can be a great addition to your medical kit. Note the word “addition.” They shouldn’t replace anything, but rather be used in a complementary way.
Best Essential Oils for First Aid
Lavender Oil
If you could only choose one oil to have on hand at all times, lavender oil would win hands-down. Not only is it particularly calming (which is great when everyone is freaking out), but it’s also one of the very few EOs that you can apply directly to the skin.
It’s even great for first-degree (surface-only) burns, although science hasn’t really proven this benefit yet. It won’t heal them so much as soothe them.
Lavender is also antiviral, antibacterial, anti-fungal and may help relieve mild pain. It encourages healing, fights inflammation, and there’s a huge list of other illnesses and conditions it helps combats naturally (although only a few that have been scientifically proven).
- Highest Quality Pure & Natural Lavender Essential Oil - Our Lavender Oil is 100% pure, undiluted, all-natural, and therapeutic grade. Every drop of this Lavender essential oil is steam-extracted right from the source without any additives or harmful chemicals.
- Bottled in a 10ml Glass Bottle with Built-In Eyedropper - All of our essential oils are bottled in an amber glass bottle right here in the USA. It also has a built in Euro style eyedropper for easy pouring and application.
- Essential Oils are Used for a Variety of Uses & Applications - Simply add a few drops to your essential oil diffuser or humidifier for a wonderful aromatherapy experience. For other uses other than aromatherapy we recommend always diluting with a carrier oil.
- Healing Solutions Only Offers the Highest Quality Essential Oils Available - Healing Solutions is an American based company that scours the globe to find the finest, freshest essential oils available. If at any point you're unhappy with one of our products, please contact us and we'd be happy to make things right!
Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is excellent for disinfecting wounds, and is a strong antiseptic. It fights infections of all kinds, and is fantastic for soothing respiratory symptoms when added to a vaporizer or diffuser.
While I’ve seen a ton of literature suggesting that you can apply it to open wounds of most kinds, I’m not really comfortable recommending that. I do think it is safe to use on minor cuts, scrapes, and stings, but ask your doctor first. Also, while it’s one of the two that can be applied neat, it can cause an allergic reaction or irritate sensitive skin in some cases.
- Highest Quality Pure & Natural Tea Tree Essential Oil - Our Tea Tree Oil is 100% pure, undiluted, all-natural, and therapeutic grade. Every drop of this Tea Tree essential oil is steam-extracted right from the source without any additives or harmful chemicals.
- Bottled in a 10ml Glass Bottle with Built-In Eyedropper - All of our essential oils are bottled in an amber glass bottle right here in the USA. It also has a built in Euro style eyedropper for easy pouring and application.
- Essential Oils are Used for a Variety of Uses & Applications - Simply add a few drops to your essential oil diffuser or humidifier for a wonderful aromatherapy experience. For other uses other than aromatherapy we recommend always diluting with a carrier oil.
- Healing Solutions Only Offers the Highest Quality Essential Oils Available - Healing Solutions is an American based company that scours the globe to find the finest, freshest essential oils available.
Clove Oil
Clove oil is well-known for dental health. Because dental emergencies can strike us at the wrong time, even on evenings or weekends, it is wise to keep clove oil on hand for whenever it might be necessary to relieve tooth pain while waiting for a dental appointment.
It can be mixed with an edible carrier oil such as coconut oil and applied directly on the tooth where you are experiencing pain. Just remember what I said above, talk to your doctor first if you take other medications or have a preexisting medical condition.
- 100% Pure & Natural Clove Essential Oil - What sets Artizen Essential Oils apart are their unparalleled purity and concentration. Natural, with no adulterants or dilution, their oils provide the maximum benefit possible and are uncompromising.
- Don't Fall Victim To Cheap Diluted Clove Oil - Most of the competition dilute their oil with a cheap carrier oil or even other potentially dangerous chemicals. Our clove oil is routinely tested for purity and other unique qualities in order to ensure you are buying the purest oil available
- Most 4 Ounce Clove Oils Contain Less Than 1/3 Of Natural Oil - Unfortunately, there's a lot of misrepresentation of the term 100% oil, however it's usually only 1/3 of the natural oil and 2/3 carrier oil.
- High Quality Glass Bottles With Eyedropper - We use high quality glass infused with a uv colored coating to protect essential oils against sunlight and degradation.
- American Based Company - All of Artizen's essential oils are bottled in the USA. If you ever experience any issues, please contact our American based customer service team to assist with any issues.
Eucalyptus Oil
This is the oil that should be in your first aid kit in case of sudden symptoms of a cold or flu. It can help relieve sinus problems of many kinds when added to a vaporizer or diffuser. It is also handy to have available in case of insect bites.
It is highly concentrated and can be toxic when exposed to too much of it, so always dilute it and never use it straight from the bottle.
- Highest Quality Pure & Natural Eucalyptus Essential Oil - Our Eucalyptus Oil is 100% pure, undiluted, all-natural, and therapeutic grade. Every drop of this Eucalyptus essential oil is steam-extracted right from the source without any additives or harmful chemicals.
- Bottled in a 10ml Glass Bottle with Built-In Eyedropper - All of our essential oils are bottled in an amber glass bottle right here in the USA. It also has a built in Euro style eyedropper for easy pouring and application.
- Essential Oils are Used for a Variety of Uses & Applications - Simply add a few drops to your essential oil diffuser or humidifier for a wonderful aromatherapy experience. For other uses other than aromatherapy we recommend always diluting with a carrier oil.
- Healing Solutions Only Offers the Highest Quality Essential Oils Available - Healing Solutions is an American based company that scours the globe to find the finest, freshest essential oils available. If at any point you're unhappy with one of our products, please contact us and we'd be happy to make things right!
Frankincense
Frankincense is known as “king of the oils”. It generally has a higher price tag, but it is a valuable addition to any essential oils first aid kit. It’s a great astringent for dressing mild wounds (diluted, of course) and works very well at soothing respiratory symptoms.
It also has calming effects that can really help out when you’re panicking because of an injury. Theoretically, it can replace pretty much every other essential oil on this list, making it worth the price tag.
- Highest Quality Pure & Natural Frankincense Essential Oil - Our Frankincense Oil is 100% pure, undiluted, all-natural, and therapeutic grade. Every drop of this Frankincense essential oil is steam-extracted right from the source without any additives or harmful chemicals.
- Gc-ms Tested for Purity & Dilution - Every batch of our frankincense essential oil is tested using a a type of testing called "gcms". This ensures the essential oil's authenticity and purity. These test results are publicly available on the manufacturers website.
- Bottled in a 10ml Glass Bottle with Built-In Eyedropper - All of our essential oils are bottled in an amber glass bottle right here in the USA. It also has a built in Euro style eyedropper for easy pouring and application.
- Essential Oils are Used for a Variety of Uses & Applications - Simply add a few drops to your essential oil diffuser or humidifier for a wonderful aromatherapy experience. For other uses other than aromatherapy we recommend always diluting with a carrier oil.
- Healing Solutions Only Offers the Highest Quality Essential Oils Available - Healing Solutions is an American based company that scours the globe to find the finest, freshest essential oils available. If at any point you're unhappy with one of our products, please contact us and we'd be happy to make things right!
Chamomile
Chamomile is known to be a natural painkiller for mild pain and muscle aches thanks to its anti inflammatory properties , making it a useful addition to your first aid kit. It can also help soothe skin, which is helpful in situations such as rashes, insect bites and bee stings.
- Highest Quality Pure & Natural Chamomile Essential Oil - Our Chamomile Oil is 100% pure, undiluted, all-natural, and therapeutic grade. Every drop of this Chamomile essential oil is steam-extracted right from the source without any additives or harmful chemicals.
- Gc-ms Tested for Purity & Dilution - Every batch of our chamomile essential oil is tested using a a type of testing called "gcms". This ensures the essential oil's authenticity and purity. These test results are publicly available on the manufacturers website.
- Bottled in a 10ml Glass Bottle with Built-In Eyedropper - All of our essential oils are bottled in an amber glass bottle right here in the USA. It also has a built in Euro style eyedropper for easy pouring and application.
- Essential Oils are Used for a Variety of Uses & Applications - Simply add a few drops to your essential oil diffuser or humidifier for a wonderful aromatherapy experience. For other uses other than aromatherapy we recommend always diluting with a carrier oil.
- Healing Solutions Only Offers the Highest Quality Essential Oils Available - Healing Solutions is an American based company that scours the globe to find the finest, freshest essential oils available. If at any point you're unhappy with one of our products, please contact us and we'd be happy to make things right!
These are some of the best essential oils you can have in your first aid kit. Just remember, essential oils are a highly concentrated substance, so keep a carrier oil on hand for the oils that require dilution and follow basic common sense rules.
Last update on 2024-04-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Some of these, I’ve known about since childhood, way before the essential oils craze, lol. My grandma used to say clove oil was good for tooth aches. But, I hadn’t heard about frankincense, though.
Very interesting! Clove is pretty common in the old fashioned remedies. I recall my Grandmother handing us a clove and saying to put it where a toothache was, it worked well.
oh thanks for sharing this article, it’s need of everybody to know about this
keep it up