With self-care in the spotlight, essential oils have captivated us with more than just their delicious aromas. Favored in alternate therapies for their expansive benefits, essential oils are incredibly versatile, and can be an eco-friendly alternative to artificial fragrance. Around since Biblical times, essential oils are potent compounds that have been distilled or expressed from plants. Essentially, they capture the essence of herbs, trees, flowers, and other denizens of the plant world.

Extremely powerful, essential oils need to be used with caution. The right way to use an essential oil is to dilute it with a carrier oil before you apply it to your hair and skin (after a patch test). If you have a medical condition, do consult with a doctor before using it. Essential oils can be toxic if ingested, so avoid swallowing them unless under medical supervision. 

So, dive deep into our list of the best organic essential oils for your well-being.

Our top pick of essential oil companies is Rocky Mountain Oils whose incredible breadth of single oils, blends, kits, accessories, and diffusers cover the whole wide world of aromatherapy. Backed by wellness enthusiasts, they offer a limited selection of USDA Organic certified oils.

Best Overall

Rocky Mountain Oils

Price at time of publish: $20

Essential oils can be eye-wateringly expensive depending on the botanicals used and their purity. But it is possible to find good quality, affordable oils too. We like US Organic’s wide selection of USDA Organic certified, cruelty free and Good Manufacturing Practices certified oils, which means they follow high standards in manufacturing.

Best Budget

US Organic Essential Oils

With a wide selection of organic oils, including frankincense, patchouli, geranium and carrier oils and more, you can build an aromatherapy collection without breaking the bank.

Price at time of publish: $60

A great way to test the world of aromatherapy is through a starter kit, and Pura D’or’s essential oil kit gives you a chance to explore the depth of this universe with ease. The inexpensive kit contains 10 milliliters each of lavender, peppermint, tea tree, lemon, sweet orange, rosemary, lemongrass, frankincense, eucalyptus, and cedarwood oils.

Best Kit

Pura D’or 10ml Essential Oil Set

The oils are USDA Organic certified and are therapeutic grade, so you can use them safely on your skin or pop them into a diffuser. Experiment with DIY blends or use them as single oils.

Price at time of publish: $25

The most captivating and versatile of essential oils, lavender is a favorite in hair and skin treatments. The Florihana Distillery is located in the stunning region of Provence in the French Riviera. The company harvests lavender, which grows wild in the mountains of Caussols, by hand when the plant is in full bloom.

Best Lavender

Florihana Wild Lavender Vera Organic

Users describe the first whiff as rustic, herbaceous and wild, which mellows down to a rich lavender aroma. Certified organic by Ecocert and USDA Organic, the company shares results of its Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry purity analysis on its website. It indeed captures a slice of Provence in a bottle.

Price at time of publish: $14

This sensual, relaxing oil has been steam distilled from the delicate petals of Bulgarian Rosa damascena. It’s a popular ingredient in traditional skin care, and studies have shown it’s associated with decreasing stress and anxiety when used in aromatherapy.

Best Rose

The Aromatherapy Company Rose

The Aromatherapy Company is helmed by professional aromatherapists, and the rose essential oil is Soil Association certified organic and is certified free from parabens. To use, take a few drops of this precious liquid and add to your massage oil. It will nourish your skin, leaving you feeling radiant and fresh. However, a major downside is its high price point.

Price at time of publish: $101

Starting out as a small herbal business in 1987, Mountain Rose Herbs has blossomed into a wellness company that has the right credentials and sublime oils. It sources the pods of Vanilla planifolia from France, to create a wonderful USDA Organic-certified viscous oil with a rich aroma.

Best Vanilla

Mountain Rose Herb Vanilla Absolute

You can blend it with other oils such as lemon or rose. Or use it alone, letting the scent transport you to a delightful pâtisserie in the French countryside.

Price at time of publish: $97

With the boom in the industry, Frankincense trees (Boswellia carteri) have been overexploited for their fragrant resin to create essential oil, so if this essential oil is a must-have for you, it’s important to buy it from a reputable seller. Plant Therapy sources theirs from Somalia, and thoroughly researches all of its suppliers for quality and reputation. 

Best Frankincense

Plant Therapy Organic Frankincense

Frankincense has a spicy lemon-woodsy aroma. In aromatherapy, it’s often used to create a soothing atmosphere of peace. This one has both USDA Organic and Leaping Bunny certification.

Strong, minty cool and very refreshing, Cliganic’s peppermint oil is a whiff of freshness in a tiny bottle. Steam distilled from the Mentha piperita plant grown in India, the oil is certified organic by USDA Organic.

Best Peppermint

Cliganic 100% Pure Organic Peppermint Oil

It is available in 0.33 ounces and 1 ounce bottles. What’s more, this therapeutic grade oil can be shipped back to the company for a full refund in 90-days if by any chance you aren’t happy with it.

Price at time of publish: $11

Plant Therapy has built a stellar reputation by offering high quality, certified oils at affordable prices. The essential oils are certified organic by USDA Organic, have Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry test reports supporting their purity, and are certified cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny.

Best Tea Tree Oil

Plant Therapy Organic Tea Tree Essential Oil

Plant Therapy uses use renewable energy and has a Good Manufacturing Practices certification. The steam distilled tea tree oil is made from the leaves of the Eucalyptus tree sourced from Australia. The oil is woody and fresh and safe enough to use on kids. Use it on blemishes to smooth out your skin or make a DIY natural surface cleaner to make your home sparkle.

Price at time of publish: $8

Why Trust Treehugger?

Given how intimately we interact with these oils, we have picked only those ones which have been certified organic by independent agencies, such as Soil Association, USDA Organic and Ecocert COSMOS. These certify that the products adhere to set organic standards.

We love Rocky Mountain Oils, because it checks the right boxes when it comes to a purity, price, and quality, though it offers a limited range of oils with organic credentials.

A great way to explore the world of aromatherapy is by Pura D’or’s essential oil kit, so you can dabble with different blends and DIY concoctions.

  • How do you use essential oils?
  • You can use essential oils for their mood-enhancing properties in aromatherapy, blend them with other oils for a massage, or add them to a diffuser to send their scent wafting through your home and creating a sanctuary of calm. Many people use them as an ingredient in DIY cleaning products.
  • Are organic essential oils better for the environment?
  • Producing a tiny, potent bottle of essential oil is extremely resource intensive. It requires a staggering volume of raw materials to extract just a few ounces of oil. For instance, did you know it takes 10,000 pounds of rose petals to produce just a pound of rose essential oil?Also, some tree species are threatened by the insatiable demand of the industry, such as frankincense, where ancestral forests are being tapped out for their precious resin. Given this, opt for transparent producers who use ethically or wild-harvested herbs, trees, plants and flowers, and products which are certified organic (certified by reputed independent companies).
  • Does an organic certification mean the oil is pure?
  • An organic certification on an essential oil indicates that it is made almost entirely of organic ingredients and is free of pesticides and fertilizers. But it is not indicative of the quality of the essential oil. For that, a Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry test is necessary, which throws light on the chemicals that constitute the essential oil. Thus, before you buy an oil, do check for this on the company’s website. So that you know what you are buying is actually authentic, rather than a bottle of filler with just trace amounts of pure oil. It is essential to do your research beforehand.
  • What essential oils are the most useful to keep on hand?
  • It’s great to keep a small kit of essential oils at home, since they come so handy. Whether you want to massage yourself (pick a soothing lavender). Or are fighting off the sniffles (bring out the eucalyptus oil). Or want to make your own DIY non-toxic blend for a diffuser (pick any!). Our top oils are:Tea Tree Oil: From treating the occasional zit, this oil has anti-fungal properties that can come in handy.Lavender Oil: Serenity, now! The ultimate pick up, lavender has been associated with helping people fall asleep and easing anxiety.Eucalyptus Oil: Helping ease cold and flu symptoms, it can help perk you up if you add a few drops to your diffuser when you’re feeling under the weather.Peppermint Oil: Traditionally used to ease digestive issues, it can also be used to repel unwanted insects and in a range of DIY hair treatments.Rosemary Oil: The perfect perk-me-up oil, it was used in ancient times by the Greeks and Romans to keep their memory sharp.

You can use essential oils for their mood-enhancing properties in aromatherapy, blend them with other oils for a massage, or add them to a diffuser to send their scent wafting through your home and creating a sanctuary of calm. Many people use them as an ingredient in DIY cleaning products.

Producing a tiny, potent bottle of essential oil is extremely resource intensive. It requires a staggering volume of raw materials to extract just a few ounces of oil. For instance, did you know it takes 10,000 pounds of rose petals to produce just a pound of rose essential oil?

An organic certification on an essential oil indicates that it is made almost entirely of organic ingredients and is free of pesticides and fertilizers. But it is not indicative of the quality of the essential oil. For that, a Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry test is necessary, which throws light on the chemicals that constitute the essential oil. Thus, before you buy an oil, do check for this on the company’s website. So that you know what you are buying is actually authentic, rather than a bottle of filler with just trace amounts of pure oil. It is essential to do your research beforehand.

It’s great to keep a small kit of essential oils at home, since they come so handy. Whether you want to massage yourself (pick a soothing lavender). Or are fighting off the sniffles (bring out the eucalyptus oil). Or want to make your own DIY non-toxic blend for a diffuser (pick any!). Our top oils are:

Neeti Mehra believes that good health comes from embracing a holistic lifestyle. Practicing sustainable and mindful living since years, she is an avid user of essential oils. Her favorite DIY are to add them to bath salts, blend them with a base oil for a massage, or sprinkle them in a diffuser.