10 Most Powerful Essential Oils and Their Uses

Want to know what are the most powerful essential oils? Continue reading this article and see which are the most powerful essential oils, how to use them, and what for. But first.

What Are Essential Oils?

Essential oils are the essence, or the heart of plants, and this is why they make the most powerful natural remedies out there. Their effects on health and well-being are innumerable. Essential oils are obtained by steam distillation or by cold pressing. Below we will further discuss the most powerful essential oils, their health benefits, and how to use them safely.

Essential Oils vs Aroma Oils

Most essential oils on the market are designed for aromatherapy (aroma oils), but there are also essential oils for internal use, or food-grade, that are created for their healing properties. In this article, we talk about the latter. Food-grade essential oils can also be used topically in a carrier oil, or aromatherapy. However, the essential oils designed only for aromatherapy (aroma oils) are not the same as the healing essential oils, so do not confuse the two.

Warning! Do not confuse medicinal essential oils with essential oils for aromatherapy, which can be toxic when ingested. Use only essential oils for internal use (food-grade) as directed on the leaflet.

How to Use Essential Oils Internally

Dosage

The usual dosage for most essential oils is 3-5 drops three times a day for 7-14 days, diluted in a tsp of raw honey, or on a small piece of bread (for diabetics). Pause for 2 weeks and resume if needed. For children between 7-14 years of age, the dosage is 1-2 drops three times a day with honey. These essential oils are not recommended for children under 7 years of age. Always use these essential oils diluted, otherwise, they can burn your throat. Essential oils are not supposed to taste good, so don’t expect a pleasant taste. Be careful, it may sting/irritate the throat even if diluted!

Safety & Precautions

Essential oils are not recommended for pregnant women, nursing mothers, and people who have hypersensitivity to them. They are very powerful and they can burn, so avoid eye contact! Do not overdose, and don’t take them for more than 14 days straight. Always use essential oil as recommended on the leaflet. Now let’s get to the most powerful essential oils and their amazing healing abilities.

10 Most Powerful Essential Oils and Their Uses

1. Thyme Essential Oil

(Thymus vulgaris)

The ultimate antibacterial and antiviral

During the plague epidemic that devastated Europe (15th-17th centuries), thyme was used as a germicide due to its high content of thymol. During World War I, thymol from thyme was used as an antiseptic to disinfect the wounds of the soldiers and to cleanse the air in hospitals.

According to scientific studies, the natural compounds in thyme essential oil affect the cell membranes of bacteria, altering their permeability, which leads to their destruction. Thyme oil enhances the activity of some antibiotics. Thyme oil targets viruses, parasites, and bacteria in all parts of the body, which makes it one of the most powerful essential oils out there.

Uses: cold, flu, rhino-pharyngitis, tonsillitis, bronchitis, cough, asthma, tuberculosis, otitis, sinusitis, cystitis, urethritis, pyelonephritis, vaginitis, candidiasis, bacterial and viral enterocolitis, candidiasis, digestive parasitosis (tapeworms, roundworms, pinworms), colic, bloating, rheumatism, arthrosis, back pain, joint pain, asthenia, general fatigue, fungal infections, eczema, herpes, weak immune system.

2. Peppermint Essential Oil

(Mentha piperita)

Digestive and nervous tonic

Peppermint essential oil is one of the most powerful essential oils for digestive issues. It fights bloating, gas, nausea, as well as some symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. It is also very effective in muscle and joint pain, neuralgia, and most importantly headaches and menstrual cramps. It is the best remedy for motion sickness (car, plane, or boat). For this, have a drop in a little water three times a day, before main meals, one day before the trip.

Even more importantly, peppermint oil is a known powerful antimicrobial and an effective antiviral that has the potential to inhibit viral replication. This is due to three of the terpenes it contains, namely pulegone, limonene, and ocimene. Carvone found in peppermint oil has anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects on the airways, while menthol has been reported to provide symptomatic relief from nasal congestion. Needless to say, peppermint oil is one of the most powerful essential oils with numerous applications.

Uses: bloating, gas, stomach pains, IBS, bladder stones, bladder issues, menstrual cramps, neuralgia, joint and muscle pain, headaches, motion sickness, oral hygiene.

3. Cinnamon Essential Oil

(Cinnamomum verum/zeylanicum)

Regulates circulation and blood sugar

In ancient times, cinnamon was an extremely valuable spice, and it is said that it was even equivalent to gold. Cinnamon is known for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anti-diabetic properties. However, the best-known benefit of cinnamon essential oil is the dilation of the blood vessels, which leads to increased blood flow and less chance of inflammation.

Cinnamon is a natural regulator of blood sugar, and when used as an essential oil, it can reduce insulin resistance, balance blood sugar levels, and reduce inflammation, which makes it an important support in diabetes and obesity. Besides, cinnamon oil is a powerful antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial. It fights the infections of the respiratory and the digestive tract (especially good for the stomach) and can eliminate fungal infections of the nails and skin.

Uses: diabetes, weight loss, obesity, poor circulation, skin, oral and digestive infections, bloating, constipation, slow digestion, fatigue, depression, intestinal parasites.

4. Clove Essential Oil

(Syzigium aromaticum)

Inflammation and toothache

Originally from Indonesia, cloves were first mentioned by the Han dynasty writers (China 266 BC – 220 AD). Soon, these expensive spices gained more and more popularity. Today, cloves are used in Ayurveda, Chinese medicine as well as western phytotherapy.

Clove essential oil is well known for its pain-relieving qualities, especially in dental applications. Besides relieving toothache, clove essential oil helps remineralize teeth, which makes it a natural alternative to fluoride treatments. It also reduces inflammation in general, from arthritis, and rheumatism, to respiratory tract inflammations such as asthma and bronchitis. It has antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal effects – especially against candida. Together with thyme oil, clove is one of the top natural antibiotics for bacterial respiratory infections, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Uses: toothache, bad breath, nausea, bloating, cold and flu, asthma, bronchitis, acne, arthritis, rheumatism, sprains, candida.

5. Lavender Essential Oil

(Lavandula angustifolia)

Insomnia and stress

Besides its beautiful scent, the lavender essential oil has some amazing anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and especially sedative properties. It soothes muscle tension and spasms and relieves joint pain and even headaches. Lavender oil is also used to alleviate skin problems and regenerate the skin, to promote sleep and calm the nervous system but also for its unique scent. This is why lavender oil is one of the most beneficial essential oils for body massage, after dilution in a carrier oil. Its calming and sedative properties induce relaxation and sleep and fight stress, sadness, and depression.

Lavender oil is one of the most powerful essential oils in the fight against headaches and migraines, hypertension, dizziness, and nervousness. When used externally (diluted in a carrier oil) lavender oil reduces rheumatic pain and can be very helpful in gout, neuralgia, spondylosis, and body itching. Lavender oil is one of the most powerful natural insect repellers, especially against mosquitoes and flies.

Uses: stress, anxiety, insomnia, nervousness, sadness, depression, migraines, hypertension, dizziness, rheumatic pain, gout, spondylosis, itching, acne, eczema, skincare, natural insect repellent

6. Tea Tree Essential Oil

(Malaleuca alternifolia)

Skin fungus and inflammation

Tea tree essential oil is one of the medicinal riches of the Australian continent. Due to the growing demand for natural tea tree products, tea tree is now cultivated in plantations around the world. The essential oil made from tea trees has exceptional antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. It is used externally for a wide range of applications both topically and internally.

Tea tree is one of the most powerful essential oils against bacterial, fungal, and viral infections of the skin, hair, and nails, as well as oral infections, including canker sores, and gingivitis. It has amazing results for toenail fungus when mixed with lavender oil and applied to the affected area. Tea tree oil has also proven efficient in treating moderate acne as studies show.

This essential oil can also be used in beauty products, by adding a few drops to creams, lotions, masks, shampoos, mouthwash, or toothpaste. A few drops of tea tree in the bathwater can help soothe the skin, but you can also use it in an aromatherapy diffuser to refresh the air.

Uses: acne, dandruff, fungal foot infection, candida, abscesses, shingles, chickenpox, herpes, canker sores, gingivitis, oral hygiene, insect bites

7. Eucalyptus Essential Oil

(Eucalyptus globulus)

Respiratory tract’s best friend

Originally from Australia like tea tree oil, eucalyptus essential oil is famous for its amazing active compounds, most importantly eucalyptol and cineole. These two terpenes are known for their effectiveness in treating respiratory ailments – from a common cold to complicated lung problems, as studies show.

Studies have shown that eucalyptus is very helpful in rhinosinusitis, asthma, and respiratory conditions accompanied by excess mucus. Even more, eucalyptus oil has strong analgesic effects and anti-inflammatory properties and is recommended for relieving muscle pain and pains caused by nerve inflammation. For this, it is applied topically, diluted in a carrier oil, or as is, but in a small quantity. A few drops can reduce inflammation and pain on the spot.

It is also effective in treating bacterial, viral, and fungal skin infections, as well as in the urinary and digestive tract. Needless to say, eucalyptus essential oil is one of the most powerful essential oils out there.

Uses: cold and flu, sinusitis, rhinosinusitis, rhinitis, tonsillitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma, muscle pain, nerve inflammation, skin infections

8. Basil Essential Oil

(Ocinum basilicum)

Food poisoning and depression

Basil essential oil is “specialized” in fighting food intoxication accompanied by symptoms like cramps, bloating, and nausea. The reason is that basil oil has tremendous antibacterial (especially on gram-positive bacilli, including Staphylococcus aureus), antiviral, and antiparasitic properties, as well as strong antispasmodic, nerve tonic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, digestive tonic, and carminative effects.

In addition to fighting food poisoning, basil oil has the ability to treat UTIs and respiratory tract infections. When used topically, it targets various skin infections, such as eczema, acne, and HPV lesions. Its “otherworldly” aroma induces relaxation, ditches away sadness and fatigue, and supports a state of calm, mental clarity, strength, and comfort. Needless to say, basil oil is one of the most powerful essential oils on the market.

Externally, basil oil can be used in massages (3-4 drops of oil in 10 ml of carrier oil), inhalations (a few drops in a handkerchief), or aromatic baths (4-7 drops in the bathwater).

Uses: food poisoning, stomach flu, bloating, nausea, cramps, UTI, cystitis, nephritis, bronchitis, sinusitis, colds, flu, cough, eczema, acne, HPV, sadness, stress, depression, fatigue, mental fog

9. Grapefruit Essential Oil

(Citrus paradisi)

Weight loss aid

Known for its sweet and bitter taste, grapefruit essential oil is used as an antiseptic, disinfectant, and especially as a weight loss aid. Studies have shown that this essential oil stimulates the metabolism and targets the accumulation of fat, especially in the belly area. A possible explanation is that grapefruit oil also contains nootkatone, an active compound that stimulates energy metabolism, and prevents obesity, but is also an excellent diuretic and lymphatic stimulant. Even more, grapefruit oil fights sweet cravings.

More so, grapefruit peel, from which the essential oil is extracted, has quinine-like substances that are antiparasitic and antiviral. This makes grapefruit oil one of the most powerful essential oils, and also an amazing natural alternative to hydroxychloroquine. Grapefruit oil can also be used in natural skincare, in which case is ideal for oily skin with or without acne and as a natural toner. In aromatherapy, grapefruit oil brings about a positive vibe and relaxes the nervous system.

Uses: weight loss, slow metabolism, sweet tooth, parasites, cellulite, water retention, oily skin, acne

10. Oil of Oregano

(Origanum vulgare)

The best natural antibiotic

Oregano essential oil is one of the most powerful essential oils, if not the most potent of all. That is due to the fact that this simple essential oil can successfully replace synthetic antibiotics when they no longer work, with no side effects. Similar to thyme oil, oregano oil contains carvacrol, an active substance with strong antibacterial properties. This monoterpene, alongside other active compounds it contains, makes oregano oil effective against bacteria that can cause urinary, digestive, respiratory, or skin infections, including staph, strep, and H. pylori.

This amazing essential oil supports respiratory health, facilitates digestion, contributes to digestive comfort, helps the normal functioning of the gallbladder, and also supports cardiovascular health by improving the functioning of the heart, strengthening and increasing the elasticity of blood vessel walls.

It can be used to prevent or fight colds and flu, an upset stomach, and digestive infections, and to reduce menstrual cramps and skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea. Extremely potent and aromatic, oregano oil should be taken gradually, starting with a drop placed on a piece of bread or with some honey. Best to take it under medical supervision.

Uses: bacterial infections, cystitis, IBS, h. pylori, staph, strep, intestinal polyps, chickenpox, mumps, measles, typhus, cold, flu, eczema, psoriasis, rosacea

Where to Find These Essential Oils

You can usually find essential oils for internal use at your local natural store or pharmacy, or online (see our Supplements page).

Warning! Do not confuse medicinal essential oils with essential oils for aromatherapy, which can be toxic when ingested. Use only essential oils for internal use (food-grade) as directed on the leaflet.

Read Also: Make Your Own Natural Antiviral with Essential Oils

We hope that the information here has empowered you and will help you when you need it. Essential oils are one of the most powerful forms of natural medicine, so we recommend that you consult a naturopath or an herbal doctor before following treatment with essential oils. Stay healthy, naturally!

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