As we sat around the camp fire in Ojai, Grant painfully sniffed his stuffy nose into a tissue.

He felt miserable and as we chatted it up with a few new friends we’d made that trip, one woman bolted for her room to grab some “essential oils” for Grant. We chuckled, not knowing what this essential oil guru had up her sleeve. She gave a few drops of peppermint on to his palm, told him to rub them together and form a cup around his nose and inhale. His face immediately released all tension, his eyes widened and he grinned in shock by the immediate impact the peppermint had on clearing up his horrible sinuses. It was in that moment that I was hooked on the idea of incorporating a few key essential oils into our home. I didn’t go on my usual shopping spree of ordering a ton of things I didn’t need {guilty}, rather I narrowed it down to a few key oils that I felt would really benefit our lives.

There are many ways to use essential oils, either by applying directly to the skin, inhaling or ingesting, but my favorite way is my using a diffuser. It is important that you dilute the oil with water in the diffuser {follow instructions included}, but the peppermint trick works really nicely if you are battling a cold.

I also have a #1 essential oil that I have found to be the most rewarding, highest healing and top beneficial oil to have in the house. Scroll down to read more.

Do you use essential oils? What are some of your favorites?