5 Best Essential Oils for Meditation

As we careen through our chaotic daily lives we tend to find an increased need for slowing things down and practicing meditation. Finding the best essential oils for meditation can help quiet down a busy mind and inspire you to open up spiritually. As meditation helps you become calm and relaxed and focused, essential oils can help you enter into that meditative state and remain there.

ProductOur RatingBest For
Radha Beauty Aromatherapy Essential Oils4.0 / 5Best Overall
ArtNaturals Lemon Essential Oil 4.3 / 5 Budget Friendly
Radha Beauty Top 8 Essential Oils 4.2 / 5 Editors Pick
Sandalwood (Australian) Essential Oil 4.0 / 5 Alternative #1
Aromatherapy Therapeutic Grade Sampler 4.3 / 5 Alternative #2

Essential Oils: What Are They?

Essential oils are compounds that are derived from the plant. The oils hold the scent and flavor of the plant and are sometimes referred to as the plant´s ¨essence¨. There are more than 90 types of essential oils available on the market today that are sourced from a myriad of different plants. Each one is unique in its scent, flavor, and holistic use.

There are a few ways that essential oils are made but distillation is the most common for the majority of your essential oils. The process consists of boiling a container of water with the plant matter above it. As the steam passes through the plant matter it collects the oil compound molecules and transports it through a pipe that rests above the plant matter.

Citrus essential oils like lemon and orange are made with a process called cold-expression as opposed to the steam distillation. The cold expression process is basically the process of poking holes in the peel of the fruit or the whole fruit. The fruit is then pressed flat to excrete all the oils and juice where the oil is then filtered and separated.

You can check out this video to get more information on essential oils and where they come from. You´ll also get some information on oils that offer some fantastic health benefits.

How to know if Essential Oils are Pure

The world of essential oils is actually really complicated when it comes to purity. There are many different ¨tests¨ or myths that are sweeping the internet like the paper test. The paper test states that if you drop the oil on a piece of paper and wait, it should evaporate without any residue. However, the results can vary depending on the type of oil you are testing

The one test that is used to test the purity of essential oils is Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry or GC/MS testing that is done in a lab. This test essentially breaks apart the chemical compound of the essential oil and then identifies those compounds to assess if the oil has been manipulated or infused with fillers or additives.

GC/MS testing is not foolproof when it comes to essential oils testing an can only see a range of what´s really going on. Some companies have refrained from GC/MS testing but each essential oil recommended here has been individually researched to ensure the oils are made only from pure and natural ingredients without any fillers or additives.

The company has to opt to do these tests themselves though and will generally advertise it if they have. Companies that don´t have GC/MS testing done will have a material safety data sheet (MSDS) that comes with the purchase of the oil. This sheet essentially shows you the hazards and safe handling precautions of the oil which can give you some insight on what was actually put in the oil.

It is also best to simply learn about the company and find out what they are doing and where their product is coming from. Also, check the ingredients. If a bottle of lavender essential oil has more ingredients than lavender – it’s not pure lavender.

Using Essential Oils in Meditation

You can use essential oils in a few different ways for your meditation session. Essential oils have been applied topically to your skin but today is also used through diffusers to turn the oil into an aromatherapeutic vapor. There are also different holistic uses for diseases and infections that essential oils are used for.

Both ways will work for your meditation, although the diffuser will keep a steady flow of the aroma coming into your space. With meditation, you are primarily getting the aroma effect from the oil to induce states of peace and relaxation. This is why the diffuser may be a better option for meditation due to the constant, steady stream of fragrance.

Essential Oils: Diffusing

Essential oils being used with a diffuser, like this popular essential oil diffuser, have been growing in popularity in modern times. The diffuser disperses the oil into the room as a vapor that is perfectly safe and pleasant to inhale. This particular diffuser can also be filled with water to be used as a humidifier.

Diffusing the essential oils in this way is also gaining popularity in the health community as each different plant carries with it different healing properties. There are different combinations of essential oils that you can put together into the diffuser to produce different holistic effects.

Essential Oils: Topical Application

Applying essential oils on your skin topically has been known to have healing effects on a myriad of different health problems. All of our medicine comes from plants, so it makes sense that the direct oil from the plants containing these healing properties will have a positive effect.

It is important to know that these essential oils are very potent. It is recommended, almost mandatory, to dilute the essential oils through some kind of oil like avocado oil or almond oil. You can check out charts for dilution ratios, but remember it can be different for everyone.

The plant oil is potent when not diluted and can cause harmful reactions with your skin if you leave it applied undiluted.

A Big Problem

Essential oils are great. They bring forth an amazingly calm, peaceful meditative space and offer holistic, natural healing benefits. So, what´s the problem? Well, the amount of essential oil harvested into a bottle requires a MASSIVE amount of plant matter. To create one pound of any given essential oil can take hundreds of pounds of plant matter to produce.

Not only is it using a massive amount of resources to create there is also a lot of energy to process and distill all of this plant matter for such a small harvest. If you plan to use essential oils this is definitely something to keep in mind.

If you´d still like to meditate with some sort of aromatherapy without having to use the consumption-heavy essential oils then you could use these natural, non-toxic incense stick brands which are not nearly as resource intensive. There are also these non-toxic and Eco-friendly scented soy wax meditation candles that bring the same aromatherapeutic benefits!

Your Most Popular Essential Oils

With over 90 essential oils to choose from it can be quite a feat to try and determine which essential oil is right for you. Especially online where we are very consciously missing the sense of smell in our exploration.

So! I have put together this quick list of your most popular essential oils so you simplify your choices down to ones that have been tried and tested and loved by many. This list will cover the different health benefits and benefits you´ll find in meditation from using these oils. You´ll also see many of these oils appear amongst the essential oils we´re reviewing today as well!

Lavender Oil

Research done with lavender has shown it expresses many promising healing traits. It has shown promise in studies regarding hair loss recovery, fungal infections, and even minor wounds. The hair loss studies were done on mice, though, to be transparent.

It has been known to help promote sleep and even work as a minor bug repellant, among other benefits.

Lavender can help with anxiety, depression, or migraines by applying two drops, one to each temple. Lavender is best known for promoting stress-reduction and relaxation. It would best be used for meditation after a long, hard day at work.

Lemon

Lemon oil is known for cleansing toxins from the bodies and purifying it. It also helps with the drainage of the lymph node with another long list of health benefits. Lemon is one of the oils that has had it´s health benefits well established and documented within the scientific community.

In meditation, lemon promotes ultimate health in your spirituality. Not only does it purify your body, but it purifies your mind and your spirit. It will bring balance to you and bring you back to the present moment. If you are finding yourself caught within your mind, fretting over past events or events to come then lemon might be the one for you today.

Sandalwood Oil

Sandalwood is one of the rarest essential oils to harvest due to the sandalwood tree being rather expensive. It is most well known for its sweet, woodsy smell and is widely used in Indian temples and other south-east Asian countries.

In meditation, the oil fills the area with a healing aura. It can also have sedative effects so be careful you are not too tired! This oil would be best used if things are very high energy and maybe there are tense energies. It will bring down the mood to a calmer level and allow you to easily enter into a meditative state.

Sweet Orange Oil

Sweet orange has been used widely in aromatherapy sessions as it tends to relax your muscles and will invoke feelings of happiness within you. It also has been found to have properties to keep your skin clean by simply applying it topically.

It´s popular most for its anti-inflammatory effects as it has shown the greatest results in this field when compared to other oils. Aside from this, it does contain other health benefits. In regards to meditation, this oil could be good for you to use when you are feeling down on yourself or just simply tensed up from stress.

Frankincense Oil

Frankincense is harvested from the resin of a tree that grows in the harsh deserts of Somalia and Pakistan. The tree is unique as it can grow in these harsh conditions without a ton of resources to access.

Frankincense has been known to work as an antiseptic and kill bacteria while ultimately boosting your immune system. It works to kill germs when applied topically and is commonly used in the mouth as an oral hygienic product. There is also research that indicates other health benefits that this oil may offer.

With the healing properties, you wouldn´t be surprised that frankincense is considered a cleansing oil, one that clears the mind and helps you enter into a meditative state. If there´s a lot on your plate and you feel overwhelmed, frankincense may be the one to turn to.

Eucalyptus Oil

Eucalyptus oil is harvested from the bark of various Eucalyptus trees found in Australia. It is known for having positive effects on your respiration as well as being used to combat coughs and infection like bronchitis.

It´s been known to improve mental clarity when mixed with peppermint oil and applied topically to your temples and forehead. This could help with providing a clear space to work during meditation. It is also known for having a passive smell in aromatherapy which attributes more to having a clear, pleasant space to meditate.

Like all essential oils, eucalyptus has a lot of different uses. It´s even been found to successfully repel rats from a household!

Rosemary Oil

Rosemary is part of the mint family and as you might know, is commonly used in cooking for oral consumption! The rosemary essential oil is extracted from the leaves and the flowers of the plant itself.

Rosemary claims a wide range of health benefits including memory improvement and has research being done in rosemary´s ability to combat some types of cancer.

Rosemary has a woody scent like if you were in a forest of evergreens and it has been described as simulating and energizing. This would be a good oil to use for meditation when you´re feeling empowered and ready to go deep within your meditation.

Tea Tree Oil

Tea Tree is a native to Australia and is most well known for its anti-bacterial properties as it fights fungus and infection. It also has properties that help with dryness of the skin and acne. You can read of all the potential health benefits of tea tree oil here.

Tea tree oil is also known as a purifying and cleansing oil. It is a great oil for detoxification and has an earthy smell that fills the room. If you are feeling like you are being dragged down by toxicity in your life, tea tree oil might be the one to sit down with for a while.

Peppermint Oil

Peppermint falls in the list of one of the best essential oils because of all of its amazing properties. This oil is versatile in the sense that it can be ingested, or diffused, or applied topically to receive its benefits.

It has been ingested orally to cure things like irritable bowel syndrome or headaches and the common cold as well. Although, there hasn´t been enough evidence to suggest that the common cold or the headaches are really affected positively by the peppermint oil.

It´s important to understand that the oil is extremely potent and even though the oil is technically ingestable it can cause a painful burning sensation. Also, it´s best to keep it off your feet! It´s too sensitive and won´t be enjoyable.

During meditation, Peppermint will help relax your muscles and improve your respiratory breathing. There´s really no special time to use peppermint. Just when you feel it.

Patchouli Oil

The Patchouli oil is a sweet, spicy and musky scent that was typically stereotyped to the hippies of the ´60s, although it´s use began much earlier than that. It was traditionally used to treat skin conditions like eczema and dry scalp.

The oil has a calming scent that is balancing and grounding to your psyche, amongst other health benefits. This oil is perfect for when the day seems really hectic or if you feel like you´re losing control – grab some patchouli oil and meditate.

Lemongrass Oil

Lemongrass oil has many anti-inflammatory effects as well as mood lifting and wound healing effects. You can check out all the health benefits and you might be starting to see that the plants of the same families tend to carry similar healing properties.

Lemongrass is used in meditation because it helps clear the mind and aid in concentration. It is also said to help open psychic channels if you are working in the realms of transcendental concentration. If you are sitting down to work a little more intensely and also intentionally then I would grab lemongrass and see where it goes.

Quick Heads Up!

While we´re moving through here I want to take a moment to acknowledge clearly that there are different risks involved with essential oils. For example, if you are pregnant or experiencing other health conditions you should consult a doctor before administering any of these oils on yourself.  

Also, a lot of these oils cannot be taken orally! Make sure to check out and research the individual oil if you´re not 100% sure about it!

The Best Essential Oils for Meditation

best essential oils for meditation

At this point, you have a clearer understanding of what essential oils are and where they come from. Here we will cover the best essential oils that you can use for meditation that have been helping people meditate successfully for centuries.

ArtNatural´s Therapeutic-Grade Lemon Essential Oil

ArtNatural´s Therapeutic-Grade Lemon Essential Oil is one of ArtNatural´s most popular essential oils out of what they offer. The oil is GC/MS tested so you can be 100% confident that you are receiving pure and natural essential oil when you order from ArtNatural´s.

It can be used in a diffuser and also applied topically, but be sure to check for sensitivity and follow the dilution charts first! They also have a no questions asked 100% money-back guarantee if you´re not happy with the product!

ArtNaturals is quickly becoming one of the most popular vendors of essential oils due to their commitment to quality and testing to ensure you are receiving a top of the line and legitimate product!

Customers have been loving this brand are happy to come back again and again for ArtNatural´s oils.

Pros:

  • 100% Pure, natural, and organic – GC/MS tested
  • Beautiful, citrus smell of lemon – amongst other available oils

Cons:

  • No particular cons for this product at this time

Radha Beauty Aromatherapy Top 8 Essential Oils

Radha Beauty Aromatherapy´s Top 8 Essential Oils are completely pure, natural, and organic and comes in 8 different bottles of the top essential oils. These include Lavender, Tea Tree, Eucalyptus, Lemongrass, Orange, Peppermint, Frankincense, and Rosemary. The oil comes out of the container in drops like a dropper so no extra dropper is needed, which saves on waste!

If you´re not sure what you want or you like a large variety to choose from depending on your mood then this would be the set to go with! You get about 2.5 fl oz of oil total and it comes in at a great price for such a large variety. Radha also states they do testing for their oils through a third-party company, but there are no confirmed results at this time.

The only other downside about buying a set is that each oil technically costs a different amount to make up the 10ml worth of essential oil. So – it’s not really a downside but you end up paying a little more for having the variety as opposed to buying a single oil in bulk.

Customers have been enjoying this oil set claiming that it doesn’t smell too overwhelming. One customer helped heal the carpal tunnel of their wrist with 10 drops of peppermint (pain relief), 10 drops of lemongrass (ligament repair), and 5 drops of lavender (calming and pain relief) and said her arm felt better the next day!

Pros:

  • Variety pack of 8 popular essential oils
  • 100% pure, natural, and organic
  • Dropper installed on container – no waste!
  • Good starter kit for experimenting with popular essential oils

Cons:

  • Pay more per fl oz with this set than buying individually
  • No confirmed GC/MS testing at this time

Kis Oils Aromatherapy Top 8 100% Pure Therapeutic Essential Oils

Kis Oils Top 8 Essential Oils are also 100% pure and natural. The company Kis Oils is committed to high-quality products and refrains from putting additives or fillers in with their oil. This set comes with Lavender, Sweet Orange, Peppermint, Lemongrass, Tea Tree, Eucalyptus, Lemon, Frankincense.

Each bottle is 10 ml like the last set and to save you the time there is only a small difference in the actual type of oils provided. Sweet orange vs orange is going to be pretty much the same just different on how the orange was cultivated. The oil that is actually different in this set is that you obtain a Lemon oil instead of a Rosemary oil.

Also, these containers just have regular lids so you will need a dropper to use with these ones, but the set comes included with one! They also have a 100% money back guarantee if you´re not satisfied! This is also a very budget-friendly option so you can experience essential oils without breaking the bank.

Customers have been very satisfied with this kit and say it makes a great starter kit. These sampler kits are really the most cost-effective option for experiencing different essential oils as you begin diving into this world.

Kis Oil doesn´t do GC/MS testing but will have an MSDS available with the oil.

Pros:

  • 100% pure and natural
  • Budget-friendly
  • Included dropper
  • 100% money back guarantee
  • Good starter kit for experimenting with popular essential oils

Cons:

  • Pay more per fl oz with this set than buying individually
  • No GC/MS testing done – MSDS only

Radha Beauty´s 18 Essential Oil Set

Radha Beauty´s 18 Essential Oil Set comes with 18 different essential oils so you can really experiment! Each bottle is 5ml instead of 10ml so overall you are getting about 3 fl oz of oil. This is the set you want to go for if you aren’t sure what you want and don´t think you´ll fall into the mainstream essential oils that are most popular right now.

It has these 18 oils: Bergamot, Cinnamon, Cedarwood, Clary Sage, Clove, Eucalyptus, Frankincense, Geranium, Lavender, Lemon, Lemongrass, Orange, Oregano, Patchouli, Peppermint, Pink Grapefruit, Rosemary, and Tea Tree!

As usual, they are pure and natural with no additives. This set is great for travel sized oils, or to give as a meditation gift, or just simply to find out what your favorite oil is going to be! The containers are the same where the dropper is installed under the lid so you don´t need an additional dropper.

Customers have been loving the smells of Radha Beauty´s oils and have found this set to not only be exciting with the variety but come with high-quality, strong-scented oils.

Pros:

  • Ultimate essential oil starter kit – 18 oils!
  • Dropper installed on container – no waste!
  • 100% pure, natural, and organic

Cons:

  • More expensive per fl oz than buying individual oils but more cost-effective as a whole
  • No confirmed GC/MS testing

Sun Essential Oils – Australian Sandalwood Essential Oil

Sun Essential Oils Sandalwood Essential Oil is one of their most popular blends coming in a 4 fl oz container that is packed with the rich, sweet, woodsy smell of sandalwood. The sandalwood tree is one of the most expensive trees in the world which causes the sandalwood oil to have less supply.

If 4 fl oz is too much, you can always get smaller amounts if you are looking to design your own kit of essential oils! Sun Essential Oils has been rising in the marketplace with their sandalwood oil being the most popular.

Customers love using it in their diffusers and most customers keep returning back to buy more of this oil. Some have been using it to help them get to sleep as well. So get that diffuser set up and get ready!

Sun Essential Oils works only with top, high-quality, and only organic products and works hard to get them to you at the best price for all of their oils.

Pros:

  • Rich, sweet, woodsy smell of sandalwood – amongst other available oils
  • Pure, natural, and organic

Cons:

  • No particular cons for this product at this time

Frequently Asked Questions about Essential Oils

Will an essential oil diffuser leave behind a residue?

Nope! That is one of the beautiful things about diffusing essential oils into your home. One customer had their diffuser sitting on a table against a wall for months and when they checked there was no residue left behind. It´s quite a clean process!

What is the shelf-life of essential oils?

The shelf life of each essential oils differs depending on what the chemical makeup of the oil is. Some oils last 1-2 years will some will last 3-6 years. There are a bunch of different oils available on the market so to save you having to research all of them individually you can peruse through this list of essential oils and what each of their estimated shelf lives should be.

If you want your essential oil to last as long as possible you will want to store them in a cool, dark place with the lids tightly shut. The refrigerator makes a great storage unit if you have room!

What is so essential about essential oils?

Well, the word essential didn’t come from the fact that the oil is essential to anything. It was more of a social evolvement because the science community stated that the oil is the ¨essence of the plant¨ or the very compounds that make up the plant. The word essence evolved into essential giving us essential oils.

In the professional world, they refer to them as volatile or ethereal oils. This name came about simply because plant oils are “volatile” in the sense that they evaporate rapidly when exposed to air.

Can I ingest these oils internally?

It´s important to not simply ingest an oil without researching it first and how it may affect you. Even though peppermint is technically an edible plant it still becomes extremely potent in the oil form which can lead to a burning sensation. Some plants even become poisonous when they are converted into their oil form.

So! Always do your research. If you are not sure, then don´t do it. The problem with ingesting essential oils right now is that there is no FDA involvement in the essential oil industry. So without proper testing being done, there is no way to issue a sweeping statement saying they are completely safe to ingest.

What if the oil is burning when I apply it topically?

If the oil is already applied and burning you can go ahead and put coconut milk on it to neutralize the burn. The fats in the milk will help carry away the excess essential oil. This works both ways! If you apply the milk before you apply the oil then the oil will dilute into your pores and excess oil will again get carried away in the fats of the milk.

That´s it. Essentially.

Now you’re definitely set and ready to find the best essential oils for meditation and keep you moving in the right direction! You now understand what essential oils are and where they come from. You can also identify which essential oils are going to be the purest and free of synthetic ingredients!

There’s a lot of different oils out there and now that you have an understanding of the different oils that are popular and also how to apply them you are ready! The world of essential oils is exciting and limitless with an endless supply of combinations to find the perfect blend that brings you further along your path into your own enlightenment.

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