Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning that I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase at no additional cost. All opinions remain my own. For more information, please refer to my disclosure policy. I want to thank Alex from Simply Alex Jean for writing this post on essential oils.
Self-care is important! You should find some time for yourself soon. When was the last time you took a self-care day? Have you heard any of these before from folks in your life? I certainly have, and honestly, as much as I adore the people, most of the time, someone telling me to take self-care doesn’t result in me taking time for myself. I’m someone who needs that awareness to come from within or build in into my schedule.
I wish I could be someone who drops what they’re doing and makes self-care time when suggested by others. But, instead, I work better with scheduling a day or time into my planner ahead of time. This allows me to feel relaxed and get all the tasks (or most) stressing me outdone. Usually, when folks make self-care day suggestions, I’m in a high-stress time were leaving my current tasks would result in more stress.
Over the past year, I’ve built in when planning for my self-care day which essential oils I will use during this time. Each essential oil helps you in different ways and planning out what I think I’ll need, and I’ve found it to be incredibly helpful with my self-care day. So, next time you have a self-care day planned, why not pop some oil in a diffuser and give it a try! See what kinds of emotions of feelings the oils evoke and enjoy the day.
I encourage you to speak with a health professional before using essential oils.
I use Revive Essential Oils for all my oils as I trust their brand and the science behind their oils. If you’re interested in Revive essential oils, click here to get 10$!
Table of Contents
Essential Oils To Use For Self-Care
Jasmine
Calming, Soothing, Self-Confidence
I use Jasmine daily. It’s one of my all-time favorite scents. It helps to uplift your emotions and promotes feelings of joy. Jasmine is a self-care day go-to of mine. It also helps build self-confidence and promotes a positive outlook on life when it’s diffused around you. I don’t know about you, but typically I need self-care when I’m not feeling so great about myself or the world around me, and Jasmine honestly takes care of helping to support my emotions and provide a sense of calm.
To use Jasmine, you can use a rollerball and roll some on your pulse points. My favorite is my neck. You can also take 3-4 drops and add them to your diffuser and diffuser as you go about your self-care rituals.
Lavender
Calming, Relaxing, and Soothing
Lavender is an excellent oil for those days you’re feeling a sense of overwhelm or anxiety. Lavender helps with reducing feelings of anxiety, worry, and stress. It has a calming and grounding scent that enables you to find your center and relax your mind. I recommend lavender to anyone just starting with oils, it’s a great beginner oil, and I’ve met very few people who don’t enjoy the scent. It’s a classic scent that is adored by the masses. Lavender is also great to use if you take your self-care time in the evening as it helps your body relax and unwind and prepare for bedtime.
To use lavender, you can typically use it in a rollerball or massage with a carrier oil into any sore spots on your body or areas that feel tension. It is fantastic to add to a bath, add three drops with ½ cup of Epsom salts and enjoy the calming scent. For diffusion, I recommend four drops, and you can mix with lots of different scents such as geranium, lemon, rose, ylang-ylang, cedarwood, orange, sandalwood, or clary sage.
Calming Blend
Calming, Grounding, and Relaxing
This is a blend that I’ve used for years and adore. It helps promote relaxation in the body and helps clear your mind, which helps encourage grounding. Chamomile helps alleviate sad and anxious feelings, lavender helps calm your mind and body, and ylang-ylang helps to promote positive feelings. Now, doesn’t that sound like a powerful trio to help you rest and recharge? I find this scent most potent when I take time to meditate or engage in mindfulness activities. However, you can also do more active self-care activities and diffusing in the room to reap the benefits.
To make this blend, you’ll need three oils: chamomile, lavender, and ylang-ylang. This blend can only be diffused and cannot be used topically or internally. Add to your diffuser five lavender drops, three chamomile drops, and two ylang-ylang drops. Turn on your diffuser and inhale that wonderful scent.

Geranium
Soothing, Uplifting, and Grounding
Geranium is a fantastic scent if you want a bit of an uplift! I find geranium a smell that helps motivate me and helps me calm any worries or anxious thoughts. So, if you’re someone who is a bit more active with their self-care day and can’t sit down or relax in a sedentary position for long, this is a great scent to have diffusing around your house as you engage in your self-care rituals. Geranium is incredible for helping to calm nerves and soothe your mind and body. It helps reduce stress, as well as promotes grounding of emotions and frustrations.
To use geranium, you can either use it topically or diffuse it. Typically you’d want to use it in a rollerball or with a carrier oil as a massage. You can massage it anywhere you feel stress or tension. For diffusing, which is my preference, you can add a couple of drops to your diffuser (3-4).
Clary Sage
Soothing, Calming, Balancing
Clary Sage is also one of my go-to oils for self-care days. I love to use it mixed with coconut oil and massage it into my body, specifically my abdomen and neck. Clary Sage is an excellent oil for helping to promote balance with our emotions and hormones. As well it helps with providing relaxation to your mind and body while calming emotions. It can also help reduce anxiety and tension felt in the body and mind. So if you’re having one of those days where you feel very overworked or stressed about deadlines or upcoming projects, this is a fantastic self-care oil for those feelings.
Using clary oil is very simple. You can diffuse or use it topically. Diffusing it, you’ll want to add two drops of clary sage and 1-2 drops of citrus oil to pair with it. You can also add a drop or two of oil mixed with 1tbsp of carrier oil and massage it onto your body.
Ylang Ylang
Calming, Uplifting, Encouraging
Last but certainly not least, Ylang Ylang. Again, this oil is an excellent oil for someone who goes with their self-care day. Ylang Ylang helps promote a sense of calm in the mind and body while also uplifting your mood and emotions. Like Jasmine, it helps boost your mood to create a positive outlook on your day. Finally, it helps support your feelings and reduces tension and stress felt in the body.
You can add a drop or two of Ylang Ylang to an essential oils necklace and bracelet for on the go. You can also diffuse 3 -4 drops around your space as you relax. You can use it topically when mixed with a carrier oil on your pulse points or massaging into your body.

Alex
Blogger
Hello! I’m Alex from Simply Alex Jean. I’m a lifestyle blogger based out of Ontario, Canada. Thanks to Riyah, Riyah Speaks, for having me onto her blog to write a Guest Post! Simply Alex Jean Lifestyle blog focuses on Organization, Health & Wellness and Lifestyle, and has Pinterest Management Services available. Check out my blog at https://simplyalexjean.com.
Awesome suggestions! I loooove essential oils. This is a good read for someone to use them for pampering 🙂 love it.
Madison,
Thanks for reading. I’m glad you loved essential oils as much as we do. What are some of your fav scents?
Ah! I used to have a jasmine rollerball, but I lost it so long ago. Time for a new one! Thank you
Laura! I love jasmine! It’s one of my absolute favorites!
I’ve never really used essential oils, accept lavender, which I tried on my pillow for a while to help sleep, but it didn’t help. It anything, the scent was for too over powering, even though I’d diluted it with water
Self care is very important. So many lovely essential oils to choose x
I totally agree!
Lavender is definitely my go-to when I need self care or really just need t settle! I have never tried clary sage, but I’ll add that to my list when it is time to buy oils again. One of my other favorites for bad days is peppermint oil. It is amazing when I have a headache, or just need a little extra pep to get moving.
Erica,
Lavender is one of my favorite scents, and so is frakencise (Spelled it wrong, I think). I have also never tried Clary Sage, but doesn’t it sound like it’s really good. Peppermint is really nice too!
I love essential oils! they are so enriching and it works nicely on me. I never use lavender though, somehow the scent of lavender gives me headache
Lyosha,
I love essential oils too! I use them all the time for whenever I am studying or when I am not feeling good. Lavender might be a scent that is just triggering for you.