The Best Oils to Try
The Modern Man’s Guide to Staying Chill
The best essential oils for you body, mind and home
Stress is a part of modern life. So is pain, especially if you're an overachieving type who likes to hit the gym before work, put in the necessary time at the office and go hard with friends after hours or on the weekend. Your secret weapon to regaining your chill and soothing away tension and pain? Essential oils.
Now, if the idea of essential oils feels a bit too wellness-y, we get that. But if you trust us to provide recommendations on products that will improve your life, hear us out when we tell you that these little bottles will do just that. A few drops can transform your standard shower into a relaxing steam bath. A few swipes of these concentrated oils can relieve those pesky sore muscles or soothe away a killer headache. There's a reason why everyone from professional athletes to Silicon Valley hotshots swear by them—they work.
But, as you might imagine, not all essential oils are created equally. If you're not careful, you can find oils overloaded with extraneous ingredients (mostly fillers) to cut costs. The quality oils cost a bit more, but you need much less of the products to get the punch you're looking for. This way, a single bottle can easily last you months. Herewith, the best bottles to stock.
The Starter Kit
If you're new to the essential oil game, this is a great kit to get you started. It's curated to include four of the most potent and popular essential oil varieties for men, in USDA organic form. There's tea tree oil, which promotes clear skin and calm itches and irritation. Eucalyptus oil, which is naturally anti-bacterial and is what fancy gyms use on their chilled towels. The lavender oil has a nice, rich scent and is known to encourage relaxation while minimizing stress, insomnia and nausea. Finally, peppermint oil (which you'll see below), is good for a whole range of needs. Bonus, they come in handsome and handy dropper bottles.
Organic essential oil set, $35.95 by Public Goods
For Focus and Energy
When you're stressed or low on energy, the less you have to worry about the better. Which is why we appreciate Saje's ingenious dual-sided bottle. One side is an easy rollerball, which allows you to apply the oil (in this case an invigorating blend of lemon, clary sage and cedarwood) with a simple stroke to the skin at your pulse points. The other end of the bottle allows for the standard drops of oil (should you want to add it to a bath or shower). While Saje makes a range of blends, we especially like this one for relieving stressful tension and boosting focus to stay sharp throughout the day.
Brainstorm oil blend, $20 by Saje
The Do-It-All Oil
Pure peppermint oil, in all its mentholated wonder, is known for its proven cooling and powerful soothing properties. Because it's a natural antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic (pain reliever), it's great for everything from pain and swelling to muscle cramps. Rub it into sore feet at the end of a long day. Massage a few drops on your chest to clear sinus or lung congestion. Dab it on your temples for a headache. It's been said to aid in mental clarity, so rubbing a drop into your hands and inhaling deeply before a meeting is a smart move. And sure, add a drop to a glass of water and gargle for an instant breath freshener.
Organic peppermint oil, $15 by Vitruvi
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For Your Diffuser
If you want your place to smell authentically good (not like a generic air freshener), add a few drops of this to an aromatic diffuser. Aēsop knows a thing or two about blending delicious smelling fragrances, and this mix is a spicy mashup of cedar and clove with a bright touch of citrus sweetness. It's at once invigorating and completely chill.
Catherine Oil Burner Blend, $39 by Aēsop
For Your Face
Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate is a cult-favorite elixir made from a unique blend of essential oils, including lavender and evening primrose, which are blended with other botanicals and natural olive-based squalane. Because it's such a distilled oil, a little goes a long way and it gets to work almost instantly. Anyone who's tested it has sang its praises for delivering better looking, healthier skin by morning.
Midnight Recovery Concentrate, $52 by Kiehl's
NOTE: Items featured in this story are independently selected by the editorial team. Purchasing via our links may earn Valet. a portion of the sale, which helps fund our editorial mission.
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