Essential Oils: Top Five for Your Toolkit

Essential oils make an incredible addition to a sober support plan, as they can help you navigate various emotions by providing calming, relaxing, grounding, and uplifting effects. However, with countless essential oils available, it can be challenging to determine which ones suit your needs best. To ease your search, I’m delighted to share my top five favorite essential oils for sober support.

I love them because:

1. They are known for their calming, relaxing, grounding, or uplifting properties.

2. They are budget-friendly options.

3. Each oil offers a unique aroma, ranging from woody to floral to citrus.

4. They are backed by considerable research supporting their beneficial qualities.

5. Most of them have no known safety issues (with a note about Grapefruit below).

Let’s delve into these fantastic essential oils and their benefits!

CEDARWOOD (Juniperus virginiana)

Juniperus virginiana is an excellent choice for sober support as it provides energetic encouragement and helps boost your endurance and coping abilities during the ups and downs of the process. Its aroma is delightful, with woody and Cedar-like notes.  It’s important to note that Juniperus virginiana has no known safety concerns as there are other types of Cedarwood available that may not.  Be sure to check for the Latin name: Juniperus virginiana when adding this (or any) oil to your personal collection.

GERANIUM (Pelargonium graveolens var roseum)

I love Geranium essential oil for sober support to use both during the day for calming and at night for help sleeping. It’s cooling, calming and can help ease frustration when you are grappling with a lot of emotions. The aroma is lovely, but not too floral with a balance between rosey and herbaceous. 

FRANKINCENSE (Boswellia carterii)

Boswellia carterii can support your meditation practice by helping you to connect body and spirit. It’s a grounding essential oil and can be useful in stilling the mind and calming the nerves.  The aroma of Boswellia carterii is quite complex as it achieves a beautiful balance of woody and lemony notes.  There are other types of Frankincense, so be sure to check for Boswellia carterii before you purchase.

LAVENDER (Lavandula angustifolia)

If you only have one essential oil in your sober toolkit it should be Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) essential oil. I have found that people highly regard Lavandula angustifolia’s attributes and generally accept this essential oil for its calming and relaxing effects. You can use it to ease any frustration and irritability you encounter throughout your day. The aroma is well liked, lightly floral and slightly woody.

GRAPEFRUIT (Citrus paradisi)

If you are looking for a “happy” essential oil, you can turn to Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi), it’s uplifting and energetic.   Grapefruit essential oil promotes vitality and really makes you feel alive. It is distilled from the fresh fruit rind of the grapefruit so the aroma is really fresh and citrusy.  Safety Note: This citrus essential oil may cause skin irritation and can be phototoxic.  Be sure to use a low dilution of less than 4% – max 24 drops per ounce.

DIY SUGGESTIONS

Any grouping of these essential oils works well together.  Have fun and experiment with a combination of different scents in an aromatherapy diffuser. As another option, harness the benefits of these essential oils topically by blending up to 15 drops of essential oils with 1 oz of unscented lotion. 

BUYING ESSENTIAL OILS

It is important to purchase your essential oils from a reputable supplier.  I buy all my essential oils from Aromatics International because I feel confident their products are 100% pure and sustainably sourced.  Every essential oil they sell has been tested for purity and they share those test results on their website.   What this means is that the essential oils they sell have not been adulterated and can be utilized for the highest therapeutic benefits.  Purchase essential oils from Aromatics International here. 

Lisa Lawson makes suggestions, as a Certified Aromatherapist, for essential oils and blends that helped her during her journey to becoming a non-drinker.  Lisa is not a licensed medical professional, a psychologist, or addiction specialist and cannot diagnose, treat, prescribe or replace any medical treatment.

LULU’S LAB WITH LISA LAWSON: Lulu’s Lab supports women on their journey to a sober, healthy life with aromatherapy products designed specifically for them. This section is brought to you by Sober Curator Lisa Lawson, a passionate Sober Certified Aromatherapist dedicated to supporting individuals on their journey to quit drinking. Having relied on alcohol as a coping mechanism for years, she realized that life is meant to be fully experienced rather than simply endured. By committing wholeheartedly to a 100-day alcohol free challenge, Lisa transformed herself physically and emotionally, discovering a newfound sense of happiness and well-being.

If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties surrounding alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness, please reach out and ask for help. People everywhere can and want to help; you just have to know where to look. And continue to look until you find what works for you. Click here for a list of regional and national resources.

If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties surrounding alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness, please reach out and ask for help. People everywhere can and want to help; you just have to know where to look. And continue to look until you find what works for you. Click here for a list of regional and national resources.

The post Essential Oils: Top Five for Your Toolkit appeared first on The Sober Curator.