Essential oils – are they just a fad? You’ve seen them in your hair and skin care products, and you’ve even seen them in the home goods section of Walmart. So what are they? What do they do?
Essential oils are beneficial to men for a number of reasons. Some are uplifting, others calming. Some treat your skin while others make your hair healthier. They’re found in over the counter products, or you can make your own blends. Let’s take a look at the best essential oils for men.
WHAT ARE ESSENTIAL OILS?
Throughout history, certain plants have been thought (or proven) to have benefits to the human body. Those benefits come by way of mood enhancement, skin care, health and more.
But it’s pretty impractical to eat those plants all day to get the effects, right? That’s why essential oils are made. Essential oils are concentrated oils from plants that provide the health benefits of those plants. Some smell good while others are pretty neutral. But the all carry the health benefits associated with the plant.
Essential oils for men are usually made by distillation. It’s actually a pretty neat process. First, the fresh plants are steamed over boiling water. The steam extracts the oils from the leaves or flowers. Then, that oily steam is trapped in a tube over the plant as it rises.
The oily steam cools down and becomes water again. So it falls back down, and the oil and the water separate. Voila! Essential oils are created!
There are a few other methods of extracting essential oils, but this is the most common, the cheapest and the cleanest.
Essential oils are then used on their own, or are added to products like men’s essential oils cologne, hair products, lotions and even sunscreens.
CARRIER OILS AND ESSENTIAL OILS
There are two different types of plant oils. There are carrier oils and essential oils. Now, it’s possible that you’ll never need to know the difference between the two of these. However, if you ever feel that you’d like to make your own essential oil blends for men, you’ll need to know some basics.
Carrier oils are made from the fatty parts of a plant. Nuts, seeds and kernels are examples of fatty plant parts. Carrier oils don’t usually have a scent, but they’re still useful and have health benefits.
As an example, jojoba oil is a carrier oil. It’s frequently mixed with essential oils that have specific purposes, and the jojoba oil blends them. But jojoba oil does have benefits, too. It’s high in vitamin E, is a great softening and moisturizing agent, and it’s known to be gentle to the skin. Almond oil, sunflower oil and argan oil are others.
Essential oils, on the other hand, come from pretty much every other part of the plant. Leaves, stems, roots and flowers are all used to create essential oils. And why they don’t always have a scent, they usually do.
BLENDING YOUR OWN ESSENTIAL OILS
If you decide to create your own men’s blend essential oils, you’ll need both types of oil. You’ll need a carrier oil like jojoba or argan, and several drops of each of the essential oils you’re using. You can create your own scent blend by using about an ounce of carrier oil with about 10 drops of other essential oils.
You can find “recipes” for essential oil blends for men online, but it’s good to experiment, too. Each essential oil serves a different purpose – you choose what you need! Need a pick me up? Try a citrus oil or rosemary. Need something to relax you? Try jasmine or lavender. Read through the best essential oils for men below, then mix whatever works best for you.
BEST ESSENTIAL OILS FOR MEN
Ready to get started? Here are the best essential oils for men, their benefits, and where to find them. Choose the ones that suit your need, and blend as you see fit!
Edens Garden Black Pepper Essential Oil $9.40
You may be tempted to believe that a black pepper essential oil would make you smell more like a rich stew than a man. You’d be surprised. Peppercorns get their “peppery” smell when they’re dried. Until then, they carry a woody scent that can best be described, simply, as natural. Almost floral, but in a masculine way.
Black pepper essential oil has great benefits, too. It helps to improve your circulation and also helps to remedy aches and pains. Black pepper has been shown to have antioxidant effects, which means it can be helpful in warding off cancer. And it can help you quit smoking, too!
Black pepper essential oil blends well with most other scents, as you won’t need a lot. Just a few drops of this essential oil will give your blend a warm scent.
Now Essential Oils Cedarwood Essential Oil $5.67
The scent of cedarwood is easy to recognize. When you catch the aroma, you’ll notice a sweetness to it, as well as an earthy, woody undertone. Cedarwood blends very well with vetiver, Ylang Ylang, jasmine and even rose, and will give your essential oil blend a relaxing quality.
Cedarwood is also great for your skin when you make your own massage oil or lotion. It’s antifungal, antibacterial and it’s an astringent. That means it can help clear up acne on your face or body, and it’ll relax you in the process.
doTERRA Sandalwood Essential Oil $7.77
Sandalwood is like cedarwood in that, once you smell it, you’ll never forget the scent. Sandalwood has a sharper aroma than cedarwood. It could be described as more heady or musky than the other, and when diffused, it’s used as a mood enhancer.
Sandalwood’s benefits to your skin include antiseptic and scar-reducing properties. It also reduces inflammation, which can help clear up acne and other skin conditions. You’ll find that sandalwood blends well with patchouli, lavender, geranium and even clove for an exotic, distinctive scent.
Ancient Apothecary Frankincense Essential Oil $23.85
Does frankincense make you think of the three wise men? We could make a joke about being wise to use frankincense, but we’ll stop ourselves.
Frankincense is one of the oldest essential oils for men. For over 5,000 years, the oils have been traded and used not only for their scents, but for their healing properties, too.
Frankincense essential oil is mixed with a carrier oil like jojoba oil to relax you and reduce your stress. It’s good for the skin in that it’s an astringent. That means it can help kill acne-causing bacteria.
What’s more, though, is that even though frankincense essential oil is one of the oldest in history, it can actually help reverse the signs of aging. Frankincense is shown to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, minimize scars, and heal skin.
Plant Therapy Vetiver Essential Oil $13.95
Like the other essential oil scents for men we listed, vetiver essential oil has a very distinct, citrusy smell. It’s fresh and lemony, and vetiver essential oil works wonders for lifting your mood and energizing you.
It blends well with other essential oils – pretty much any earthy, woody or leathery scent goes very well with vetiver essential oil. Vetiver is a powerful anti-inflammatory and reduces redness and puffiness of the skin. It’s also strongly antibacterial. That means less acne and blackheads.
Best of all, vetiver is a great stress reliever. It’s been shown to reduce anxiety, control anger and negative emotions, and can help you beat insomnia. As an added bonus, vetiver is an aphrodisiac.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Essential oils aren’t just for home air fresheners. In fact, these oils are some of the oldest natural remedies known to man. You can take advantage of the benefits of essential oils, too. Look for them in your grooming products or mix your own essential oil blends for men.
