10 Essential Oils That Keep Us Healthy During Wintertime
“Clinical research shows that essential oils have the highest frequency of any natural substance known to man, creating an environment in which disease, bacteria, virus, fungus cannot live.” -Health Mastery Institute
I started my health journey with herbs and got certified as a Level 1 Traditional Chinese Medicine Herbalist in 2014. Experiencing the healing power these plants freely gave us was life changing. I stopped antibiotics in my son and myself and learned to look around me while on my daily walks because “God always provides through nature”.
I took my herbalism to the next level when I started an essential oil roller business. I saw firsthand how quickly we avoided or recovered from all ailments after using essential oils and I had such a strong intuitive draw to them, I knew they were aligned for me.
Now that I’m a health coach in 2026, I still use oils daily. I ingest them, apply them to my skin in roller blends and diffuse them daily. My clients learn to incorporate them with their daily routines and even add a drop or two to their water and in their epsom salt baths. Brands I prefer are Mountain Rose Herbs, Young Living, Florihana, Essential Therapeutics and Original Swiss Aromatics.
Essential oils have an extremely high antioxidant properties when diffused, ingested or applied topically. ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity) is the scoring system developed by the US Dept of Ag to measure antioxidant speed and power, seeing how quick a certain substance can inhibit free radicals. The higher ORAC score, the faster the antioxidant can inhibit the free radicals, preventing DNA damage, heart disease, etc. Oils provide a massive amount of support to the body and are incredibly anti-aging. A cucumber has an ORAC score of 60, celery 75, broccoli 890, blueberries 2,400 ORAC. Now think about how many organic plants it takes to make 1 drop of essential oil and that explains why oils have such high ORAC scores. Orange oil scores at 18, 898 units. So next time you have a glass of cucumber water, you may want to add a drop or two of orange oil for an additional 19K ORAC benefits. Ylang Ylang oil scores over 1 million ORAC units.
When used topically, oils don’t dissolve in water, they attach to body fat and fluids so they get into the body’s systems bringing their antioxidants and enhancing our immune strength. They can actually penetrate skin and have a lasting effect. Massaging oils into skin or hot compresses can help increase absorption. Carrier oils like almond, avocado, coconut, jojoba oils are great because it increases absorption (although it does dilute the oil). Oils can penetrate dermis, stay in local tissue (fat) and reach blood stream. They can stimulate nervous system, act on internal organs and emotions and they dissolve into fat so they absolutely go to the liver and brain. Some oils can be too strong so always dilute with a carrier oil on the skin. Using an organic or therapeutic grade oil is a must if you are using them topically because they are definitely going into your organs through the skin.
During the winter months, I am quick to stock up on the following oils and we don’t ever get the flu or get sick:
Thieves/ On Guard/ Shield (Young Living, Doterra, Mountain Rose Herbs)
Oregano
Clove
Cypress
Peppermint/Breathe
Orange
Thyme
Lavender
Lemon
Rosemary
Thieves: I use this blend in the diffuser regularly. 6 drops of thieves and warm water and it will cleanse and deodorize the air with its antimicrobial properties, raise your frequency and reduce stress and improve concentration. It can be ingested also if you feel a cold or infection coming on, add two drops to a veggie capsule with coconut oil and take twice a day. In a roller blend or applied to the skin topically: I add 10 drops to a roller blend and fill the rest of the roller up with fractionated coconut oil. Roll on neck, around ears, on chest or abdomen, on bottoms of feet and then put socks on. Use several times a day. You can also gargle with warm water and 1 drop of this blend if you have a sore throat.
Oregano: This is great for taking internally when you feel symptoms of the flu, sinus infection, UTI or any infection that is bacterial, viral or fungal. Add two drops of organic oil to a veggie capsule, add coconut oil to the capsule and take with a plant based milk to avoid the burning sensation in your stomach. Take with a meal or near meal time. Oregano is very hot natured so don’t give to small children and never take without a carrier oil like coconut oil. You can also apply it to the skin with a carrier oil like jojoba oil. I make a “flu” roller blend with oregano, thieves, thyme, lemon and peppermint oils and add fractionated coconut oil to fill the rest of the roller blend up and then rub that on my throat, neck, chest, around my ears and on the bottoms of my feet. Oregano can be used for skin infections or inflammation, respiratory and digestive health.153,000 ORAC units.
Clove: Eugenol is the compound in cloves that is antimicrobial, insecticidal, anti-inflammatory, wound healing, antiviral, antioxidant and has anti-cancer activities. It’s also analgesic and is great for numbing dental aches/pains. Clove is great in a diffuser mixed with orange. You can add a drop to your moisturizer, its anti-inflammatory properties are great for the skin. Clove’s vibrational frequency is 77MHz. And its ORAC score is over 1 million.
Cypress: Best known for clearing airways of congestion and helping with coughs, bronchitis, cypress is great for diffusing (it’s antiseptic and antimicrobial). Diffusing can also boost mental clarity and has a grounding effect, improves focus and helps relieve stress. It can also be applied topically as a rub to the chest. It breaks down mucus and phlegm and eases congestion. When applied to sore muscles or joints, it can ease inflammation and is antispasmodic, reducing swelling and discomfort. It also improves circulation, reduces fluid retention and can assist the lymphatic system in draining toxins. Women often use it for menstrual support as it can reduce heavy bleeding, ease bloating and reduce cramps. It’s often used as an astringent since it helps tighten skin tissue, balances oil production and shrinks large pores. It can also help reduce the appearance of cellulite and varicose veins by boosting circulation. Do not ingest Cypress. Cypress’ ORAC score is 243,120 units. Vibrational frequency: 60MHz.
Peppermint: This oil is cooling (contains menthol)and should never be used near the eyes. I diffuse peppermint to help with allergies or to help with focus while we are working or our son is doing his home schooling. It is great for opening the sinuses and smelling it can instantly bring relief to nausea, headaches and many more symptoms. This is great to diffuse during sleep also. Applied topically, peppermint can be used as a chest rub to open up sinuses or improve lung health. It can also be helpful for nausea, indigestion if applied topically to the belly or abdomen with a carrier oil. We keep Doterra’s DigestZen blend at home and in our vehicles. It works wonders for upset stomachs or stomach bugs. Peppermint desensitizes pain fibers so it can be applied to sore muscles too. Peppermint can be ingested for gastro relief or headaches, but only 1 or two drops at a time and always with a veggie capsule. Peppermint’s ORAC score is 37,300 units.
Orange: Orange is known for its mood boosting properties as it has been shown to reduce stress hormone levels. It’s also invigorating which makes it the perfect oil to diffuse for lifting your mood and dispelling negative emotions. Smelling orange oil also helps to combat fatigue and improves concentration. Topical: when diluted with a carrier oil, orange is antiseptic and antimicrobial, making it a great addition to an acne-prone skincare routine. It’s rich in vitamin C and promotes collagen production and helps even complexion. It can also be added to surface cleaners as it cuts through grease and eliminates bacteria. Orange is a natural pest repellent. Ingested: orange is great to add to filtered water. It has an ORAC score of 18, 898 units so its anti-aging and anti-cancer properties are high. Orange has a vibrational frequency of 100MHz.
Thyme: Similar to oregano in that it has a hot nature and shouldn’t be used on toddlers or babies. Thyme is great to diffuse because it cleans, freshens the air and can neutralize odors. Thyme is an expectorant so it can ease coughs, bronchitis, congestion. Diffuse or add to boiling water to open blocked nasal passages. Thyme’s aromatherapy benefits are: promotes mental clarity, relieves stress and boosts focus. Topical: when applied to the skin with a carrier oil, thyme is a strong antibacterial and anti fungal oil, making it helpful for acne or skin infections, dandruff. Dilution is crucial for topical and internal use. Thyme can burn the skin if not diluted. Thyme is also great to add to mouthwash or add 1 drop to water and gargle to fight bad breath, plaque and other oral infections. ORAC score is 157,000 units.
Lavender: Most known for its calming and relaxing effects when diffused. It is also great for allergies when added to peppermint and lemon oil in the diffuser. Lavender instantly calms the mind and body and can lower blood pressure, improve sleep, ease headaches. Topical uses: great for bug bites or bee stings or burns. Lavender is also great for dry skin, acne, eczema, sore muscles and can treat dandruff or scalp issues. It can also help repel insects, I always add lavender to my water-based bug spray, along with lemongrass, peppermint, cedar wood and cloves. Lavender is antibacterial and is great for respiratory infections. It improves blood circulation and is anti-fungal. Moms be aware using lavender oil on pre-pubescent kids, it does have slight estrogenic effects. I don’t use it on Gage unless he has been stung or bitten by a bug. Lavender’s ORAC score is 3,669 units.
Lemon: When diffused, lemon is great for allergies when combined with lavender and peppermint. It’s invigorating and cleans the air and helps you focus by improving mental alertness and feel refreshed by reducing anxiety and fighting fatigue. Inhaling lemon oil can also help ease nausea. Topical: when diluted, lemon oil can can help tone the skin, control excess oil production and manage blemishes. In hair care, it adds shine and helps balance an oily scalp. It is photosensitive though, so if you plan on being in the sun within 12 hours of using it, don’t use lemon oil on your skin or hair. Ingested: Lemon oil is great for adding to filtered water for the added benefits of its antioxidant properties. Lemon oil has an ORAC score of 660 units.
Rosemary: This is one of my top 5 oils. I am obsessed with diffusing this. It opens my airways and has the best effect on my mood. When diffused, it boosts alertness, improves memory and reduces stress. Great to diffuse while studying, it helps with concentration and retention. I diffuse this during winter months to help clean the air and to help with sinus health. It’s antibacterial. When applied topically: rosemary is antibacterial and always helps me with sinus issues or to open my airways so applying it to my nose, neck or chest is great. It also gets added to my “flu” roller blend because I love the smell so much and it is great for inflammation. It also helps with sore muscles and arthritis. Take rosemary with you to your next massage and ask your therapist to use it.
Let’s talk about frequency: essential oils carry a high frequency between 52MHz (Basil), 320 MHz (Rose oil) and 580MHz (Blue Spruce oil). The vibrational frequency of a healthy human body is between 62-68MHz and it’s interesting to note that when you come down with a cold, your frequency drops to 58MHz. And when you have the flu, it drops to 57MHz. Having candida overgrowth drops it even lower to 55MHz. And an autoimmune condition like Epstein Barr Syndrome has a frequency of 52MHz. Cancer stands at a frequency of 42MHz and when a body begins to die, its frequency is 25MHz. Seeing how the human body frequency is affected by the foods, smells, fabrics, thoughts and beliefs is fascinating! No wonder I could feel my life force leaving my body when I had candida overgrowth in 2021, which led me to do the Candida Cleanse in 2022. That cleanse changed my life and clearly raised my frequency and got rid of so much inflammation in my body and gut.
Frequency is a major factor in why I always encourage clients to eat more fruits and vegetables. They carry a frequency of around 15MHz and dry herbs are around 22MHz where fresh herbs are around 27MHz. This is why I always juice herbs like parsley, mint, turmeric and ginger root with my blends, they are so powerful.
I order oils from Young Living, Doterra and Mountain Rose Herbs. Just be sure that if you ingest an oil that it is organic. It takes so many plants to make 1 drop of oil, so oils can contain a lot of pesticides if not organic or therapeutic grade.
Using essential oils is extremely intuitive. I am drawn to these 10 oils more so than others. But you may only be drawn to a few on this list and that’s because the vibrational frequency of these oils may not match your own. I encourage you to order them, diffuse them, try them and see which oils you are drawn to. They raise your frequency just by interacting with your own vibrational frequency so it’s a win win.
Our sense of smell affects our physiology, emotions and behavior by stimulating hormones and neurotransmitters. Aroma therapy is highly effective. Science used to underestimate the impact aromatherapy had on our health. It’s been proven that aromatherapy has reduced pain reception and anxiety. Studies used orange and lavender diffused in a dental office waiting room and studies showed it helped people relax and improved the mood of patients. The human sense of smell is the only one of our senses that is wired directly into the brain- its response is immediate. During inhalation, odor molecules travel through the nose and affect the brain through a variety of receptor sites, one of which is the limbic system. Smells remind us of people, moments and can instantly bring emotions or memories up. When you’re inhaling an essential oil, that scent is being carried by your olfactory nerve cells in your nose, carrying that to the brain and more specifically, the limbic system, which houses emotion and emotional behavior including intimacy, passion. Smelling an oil gives you an immediate sense of alertness or relaxation and in the limbic system, actual mood enhancers in your brain like serotonin get released. Our brain chemically responds to oils/smells. Because of oils, there’s chemicals in the body to make us actually feel better. Our sense of smell is 10,000 times more powerful than any other sense we have and the recognition is immediate. Other senses like touch have to travel to the brain through the spinal cord in order to be registered by brain. Smell is the strongest link to the subconscious mind and your collective unconscious mind where all those memories are stored. Don’t ever think that just because you are diffusing an oil, you are wasting it. That is clearly not the case.
Plants are such gifts. They lift our mood, bring back memories, heal infections and raise our frequency. I’m forever grateful and humbled to get to use them in my daily routine.
