It’s happened to all of us at some point. We’re ready to make a recipe come to life and think we have everything required.
Just one problem, you thought you had an ingredient, already began mixing and turns out you don’t have what you thought. Now you need a substitute ingredient.
Like substituting herbs for your favorite cooking recipes, essential oils are interchangeable and have substitutes. Some of these herbs may have been posted before and I will get to the ones that haven’t but the purpose of this is to provide a reference point and answer the “what if I don’t this essential oil” questions I get on social media platforms.
Read further to discover some herbal “cheat codes”
Basil: an herb which can be used for digestion, immune support, skincare, house disinfectant, and more.
Substitutes: bergamot, lavender, and rosemary.
Bergamot: an herb which can be used for muscle aches, skin care, hair care, anxiety, improve circulation, and digestion.
Substitutes: coriander, grapefruit, sweet orange
Black Pepper: an herb which can be used for digestive issues, muscle pains, achy limbs, muscle stiffness, and spasms.
Substitutes: ginger, oregano, sweet marjoram
Cedarwood Atlas: an herb which can be used for coughs, allergies, insomnia, nervous tension, skin care, hair care, and insect repellent.
Substitutes: lavender, vetiver, Virginia cedarwood
Roman chamomile: an herb which can be used for anxiety, digestion, headaches, skincare, and wounds.
Substitutes: bergamot, clary sage, lavender
Cinnamon Leaf: an herb which can be used for abdominal pain, digestion, antibacterial against germs, respiratory conditions, and immune support.
Substitutes: clove bud, ginger, oregano
Citronella: an herb which can be used for arthritic pain, muscular pain, skincare, immune support, and depression.
Substitute: lemon eucalyptus, lemongrass, lemon balm
Clary Sage: an herb which can be used for muscle spasms, anti-inflammatory, skin care, hair care, and nervous tension.
Substitute: chamomile, geranium, and sage.
Clove Bud: an herb which can be used for antiviral, digestion, toothaches, and insect bites.
Substitute: cinnamon, oregano
Cypress: an herb which can be used for varicose veins, menstrual cramps, hot flashes, skincare, allergies, and disinfectant.
Substitute: fir needle, juniper berry, pine
Coriander: an herb which can be used for anxiety, digestion, migraines, burns, inflammation, immune support, appetite stimulant, nausea, and air freshener.
Substitute: bergamot, lavender, sweet marjoram
Eucalyptus: an herb which can be used for anxiety, seasonal allergies, minor respiratory ailments, cold, flu, fevers, sprains, antiseptic, air freshener, bug repellant, and wounds.
Substitute: cypress, fir needle, Rosalina, and spearmint
Fir Needle: an herb which can be used for minor respiratory ailments, immune support, wound care, fatigue, room freshener, ringworm, and home cleaning.
Substitute: eucalyptus, Rosalina, sweet marjoram
Frankincense: an herb which can be used for pain relief, arthritis, minor respiratory conditions, skin care, cold, flu, muscle pain, and wound care.
Substitute: basil, lavender, tea tree
Geranium: an herb which can be used for skin care, wound care, headaches, insomnia, and menopause.
Substitute: chamomile, lavender, Rosalina, and tea tree.
Ginger: an herb which can be used for cold hands and feet, circulatory issues, digestion, muscular pain, coughs, immune support, and menstrual cramps.
Substitute: black pepper, cinnamon, peppermint
Grapefruit: an herb which can be used for appetite suppressant, digestion, anxiety, cold/flu prevention, hair care, skin care, and stress.
Substitute: basil, bergamot, peppermint, sweet orange
Lavender: an herb which can be used for inflammation, skincare, headaches, nervous tension, anxiety, laundry, fleas, all-purpose cleaners, and antiseptic hand soap.
Substitute: chamomile, coriander, Rosalina, tea tree
Lemon: an herb which can be used for stress, seasonal allergies, digestion, skin care, hair care, antibacterial ointment, wound care, bug sprays, toilet refresher, laundry, and air freshener.
Substitute: grapefruit, lemongrass, lime
Lemongrass: an herb which can be used for head colds, headaches, digestion, skin care, depression, insect repellents, deodorant, antifungal, antibacterial
Substitute: citronella, lemon, lemon eucalyptus
Oregano: an herb which can be used for muscle stiffness, cold/flu, immune support, arthritis, digestion, bug repellent, antiseptic surface cleaner, air freshener, bathroom disinfectant, and skincare.
Substitute: clove bud, sweet marjoram, tea thyme, thyme
Peppermint: an herb which can be used for digestive issues, oral care, decongestant, pain relief, skin irritation, circulation issues, and skincare.
Substitute: spearmint
Rosalina: an herb which can be used for seasonal allergies, minor respiratory issues, immune support, headaches, cold/flu, antiseptic cleaning sprays, stress, and tension.
Substitute: eucalyptus, lavender, sweet marjoram, tea tree
Rose: an herb which can be used cold sores, nerve sedative, anxiety, skin care, and perfume.
Substitute: frankincense, geranium, rose absolute
Rosemary: an herb which can be used for mental clarity, increase energy, immune support, muscle pain, hair care, arthritis, antiseptic cleaning spray, dish soap, and insect repellents.
Substitute: cypress, fir needle, oregano, sweet marjoram
Spearmint: an herb which can be used for dental hygiene, digestion, sinus issues, seasonal allergies, decongestant, congested skin, depression, and mental strain.
Substitute: ginger, peppermint, Rosalina
Sweet Marjoram: an herb which can be used for muscular stiffness and pain, arthritis, congestion, antibacterial rub, anxiety, and restless legs.
Substitute: black pepper, lavender, oregano, pine
Sweet Orange: an herb which can be used for digestive issues, skincare, anxiety, and household cleaners.
Substitute: blood orange, grapefruit, mandarin, tangerine
Tea Tree: an herb which can be used for stress, anxiety, skin care, seasonal allergies, wound care, sunburn, hair care, bathroom disinfectant, antiseptic cleaning spray.
Substitute: geranium, lavender, Rosalina
Ylang-Ylang: an herb which can be used for skin conditions, cosmetics, hair care products, perfumes, depression, insomnia, and PMS.
Substitute: jasmine, patchouli
**A good essential oil starter kit if this is your first time using essential oils.
**If you’re interested in learning more about herbal medicine and health driven herbs, this book is an excellent (and affordable) read and I recommend it to all my readers.
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