I’ve had several calls this week asking me which oils work best in a green smoothie or fresh juice. That’s like asking which meal, which outfit, or which child I like best. There are so many wonderful choices. I can tell you which are most popular, which I personally like most consistently, and which seem to make me feel the best. Let me give you some guidelines that may work best in the smoothies you create.

First let me tell you why you want essential oils in your smoothies. When you add a single drop of essential oils to a smoothie, you’re adding a form a concentrated super energy to your drink. You’re adding complex aromatic molecules created by plants and sunshine. They purify and unblock the flow of energy throughout your body better than anything you can use. They have a profound anti-infectious power and a unique way of using it against pathogens while respecting the beneficial bacteria of the body. They also support the immune system.

For me personally I’ll have to admit that my personal favorite oils for smoothies are consistently spearmint, lemon, orange, and basil. But like recipes and favorite music, I go through phases. In the summer nothing beats peppermint. In the winter it’s definitely soothing basil for me.

Obviously it also depends on what’s in the smoothie. Is it mainly veggies? Then your favorite spice-rack oils that go well with veggies will probably be your favorites. Try anise, coriander, cardamom, dill, and celery seed. Experiment with every oil in your apothecary with a name that belongs in your spice rack. But beware of potency. A single drop of essential oils can be equivalent to many handfuls of the dry spice, so use caution.

What about smoothies that specialize in fruit? Well … there are the citrus oils – orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, tangerine, and even bergamot. These are much less concentrated so you don’t have to be too cautious about getting more than a single drop in your smoothie. You also can add the spices that go well in baked goods and cookies – cinnamon bark, nutmeg, ginger, and clove. Spice by ingredients. If you’re using apples in your smoothies or juices, choose oils from spices you’d use in applesauce or cider. With grapes, bananas, or pineapple; you may want more citrus oils or cooling peppermint or spearmint.

The client who first asked me the smoothies question has a business recommending essential oils and smoothies for internal cleansing. She said that using essential oils in her green smoothies kept the raw fruits and vegetables from oxidizing (spoiling) too quickly. She could make up a batch and keep glasses in the fridge for several days … a great time-saver. That’s because the oils are such powerful antimicrobial substances.

So how much oil do you need per smoothie? In many cases a drop will do. Some people like an assortment of oils. For example, two drops of lemon, a drop of basil, and a drop of cardamom. Four or five drops of various oils are not too much for some green smoothies especially if you’re looking for cleansing or therapeutic benefits.

While many oils are ingestible, they’re not all very flavorful … like lavender, for example I recommend taking any of the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) oils in capsules. GRAS oils are clearly marked on my website. Don’t overdo it on ingesting oils. Always follow the common-sense safety recipes on my site when ingesting essential oils.

Try these same essential oils also in your drinking water, teas, juices, and recipes. Experiment and share your favorites with us here.