Which Essential Oils to Use for Stress: 5 Oils I Love
Which essential oils to use for stress, why they work, and how to use them!
As an Aromatherapy educator, I've guided people to use essential oils for over 20 years, showing them things like how to use essential oils for pain relief, what safety concerns to be aware of, and yes—which essential oils to use for stress.
It's so important to me to base all of my suggestions on science and research (and along with that, experience!).
All of the essential oils I'm about to share have been researched. They've been shown to have components that can genuinely help calm the nervous system and help us feel relaxed.
Here are 5 of my favorite essential oils to use for stress!
Frankincense (Boswellia carterii)
Cedarwood (Juniperus virginiana)
Neroli (Citrus aurantium var. amara)
Bergamot (Citrus bergamia)
Ylang Ylang (Cananga odorata)
These essential oils work to relieve stress because they help us feel grounded (more connected with our physical environments and with ourselves), mentally centered, and emotionally peaceful.
They also help calm overthinking—easing the feeling that there is too much going on or something too big to handle.
They help give us perspective, peace, and energy to be productive without feeling overwhelmed.
Another way they help is by simply encouraging us to breathe more deeply.
Imagine one of your favorite scents with me for a moment. It could be freshly cut grass, baking bread, or the scent of a lush Rose garden in full blossom.
Some of you may be taking deeper breaths right now just from imagining the aroma...
And when we encounter beautiful scents in real life, we tend to take even deeper, fuller breaths—and to slow down for a few moments as we stop to savor the scent (or "smell the roses!") This can help us feel naturally calmer, encouraging our muscles to release spots of tension.
Adding therapeutic essential oils to every breath can take that relief to new heights!
Now let's get into 2 recipes with our 5 amazing essential oils to use for stress!
They are both Aromatherapy inhaler recipes.
Have you ever made an Aromatherapy inhaler? They are very easy to make and use—even if you are a complete beginner!
The inhaler comes with a cotton wick, which absorbs the essential oils. The wick slides right into a plastic sleeve, and then you snap on a cap that holds everything in place. I'll walk you through the process in this video.
Stress Relief Recipe #1:
Floral Ease Inhaler
7 drops Bergamot essential oil (Citrus bergamia)
5 drops Neroli essential oil (Citrus aurantium var. amara)
3 drops Ylang Ylang essential oil (Cananga odorata)
If you love floral aromas, you are going to adore this recipe! The Neroli and Ylang Ylang are so rich, and make a beautiful pair.
One reason floral essential oils are called "heart notes" is because they help center our emotions so well. They are the perfect essential oils to use for stress!
Ylang-Ylang has a particularly strong aroma. Even opening the bottle can fill a room with scent. (We call this a "diffusive" aroma.) I'm only using 3 drops of it in this blend, so it doesn't overpower the other aromas. In fact, using too many drops can be overwhelming and cause a headache. 3 drops are plenty for this essential oil!
Adding Bergamot brings a bright, joyful touch of citrus to the florals.
But what if you don't prefer floral aromas?
I have a deeper, more earthy, and grounded inhaler recipe for you . . .
Stress Relief Recipe #2:
So Over This Stress!
7 drops Frankincense essential oil (Boswellia carterii)
5 drops Cedarwood essential oil (Juniperus virginiana)
3 drops Neroli essential oil (Citrus aurantium var. amara)
Frankincense is distilled from a tree resin, and Cedarwood is distilled from wood.
These oils offer us a sense of calm, quiet, tranquility, peace of mind, and a feeling of security. That's why they are such great essential oils to use for stress.
And I couldn't resist adding a few drops of Neroli to give some "heart" to this blend!
If you would like to leave the Neroli out of this blend, feel free to do so! You can increase the drop counts of the Frankincense and Cedarwood. Just keep your total essential oil drop count to 15 drops.
You can keep each of these Aromatherapy inhalers with you to use throughout the day.
An inhaler is about the size of a lip balm tube (as you can see in the video, where I show you how to make one), and it fits right in a pocket or a bag.
Inhalers are so convenient . . . you can use them at work, and nobody else will smell the oils but you. You can use them while standing in line at the post office. You can use them while you're cleaning the house and want to take a few moments to breathe and destress. Anytime you like!
Enjoy your peaceful and balanced day!
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