How to Make a Smoky Lavender Stress Relief Roll-On
By Karen Williams · September 21, 2021 · 4 min read
A calming blend you can carry
A stress relief roll-on is one of the simplest ways to use essential oils in a busy day. The blend lives in a small bottle you can take anywhere, so you can apply it the moment you need it. Each application helps keep your nervous system relaxed as you go about your day.
The oils in this recipe carry linalool and linalyl acetate, two components known for their calming effects. Here is how to make one, and why each oil earns its place.
Linalool and linalyl acetate
Lavender essential oil is made up mostly of linalool and linalyl acetate, two components well researched for their relaxing effects on the nervous system. In 2010, Linck and colleagues studied the effects of inhaled linalool on anxiety in mice. That same year, Woelk and Schläfke ran a multi-center, double-blind, randomised study of a lavender preparation against lorazepam for generalized anxiety disorder.
Something interesting happens when they appear side by side. They bring out one another's best qualities. That teamwork is called synergy, and it is a big part of why lavender is the most popular essential oil in the world for stress relief and relaxation.
Three other oils support lavender in this blend. I will explain each one after the recipe.
Smoky Lavender Stress Relief Roll-On
Make this blend in a 10 ml glass roller-top bottle.
- 10 ml Jojoba oil (Simmondsia chinensis)
- 3 drops Lavender essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia)
- 2 drops Vetiver essential oil (Vetiveria zizanoides)
- 1 drop Catnip essential oil (Nepeta cataria)
- 1 drop Palo Santo essential oil (Bursera graveolens)
Pour in the jojoba, then add the essential oils. Snap the roller-ball top on and roll the bottle between your palms to mix everything. Apply as needed. The aroma is floral and smoky, with earthy base notes. It is lovely enough to wear as a stress-calming perfume.
Vetiver essential oil
Vetiver is so relaxing that it earned the nickname Oil of Tranquility. It is full of sesquiterpenols, heavy molecules known to release tension from the body. Using it feels like the comfort of a warm, heavy blanket. Its aroma is sweet, smoky, and a true base note. Some people wear vetiver on its own as a perfume.
Catnip essential oil
Catnip has a sweet, herbal, floral scent. Its tension-relieving components are called nepetalactones. They can help ease tight, achy muscles, especially the ones storing long-term stress after a series of challenging days. If your stress tends to settle into your neck and shoulders, a massage with this blend is a good place to notice it.
Palo Santo essential oil
Palo Santo smells rich and smoky, a middle-base note with none of the brightness of citrus. Yet it contains d-limonene, the same component found in citrus oils. Research on d-limonene points to boosting the mood, easing anxious feelings, and releasing chronic sadness. It also supports immunity. (There is more in the citrus oils for immunity post.)
The name means Holy Wood, given by the native people of Ecuador. The oil has long been used in rituals and meditations to center the mind and enhance spiritual awareness.
When stress follows you to bed
Base notes like vetiver are warm, woody, and earthy. They calm an overactive mind and can help you get to sleep and stay asleep. If stress follows you to bed, try the Less Stress, More Rest sleep blend, a bedtime body oil of lavender, cedarwood, vetiver, and patchouli in jojoba. For a fuller answer, the essential oils for sleep field guide covers oils, methods, recipes, and safety in one place.
Common questions
How often can I use the roll-on?
Apply it as needed. Some people reach for it several times a day, others only in tense moments. Let your own stress level guide you.
Can I skip the catnip or palo santo?
You can, but each oil earns its place. Catnip eases muscle tension and palo santo supports the mood, so the full recipe offers the most support.
Will this blend help me sleep?
It can. Vetiver is a base note, and base notes help many people get to sleep and stay asleep. Roll it on before bed and notice how your body responds.
Learn to calm the nervous system
If you want to go deeper, the Natural Anxiety Relief with Essential Oils course covers three chemical components that calm the nervous system, ease anxiety, and relieve pain. It also walks you through safe natural remedies for anxiety symptoms.
References & research
Aydin, S., Beis, R., Ozturk, Y., Husnu, K., Baser, K.H. (1998) Nepetalactone: a new opioid analgesic from Nepeta caesarea Boiss. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology Jul; 50(7):813-7.
Linck, V.M., da Silva, A.L., Figueiró, M., Caramão, E.B., Moreno, P.R.H. and Elisabetsky, E. (2010) Effects of inhaled linalool in anxiety, social interaction and aggressive behaviour in mice. Phytomedicine 17, 679-683.
>Svoboda, R. E. (2004) Ayurveda: Life, Health and Longevity. Albuquerque: The Ayurvedic Press.
>Woelk, H. and Schläfke, S. (2010) A multi-center, double-blind, randomised study of the Lavender oil preparation Silexan in comparison to Lorazepam for generalized anxiety disorder. Phytomedicine 17, 2, 94-99.
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