Essential oils are a safe and natural remedy for stress relief, even showing positive results against anxiety and depression. You can use these oils topically, in skincare, or as aromatherapy for elevated results.
Does your skincare routine include essential oils? They delicately give scent to natural products, and they have powerful medicinal benefits. Essential oils like lavender, chamomile, sandalwood, and bergamot have properties that fight stress and produce a calming effect.
What Are Essential Oils?
Essential oils are highly concentrated plant compounds that are used for their medicinal benefits. When plants, herbs, or bark are turned into essential oils, they leave their “essence,” or potent botanical compounds that are fast-acting and long-lasting.
Since essential oils can be made from virtually any flower or herb, there are dozens of options to choose from. They’re incredible for skincare and natural wellness, and often used topically or for aromatherapy. The benefits of essential oils range from immune system wellness to faster wound healing, balanced hormones, and better mood.
Do Essential Oils Relieve Stress?
Yes, essential oil therapy is commonly used to relieve stress. Just like herbs and medicinal plants, different essential oils are used depending on the symptoms. Here are some common essential oils for stress relief and their benefits…
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Lemon, orange, clary sage, and bergamot to uplift your mood and balance emotions
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Lavender and chamomile to relax your mind and support restful sleep
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Chamomile and ylang-ylang if you need to rewire your nervous system
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Clary sage to reduce racing thoughts and promote emotional balance
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Rose for comfort and calm when you're feeling low
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Jasmine if you can’t put your finger on the issue, but you need a sense of calm
- Geranium to promote emotional wellness on a daily basis
How to Use Essential Oils for Stress Relief
Topical application, aromatherapy, and essential oil skincare are the three most common ways to begin essential oil therapy.
Topical
If you have a bottle of essential oils at home, mix a drop with a carrier oil (like coconut oil, olive oil, or tallow) for safe application. Then apply the oil topically to your chest, arms, neck, and feet. As the oil absorbs into your skin, you should experience the calming benefits.
Aromatherapy
This is one of the best ways to activate essential oils for stress relief. You can diffuse your essential oil or put a few drops in a necklace designed for aromatherapy. You can also put a few drops in a spray bottle with water and use it as a room spray. For a calming bath, add a few drops of essential oil on a towel or washcloth, or directly to the bath water.
Essential oil skincare
This is our personal favorite method of essential oil therapy. Many natural skincare products are infused with essential oils that are already carefully diluted. All you have to do is apply a tallow balm or serum, breathe in deeply, and enjoy the benefits.
Our Top 5 Essential Oils for Stress and Anxiety Relief
There are many essential oils for stress and anxiety relief, but there are a few that stand out. Bergamot, lavender, chamomile, rose, and sandalwood are our favorites. Here’s how they can calm your mind and body.
Bergamot to uplift your mood and balance emotions
Citrus fruits (like bergamot) can help reduce depression by twenty percent. That’s why we love using bergamot as a complementary remedy for anxiety and depression. When you apply bergamot to your skin (or breathe it in), you invite a sense of calm, balance, and mental clarity.
Try Bergamot Essential Oil Skincare
Lavender for refreshing sleep
If you struggle with insomnia, racing thoughts, or simply wake up unrefreshed, you may benefit from lavender essential oil therapy. Studies show that lavender can boost melatonin levels for rejuvenating sleep. Of course, lavender alone won’t change poor sleep habits. We recommend you pair it with red light therapy, a structured bedtime routine, and a healthy diet. Create your own bedroom mist with lavender essential oil or use your lavender tallow soap for a relaxing bath before bedtime.
Try Lavender Essential Oil Skincare
Chamomile for nervous system support
While chamomile is often compared to lavender for stress relief, it has some unique benefits, especially for the brain. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (aka GABA) is a neurotransmitter produced in the brain that relieves anxiety. It can actually counteract the fight-or-flight response by relaxing the brain and turning off our adrenaline. Some studies suggest that chamomile enhances GABA production in the brain and creates new neural pathways. So if your anxiety is triggered by an overactive nervous system, chamomile might be the perfect natural remedy.
Try Chamomile Essential Oil Skincare
Rose for generalized anxiety
Rose has an overall calming effect, which makes it the perfect natural remedy for generalized anxiety. Since rose is a delicate flower, it’s more commonly extracted as an absolute (which is similar to an essential oil but processed a bit differently).
With powerful antioxidants, rose oil can protect against cellular stress on the skin and body. Studies show that even looking at roses in your garden or workspace can promote relaxing physiological effects.
Sandalwood for grounding
Sandalwood is extracted from the Santalum tree, which is native to Australia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. It smells fragrant and woody and contains a unique compound called alpha-santalol, which induces feelings of relaxation and calm. According to studies, this compound interacts with the central nervous system, and it has been used as part of Ayurvedic medicine to ground and calm the body.
Try Sandalwood Essential Oil Skincare
Combine Essential Oil Therapy with These Calming Holistic Practices to Lower Stress
Essential oil experts know that these botanicals are meant to complement other therapies for anxiety and stress. Use these biohacking practices alongside your essential oil skincare to activate your parasympathetic nervous system and improve symptoms of anxiety for the long-term.
Mineral bath salts
A warm bath does wonders to relax the body and mind. You can combine this common practice with mineral bath salts (particularly, magnesium) and your favorite essential oils for stress relief and muscle relaxation. When your bath is finished, use an organic body oil to seal in the feeling of calm with more essential oils and absolutes.
Healing frequencies
Healing frequencies are backed by science. Alongside your essential oil therapy, try some binaural beats (around 8–13 hertz) to encourage a feeling of restfulness. You can also use them to reduce headaches, boost the immune system, and improve sleep.
Gua sha
The gua sha practice has a number of powerful benefits, from lymphatic support to improved blood circulation. It’s also shown to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is a natural way to reduce stress from the inside.
Red light therapy
If your anxiety manifests in poor sleep, red light therapy could help. By using it at night (instead of bright overhead lights), you can promote better sleep and melatonin production. Red light therapy also has a lot of skincare benefits (like scar reduction, skin brightening, and better collagen production), and it’s great for cellular health.
Make Essential Oil Therapy Part of Your Skincare Routine
The best wellness practices are ones you can habit stack.
When you use essential oils for stress relief, you’re introducing safe and natural botanicals to your skincare and wellness routine. These oils can be hand-picked according to your needs and paired with other holistic practices for better mental and physical health.