10 Best Aromatherapy Oils To Relieve Anxiety
Calming Fragrances to Promote Peace of Mind
A modern-day concern that is increasingly common when it comes to health and wellbeing is anxiety. For many people, anxiety manifests itself in a form of panicked thinking and feelings of fear or unease. It may also result in a variety of physical symptoms, such as elevated heart rate or tightened muscles. If left untreated, these symptoms can cause severe disruption in peoples lives.
However, there are a few things you can do to help relieve anxiety and provide immediate relief. One of these methods is using aromatherapy essential oils to bring balance and relief to your mood and emotions.
There are more than 3,000 different essential oils available, ad most are extracted from plants and used for their therapeutic properties. Essential oils are generally used in aromatherapy to improve concentration, improve mood, enhance sleep, and offer stress relief.
We've narrowed down our list to include 10 of our favourite recommendations, but there are many more, so we would encourage you to do more research and find the best oil for your symptoms.
And please note, this advice is for people who have mild bouts of anxiety. If you feel that your symptoms are excessive, we suggest that you seek advice from a herbalist or your GP.
How to use Aromatherapy Oils:
The first thing to do is to ensure that the oils you purchase is 100% pure and not blended or diluted at all. It has to be a pure essential oil.
For immediate relief, you can apply a few drops to your bath, to your wrists or temples.
You can also blend them with a carrier oil, like Jojoba oil and grapeseed oil, to rub over your skin.
You can put oils into an Essential Oil Diffuser or spray bottle. The diffuser will release the vapours into your space and help clear your environment, and finally, there are also oil-infused candles you can use.
There are so many ways you can use these oils, so find out what they are, and adopt whatever method works for you.
1. Fir Needle Oil (Picea Abies)
Fir needle oil is very popular for its calming properties. It's known to stimulate the pineal gland, help overcome insomnia, make you feel more alert and relaxed. Fir needles can also calm deep emotions such as anger and hatred. Fir needle oil is very popular in soaps, perfumes, cosmetics, and other consumer products; it's an essential oil that is not commonly known but is widely available.
Image: Polina Tankilevitch
2. Frankincense (Boswellia Carterii)
Frankincense oilhas been used as a religious symbol for thousands of years. It's known for its ability to invoke feelings of security and well-being, keeping you safe and protected. It's also thought to encourage feelings of forgiveness. Frankincense can help lower cortisol levels which may help with weight management, relieve pain, reduce inflammation and more. Frankincense has been used to treat the immune system to relieve menstrual pain. It's a miracle-worker oil.
Image: Polina Tankilevitch
3. Geranium (Pelargonium Graveolens)
Geranium oil is one of the most popular essential oils and can help reduce anxiety and depression as well as calm your mind. This oil comes from the geranium plant, and its smell is sweet and floral with woody undertones. You may want to use geranium oil when having work stress, feeling burned out or overwhelmed, or having a negative outlook. In addition, geranium oil has been used for centuries in skincare products to purify the skin, tighten pores, and prevent acne breakouts. This makes it a popular choice among skincare enthusiasts who want to create homemade beauty products at home.
4. Lavender (Lavendula Augustifolia)
Lavender oil is one of the best essential oils for helping you to relax and sleep well. You can use it in a diffuser, or straight from the bottle. Lavender oil has been shown to help lower stress levels and improve blood circulation, as well as reduce inflammation and pain. Those who suffer from insomnia, anxiety, headaches or migraines can also benefit from using lavender aromatherapy oil. The use of lavender aromatherapy has many benefits, such as relieving menstrual cramps and improving moods and skin tone. It is a wellness all-rounder.
5. Lemon (Citrus Limonum)
Lemon aromatherapy oil is an oil that has a high concentration of lemon fragrance and can be added to any carrier oil. For instance, you could add it to sweet almond oil and use it for your skin or add it to coconut or jojoba oils and then use them for aromatherapy. Carrier oils don’t usually have much scent on their own, so adding lemon aromatherapy oil will give the other carrier oils an uplifting scent, which helps reduce anxiety and stress. Recent studies have suggested that lemon oil may also stimulate circulation, so use it after a bath or shower to get the body pumping if you are feeling sluggish.
Image: Polina Tankilevitch
6. Peppermint (Mentha Piperita)
Peppermint oil essential oil has a fresh scent that's known for producing soothing properties. It has also been used to relieve anxiety and improve concentration. Peppermint oil can help promote feelings of well-being and peace if you find yourself feeling very anxious in social situations. It can help relieve headaches and migraines as well.
7. Rose (Rosa Damascena)
Rose essential oil has been used for centuries in aromatherapy. It can be helpful when you are feeling anxious, stressed out or depressed. The scent of rose has a calming effect that helps to relieve these symptoms and reduce stress. The calming properties of rose oil are attributed to the presence of esters, which give the flower its sweet aroma. One specific ester found in rose is known as damascenone, which is responsible for creating an uplifting mood when inhaled. You can also use rose oil at home by diffusing it into the air with a diffuser or by adding it to bath water.
Image: Polina Tankilevitch
8. Sage (Salvia Officinalis)
Sage oil has a strong sage scent that's known for its peace and calming properties. It is also thought to promote a feeling of security and well-being by keeping you safe from harm. Sage also has natural antimicrobial properties which help treat colds, flu, sinus congestion, sore throats and diarrhoea. It is also known to remove negativity from an environment and bring calm.
9. Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia)
Tea tree oil has a strong, lemony scent that is known for promoting feelings of healing and keeping you healthy. It is an essential oil known to promote feelings of safety and security when inhaled. It can also help with those who are struggling with acne, wounds that won't heal and even those who suffer from oily skin.
10. Chamomile oil (Chamaemelum mobile)
Chamomile oil is known for its calming and soothing properties, and is also good for reducing stress and anxiety. It's a bit more subtle than some other oils but very potent. Drink some chamomile tea, and you’ll be sleeping like a baby. Chamomile can be found in various products including soaps, lotions, perfumes, and more.
Aromatherapy Oils — An Ancient, Trusted Tradition
Aromatherapy has become a very popular way to promote health and improve well-being, but the idea of using essential oils is not a new practice. Ancient cultures have used oils, herbs and flowers to treat everything from depression to headaches, anxiety and more.
Introducing these ancient traditions into your home will benefit you, especially with navigating life with all its humps and bumps.
So, if you are new to this exciting practice, give these popular essential oils a try next time you feel under the weather or just need an uplifting change in mood, and let us know how you get on.
If you know anyone who would benefit from this article, please like and share. We would also love to know what oils you recommend for anxiety, please comment below.
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