Have you ever felt like your heart was going to burst from behind your ribs and somehow break through your chest and fall to the floor? Well, that description might be a bit of an exaggeration for some, but there are those of us out there that know the situation I described can feel very real.
I suffer from anxiety, this is no secret nor anything I brought upon myself. There are several ways I like to battle anxious feelings. Exercise works well, a good walk with my dog, a few pages of a good book, a few yoga poses, meditation, and essential oils.
Aromatherapy has been introduced to me at different times in my life, and I remember it was typically when I was feeling anxious. I did some digging and found that the scents listed below are the best essential oils for anxiety.
Table of Contents
Best Essential Oils For Anxiety Comparison
ESSENTIAL OIL | Title | DETAILS | |
---|---|---|---|
Doterra Lavender |
| CHECK THE PRICE | |
Young Living Frankincense |
| CHECK THE PRICE | |
Rocky Mountain Oils Chamomile |
| CHECK THE PRICE | |
Plant Therapy Rose |
| CHECK THE PRICE | |
Ovvio Oils Ylang-Ylang |
| CHECK THE PRICE | |
Stress Away by Young Living |
| CHECK THE PRICEOur Review | |
Balance by doTERRA |
| CHECK THE PRICE | |
Anxiety Ease by Edens Garden |
| CHECK THE PRICE | |
Worry Free by Plant Therapy |
| CHECK THE PRICE | |
Tranquility by Rocky Mountain Oils |
| CHECK THE PRICE |
What Is Anxiety?
While we want to get right to it, it’s always best to understand what we are fighting before we figure out a way to fight it. We have all heard the term “anxiety” at one point in our lives or another. It seems everywhere you turn a television character, a celebrity on the trash rags in the checkout line at the grocery store, and your friend who keeps posting about it on Facebook all suffer from anxiety. What does it mean though?
Clinical anxiety is when a person worries all the time. Stress eats away at them, and they feel constantly nervous, which can have an effect on the way they live their lives from how they clean, eat, exercise, work, learn, and interact with others.
What Causes Anxiety?
There are several things that can cause anxiety. To name a few, it could be depression, or everyday stress from your job, your family, your financial situation, and your friends. Your significant other could begin showing signs of cheating on you or your boss suddenly acts like you don’t exist.
These are all situations that can cause stress in your life. Of course, there is a big difference between the daily events that cause us anxiety and life-changing events. And those are completely different situations than clinical anxiety. Let’s look at what makes them all different.
Every Day Anxiety
This is the type of stress that just comes along with life. Traffic jams, bad days at work, kids, and family become overwhelming, these are all situations that fall under this category.
Life Changing Events
Circumstances like a death in the family or the loss of a job that paid for a good deal of your expenses are more stressful than everyday occurrences but are still reactions to our surroundings.
Clinical Anxiety
When you are having anxiety and are not sure why, then you might have an anxiety disorder. There are five types of anxiety disorders.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- Constant anxiety
- Exaggeration when worrying
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Recurrent, unwanted thoughts
- Repetitive behaviors
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Can develop after a traumatic event
- A result of violence, disasters, accidents, and military duty
Social Anxiety Disorder
- Fear of social outings and being around people
- Fear of speaking in public
I think this is a good time to stop and point out that if you feel you are suffering from anxiety that goes beyond everyday stress, then you need to be diagnosed by a healthcare professional. We are not psychologists and are not equipped to diagnose anyone with any of these five disorders.
What Are Essential Oils?
In short, they are extracts from different flowers, fruits, berries, stems, leaves, resin, bark, and any sort of plant part you can think of. They are volatile compounds that hold a lot of benefits in an aromatic sense.
Funny you should ask, there are several ways you can get the benefits you want from the essential oils we have listed below. Here are a few examples.
- You can put a few drops in your shower and breath them in while you get ready for the day.
- You can put some homemade bath salts in the tub and place a warm rag over your eyes while you soak.
- You can diffuse it while you are working.
- You can place a few drops on a cotton ball and inhale.
- You can create a blend with a good carrier oil and rub it on your feet.
These are only a few of the many ways the essential oils we listed below can come to your aid when those uncomfortable anxious feelings come calling.
* You might be interested in:
23 Of The Best Essential Oil Recipes For Anxiety – Click Here
How To Use Essential Oils For Anxiety
While all of those ideas we listed above give you an idea as to how essential oils can be used to ease your anxiety, they all fall under one of the following three categories.
Inhalation
This is when you smell the essential oils and can be done in a ton of way. The shower example we listed above is one, lighting a DIY candle is another, and the cotton ball example is a third. If you open the bottle and take a whiff, then you are technically using the inhalation method of utilizing your essential oils.
Topical
When you apply oils to your body, then you are taking advantage of topical treatments. This is done during a massage, when you get a pedicure, and any time you apply a blend to your face, feet, hands, neck, or wrists.
It is important that you dilute your oils well when it comes to topical applications.
The standard dilution ratios are different depending on the oil, the carrier, and the age of the intended user. For example, a nice stress blend for your feet could be Peppermint, Lavender, and Jojoba Oil, at a 2.5% dilution. That would be one ounce of Jojoba and fifteen drops split between Peppermint and Lavender.
Whenever you make a blend, you should do a spot test on your arm before applying it to a large portion of your body. If you use a citrus oil, then be sure to check its phototoxicity. It can cause the skin to burn if applied topically before going into the sun. You should also check with your healthcare professional before applying topically if you just had surgery.
Ingestion
This method is not recommended for most oils, and when it comes to anxiety, it seems the other two methods are the preferred avenues of application. So, we will just say that before you ingest any essential oils be sure to check with your healthcare professional, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or are suffering from any serious illnesses.
Top 10 Essential Oils For Anxiety Product Reviews
After a little research and through my own personal experience, here is a list of ten essential oils that are the best choice to help you battle any form of anxiety.
Singles
These are essential oils that were detracted from one harvest of that particular host plant. So, when we talk about Frankincense, the bottle you purchase should be the oils extracted from one particular harvest of that tree.
Doterra Lavender
- Scent: Light, floral
- Benefits: Stress relief, pain relief, heals burns, treats eczema
- Blends Well With: Sweet Almond, Ylang-Ylang, Peppermint
This popular oil was my first introduction to the world of aromatherapy, and it was from a roommate who put a few drops on a paper towel and told me to put it under my pillow case. It helped ease my panic attack and slept well that night. Ever since then, I have been a regular user of Lavender oil to calm my nerves.
I’m sure you aren’t surprised to hear that Lavender oil has a ton of other benefits including pain relief, healing burns, and lulls you to sleep. You can either diffuse this while you are meditating or add it to a blend with another oil and apply it to your wrists when you feel your heart starts racing.
Who Should Purchase This?
If you are new to the world of essential oils, then this is a good scent to start with. It’s pleasing to most nasal palettes, and it’s not overwhelming. This is a great choice for fans of floral scents as well.
Young Living Frankincense
- Scent: Musky, Earthy, Spicy
- Benefits: Stress relief, age-defying, oral health, and scar reduction
- Blends Well With: Fractionated coconut oil, Chamomile, and Lemon
Here is another oil that I own and love. The best way to describe it is musky, earthy, and spicy. It is derived from the Boswellia carterii, and this scent is used in religious ceremonies including some from Catholicism.
From personal experience, this oil not only relaxes me, I find that it also helps me focus on the task at hand, which isn’t always easy for me. This oil is also great for diminishing the appearance of scars, aiding with oral hygiene, and easing digestion.
Who Should Purchase This?
I think this scent would work well for someone who also lacks focus. A little of this diffused in your office or your workstation could do a world of difference when it comes to meeting those deadlines.
Rocky Mountain Oils Chamomile
- Scent: Green, sweet, herbaceous
- Benefits: Promotes skin health, heart health, and might ease pain from arthritis
- Blends Well With: Avocado oil, Lavender, and Ylang-Ylang
In the number three slot is a name that a lot of us associate with tea. At least I do. There is a reason why. A good mug of chamomile tea is enough to relax your nerves and ease those anxious feelings. Is it any surprise that the essential oils would have the same effect?
Derived from the flowers of the plant with the same name, this oil can come in both Roman and German. When it comes to easing anxiety, any kind of Chamomile will do the trick. Even though it says Roman or German, this flower is grown all over the world including China, the United Kingdom, France, and the United States.
Who Should Purchase This?
The person who is not only suffering from anxiety but is also having a hard time falling asleep should consider acquiring a bottle of this oil. It could help with that insomnia since it has strong sedative effects.
Plant Therapy Rose
- Scent: Floral, strong rose smell
- Benefits: Aids with skin care, promotes liver health, ignites amorous feelings
- Blends Well With: Jojoba, Jasmine, and Palmarosa
Extracted from one of the most famous flowers to ever become a gift for Valentine’s Day, this oil is a wonderful reliever of stress and anxiety. I know this first hand because I own this oil as well and use it for this purpose, among many others. The scent is so wonderful. When you open the cap, it’s almost enough just to inhale it from there and never use it in a blend. But who are we kidding?
I found that this oil works well in a face serum I created to get rid of some old acne scars and another blend I use in my hair after I wash and condition it. It seems that I can’t get enough of this rose oil. I can honestly say, when I smell it, a warm feeling of calm comes over me
Who Should Purchase This?
Battling anxiety is not the only benefit of Rose oil. It also works as an antiviral, promotes skin health, and can get you in a romantic mood when you need that boost. So this oil would be a good choice for anyone looking to put a spark in their partnership.
Ovvio Oils Ylang-Ylang
- Scent: Floral, light and fragrant
- Benefits: Aids with skin care, balances blood pressure, and works as a sedative
- Blends Well With: Bergamot, Lavender, and Sandalwood
Next, we have another floral scent that instantly calms me whenever I smell it. Not only is this oil a great relaxer when you are feeling nervous or anxious, it also works as an aphrodisiac. It lowers blood pressure, has sedative effects, boosts the nervous system, helps out when it comes to insomnia, fatigue, and headaches.
Extracted from the flowers of a tree that’s native to Indonesia, the Ylang-Ylang grows in most tropical regions in contemporary culture. On top of all those benefits, Ylang-Ylang also has a great effect on skin and its care by moisturizing and keeping it looking smooth
Who Should Purchase This?
Floral fans should consider adding this scent to their collection. It’s light and fragrant, and it adds a fantastic scent to any blend, especially those that are intended to ease anxiety.
Blends
These are specially designed combinations of singles that companies have created for a single intention, which in this case is to ease anxiety.
Stress Away by Young Living
- Scent: Unique, pleasant, and warm
- Benefits: Created to make your stress go away
- Uses: Diffuser for inhalation, in the shower or bath, as a topical treatment
I chose this blend as the first one to cover because I own it and diffuse it often. Young Living is a top contender when it comes to creating, supplying, and distributing essential oils. A combination of Copaiba, Lime, Cedarwood, Vanilla, Ocotea, and Lavender, Stress Away does exactly what the title suggests.
We’ve covered one of the ingredients already (Lavender) in the singles section but let’s take a look at some of the oils included in this blend that we haven’t talked about yet.
- Copaiba: pain reliever, diminishes scars, prevents infections, Improves mood
- Lime: antiviral, increases appetite, antibacterial, antidepressant
- Cedarwood: Anti-inflammatory, astringent, kills insects, works as a sedative
- Vanilla: fever reducer, tranquilizing, relaxes the brain and nerves
- Ocotes: balances blood sugar levels, antifungal, relaxes the mind
Who Should Purchase This?
This is a great blend for anyone trying to get rid of their stress. It will work for the day to day stressors as well as the bigger events that leave us a little frayed.
To learn more about this blend, check out our review.
Balance by doTERRA
- Scent: Warm, woody
- Benefits: Ease anxiety and calm nerves
- Uses: At the bottom of feet, wrists, or back of the neck
Next, we have a blend that was created by another leader in the essential oil world, doTERRA with the goal of bringing a sense of peace and serenity. Combining Spruce, Ho Wood, Frankincense, Blue Tansy, and Blue Chamomile, this creation was designed around the fact that Spruce was used regularly in Native American tribes for harmony.
We listed the benefits of Frankincense and Chamomile above so let’s do a quick rundown of the others in this blend.
- Spruce: Works as a stimulant, antiviral, and disinfectant
- Ho Wood: Works as a sedative, lowers blood pressure, and is an antibacterial
- Blue Tansy: Calms the nerves, relieves depression, and works as an insecticide
Who Should Purchase This?
If you are a fan of woody scents that are warm, then this is the blend for you. Balance works best when applied to the bottom of your feet, wrists, or back of the neck.
Anxiety Ease by Edens Garden
- Scent: Floral and citrus
- Benefits: Eases nervousness, calms anxiety
- Uses: At the bottom of feet, wrists, or back of the neck and is good for diffusing
Falling under the category Synergy Blends, Edens Garden has designed their own blend of essences to curb those anxious feelings. They combined Sweet Orange, Ylang-Ylang, and Lemongrass to create a scent that will calm you down. We’ve looked closely at Ylang-Ylang when we covered singles that help with anxiety, so let’s take a peek at the other two ingredients in this blend.
- Sweet Orange: Works as a sedative, eases depression, and it boosts immunity
- Lemongrass: Works as a sedative, fights infections, and aids with nervous disorders
Who Should Purchase This?
This blend is for the fan of citrus fragrances since two-thirds of this blend is comprised of citrus oils. Well, even though Lemongrass isn’t technically a citrus oil extracted from a rind, it does have a lemony aroma.
Worry Free by Plant Therapy
- Scent: Floral, wood, sweetness
- Benefits: Help letting go of worry
- Uses: For diffusing or adding to the bath
Plant Therapy, based in Idaho, is another big company in the world of essential oils. This particular blend was created for the same reason every other blend on this list was designed, to battle anxiety by combining Lavender, Marjoram Sweet, Ylang-Ylang Complete, Sandalwood, Peru Balsam, and Chamomile Roman.
I’ll briefly go over the oils we haven’t covered yet.
- Marjoram Sweet: Stress reliever, tones nervous system, lifts spirits
- Sandalwood: Works at a sedative, lowers blood pressure, boosts memory
- Peru Balsam: Reduces anxiety, calms nerves, balances stress hormones
Who Should Purchase This?
Worry Free is a blend that would appeal to the nasal palate that appreciates a myriad of scents. This one synergizes floral aromas with wood, musk, and sweetness.
Tranquility by Rocky Mountain Oils
- Scent: Floral, citrus, musky, sweetness
- Benefits: Relaxes
- Uses: For diffusing or in a DIY calming spray
The final blend on our list is by another trusted supplier of essential oils. It consists of Orange, Tangerine, Patchouli, Lime, Blue Tansy, Ylang Ylang, Lavender, and Citronella. The mixture of all these scents creates a fragrance that is intended to make you feel serene and give you a sense of peace. Let’s take a look at some of the oils in this blend that we haven’t discussed yet.
- Orange: Works as a sedative, eases depression, and it boosts immunity
- Tangerine: Calming, anti-inflammatory
- Patchouli: Antidepressant, lifts mood, deodorizes
- Lime: antiviral, increases appetite, antibacterial, antidepressant
- Blue Tansy: Calms the nerves, relieves depression, and works as an insecticide
- Citronella: Battles depressant, antibacterial, stimulates
Who Should Purchase This?
This is another great choice for someone who likes their blends to have a lot going on. When I read this list of ingredients I think of a blend that has the sweet muskiness from Patchouli, a heavy citrus mix, and the floral strength of Citronella.
To Conclude
When it comes to anxiety and stress, sometimes we feel overwhelmed by all the nervousness and don’t know where to turn. One of the ten scents we listed above have more than enough power to calm those nerves with a few sniffs.
You can dilute a few of the singles we listed with a good carrier oil to make your own blend or take advantage of one of the blends that the professionals created for you. You’ll find after a little diffusion and some oils massaged into your feet will get rid of that anxiety quickly.