When you’re experiencing stress, a good smell can be soothing. The scent of apple pie in the oven or a loved one’s perfume provides comfort, which is why it stands to reason that the best essential oils for stress relief tap into your sense of smell in order to help you relax.
Essential oils are derived from plants and come in a wide range of scents that are said to evoke a variety of feelings. While some essential oils are considered to be energizing, studies have found that lavender, chamomile, bergamot, and ylang ylang essential oils, among others, could calm your mind and reduce your stress.
Essential oils come in the form of drops that you can use in a diffuser, add to bath water or shower products, or place on a cotton ball or tissue and inhale. You can also find aromatherapy mists that leave behind a soothing scent when sprayed in the air or on bedding. Some essential oils can cause irritation when applied directly to the skin, so always make sure to consult your doctor, double-check the product’s directions on its packaging, and dilute any essential oils before touching any pure oil.
While scientists haven't definitively proven that aromatherapy can relieve stress on its own, there is anecdotal evidence that some people find it helpful. Some experts warn against the use of essential oils on children, while you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you have underlying health issues — but if you have a clean bill of health and the OK from your doctor, you might choose to give essential oils a try.
From calming pure lavender oil to a stress-busting set of blended oils, here are some of the best essential oils to encourage relaxation and reduce stress.
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1The Best Essential Oil Set For Stress Relief
You get three 10-milliliter bottles of essential oil blends in one easy-to-use package with this Edens Garden De-Stress Set. The Stress Relief Synergy Oil blends sweet orange, bergamot, patchouli, grapefruit, and ylang ylang. The Relaxation Oil has lavender, patchouli, sweet marjoram, mandarin, geranium, and chamomile. And the Quiet Time blend relies on lavender, petitgrain, vetiver, tagetes, Roman chamomile, geranium, and jasmine to achieve its soothing scent. Despite an overlap in some of the ingredients, each of the three scents is distinguishable from the other, according to reviewers, and very relaxing.
Edens Garden's essential oils are 100% pure, and every batch of essential oils is tested as a part of the manufacturing process to ensure a consistent quality.
Positive Amazon review: “Oh my holy word. You have to buy this. Use Relaxation in a diffuser, take a hot bath with one drop of Stress Away, and listen to meditation music. I thought I had died. I had a spiritual experience. Glorious.”
2The Best Aromatherapy Mist For Stress Relief
If you don't want to deal with portioning out drops, it doesn't get any easier than an aromatherapy mist. This Eunoia Naturals Relax Lavender + Chamomile Mist is designed to help you unwind with calming lavender and chamomile essential oils. Simply spray the mist in the air or on your linens and take a deep breath — the relaxing scent should have the stress falling away in no time.
Eunoia makes their essential oils in the USA in small batches, without preservatives, chemicals, or added fragrance. You can also purchase the "kid's strength" version of the mist (adorably called "Night Night"), or opt to buy the adult version as a set along with the energizing Elevate mist.
Positive Amazon review: “I use Relax when my mind is racing at night. I spray a few sprays on my pillow and the scent is immediately soothing, as if, I'm at the spa. It really helps!”
3The Best Lavender Essential Oil For Stress Relief
Lavender is a go-to for relaxation and these Rocky Mountain Oils Lavender Essential Oil drops are the perfect place to start. While there are several varieties of lavender, this oil is made from the Lavandula angustifolia plant, which studies suggest has calming and mood-enhancing effects on humans.
What you see is what you get with these drops: 15 milliliters of pure lavender oil without fillers or added fragrances in packaging made from recycled materials. Rocky Mountain Oils performs extensive quality control testing that's verified by independent third parties, so you know the products are up to par. The company lists the country of origin for their drops (in this case, Greece) for transparency.
Rocky Mountain Oils recommends adding about five to ten drops of their lavender oil to 100 milliliters of water in your diffuser, or diluting three to seven drops of lavender oil with a teaspoon of carrier oil for topical application.
Positive Amazon review: "Love lavender and this one is a great for helping me relax and just chill."
4The Best Essential Oil Blend To Help You Relax & Fall Asleep
Need some help catching more Zzz's at night? Try the Edens Garden Good Night Essential Oil Synergy Blend, which contains lavender, chamomile, bergamot, ylang ylang, sweet marjoram, sandalwood, key lime, lime, and vanilla CO2 extracts to help you relax, fall asleep, and stay asleep.
This bottle contains 10 milliliters of essential oil, but you can snag bottles as small as 5 milliliters and as large as 118 milliliters. The 10-milliliter bottle is also available in a roll-on container. As with other oils from Edens Garden, this blend is pure and has been tested during the manufacturing process to ensure consistent quality.
(For more sleep-inducing scents, check out this list of the best essential oils for sleep.)
Positive Amazon review: “I have been applying good night synergy to the bottom of my feet for several months now and I have never slept better. I also put it in my diffuser at night and I am astonished at how quickly I am able to fall asleep and stay asleep. When I wake up in the morning I feel energized and refreshed, and not groggy.”
