Essential oils, to an outsider, can be a little intimidating. Most people know they're similar to a perfume in that they have something to do with a liquid smelling good, but what you might not know is that essential oils have been used throughout history as medicinal tools. Nowadays, we don't exactly use essential oils as antiseptics for wounds, but we still turn to essential oils for stress relief, anxiety reduction, and relaxation, to name a few.
Essential oils can be an amazing aid for anyone dealing with anxiety, depression, insomnia, or just plain stress in their life. Although there's controversy over whether these oils heal you chemically or the fragrances simply work to calm you down psychologically, the consensus is clear on the type of relaxation a pure essential oil can provide for you.
Honestly though, the best part about essential oils is that there's a range of fragrances to choose from, so you can basically hand-pick the oil that's most appealing to your specific senses. If you're into the outdoors, for example, you might go for cedarwood. If you love being pampered, you might opt for rose oil.
Once you find the one you love most, you can put a few drops in a diffuser, or even rub some against your temples.Here are 10 essential oils that are sure to transform your room into a peaceful, stress-free sanctuary.
Roman Chamomile Essential Oil with a Glass Dropper, $23, Amazon
Chamomile is known to be a powerful natural sedative, so it follows that a chamomile essential oil would be perfect for some stress-free magic.
If you suffer from insomnia, or even if you're just someone with a little too much stress or anxiety in your life (hi, me too), consider diffusing this chamomile essential oil to go along with some non-caffeinated chamomile tea when you lay down to go to sleep at night.
Pure Body Naturals Bulgarian Lavender Essential Oil, $15, Amazon
Lavender essential oil has countless health benefits as an antibacterial, anxiety-reliever, and sleep-inducer, just to name a few. Lavender is one of the most popular essential oils, and for good reason: It's known to reduce feelings of depression, stress, anxiety, and even improve symptoms of PTSD.
Artizen Ylang Ylang Essential Oil, $9, Amazon
Ylang-ylang essential oil has been shown to work as a natural antidepressant, aphrodisiac, and sedative. The scent is more delicate and flowery than some other essential oil fragrances you might find, which is definitely good if you're someone who happens to have an especially sensitive nose. Sneezing isn't exactly a relaxing activity, is it?
Australian Sandalwood Best Essential Oil, $20, Amazon
Sandalwood essential oil has especially therapeutic effects and benefits, as it increases your sense of calmness, your mental clarity, and even your memory retention.
In fact, sandalwood oil has been said to help those living with endometriosis relieve pain and decrease inflammation by using just a few drops every day.
Majestic Pure Peppermint Oil, $11, Amazon
The scent of peppermint is invigorating, it's super fresh, and it creates a cool and tingly sensation when the oil is used on the skin.
Fair warning, peppermint oil isn't ideal for a pre-bedtime sniff, but it's awesome for a hectic moment when you're feeling overwhelmed or overworked and need a boost of positivity.
Majestic Pure Cedarwood Essential Oil, $15, Amazon
Yes, Cedarwood essential oil is literally extracted and steamed out of the bark of a cedarwood tree.
This particular oil is said to be an excellent inflammatory, infection-fighter, and health tonic. Basically, cedarwood smooths your system from the inside out, which makes it an especially great oil to use when you're on your period and cramps are getting you down.
Oh, and did I mention it promotes uninterrupted sleep? On that note, I kind of feel like this would make you feel like you're camping while you're sleeping in your bed, which seems like the best of both worlds.
Edens Garden 100% Pure Bergamot Essential Oil, $10, Amazon
Bergamot oranges are fruits that grow in Mediterranean climates, and this essential oil comes from the rinds of those fruits. Bergamot oil works as an antidepressant, an anxiety-reliever, and it can even work wonders on your digestive system, which we all know can take a toll when stress runs high.
Neroli Essential Oil, $23, Amazon
Neroli oil is actually created from three essential oils, all of which come from an orange tree. It's a little pricier than other essential oils because of all the effort it takes to create the final product, not to mention how highly concentrated it is: For every 1,000 pounds of flowers picked from the trees, this creates just one pound of neroli oil — talk about swanky.
In addition to being used as a sedative and pain-reliever, neroli oil is often used in the perfume industry because of its gorgeous fragrance.
Radha Beauty Frankincense Essential Oil, $18, Amazon
In addition to relaxing you, frankincense oil is an amazing dermatological aid for maintaining supple skin. Win-win, amirite?
Aviano Botanicals 100% Pure Rose Essential Oil, $46, Amazon
This bad boy is an extremely luxurious oil extracted from the rose flower via steam. It's remarkably expensive because of how many roses you actually have to go through to get just a few drops of oil: For every 22 pounds of rose petals, you get about five milliliters of rose oil — that's it.
For the same reasons the rose is such a popular flower, this oil gives you the same sense of relaxation from its fragrance. Maybe next time instead of roses and chocolate for Valentine's Day, you can ask for this oil instead!
