Essential oils have many beneficial properties. Some of them are used to relieve pain, some are used to fight bacteria, and some others are used in relaxation therapies. If you are currently dealing with emotional problems, some essential oils can also help you to relax!
Top 10 Essential Oils for Relaxation
1. Vetiver
Due to its calming effects, vetiver oil is frequently used in the treating process for patients suffering from severe panic attacks. It helps calm your nervous system, thus decreasing hypersensitivity, restlessness and stress. One recently published research suggests that this oil may also be able to drastically bring down anxiety levels.
2. Chamomile
Chamomile oil, with its pleasant smell, helps decrease stress, and stops you from thinking too much and being too irritable. Chamomile also aids the treatment of depression and anxiety. Just be careful, as someone who is allergic to ragweed may also have allergic reactions.
3. Frankincense
As one of the best essential oils for relaxation, frankincense oil is amazing for fighting depression and bringing peace to the mind. It is a very popular part of many spiritual rituals, such as meditation.
4. Lavender
Lavender oil is an oil with the most beneficial properties. It has calming effects on the human nervous system, and helps regulate blood pressure, body temperature and heart rate. It also has the ability to change brain waves, which, as a result, makes people more relaxed. This oil can also improve a person's sleep quality, help women deal with postpartum depression, and bring down anxiety.
Lavender oil is entirely safe unless you are prone to allergies, in which case you must talk to your doctor before using it.
5. Yuzu
The scent of yuzu, an East Asian citrus fruit similar to lemon, is capable of distressing you and decreasing your heart rate. The Japanese use this fruit to relieve stress by bathing in the water with yuzu floating on its surface.
6. Bergamot
Another one of the essential oils for relaxation is the bergamot. This antibacterial oil has an ability to relieve anxiety as well as accumulated tension, and was recently proven to be capable of subduing pain, along with regulating blood pressure and heart rate.
7. Ylang Ylang
The aroma Ylang Ylang, the flower of an Asian tropical tree, has been known to have relaxing properties that can calm down the human's nervous system. The scent of this essential oil is capable of decreasing one's blood pressure and heart rate.
8. Rose
To get one ounce of rose oil, 60 thousand roses have to be extracted. As costly as it is, the rose oil definitely has many beneficial effects, such as fighting depression and symptoms of menopause, eczema, as well as stress.
9. Vanilla
Vanilla has the scent similar to a mother's milk, which could be why this oil makes us feel so safe and reminds us of home. Besides the calming effect on one's mind, vanilla oil also has many therapeutic effects such us relieving upset stomach.
10. Jasmine
Some parts of Asia have been using essential jasmine oil for centuries to treat depression, insomnia, anxiety, stress, and even poor libido. The scent of this oil is able to bring up optimistic feelings in people by affecting their nervous systems and regulating natural processes going on in their bodies, including heart beat, breathing, body temperature, and blood pressure.
How to Use Essential Oils for Relaxation
1. Take a Whiff
Even though this won't help you for a long period of time, you can feel better immediately by doing this. It is especially useful if you want instant relief.
2. Shower with It
Adding a couple of essential oil drops to your shower floor will make your body soak in the steam enriched with your favorite oil. This will improve your emotion and help get rid of those negative thoughts.
3. Always Carry a Sample
If you spray your scarf or your clothing with a bit of essential oil, its fragrance will accompany you throughout the whole day. As you carry the scent of the oil with you, your mind will be at peace, and you will be able to look at things from a more optimistic point of view.
4. Apply It on Your Body
Put 7-8 drops of an essential oil of your choice into the bottle, after which you should add 3 teaspoons of some carrier oil. Use this mix to cover your whole body, but make sure to test it first on a small region of your skin to avoid developing an allergic reaction.
5. Scent Your Space with a Diffuser
To further soothe yourself, add 25 drops of an essential oil into a diffuser, which can really make you comfortable mentally and physically.
Precautions of Using:
Do not consume any essential oils or apply undiluted ones on your skin. To avoid any possible life-threatening allergic reactions, always do a patch test on your skin before application on the whole body. If you are pregnant, consult your doctor before using any of these essential oils for relaxation.