4 proven health benefits of essential oils

Essential oils are a great tool for supporting your wellbeing, and have been used therapeutically for centuries. Their benefits range from reducing anxiety, encouraging focus and brain health, to providing anti-inflammatory effects.

In recent years, a branch of science called aromachology has started to evaluate how certain smells affect mood, cognitive functions and overall wellbeing. Thanks to scientific studies, it's now been proven that Rosemary enhances cognitive performance, Peppermint is invigorating and Lavender is relaxing. Further research is ongoing to demonstrate the health benefits of essential oils.

Here is a list of the most important health benefits of essential oils, focusing on ingredients that have been tested by aromachology-based studies.

1. Stress + Anxiety

Almost half of people who experience stress and anxiety use alternative therapies to help them calm down. Multiple studies have found that pairing scents with traditional stress and anxiety relievers can reduce these symptoms even more (1). One of the most popular essential oils for reducing anxiety is lavender. Lavender is suggested to have properties that include mood stabilisation, soothing, pain relieving, anticonvulsant, and has properties that protect the brain’s health (2). Lavender isn’t the only anxiety-reducing essential oil. Other effective essential oils for reducing anxiety are ones that are rich in terpenes. Terpenes are a chemical compound that naturally occur in plants like Scots Pine, Canadian Black Spruce, and Sandalwood, which have been proven to reduce anxiety. 

Best Essential Oils for stress and anxiety: Lavender, Chamomile, Geranium, Frankincense, Black Spruce, Pines, St John's Wort many found in our Balance + Stability Oil Blend

2. Focus + Concentration

Not only can essential oils reduce your anxiety, they can help you to focus better, improve your memory, and support your overall brain health. Even though ginger is more commonly known for its benefits to gut health, it has also been found to reduce inflammation, and is a great antioxidant. Ginger was also found to improve reaction time and memory (4), and can protect against a decline in brain function. 

Best oils for brain health: Ginger, Peppermint, Lavender, Clary Sage, Basil, Orange, most are included in our Focus + Concentration oil blend supporting brain function.

3. Sleep

Sleep is something that most people struggle with. Luckily, essential oils are here to help! Not only is lavender helpful for reducing anxiety, but it also helps to kickstart the sleep process. Smelling lavender before bedtime helped improve the sleep quality of women after childbirth and in patients with heart disease, as some studies have shown (5,6). Other essential oils such as peppermint, chamomile, and jasmine also have proven benefits on sleep quality (7).  

Best Oils for Sleep: Chamomile, Seaweed, Lavender, Peppermint, Clary Sage, all included in our Recovery + Sleep essential oils.

4. Inflammation

Essential oils can also help with inflammatory conditions. Cypress, peppermint, tea tree, juniper, and other essential oils have all been found to have powerful anti-inflammatory effects. Ingesting thyme, oregano, caraway, and rosemary oils have been found to activate the remission of colitis. Since bacteria has rudely started to become antibiotic-resistant, there has been a renewed search for compounds that can fight bacterial infections. Some studies have found a positive correlation between cinnamon, cardamom, clove, and tea tree oil and antimicrobial effects (11,12).  

Best Healing and Anti-inflammatory Oils: Rosemary, Frankincense, Lavender, Tea Tree, Camphor, Ginger, Eucalyptus, Lemon, Lemongrass. 

Learn even more from our resources:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26473822
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3612440/
3. http://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/90/5/530#ref-30
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3253463/
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26211735
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26211735
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24720812
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19774507
9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2233768/
10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3203268/
11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3853939/
12. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1360273/