Using essential oils for high blood pressure may not be a route you even thought possible, let alone considered for managing your health. What may surprise you is that the use of essential oils as aromatherapy show promising results in heart health for a number of reasons, with a few different kinds even receiving scientific interest for studies.
If you’re interested in incorporating essential oils to manage hypertension, we want to make sure you know all the best options. In this article you will find all the information you need to get started from how to use your essential oils, safety precautions, and even 2 bonus blend recipes to try out.
Table of Contents
- What Causes High Blood Pressure?
- How To Use Essential Oils For High Blood Pressure
- What Are The Best Essential Oils For High Blood Pressure?
- Bergamot
- Frankincense
- Lavender
- Cedarwood
- Citronella
- Clary Sage
- Jasmine
- Lemon Balm
- Rose
- Marjoram
- Valerian
- Yarrow
- Ylang Ylang
- Cypress
- Neroli
- Essential Oil Blends For High Blood Pressure
- Summary
What Causes High Blood Pressure?
High blood pressure can be a result of a number of lifestyle choices and environmental factors. Common causes being smoking, high alcohol consumption, stress, age, genetics, high body fat, and sedentary lifestyle.
Having high blood pressure means the blood in your body is pumping harder and faster than it needs to be while at a resting rate. Your pulse may display rates similar to if you had gone for a run. This increase in pressure can be from elevated hormones sending a stress signal through the body, or a blockage or restriction in the veins and arteries that require more force to pass the blood through.
Long term, high blood pressure causes wear on your arteries and veins, putting you at risk for heart disease and even heart attacks.
How To Use Essential Oils For High Blood Pressure
How you use essential oils is important for positive results. You need a method that will work in relation with your body to target your symptoms. This applies in all situations, and treating high blood pressure with essential oils is no different. We are looking to reduce stress levels, reduce cortisol, increase mood and overall lower blood pressure.
There are some well-known standard methods for essential oil use that are pretty easy to follow. However, in this case we are also going to briefly review how using essential oils according to reflex points can be extremely beneficial when looking to maintain healthy blood pressure.
Diffuser
The essential oil diffuser is the most popular way to enjoy the aromatic and health benefits of essential oils. In a diffuser, water combined with a few droplets of essential oil are heated and dispersed as evaporation. This evaporation fills the air surrounding us for us to breathe in.
Through this inhalation method the essential oils are broken down into smaller droplets that are able to enter our bodies. Then triggering a positive chemical reaction between the chemical make-up of the essential oils and existing chemicals in our bodies.
Essential oils are extremely potent and can cause irritation if inhaled in excess. Make sure to use an appropriate amount of essential oils for the size of your diffuser. For reference: use 6 drops per 100ml of water.
Carrier oils or Lotion
Topical application of essential oils are a fantastic option for on the go and exposure that lasts many hours of the day. Mix your essential oils with an appropriate carrier oil to dilute the oils making them appropriate for skin safe application. You can wear a few drops of the diluted oil as is or try adding it to a lotion for extra hydration.
Popular carrier oils include coconut oil, apricot oil, almond oil, and grape seed oil. Just to name a few, although there are numerous plant based carrier oil options. Depending on the ingredients of your lotion or moisturizer, you may be able to add your essential oils directly in for your own personalized lotion.
Bath
If you're someone who enjoys a hot soak as your way to unwind and de-stress, you may enjoy using your essential oils in the bath. Take your blend with your carrier oil and add to the water as you fill the top.
Alternatively, you may get creative and mix your essential oils with bath salts or into a bath bomb. Many bath products are sold with essential oils as well.
Reflex Points
There are a couple reasons why reflex points are terrific to integrate with essential oils. First off, the skin on our hands and feet have larger pores, making them significantly more permeable for essential oils than other parts of our bodies.
Secondly, reflex points are related to our meridians in traditional Chinese medicine. That means each point has to do with a system or specific organ in our body.
We can place essential oils that are beneficial to our symptoms on reflex points that have direct relation to the source bodily system or organ causing them.
Precautions For Using Essential Oils
- Do not ingest essential oils; Side effects can include nausea, internal irritation, and coughing
- Avoid use around mouth and eyes
- Essential oils can be poisonous to babies and children
- Use organic essential oils to reduce chance of adverse reactions
What Are The Best Essential Oils For High Blood Pressure?
Although all essential oils are powerful in their own way, not just any will be of use for high blood pressure. Here we talk about the best essential oils for high blood pressure and why they are the best. This way you can make an informed choice when it’s time.
Bergamot
The citrusy scent of bergamot is one to uplift the soul and wash away stress. This may be one of the reasons why it has been proven to effectively lower blood pressure. This one study on a small group of people concluded inhalation of bergamot essential oil lowered cortisol levels, which relates to stress causing hypertension.
Frankincense
Frankincense essential oil has been used as medicine throughout history for its capabilities in healing many ailments. Therefore, for a number of reasons it may help to lower blood pressure.
For one, frankincense essential oil soothes anxiety, which may be the cause of heightened blood pressure. Frankincense is also anti-inflammatory, giving room to overworked blood vessels.
Lavender
Many studies have revolved around lavender essential oil, making it one of the most popular solutions to many stress, anxiety, and sleeping problems. In fact, lavender was included in the blend with the bergamot study mentioned earlier.
The calming capabilities of lavender are conducive to a stress free environment where your body can let go and regain a harmonious functioning state.
Cedarwood
Using cedarwood essential oil will help lower blood pressure as it is an aroma that triggers all around relaxation. Starting with the mind to the body you will find a state of calm that reaches all the way into your nervous system. These are the conditions you are looking for after experiencing prolonged elevated heart rate.
Citronella
Another essential oil that grabbed the attention of science is citronella. In a small study it was determined that this scent, originally known as a mosquito repellant, also has heart health benefits. The study concluded that when inhaled, citronella created a decrease in blood pressure, heart rate, and even respiration.
Clary Sage
A pet safe alternative to lavender that is just as effective as a harmonizing essential oil is clary sage. Use clary sage to rid anxiety and level out your physical response back to a healthy blood pressure.
Jasmine
Jasmine essential oil has a name as an antidepressant because of it’s uplifting nature creating a more alert brain.
Depression is an overlooked cause of high blood pressure but in reality the stress faced during depression can be extremely overwhelming and throw your body out of its homeostasis.
Lemon Balm
Not to be confused with lemon, the lemon balm is part of the mint family. It has been reported that lemon balm shows promising results at reducing high cholesterol, one of the common culprits of high blood pressure.
Lemon balm essential oil also treats anxiety and stress.
Rose
The sweet scent of rose essential oil not only triggers a longing for spring blooming flowers, but confidently delivers as an anti-inflammatory. Use inhalation with a few drops of rose essential oil to de-stress the physical state of your body for better promoting blood circulation. Ultimately, reducing high blood pressure.
Marjoram
Marjoram essential oil has been used in blends with lavender, ylang ylang, bergamot and frankincense, all which have shown results of soothing hypertension. It is possible that it is promoting dilation of blood vessels, allowing for improved flow.
Valerian
Valerian essential oil is sourced from the valerian root, a herbal medicine with lots of history for its relaxing properties. Rest up, lower cortisol levels, and have an extremely good rest.
Yarrow
As a herb, yarrow is a popular ingredient with herbalists in their apothecaries. It is used in wound healing solutions, and for encouraging strong heart health. Use yarrow as an essential oil to vitalize blood flow.
Ylang Ylang
We find ylang ylang essential oil in many anxiety-reducing blends, and commonly used as a stand alone aromatherapy treatment in settings like spas and massage therapy.
Ylang ylang is up there on the list of reliable essential oils for lowering stress by bringing down cortisol levels.
Cypress
For a short term solution or complementary therapy, cypress essential oil can help maintain high blood pressure. Use cypress through inhalation or as a topical lotion for temporary relief during high stress times.
Neroli
Change things up with this uncommon essential oil, neroli.
Neroli essential oil can be a fantastic way to boost blends for a soothing component, or strengthen cortisol leveling blends with ylang ylang and lavender.
Essential Oil Blends For High Blood Pressure
Essential oil blends are how you get the most out of your aromatherapy. Combining different essential oils will not only create a uniquely soothing scent, but also make available to you all the benefits at once.
To help get you started, here are a few ideas of essential oil blends for high blood pressure that you can create yourself. Use in diffusers or with carrier oil for use on skin.
Heart Health Blend
The heart health blend is a soothing combination of essential oils to keep stress down and promote blood circulation. Wear it on your temples, along your neck or across your chest rubbing into your heart space area.
In a 10ml bottle mix:
- 4 drops ylang ylang essential oil
- 3 drops frankincense
- 3 drops marjoram
Top the bottle up with your favorite carrier oil.
Uplifting Stress Reliever
One major cause of high blood pressure is stress. Daily emotional stressors such as a hiccup at work or a busy home start to take a toll on our bodies. Let go of some of that stress and start to feel lighter and happier with this uplifting blend.
In a 10 ml bottle mix:
- 4 drops bergamot
- 4 drops ylang ylang
- 2 drops lavender
Top the bottle up with your favorite carrier oil.
OR
In your diffuser mix:
- 2 drops bergamot
- 2 drops frankincense
- 1 drop lavender
Per 100 ml of water.
Summary
Stand alone, essential oils can’t act like a medicine to treat high blood pressure for long term and immediate results. Essential oils are an enjoyable way to incorporate home remedies and natural solutions to your heart health. Play around with different scents and blends to find one that brings you relaxation and uplifted energy during stressful times.
