Allergies can feel so unforgiving. Sneaking up at any time of year - pollen of new plants spreading and growing, the dust of winter building up in our homes, freshly cut lawns, or an unexpected cat during a visit to your friend’s home.
In fact, allergies are considered a chronic illness! With treatment only being temporary and able to target symptoms rather than the cause, you need to be looking for the perfect allergy aid to suit your lifestyle.
If you’re into natural and organic solutions for your health, then we highly recommend checking out our list of the best essential oils for allergies. Discover which essential oils to use for your specific allergy symptoms, how to use essential oils for allergies, and essential oil blends you can try for maximizing benefits.
Table of Contents
- How Can Essential Oils Help With Allergy Symptoms?
- What Essential Oils Are Good For Treating Allergies?
- Thieves Oil
- Lavender
- Frankincense
- Oregano
- Sandalwood
- Eucalyptus
- Tea Tree
- Peppermint
- Lemon
- Chamomile
- Holy Basil
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Clove
- Myrrh
- How To Use Essential Oils For Allergies
- Essential Oil Blends For Allergies
- Summary
How Can Essential Oils Help With Allergy Symptoms?
First off, we need to know what essential oils are: Essential oils are the essence of a plant, obtained from an extraction process such as distillation or pressing. From health to beauty, you can find essential oils in many personal products.
The natural chemicals that make up essential oil react with the cells of our bodies in varying nurturing ways. Making for noticeably improved feelings of health.
When it comes to allergies, essential oils have proven to respond to a number of issues. Some essential oils reduce internal and external inflammation - whether that be the lining of sore throats and runny noses or burning rashes of irritated skin. Some promote opening airways for better breathing. In worst-case scenarios, you can even treat the flu-like symptoms of hay fever with the right essential oils.
What Essential Oils Are Good For Treating Allergies?
When experiencing allergies there is a multitude of symptoms that could occur during your body’s reaction. You may have severe reactions such as hay fever that feel like you have the flu, irritating hives or skin rashes, or respiratory problems such as congestion and allergy-triggered asthma. Whatever allergy symptom you are going through, there is an essential oil to help you through it.
Here are our suggestions for essential oils for allergies.
Thieves Oil
The great thing about using thieves oil for allergies is that it is actually a blend of essential oils, therefore delivering multiple benefits. Usually consisting of cinnamon, eucalyptus, rosemary, a citrus (either lemon or orange), and sometimes even more depending on the brand. All of which are featured in this list.
When using thieves oil for allergies the most prominent benefits will be on the respiratory system. Improving breathing during flare ups causing congestion.
Lavender
Lavender is a truly calming essential oil to have in your aromatherapy treatment. With its ability to reduce inflammation, lavender is fantastic for an array of treatments, allergic reactions included.
Whether it be respiratory or skin irritation, you can treat your allergies with lavender. Chose either to diffuse for inhalation or create a roller blend (see recipes at the end of the article) to suit your needs.
Frankincense
If seasonal allergies are your ailment, then its time to reach for the frankincense essential oil! This essential oil has shown useful with soothing respiratory infections, and has promising results with treating coughs.
Much like lavender this is thanks to frankincense’s anti-inflammatory properties. When used as an inhaled essential oil treatment, bronchi in the lungs relax and you will see improvement in breathing and a reduced coughing fits.
Oregano
Oregano essential oil dates back in history as a reliable medicine. Popularly seen in Chinese medicine for its bounty of uses.
Firstly, it is a natural antihistamine, making it a perfect swap for over the counter allergy drugs when taken as an inhalant. Second, it has a history as a wound treatment because of its antimicrobial property, serving as a strong protecting barrier on the skin.
Sandalwood
Next time you think you need antihistamine based drugs for you allergic reaction, think again. Sandalwood essential oil has its own antihistamine properties. This means with appropriate use, sandalwood can prove beneficial to be your solution for allergy rhinitis - clearing away stuffy, runny, and sneezing noses.
Use sandalwood in a form of inhaled treatment for your best results for allergy rhinitis symptoms. Either during the day to help get through regular tasks with ease, or at night time for uninterrupted sleep.
Eucalyptus
Much like using a cough drop, Eucalyptus essential oil delivers a cooling effect when inhaled. This is because this essential oil is anti-inflammatory, essentially “cooling” and reducing swelling and tension.
Use eucalyptus when experiencing congestion, coughing, or even a rash since it is a safe (and popular) for use on skin. One of the best treatment methods with eucalyptus oil would be a steam treatment. Read about it below when we talk about how to use essential oils for allergies.
Tea Tree
We often see tea tree oil in skin and body products. This is because of its promising results as an anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory. In the case of allergies, count on tea tree oil to help break down the triggering matter and reduce symptoms of swelling.
Try a tea tree essential oil roll-on or homemade moisturizer for hives and rashes caused by allergies.
Peppermint
We’re all familiar with the strong and cool sensation that hits when we suck on a peppermint candy. Almost instantly, your sinuses clear up and you breathe clearer than ever. Each breath in supplying another blast of cooling. We can use peppermint essential oil much in the same way!
Apply peppermint essential oil as a roll-on topical to your chest or behind your ears. This will help clear up any congestion build up from things such as dust allergies or flare-ups from pet fur.
Lemon
Citrus is a powerful compound in many situations as a disinfectant. From being used household cleaners to medicines it is able to breakdown harmful bacteria that can be triggering our allergies.
In particular, lemon essential oil can be used in a diffuser to target dust and other bacteria in the air. Mix with other essential oils such as lavender for a full treatment.
Chamomile
Chamomile is an essential oil that is commonly found in rich moisturizers. This is because chamomile is a strong and reliable relaxing essential oil with anti-inflammatory properties.
This means chamomile could be used as inhaled treatment for clearing airways. However, it shines as a treatment on skin conditions such as eczema. Calm tender skin and reduce swelling with a topical chamomile treatment.
Refer to the next section on how to DIY your own topical ointments!
Holy Basil
Holy basil makes a great additive in essential oil blends for treating allergies. A favorable property being its ability to work on removing toxins from the body. Whatever your body is disagreeing with, holy basil will help see its way out.
For a bonus overall, holy basil is great for boosting the strength of your immune system. So not only will it help reduce the current allergic reaction, it will aid in preventing future ones as well. Something to consider if you are prone to hay fever.
Rosemary
Rosemary essential oil has a unique property that gives it the ability to be anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic. Both beneficial to seasonal allergies or hay fever to be specific. That property being, similarly to coniferous trees, rosemary has the alpha-pinene terpene.
Use rosemary essential oil during severe allergies to keep symptoms at bay.
Thyme
Thyme is one of those essential oils that can be useful in almost any situation. When turned into an oil, this herb has a make-up of chemicals making it an anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory (thanks to thymol), and as an aid for promoting blood-circulation due to its flavonoids.
When allergies are serving you congestion and restricted breathing, thyme essential oil complimented with others such as rosemary, chamomile, lavender, or lemon makes a wonderful relief, and preventative for returning symptoms.
Clove
For an addition to essential oil blends for allergies, try adding clove. It is a strong scent, but if you can enjoy it, clove essential oil can reduce the chance of allergies being prolonged from stubborn triggers.
Cloves are anti-microbial, meaning it can fight off bacteria. Use close essential oil blends in a diffuser to treat the air and anything hiding out in your airways.
Myrrh
Myrrh is traditionally a treatment for wounds and other skin conditions. Paired with its capabilities of fighting off parasite, molds, and fungus, there is promising potential of myrrh essential oil as an allergy treatment.
Myrrh would be most beneficial as a topical treatment for reactions such as hives, rashes, or irritations caused by foreign bodies.
How To Use Essential Oils For Allergies
Now that you’re aware of all the possibilities of essential oils for allergies, you may be wondering how you can use them? There are a few ways to obtain the benefits of your essential oils from topical methods to inhalation.
These are the best options specifically for how to use essential oils for allergies.
*Always approach the use of essential oils with a test spot if it is your first time using it topically. While essential oils can help allergies, they may also trigger allergies in some people.
Diffuser
The appeal of the diffuser is its capability to act as a room freshener. However, what is overlooked is its benefit for calming allergies that cause congestion and breathing difficulties.
You can turn on your diffuser in a room and not have to think twice about it all day. Depending on the size of your diffuser it can run for a lengthy amount of time (4 to 6 hours) before needing to be refilled. Leaving you to enjoy your gentle therapy throughout the day.
Topical Ointment
If your allergies come in the form of irritated skin such as hives or itchiness, then you are looking at needing a topical ointment. This could be as a serum, moisturizer, or oil. The difference between them all is the carrier oil used to safely use your essential oil on your skin. Choose your carrier based on the situation of your skin.
Serums are oils that have smaller molecules, to reach deeper into the skin layers for delivering deep nourishment. Therefore the carrier oils for serums will be thinner and runnier, and you should feel is absorbed by your skin when applied. Examples of carrier oils that would be good for serums are grapeseed oil and jojoba oil.
For dry skin that needs a hydrating boost, choose moisturizer as your carrier. Moisturizing oils are oils such as coconut, shea, or argan. Pick up a moisturizer that is free of scents so you can add your desired essential oils, or if you love DIY you can make it all from scratch by whipping shea butter mixed with essential oils.
Oil is going to be your last or only layer applied when using ointments for skin treatment. This is because it has the largest molecules and will only treat the outermost layers of your skin. Think of oil as creating a protective barrier on your skin, locking in any moisture and keeping away outer irritants.
That is why essential oil in thick carrier oil is a great option for allergies. With this, your skin is protected from the original and any potential new irritants. Also, while applying the soothing benefits of your natural essential oil.
Steam
For some, seasonal allergies can ruin their day. When dust, pollen, pet hair, and other triggers cause sinuses to flare up this could call for a heavier treatment. If allergies are restricting breathing, you may want to try setting aside some time for a facial steam. (Bonus it’s good for the skin too!)
For this, you will need a shallow bucket or bowl filled with hot water. Place a few drops of your chosen essential oil into the water and gently stir to help disperse it across the steamy hot water. Then you will want to set yourself up with a towel over your head and the bowl creating a barrier to trap the essential oil steam. Give yourself a timer for 10-15 minutes.
Essential Oil Blends For Allergies
Although fantastic on their own, you can reap even more benefits from essential oils by creating blends. Essential oil blends allow you to use multiple oils at once, creating a unique smell, but most importantly targeting multiple allergy symptoms at once and delivering benefits of all the oils. Consider these blends for focusing on your specific symptoms next time you’re experiencing allergies.
For Sinuses
- 4 Drops of Thyme
- 4 Drops of Rosemary
- 2 Drops of Lemon (or Eucalyptus)
- 10 ml roller
- Carrier Oil
Put all 10 drops in the roller and top off with a carrier oil.
Apply this roll-on essential blend for sinuses to the chest, sides of the neck, or behind ears to relieve stuffy noses triggered by allergies.
Alternatively, for a diffuser use only 1-2 drops of each.
For Itchy Skin
- 5 Lavender
- 3 Chamomile
- 2 Eucalyptus
- 10ml Roller bottle
- Carrier Oil (Calmoura's Apricot would be best in this situation for its skin benefits)
Itchy skin may occur from hives or other allergic reactions to organic material, soaps, and perfumes that react poorly with the skin. This essential oil blend is packed with calming oils to prevent further aggravating your allergy.
Mix all drops together in a roller bottle and top off with carrier oil to soothe skin with this essential oil blend for itchy skin. Apply directly to the irritated area. Wash immediately if you experience burning or if the itchiness worsens.
Alternatively, create your own moisturizer by mixing this ratio for every 10ml of unscented moisturizer.
Summary
While essential oils for allergies are still being tested, we know based from the properties that each of these essential oils hold, that there is great promise in their ability for calming symptoms. With proper use of these essential oils, they can make our lives easier when experiencing allergies.
Next time the change of seasons has you stuffed up or the neighborhood cat itches your skin, trust the natural option to compliment your treatment. Remember to refer to our essential oil blend recipes to get the most out of your aromatherapy.
