What is an Allergy?
An allergy is a learned response of the immune system to something in the environment that is not intrinsically harmful. Allergies can kick up anytime but are most common in the Spring and Autumn. The most common responses to allergies are sneezing, coughing, itchy ears and eyes, face pressure, and sinus headache.
The good news is, your allergies can improve with the regular use of essential oils! The goal of addressing allergies with essential oils is to help you feel better without turning to pharmaceuticals. Over-the-counter allergy medicine is BIG business and thought many of these OTC medications make you feel better, they do little to help your body build strong immunity and you can even become dependent on them.
There are essential oils that can help reduce sinus and nasal congestion, soothe that head pain and even calm your itchy eyes.
My go-to essential oils for addressing allergy symptoms are:
- Eucalyptus – Eucalyptus globulus
- Laurel Leaf/Bay Laurel- Laurus nobilis
- Lavender, True – Lavandula angustifolia
- Lavender, Spike – Lavandula latifofolia
- Rosemary ct. 1,8 cineole/camphor – Salvia rosmarinus ct 1,8 cineole/camphor
- Ravintsara – Cinnamomum camphora ct. 1,8 cineole
- German Chamomile –
- Peppermint
- Tea Tree
- Siberian Fir
- Balsam Fir
Two Methods of Using Essential Oils to Ease Symptoms of Seasonal Allergies
#1. Use a Nasal Inhaler
Benefits of Using a Nasal Inhaler: Nasal inhalers are effective, easy to use, and affordable. You can carry it with you and take a deep whiff of your sinus blend anytime you need to clear your head and sinus passages of congestion. This blog post goes into a bit more detail about nasal inhalers: How to Make a Nasal Inhaler
Directions: Simply add 15 total drops of essential oil to the cotton wick, pop it into the inhaler, snap on the cap and close with the cover to keep everything clean and intact. To use, just remove the cover and place the inhaler inside your nostril and take a deep breath!
Allergy Relief Inhaler DIY Recipe
- 8 drops Laurel Leaf essential oil (Laurus nobilis)
- 5 drops Ravintsara essential oil (Cinnamomum camphora ct 1,8 cineole)
- 2 drops Peppermint essential oil (Mentha x piperita)
#2 Do a Steam Inhalation
Benefits of Steam Inhalations: Doing a simple steam inhalation can offer a lot of relief from the nasal and sinus congestion caused by allergies. If you can, take 10 minutes 1-2 times each day to do your steam inhalation when your allergies are at their worst. It really doesn’t take long and is amazingly effective. Afterward, continue to do a steam on a regular basis once or twice a week to maintain healthy sinuses.
Directions: Pour boiling water into a bowl and add one drop of essential oil. Hold your face over the bowl and inhale deeply. You can also place a towel over your head to create a “tent” to keep the steam in.
Five Essential Oils Recommend for a Steam Inhalation for Allergies:
- Tea Tree
- Siberian Fir
- Eucalyptus
- Peppermint
- Lavender
Where to Buy Essential Oils?
I’m frequently asked what essential oil brand I like, so here are a few both with and without GC/MS reports available.
Essential Oil Suppliers with GC/MS reports
Essential Oil Suppliers without GC/MS reports
Have you used essential oils for allergies and had success? If so, please leave a comment below and tell us about it and share your recipe!
Updated March 3, 2024
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This is a popular type of post for this time of year. Other essential oil blogs recommend using Lavender, Lemon, and Peppermint in the AromatherapyInhaler. I like that your list of suggested oils is longer and gives more options to experiment with to find relief from allergies. Why didn’t lemon make the list? Is it ineffective for allergies in your opinion?
Hi Lynn, I had considered putting lemon on the list, but it’s more of a disinfectant in an inhaler. The oils I recommended have the properties of being either decongestant or mucolytic (thinning the secretions). Thanks for stopping by!
Also you can put some eucalyptus oils while taking a hot shower the heat will vaporize from the floor and it’s like having an essential oil steam bath. Allergy Easy
Which ones would you recommend for the itchy eyes associated with seasonal allergies and would an inhaler or steam inhalation be best?
Hi Jessica, I don’t recommend using essential oils for the eyes, ever! Instead, using Cornflower Hydrosol to wash out your eyes is very cooling and soothing to itchy eyes. I think you will enjoy listening to this podcast episode all about using hydrosols for allergy relief. In this episode, I talk about Cornflower Hydrosol for itchy eyes. https://aromaticwisdominstitute.com/015/
BEST ESSENTIAL OILS FOR ALLERGIES – DIGESTIVE
10ml Grapeseed carrier Oil (Vitis vinifera)
3 drops Helichrysum Essential Oil (Helichrysum splendida)
1 drop Roman chamomile Essential Oil (Anthemis nobilis)
1 drop Cardamom essential Oil (Elettaria cardamomum)
Read more: https://www.vinevida.com/blogs/our-blog/9-best-essential-oils-for-allergies-no-more-sneezing
Hi, thank you for such a detailed post. I am also sharing some of my favorite essential oils to fight seasonal allergies:
Tea tree, Rosemary, Lemon, Eucalyptus.
Thank you for sharing your essential oil choices for seasonal allergies. Those are all terrific aromatics for offering relief from some of the symptoms of seasonal allergies. Which Eucalyptus have you tried? Liz
Thank you for such a detailed post. Can you share some suggestions for sore throat during the season change?
I tried a couple of essential oils but nothing seemed to work.
Hi Christine! Without knowing why you are getting a sore throat, what essential oils you used or how you used them, my suggestion would be to try gargling with Hydrosols. They are safe and effective and will moisturize your throat without the harshness that can occur with essential oils. My favorites for gargling are Frankincense Hydrosol or Lavender Hydrosol.