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 fall. Common responses are sneezing, coughing, itching, face pressure and 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. The medications make you feel better, but do little to help your body build a strong immunity and you can even become dependent on them.
There are essential oils 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
Lavender
Laurel Leaf
Rosemary ct. 1,8 cineole
Ravintsara
German Chamomile
Peppermint
Tea Tree
Frankincense
Siberian Fir
Balsam Fir
Two methods of Using Aromatherapy to Ease Symptoms of Allergies:
1. Use a Nasal Inhaler: Nasal inhalers are effective, easy to use and affordable.
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 nostil and breathe in deeeeeeeeply!
Allergy Relief Inhaler Blend
8 drops Laurel Leaf essential oil
5 drops Ravintsara essential oil
2 drops Peppermint essential oil
2. Steam Inhalation: Doing a simple steam inhalation can offer a lot of relief from the nasal and sinus congestion caused by allergies. Do this 1-2 times a day when your allergies are at their worst. Then do on a regular basis once or twice a week to continue to keep sinuses healthy.
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 a “tent” to keep the steam in.
Best Oils for a Steam: Tea Tree, Siberian Fir, Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Lavender
Have you used essential oils for allergies and had success? I’d love to hear about it. Please leave a comment below and share your recipe, too!
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/