Stress Relief Essential Oil Blend — We Heard You!

By Caryn Gehlmann

More than ever before, I’m hearing from customers who want a stress relief essential oil blend that will help them get through their day with more comfort and ease. So I thought it would be fun to give you a behind-the-scenes peek at blending one of our favorite e3 blends — Stress Relief. It will help you understand the care that goes into the aromatherapy blending and the need to sometimes customize the experience.

We can’t avoid stress altogether, but we can steer our attitudes in a more positive direction to reduce the negative impact of stress. I blended e3’s Stress Relief to help “take the edge off” when there are bumps in the road. Some customers use it every day, while others turn to it to soften the edges of negative feelings when faced with an unavoidably stressful situation.

As we began developing a stress relief essential oil blend, we considered the beneficial properties of each oil and their harmonious scent notes. After some trial and error, these are the individual essential oils that we decided to put together in e3’s Stress Relief:

Bergamot, FCF: Helpful for mild depression, mood swings, apathy, stress, anxiety.

This oil is extracted from the rinds of citrus fruit and is a beloved, soothing scent. Research, such as this 2015 study in Japan, found that inhaled bergamot oil mixed with water vapor reduced feelings of anxiety and fatigue.

Clary Sage: Helpful for stress, tension, anxiety, lack of sense of well-being, mild depression, fear, panic.

Clary sage is a flowering herb with a clean, refreshing scent. Research, such as this small study with menopausal women, indicated that inhaled clary sage oil reduced the stress hormone, cortisol.

Geranium: Helpful for mild depression, mood swings, stress, anxiety.

Geranium essential oil has a fresh, floral fragrance. This essential oil was studied in an interesting setting — women in labor for the first time. The results reported, “The mean anxiety score decreased significantly after inhalation of the aroma of geranium essential oil. There was also a significant decrease in diastolic blood pressure.”

Lavender: Helpful for stress, nervous tension, anxiety, nervous exhaustion, mood swings, anger, sleeplessness.

Lavender is one of my favorite essential oils with its rich, floral scent. There have been many studies showing the calming, soothing, balancing, and uplifting properties of lavender. Read my blog, Take Calming Lavender Oil Roll On With You Anywhere, to see the many ways lavender can support emotional health.

Mandarin, Red: Helpful for mild depression, stress, anxiety, tension, sleeplessness, restlessness.

Known as the sweetest of all citrus fruits and it promotes positive, cheerful feelings!

You probably noticed that many of the essential oils listed help with mild depression. These same components can also relieve stress because of the balancing effect of the esters. What are esters? They are compounds resulting from the reaction of an alcohol with an acid (known as esterification). The good news for us is they are calming and relaxing and can help you maintain equilibrium when under stress.

But another important part of blending is ensuring it smells good to you! Especially blends where you want to support your emotional well-being. The last thing you need is something that turns you off! So with the Stress Relief blend, I worked to find the right balance for a relaxing aroma, but it may not be for everyone. As I always say, you have to listen to your nose!

And here’s something you may not have considered, you can tinker with this blend. Perhaps you feel like you need to add a more grounding oil like 1 to 2 drops of Vetiver or Frankincense. You can do that! Or perhaps you realize that you’re not a fan of one of the essential oils in this blend. Maybe you don’t like lavender. You can make your own stress relief essential oil blend, or find another relaxing e3 blend that doesn’t contain lavender.

Enjoy the process! And we’re happy to walk you through it. Download our free workbook, The Art & Science of Blending Essential Oils.

But before you go here are 3 easy ways to use our Stress Relief blend if you do decide it’s your new favorite!

1. Aromatherapy Stress Relief Bath

Mix 4-8 drops of Stress Relief in 1 teaspoon of carrier oil, such as fractionated coconut oil. (You can also add the essential oil to 1/2 cup of whole milk or heavy cream.) Set aside. If you have muscle aches, add 1-2 cups Epsom or Dead sea salts. Fill the tub with warm water and immerse yourself. Add the essential oil mixture and swirl the water around you. Massage your skin and breathe in the aroma. Remain in the tub for 10-15 minutes.

2. Stress Relief Foot Bath

Mix 1-3 drops of Stress Relief in 1/2 teaspoon of carrier oil, such as fractionated coconut oil. Set aside. Fill a tub (deep enough to cover your feet and ankles) with warm water. Add the essential oil mixture, stir well, and immerse your feet for 10-15 minutes. Breathe in the aroma and massage your feet.

3. Stress Relief Body Oil

Mix 6-30 drops of Stress Relief in 1 ounce of carrier oil, such as fractionated coconut oil or sweet almond oil. Apply to your skin, especially after a shower or bath.

Please reach out with any questions and let me know what you think of e3’s Stress Relief. And don’t forget you can take advantage of e3’s sample policy if you want to try a few different blends to see which you find most helpful in finding stress relief.