Seasonal Allergies Essential Oils — Do They Help?

By Caryn Gehlmann

“I have seasonal allergies. essential oils should help, right? Or can essential oils actually aggravate my allergies?” These are important questions! And as always it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to using essential oils for seasonal allergies or any other health concern.

However, there are guidelines I can share with you that can help you make a good decision when it comes to using essential oils to get some relief from seasonal allergies.

I get a lot of questions about this — especially during spring with symptoms ramping up as the pollen starts flying! One of my more recent questions was from a mom whose son deals with sneezing and a runny nose from springtime allergies. She wanted to know which essential oils would be the most helpful and the easiest way for him to use them. (Because being a teenage boy, if it isn’t easy, he probably wouldn’t do it.) Watch this short video to see my answer.

So from my response to this question in the video, you can see the key to using essential oils for seasonal allergies is to start slow.

If you’re experiencing nasal allergies, you should use caution when diffusing essential oils. Don’t forget that essential oils are made from various plant products so there is the possibility that they could trigger your allergies, especially if you have pollen allergies.

So take your time before filling the room with scent. I recommend opening a bottle and taking a quick sniff before recapping, to see how your body responds. Then if it helps calm breathing and you find the scent relaxing, then go ahead and start diffusing it — either with a diffuser in your room or a personal aromatherapy inhaler (a tissue with a drop of EO in your pocket can work too).

But don’t be afraid to give essential oils a try. Particularly, essential oils with antihistamine properties are an ideal natural approach to the inflammatory response of histamine, as they can easily permeate our nasal cavities to loosen mucus and promote drainage. And they smell good, and help clear your head, without nasty side effects!

These are often the most soothing seasonal allergies essential oils:

Lavender Spike

Helichrysum

Rosemary

Peppermint

Ravensara

We also have e3 blends that are supportive, such as e3’s Respiratory and Breathe Easy blends. If you’d like to make your own blend take a look at some DIY recipes, What Essential Oils Help With Allergies? e3 Faves.

If you’re using essential oils for your allergies or for any other health concern, remember, take it slow, and educate yourself about your options. A great starting point is our free ebook: Listen to Your Nose, An Introduction to Aromatherapy.