What Essential Oils Help With Allergies? E3 Faves…

By Caryn Gehlmann

It’s just not fair! When the weather finally starts warming up and you can get outside to enjoy your garden, hay fever and seasonal allergies knock you for a loop. Stuffy nose, itchy throat and ears, sinus pressure, headaches, sneezing, coughing, red blotchy skin…seasonal allergies are miserable. The good news is that many people find relief from aromatherapy. So we’re happy that we’ve been getting this question: what essential oils help allergies?

Are you looking for a more natural and holistic approach to wellness, because over-the-counter medications make you feel drowsy, give you brain fog and may even be addictive? Studies suggest that our modern, stressed-out lifestyle causes inflammation, which overworks the immune system. Then allergens enter the scene and your body can’t handle them.

The first step toward wellness is if possible doing what you can to reduce harmful stress in your life. Then the next step is to try clearing your environment of allergy-causing chemicals, foods, and dust. Once you have a clean slate, add aromatherapy to your wellness routine. (Aromatherapy can be helpful for each of these stages, but please introduce it carefully, as your system is already overloaded. More on that in a future post.)

When looking for allergy-helping essential oils, notice their therapeutic properties, such as supporting the immune system, calming inflammation, opening up congestion and blood circulation, and clearing and blocking allergens in the environment. Now for the list of oils…

Which Essential Oils Help Allergies? 

• Basil ct linalol — anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, supports immune system.
• Chamomile, Roman — anti-inflammatory, anti-itch and a relaxant.
• Eucalyptus Smitthii — decongestant, expectorant, anti-inflammatory and analgesic.
• Eucalyptus Globulus — Decongestant, antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory.
• Frankincense — anti-inflammatory, alpha-pinene for airway constriction.
• Ginger — Antibacterial, analgesic, expectorant.
• Helichrysum — anti-inflammatory, alpha-pinene for airway constriction.
• Lavender Spike — natural antihistamine and anti-inflammatory.
• Peppermint  —  anti-inflammatory, pain relieving and decongestant.
• Lemon —  natural antihistamine, anti-inflammatory,  anti-bacterial.
• Ravensara — antiviral, antibacterial.
• Rosemary — antispasmodic, antihistamine, alpha-pinene for airway constriction.
• Sandalwood — decreases release of histamine and allergic response.
• Saro — antiviral, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory
• Spearmint — antispasmodic, antiseptic, stimulant, analgesic,
• Tea Tree — antiseptic, antispasmodic, sedative,
• Thyme ct. Linalol — anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic.

Application Methods for delivering essential oils that help with allergies.

When you’re sure you like and feel good with an aroma, you can benefit from diffusion, aromatherapy inhaler, a spritzer or room mist, chest rub lotion, or soaking bath. You’ll notice that many of these methods add moisture to the air, which helps ease congestion.

Here are some recipes that use essential oils that help allergies

Sinus Soothing Inhaler

10 drops Peppermint

12 drops Lemon

10 drops Lavender Spike

8 drops Eucalyptus Smithii

Put a few drops in an aromatherapy inhaler and use it whenever you need to clear your sinuses. You can also put a few drops on a tissue.

Steamy Allergy-At-Bay Shower Mist

20 drops Spearmint

5 drops Helichrysum

15 drops Saro

10 drops Eucalyptus Globulus

Add essential oils to a spritzer bottle and top off with distilled water. Click here for tips on making a spritzer with the right amount of your EO blend.

A good alternative if you don’t have time to blend, is e3’s Breathe Easy Shower Mist.

Congestion-Clearing Cream Rub

2 drops Sandalwood

4 drops Frankincense

8 drops Ravensara

A dollop of Lotion or Carrier Oil in hand.

Cradle the lotion in your palm as you drop in the oil. Stir it with your finger until incorporated. Rub on chest and back of neck.

Or you can use one of e3’s Blends:  Breathe Easy, Respiratory Blend, Courageous, or Cold & Sinus.

As always, let your nose be your guide. Before you introduce a new aroma, sniff it and walk away to see how it’s affecting your body, to make sure you’re not making your allergies worse. If you’d like to experiment with blending new oil combinations, it’s important to keep track of what works and what doesn’t. Our free ebook, The Art & Science of Blending Essential Oils is designed to help you do that. And we’d love to hear what essential oils help your allergies!

Thanks to Carolina Heza, Brittany Colette, Carson Masterson for photos.