Many wonderful things come along with springtime. We get to experience longer days, cool nights, blooming flowers and pollinating bees. Unfortunately, this is also the time of year where many people experience sneezing, coughing, congestion, postnasal drip and itchy eyes, all under the purview of allergies. Seasonal allergies, though prevalent in the spring, can also occur during the summer and fall.
While there are traditional medicines such as pills, syrups and nasal sprays, you may prefer something more natural. Essential oils, which have been shown to be beneficial for alleviating certain ailments, can also be a part of your allergy treatment regimen. “Essential oils can be inhaled or used topically on the skin to treat allergies,” says Nicola Elliott, the founder and creative director of NEOM, an aromatherapy company specializing in 100% natural fragrances created to boost wellbeing. “Many essential oils and blends have calming and soothing properties which can help reduce the irritation and inflammation that allergies cause,” she says.
In fact, breathing in these scents referred to as aromatherapy can stimulate responses in your body, which helps to ease allergy symptoms. They can also be sprayed in the air, diluted and applied topically, added to your bathwater, or you can inhale the scents of the essential oils preferably using a diffuser.
Here are the best essential oils for allergies for you to try this spring!
1. Lemon Essential Oil
With its strong citrusy smell, it should come as little surprise that lemon essential oil is good for clearing your sinuses and for alleviating congestion brought on by allergies. What you may not know is that oils like the Gya Labs Lemon Essential Oil can also deliver a boost in alertness and energy, setting you up for a more productive day.
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2. Roman Chamomile Essential Oil
Try chamomile essential oil for fighting your allergy symptoms if they include inflammation of your mucous membranes, skin conditions and other sinusitis-like symptoms. “You can also apply an oil topically (through a lotion or body oil), like chamomile, which can act as an antihistamine and has chemical compounds that work to reduce inflammation on the skin,” says Elliott. This Aura Cacia Roman Chamomile Essential Oil is ready to use right from the bottle as it comes pre-mixed in jojoba oil.
3. Frankincense Essential Oil
Frankincense essential oil may not be as well known as other oils, but studies have found that it can help to ease allergy symptoms. The next time you are congested, sneezing and have a runny nose, try diffusing a product like Cliganic Organic Frankincense Essential Oil. It also has anti-inflammatory properties and may also help with itching.
4. Tea Tree Essential Oil
It may not be the first option on everyone’s go-to list, but tea tree essential oil has been shown to have antiviral, antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. Fiora Naturals Tea Tree Essential Oil organic formulation may help with skin inflammation and may even fight against some allergy symptoms. It should be noted that this potent essential oil should not be ingested.
5. Eucalyptus Essential Oil
Eucalyptus is well known for its positive and cooling effects on the body when used as a gel, so it’s little surprise that the powerful ingredient can work as an essential oil, too. “It is often used for treating allergies as it has anti-inflammatory properties that can help to ease congestion through inhalation,” says Elliott. Try this popular Eve Hansen Eucalyptus Essential Oil for relief from annoying allergy symptoms.
6. Lavender Essential Oil
Lavender essential oils are a popular choice among essential oil lovers and allergy sufferers alike. It’s truly one of the most versatile oils, and relieving allergy symptoms is another of its wide-ranging skills. SheaMoisture 100% Pure Essential Oil Lavender may help to calm and reduce inflammation and offers other benefits to allergy sufferers, including lavender’s ability to promotes sleep and the fact it can help manage anxiety.
7. Peppermint Essential Oil
With a large body of evidence supporting the efficacy of peppermint essential oil, it makes a good choice for helping to reduce allergy symptoms. Add a few drops of Ever Spring Peppermint Pure Essential Oil to your diffuser when congested, and the clean, fresh smell can help to open nasal passages. It may also help to lessen tension-type headaches.
8. Nasal Clearing Blend of Essential Oils
If you are really congested, you may want to try a mix like Breathe Essential Oil Blend. It contains eucalyptus, peppermint, spearmint and tea tree essential oils. You can add it to a carrier oil or a diffuser to enjoy the benefits.
9. Bedtime Blend
Allergies can cause you to feel tired and foggy, making you want to hop into bed. But that post-nasal drip and congestion can make it hard to settle down. Try Neom Bedtime Hero Essential Oil Blend, which contains chamomile, which promotes sleep, ylang-ylang and cedarwood, both with antibacterial properties. Add two to three drops to a diffuser after a long day for the ultimate relaxation.
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