Essential Oils for Stress Relief: 10 Oils to Keep Calm

QUICK SUMMARY

Essential oils for stress relief are one of the quickest, simplest natural tools you can use to calm anxious feelings, refresh the atmosphere in your home, and support your body’s God-designed stress response.

The best essential oils for stress and anxiety include orange, lemon, bergamot, neroli, rose, ylang ylang, geranium, lavender, chamomile, and spikenard. Research suggests that aromatherapy can help reduce anxiety, support relaxation, improve sleep quality, and calm measurable stress responses when used wisely.

For best results, use essential oils as part of an abundant-life lifestyle: prayer, Scripture, sleep, nourishing food, movement, deep breathing, healthy boundaries, and reducing your toxic burden at home. Diffuse, inhale, or dilute topically, and use extra care with children, pregnancy, pets, asthma, and phototoxic citrus oils.

Millions of people are discovering that using aromatherapy oils is one of the quickest ways to drop anxiety levels naturally. If you want to get started, these ten essential oils for stress stand out amongst the rest!

How do you create a calming atmosphere at the end of the day? A good book, your feet kicked up, a nice bath, quiet worship music, a few minutes of prayer? In real life, though, most of us don’t have time for luxuries that improve the quality of life this way – that’s why we’re stressed! There are many ways you can use natural remedies and stress relievers, and you may be surprised at how simple and inexpensive they can be.

The Impact of Stress Levels on Health

Before diving into my Top 10 Essential Oils for Stress Relief, we need to call out the elephant in the room real quick. What is causing the increase in anxiety symptoms today, and what can we do about it?

Allowing stress to take over our lives could be one of the biggest mistakes of the 21^st century. Chronic stress is not just “in your head.” It affects the immune system, inflammatory pathways, cardiovascular health, blood sugar balance, sleep quality, mood, and the way you show up for the people God has placed in your life. (1, 2, 3)

High blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, respiratory disease, poor sleep, burnout, and anxiety symptoms all have stress-related components. Reduce stress, and you support the body’s ability to heal, repair, and function the way God designed it to function.

Our sources of stress may vary – what sends me over the edge might not be a problem for you. Identifying trigger points and structuring our lives to be abundant, peaceful, and less reactive should be an ongoing goal.

This is important. The answer is not to pretend stress does not exist. The answer is to build a lifestyle that helps your nervous system recover.

That means prioritizing prayer, Scripture, worship, restorative sleep, nourishing food, healthy movement, wise boundaries, and practical tools like deep breathing and meditation. Essential oils are not a magic wand, but they can be a powerful part of a biblical health lifestyle when you use them consistently and wisely.

A group of nurses working with and evaluated by Vanderbilt Medical University took this to heart in their ER environment. Speaking of their aromatherapy diffuser usage, they said that they “recognized an opportunity to positively impact our coworkers,” and that they did!

When the oils for anxiety were used in the ER, staff reported an almost complete elimination of feelings of stress and overwhelm, while energy and feelings of empowerment shot through the roof! (4)

More recent research continues to support what essential oil families have seen in everyday life. A 2023 systematic review of randomized controlled trials found that essential oils reduced both state anxiety and trait anxiety, with citrus aurantium, lemon, rose, and lavender showing meaningful effects in the analysis. (5)

Put simply, essential oils for stress are too easy to use to miss out on their calming properties. Before stress drags you down another day, use the tools available to reduce stress and pursue the Abundant Life!

Top 10 Essential Oils for Stress Relief

1. Orange

Sweet orange essential oil is bright, cheerful, and uplifting, which makes it one of our favorite oils for creating a joyful atmosphere in the home.

In a clinical study on the effects of both orange and rose oil, simply smelling the oils helped trigger relaxation responses in the body. (6) As a bright and uplifting oil, it stands alone nicely and blends well with other oils. If you had to choose just one stress-relieving oil, sweet orange is one of the most effective and versatile choices. Learn more about orange essential oil in our profile report.

Application: Diffuse orange when the house feels tense, rushed, or emotionally heavy. It blends beautifully with lavender, bergamot, cedarwood, vanilla, and ylang ylang.

2. Lemon

Lemon essential oil is an excellent choice for stress relief. Its clean, fresh aroma can brighten the room, sharpen focus, and make a stale atmosphere feel renewed.

In a 2014 evaluation of the oils cancer patients used to relieve stress, lemon oil was one of the most frequently chosen. (7) The 2023 anxiety review also found lemon essential oil had a significant effect for trait anxiety in the included trials. (5) So many citrus fruits give us therapeutic benefits in their essential oils.

Application: Diffuse lemon during school time, office work, or kitchen cleanup when you want your space to feel fresh and focused. If applying topically, remember that cold-pressed lemon oil can be phototoxic.

3. Bergamot

Citrus oils are definitely go-to oils for many things, stress relief included, so it’s no surprise to see another on the list. Bergamot essential oil has a range of effects for stress relief:

“…improving mood and mild symptoms of stress-induced disorders and facilitating sleep induction. Aromatherapy massage has been shown to relieve symptoms of anxiety in patients with cancer.” (8)

Clinical research on bergamot aromatherapy has reported reductions in stress responses, heart rate, blood pressure, and anxiety-related symptoms in some study settings. A 2023 study also found that bergamot essential oil use helped relieve psychological stress and improve sleep quality during the COVID-19 pandemic period. (9)

To make massage oil for stress, use a carrier oil such as coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, or Mama Z’s Essential Oil Base. See our essential oil dilution guide for percentage tips on the ratio of oils to essential oils to use.

Application: Add 1 drop bergamot and 1 drop lavender to 1 tablespoon of carrier oil and massage into tense shoulders. Choose bergapten-free bergamot for topical use if sun exposure is possible.

4. Neroli

Staying within the citrus varieties but moving toward florals, neroli essential oil is derived from the blossom of orange trees and is just as powerful for stress relief. While it specifically thrives in cases where hormones trigger stress and anxiety, neroli is generally calming and relaxing, as well. (10)

In postmenopausal women, inhalation of neroli oil helped relieve menopausal symptoms, increase sexual desire, and reduce blood pressure. (10) A randomized controlled study in labor also found that neroli aromatherapy reduced anxiety and pain intensity perception. (11)

Application: Add neroli to essential oil blends where hormones, emotional tension, or relational stress may be a factor. It blends beautifully with lavender, orange, rose, vanilla, and ylang ylang.

5. Rose

Noted earlier for its ability to affect the brain directly, rose essential oil appears time and again in studies demonstrating the ability of essential oils for stress to trigger relaxation and relieve anxiety. (12)

Research on rose oil has reported physiological and psychological relaxation, analgesic, and anti-anxiety effects. Human research has also found relaxation effects such as decreases in breathing rate and systolic blood pressure after topical application. (12, 13)

If rose is too pricy for you right now, try clary sage instead since it is also popular for women’s health.

Application: Add 1 drop rose or rose absolute to a personal inhaler with lavender and sweet orange when you need emotional comfort and heart-level calming.

6. Ylang Ylang

Ylang ylang has demonstrated sedative and stress-relieving effects that have peripheral benefits. One study carried out these effects to reduce high blood pressure. (14) Traditional use employs ylang ylang as an aphrodisiac. The direct connection between stress and these conditions is no coincidence. Remember: reduce stress, reduce illness!

Application: Use ylang ylang sparingly. One drop goes a long way in a diffuser blend with bergamot, lavender, or sweet orange.

7. Geranium

When better to test stress and anxiety reduction than in one of the most stressful times in life – early labor! The effects of aromatherapy were measured after simple diffusion and inhalation techniques anyone can employ. “The mean anxiety score decreased significantly after inhalation of the aroma of geranium essential oil.” (15).

Newer clinical research has also found that geranium essential oil inhalation reduced anxiety and stress in patients with moderate to severe lumbar spinal stenosis pain. (16) Include geranium essential oil in stress relief blends to take the edge off stressful anxiety.

Application: Geranium is a wonderful floral oil when you want a rose-like emotional support blend without the rose price tag.

8. Lavender

Sleep issues can rob our bodies of the ability to heal and shed the stress of the day. Both the herb and lavender oil have long been used for sleep improvement. Again testing during childbirth as a measurably stressful time, researchers in 2015 evaluated lavender essential oil for its ability to improve sleep quality during the sleepless, stressful, restless postpartum period. After 8 weeks of aromatherapy oils use, sleep quality and restfulness were improved, taking one major component out of the stress equation. (17)

More recent research continues to support lavender’s calming reputation. A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis found lavender oil application reduced anxiety in patients scheduled for surgery, and a 2025 meta-analysis found lavender essential oil had a significant sleep-enhancing effect in adults. (18, 19)

Application: Diffuse lavender 30 minutes before bed, or add 1 drop lavender to a cotton ball near your bedside. For topical use, dilute it in a carrier oil and apply to the bottoms of the feet or back of the neck.

9. Chamomile

If you’ve ever used chamomile plants for a calming herbal tea, you’ve utilized the effects of aromatherapy on stress. (20) Using chamomile essential oil directly is just another way to make the most of the anxiolytic properties and take advantage of the tools for health God gives us in nature.

A 2024 study in acute coronary syndrome patients found that aromatherapy with Matricaria chamomile essential oil significantly reduced anxiety and affected hemodynamic indices. (21) Research on chamomile more broadly also supports its anxiolytic potential, especially in studies using oral chamomile preparations. (20)

Application: Roman chamomile is a lovely choice for evening blends, children’s rooms when used safely and lightly, and personal inhalers designed for calming.

10. Spikenard

Less common than some of the other oils on the list, spikenard is probably more familiar to you from its mentions in the Bible. Today, we refer to spikenard as a strongly scented essential oil derived from a plant in the Valerian family – valerian, of course, is known as an herbal sedative. Spikenard essential oil is also used as a relaxing oil, with good results on murine tests on its sedative effects. (22)

Newer animal research on Nardostachys jatamansi essential oil also suggests calming effects in sleep-deprived mice, including improvements in anxiety- and depression-like measures. (23)

Application: Spikenard is strong and earthy. Try 1 drop with lavender and orange in a diffuser during prayer, worship, or evening wind-down time.

Use Essential Oil Diffusers for Calm

Diffusion and inhalation are excellent ways to maximize the healing properties and health benefits of these oils. As a Yale Scientific article noted, “Indeed, the olfactory system is the only sensory system that involves the amygdala and the limbic system in its primary processing pathway.” (24) The limbic system is part of the brain that has some control of mood, memory, and emotions.

The direct connection between scent and the limbic system is likely why scent triggers memory, as well as why certain scents have such powerful effects. This is why a familiar aroma can bring comfort almost instantly, and why creating a calming scent rhythm in your home can be such a practical daily stress tool.

Experiment with any of these 10 stress-relieving oils. Here are a few you can begin with if you aren’t sure where to start. The bright scent of citrus and soft tones of floral combine to ease stress, calm the mind, and energize you for that next task!

Essential Oils for Stress Relief Blend

Author Mama Z

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Quantity

2x4x6x

Ingredients

• 2 drops bergamot essential oil
• 2 drops lemon essential oil
• 1 drop geranium essential oil

Instructions

 

• Add to an ultrasonic diffuser or personal inhaler and enjoy!

Notes

Additional Calm Blend Ideas: Try any of these oils for anxiety or mix and match to see which you prefer.

Geranium, Sweet Marjoram, Patchouli, Sweet Orange

Lavender & Vanilla Absolute

Lavender, Clary Sage, Ylang Ylang, Vanilla

Patchouli, Bitter Orange, Cedarwood

Roman Chamomile, Rose, Palmarosa

Vetiver & Roman Chamomile

Ylang Ylang, Bergamot, Lavender, Sweet Marjoram, Roman Chamomile, Valerian

How to Use Essential Oils for Stress Safely

Essential oils are powerful plant-based medicine, and a little goes a long way. The easiest way to use essential oils for stress is inhalation because it is simple, fast, and does not require applying anything to the skin.

Diffuse: Add 3-5 total drops of essential oil to an ultrasonic diffuser, depending on room size and your family’s tolerance. Diffuse intermittently, such as 30-60 minutes at a time.

Personal inhaler: Add your favorite stress-relieving essential oils to a blank aromatherapy inhaler and use it during work, school pickup, travel, prayer time, or stressful conversations.

Topical use: Dilute essential oils in a carrier oil before applying to the wrists, chest, shoulders, back of the neck, or bottoms of the feet. For most adults, a 1-2% dilution is a good everyday range.

Bath: Do not drop essential oils directly into bathwater because they do not dissolve in water. Mix essential oils into a carrier, unscented Castile soap, or another proper dispersant first.

Sun safety: Cold-pressed lemon and bergamot can be phototoxic. Avoid sun exposure after applying them topically, or choose bergapten-free bergamot when using it on the skin.

Family safety: Use extra caution around babies, children, pregnant women, elderly family members, pets, and anyone with asthma, allergies, chemical sensitivity, or complex medical conditions.

Essential Oils for Stress Relief FAQs

What is the best essential oil for stress relief?

Lavender is the best-known essential oil for stress relief because it has strong research for anxiety and sleep, but citrus oils like orange, lemon, bergamot, and neroli are also excellent choices. The best oil for you is the one your body responds to well and that fits the moment: citrus for daytime encouragement, florals for emotional comfort, and lavender or chamomile for evening calm.

What essential oils are good for anxiety?

The best essential oils for anxiety include lavender, bergamot, orange, lemon, neroli, rose, ylang ylang, geranium, chamomile, and spikenard. Research on anxiety is strongest for lavender and several citrus oils, but traditional use and emerging studies also support the calming potential of floral and earthy oils.

How do you use essential oils for stress?

The easiest way to use essential oils for stress is to diffuse 3-5 total drops in an ultrasonic diffuser or add a few drops to a personal inhaler. For topical use, dilute essential oils in a carrier oil before applying to the wrists, neck, chest, shoulders, or bottoms of the feet.

Can essential oils help with sleep when stress is the problem?

Yes, essential oils can help create a bedtime rhythm that tells your body it is time to settle down. Lavender, Roman chamomile, neroli, ylang ylang, vetiver, and spikenard are especially helpful for evening routines. Oils work best when paired with other sleep habits like turning off screens, dimming lights, praying, stretching, and keeping a consistent bedtime.

Are essential oils safe for stress relief?

Essential oils are safe for most families when used properly. Diffuse intermittently, use low amounts, dilute for topical use, and be cautious with children, pregnancy, pets, asthma, allergies, and medications. Avoid applying phototoxic citrus oils to skin before sun exposure unless the oil is formulated to be phototoxicity-free.

Can I use essential oils instead of medication for anxiety?

Essential oils can be a powerful natural support for stress and occasional anxious feelings, but clinical anxiety, panic attacks, depression, trauma, or suicidal thoughts require wise support. Use essential oils as part of a full lifestyle plan and work with a qualified healthcare professional when symptoms are intense, persistent, or interfering with daily life.

A Note about Depression– If your stress reaches the point of overwhelming, you may find yourself with symptoms of depression. These essential oils for depression and Bible verses for depression could help you through a tough time. And remember, it is wise and biblical to get help when you need it.

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