Essential Oils have gained recognition over the years for not just their smell, but for various therapeutic properties, they have to offer! Some of them include warding off various symptoms like nausea, stress, and more!

In our ever-changing climate these days, we find ourselves facing several obstacles to living a happy and healthy life. Anxiety and depression have been coming into focus a lot these days with more and more reports of mental health issues. In 2016, the Singapore Mental Health Study revealed that 1 in 7 Singaporeans has experienced a mental disorder in their lifetime. These numbers may be daunting but also can provide a warning signal that should be addressed.

Factors affecting mental health are far and wide. Work stress, academic stress, lifestyle changes, marriage, births and deaths, peer influences, social media, bullying, performance anxiety – the list goes on. As not everyone may have a good support system or means to deal with anxiety and depression-related issues, things can spiral out of control, and soon an individual may find themselves stuck in a rut. This may affect them very seriously.

Turning to natural wellness therapy is gaining popularity nowadays, as more and more people are learning to embrace a toxin-free lifestyle, that serves to be positive for oneself as well as for the environment.

Aromatherapy has been used for ages since ancient times to treat physical and mental issues in many cultures. Essential oils naturally extracted from plants are readily available for consumers to use safely to ease many conditions that may plague them. Aromatherapy uses the power of scent to stimulate positive feelings in a person, which can lead to the alleviation of any negative symptoms they may be experiencing.

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What is Aromatherapy Used For?

Our olfactory system directly stimulates the part of our brain that regulates emotions and feelings. This is why scents can change or affect our moods. Essential oils can be enjoyed as a single oil or blended with other oils to create a unique, personalized blend. There are hundreds of wondrous combinations possible!

This post will focus on five essential oils that will benefit the user to improve their mental health by boosting their overall mood.

5 Best Essential Oils for Anxiety

1. Chamomile Essential Oil

The Chamomile, similar to a daisy, provides oil extracted from two varieties of the plant – Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum Nobile) or German Chamomile (Matricaria recutita). The oil is extracted from the flowers of the plant using steam distillation. The oil extracted is sweet and fruity-smelling.  The two varieties differ not only in appearance but also in the number of active compounds present. The German Chamomile has a slightly higher percentage of these compounds.

A clinical trial conducted on cancer patients showed that Roman Chamomile oil aided in provided relief by promoting a sense of calmness and anxiety relief when combined with massage.

Best Chamomile Essential Oils to Buy

1. Artizen Roman Chamomile Essential Oil
2. Gya Labs Roman Chamomile Essential Oil for Stress Relief
3. Rainbow Abby Chamomile Essential Oil 100% Pure Aromatherapy Oil 

2. Lavender Oil for Sleep and Stress Relief

This very popular flower yields a warm, soothing, and floral oil, which is extracted through steam distillation of the flowers. Known to relieve muscle strains and reduce inflammation, the lavender essential oil has been shown that aids to relieve anxiety and panic attacks for patients before surgery. It is also used by many to help them ease into a deep, peaceful sleep. This is due to its anxiety-reducing properties.

Best Lavender Essential Oils to Buy

1. Handcraft Lavender Essential Oil 
2. ArtNaturals 100% Pure Lavender Essential Oil
3. Artizen Lavender Essential Oil

3. Bergamot Essential Oil

This essential oil is extracted from the rinds of the bergamot orange fruit which comes from the Citrus Bergamia tree. The earliest evidence of this tree was found in Southeast Asia and it is prized for its zesty and spicy scent. Bergamot essential oil is commonly used in cosmetics, fragrances, and even as a flavor enhancer in food and drink. In homes, bergamot oil can be used in a diffuser to spread the scent around our living space. A small study conducted in Japan in 2015, revealed that women who inhaled a mixture of bergamot oil and water vapor experienced a reduction in anxiety and fatigue.

Best Bergamot Essential Oils to Buy

1. Gya Labs Bergamot Essential Oil for Stress Relief and Headaches
2. Healing Solutions Bergamot Essential Oil – 100% Pure Therapeutic Grade Bergamot Oil
3. Ola Prima 4oz – Premium Quality Bergamot Essential Oil

4. Ylang Ylang

Ylang Ylang is a small, yellow flower that grows on the Cananga odorata tree. It has a rich and heady scent that is fruity and floral. Steam distillation is used to extract the oil from the flowers and is yielded in various concentrations.

This oil is known to be an excellent mood booster that can help to decrease anxiety levels in individuals. The main compound in Ylang Ylang oil is linalool, which has been researched to show antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory benefits as well.

Best Ylang Ylang Essential Oils to Buy

1. Gya Labs Ylang Ylang Essential Oil for Skin Care, Stress Relief and Hair Growth
2. Artizen Ylang Ylang Essential Oil (100% Pure & Natural 
3. NOW Essential Oils, Ylang Ylang Extra Oil, Comforting Aromatherapy Scent

5. Clary Sage

Clary Sage or Salvia Sclarea is a flower/ herb that is commonly found in the Mediterranean region. The precious oil is extracted from the leaves and buds of the plant through steam distillation. Growing mostly in warmer climates, this plant can be found easily in several countries. It has a crisp, clean and refreshing scent that may project a feeling of being on forest mountain tops.

A study showed that when the vapors of Clary Sage essential oil are inhaled, an individual may feel a reduction in stress which led to lesser anxiety. Another study revealed that participants had lowered blood pressure and respiratory rates when this essential oil was inhaled compared to when Lavender essential oil was inhaled.

Best Clary Sage Essential Oils to Buy

1. Gya Labs Clary Sage Essential Oil for Stress Relief, Sleep and Mood Balance
2. Hana Clary Sage Essential Oil (30ml) – Herby, Soothing for Stress and Aches
3. Plant Therapy Clary Sage Essential Oil 100% Pure, Undiluted, Natural Aromatherapy

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Essential Oil Safety Guidelines

When essential oils are extracted from trees, plants, flowers, or fruit, the resulting oil is always in a highly concentrated form. Some essential oils contain compounds that can be irritants when in direct contact with the skin. As a guide, Aromatherapy practitioners warn people against using essential oils ‘neat’ topically. Instead, these oils should be blended into carrier oils such as Sweet Almond, Grapeseed, Jojoba, or butter like Shea butter. Essential oils should also never be ingested as they can cause severe harm to the body. The best ways to fully enjoy the benefits of essential oils are as follows:

1. Dilute essential oils in a carrier oil (Sweet Almond oil) before applying onto skin at temples, forehead, behind ears, nape and wrists.
2. Drop a few drops onto a cloth dampened with warm water, before pressing onto temples and forehead.
3. Blend oils into Shea Butter or Cocoa Butter using a double boiling system and allow the butter to set. Apply the thick cream to any area of the skin by massaging gently, to allow the oils to penetrate the skin.
4. Place a few drops on essential oil on a tissue and pop it into your bag so that you can discreetly enjoy the mild scent wafting around you, when you are on the go.
5. Before sleeping, drop a few drops of essential oil onto your pillowcase. The scents will engulf you through the night.
6. During a shower, hang a cloth with a few drops of essential oils applied and allow the warm water vapour from your shower to diffuse the oils into the air around you.
7. Hang a clay tablet applied with essential oils in your wardrobe to diffuse into your clothing.

I hope this post has been enlightening about the benefits of using essential oils to aid anxiety, depression, and panic attacks. Sniff Scentorium provides Aromatherapy solutions to our community and aims to share all the wonderful benefits of incorporating essential oils into our daily lives. We create products by crafting comprehensive blends of oils, which work best together to provide our customers with relief. These blends are then offered in various, convenient forms – inhalers, roll-ons, heatless salt diffusers.

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