Essential Oils for Depression

Depression is extremely common. In fact, you could be around someone with depression every day and not know he or she is suffering from it. However, there are some symptoms that could indicate signs of depression, such as fatigue, sadness, low mood, low libido, low self-esteem, loss of appetite, feeling like hard days will never end, and never accepting invitations to go out with friends or attend events. Fortunately, there are natural treatments for depression, similar to how anxiety can be treated with certain essential oils. Here are four essential oils I recommend for depression.

Essential Oils for Depression: In clinical trials, essential oils have been shown to elevate mood. You may be wondering how essential oils work. Essential oil scents travel directly to the brain, and they are triggers for emotions. The limbic system evaluates sensory stimuli, registering them as pleasure, pain, danger, or safety. This then creates and ultimately directs our emotional responses, which can include feelings of fear, anger, frustration, or attraction.

Our primal emotions and hormonal balance are responses to the most basic of smells. This makes the sense of smell very powerful in our day-to-day lives, as they are a direct path to memory and emotion – which is why they can fight depression and anxiety.

Bergamot oil

Bergamot essential oil is a great antidepressant because it promotes excitement. Bergamot can create feelings of happiness, freshness, and vitality by improving blood circulation. It has also demonstrated its ability as a natural remedy for anxiety disorders, with a 2011 experimental study in Thailand finding that bergamot reduced anxiety responses in rats.

Another study from 2011 hypothesized that applying an essential oil blend containing bergamot to participants would help treat depression. Bergamot was mixed with lavender essential oils and analyzed based on the participants’ blood pressure, pulse rate, breathing rate, and skin temperature. In addition, the subjects had to rate their emotional state in terms of relaxation, vitality, calmness, attention, mood, and alertness to assess changes in behavior.

How to use:

Inhalation: Drop 2-3 drops of bergamot essential oil in the palm of your hand, or drop the essential oil into a diffuser, then put it close to your nose and inhale slowly.

Body application: You can also apply the essential oil to the soles of your feet or abdomen. If applied to a large area, dilute it with base oil, otherwise it will irritate the skin.

Partial body: 18-30 drops of essential oil + 30ml of base oil dilution;

Face: 15 drops of essential oil + 30ml of base oil dilution

(Bergamot contains furanocoumarins, which are photosensitizing. Do not apply it to the skin when going out in the sun during the day)

Lavender Oil

Lavender essential oil is beneficial to mood and has long been used to help fight depression. A study published in the International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice reported that 80 mg (about 3 drops) of lavender essential oil capsules (drop the essential oil into an empty capsule and take it with warm water) can help relieve anxiety and depression. The study also showed that there were no side effects of using lavender essential oil to treat anxiety and depression. This is good news, as we know that chemically synthesized psychotropic drugs often have many side effects. A 2012 study published in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice evaluated 28 women at high risk for postpartum depression and found that they had a significant reduction in postpartum depression and anxiety after implementing a lavender essential oil aromatherapy program at home for four weeks.

Another study showed that lavender aromatherapy can improve people's mood. This study focused on patients with PTSD-Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which can cause depression. Lavender has a surprising effect and has shown to be effective in improving negative moods. The results showed that daily use of lavender essential oil can effectively reduce depression by 32.7%, and significantly reduce sleep disturbances and mood swings in 47 PTSD patients, thereby improving overall health.

To relieve stress and improve sleep, place a diffuser (aromatherapy machine) by your bed when you go to bed at night, or drop essential oils into diffuser wood and diffuse it throughout the room while reading and relaxing at night.

Roman Chamomile Oil

Chamomile is one of the best medicinal herbs for coping with stress and promoting physical and mental relaxation. This is why you can see chamomile as a popular element in candles and other aromatherapy products, such as teas, tinctures or essential oils.

Chamomile helps depression through its soothing properties, thereby providing benefits for mood. According to the study on alternative therapies in Alternative Therapies in Health, Medicine and Pharmacognosy, chamomile essential oil is often recommended as a natural remedy for anxiety and general depression through aromatherapy and inhalation of chamomile vapor.

Ylang Ylang Oil

Ylang Ylang is an interesting name, and it has amazing benefits that help avoid depression and the negative emotions associated with depression. Smelling ylang ylang essential oil can have an immediate, positive impact on your mood and act as a gentle treatment for depression. Studies have shown that it helps release negative emotions such as anger, low self-esteem and even jealousy!

Ylang Ylang can reduce stress responses and help you relax due to its mild sedative effects. To boost confidence, state of mind and self-love, try diffusing essential oils at home, dripping into an aromatherapy machine or diffuser wood, 18 drops ~ 30 essential oils + 30ml of vegetable oil, dilute and apply to the skin.

How to use essential oils to relieve depression

There are the following ways to relieve depression with essential oils. To reduce stress and improve sleep, you can place an aromatherapy machine next to your bed and diffuse it at night when you go to bed. You can also apply essential oils diluted with vegetable oil and massage behind the ears, behind the neck, abdomen, soles of the feet or all over your body. Whether you are massaging your whole body or just using self-massage techniques, choosing the right essential oil for you can make an excellent massage oil. Here is a great recipe you can try!

Massage recipe to relieve depression

5 drops of lavender essential oil + 5 drops of Roman chamomile essential oil + 5 drops of bergamot essential oil + 5 drops of ylang ylang essential oil + 30 ml of grapeseed oil/sweet almond oil/jojoba oil, etc.