Essential Oils for Headaches You Need to Try

Tension headaches affect over one-third of men and over half of the women in the United States. So, it’s pretty likely you have had a headache fairly recently or will have one again sometime soon. Thank goodness that there are essential oils for headaches.

Essential oils can relieve headache causes and symptoms without the chemicals in medicines and the lasting side effects they have on your body. And if you are one of the unfortunate 1 in 20 adults with headache disorder (suffering from a headache every, or nearly every, day) that would add up to a lot of medicine.

Using essential oils for headaches is a more natural alternative. Many people are searching for natural remedies as doctors come to realize that some cures are worse than suffering through the ailment. 

Keep reading for a list of the best essential oils for headaches you’ll want on hand.

Essential Oil Delivery Methods

First, let’s talk about the different ways you can use essential oils for headaches. There are several ways to use essential oil, but your priority should be on effectiveness. When it comes to getting rid of your headache do what works for you, but the following are the best ways to use essential oils for headaches. 

Personal Inhalers and Jewelry

Using personal inhalers and essential oil jewelry is a great way to have the therapeutic relief of essential oils for headaches wherever you go. A personal inhaler is a better way to use essential oils when you are on the go and around other people. For example, you can use it at work, a restaurant, or in the car without creating a lasting smell that may bother others around you.

Essential oil jewelry will give a more constant scent around you and may be helpful for prolonged pain with a headache.

 Wool or Cotton for Essential Oils

Using pieces of felted wool or cotton balls is one of the easiest ways to have your essential oil for headaches in the car. Placing some drops on a little piece of wool can keep the scent for the day and up to two weeks.

Diffusers for Essential Oils

Cold air diffusers are my favored way of using essential oils. It covers the scent in a spacious area within minutes and lasts for a long time. Diffusers don’t heat the oil, so the essential oils remain intact in tiny air droplets so you may receive the therapeutic benefits as well. 

This method is still being researched for safety in prolonged exposure, but I feel comfortable doing it.

Topical Essential Oil Application

The most important thing to know about taking essential oils topically is safe dilution rates. I like to refer people to the Tisserand Institute Dilution Chart to know how many drops to place in various sized dark glass essential oil bottles. Depending on the kind of essential oil the dilution rate may range from .5% to 4%.

Use fractionated coconut oil, almond oil, or even jojoba oil for essential oils in your hair. There are lots of great oil choices, but that could be an entire future post onto itself. Use what you have readily available to you.

You can even add essential oils to your bath water for a one-two punch of topical and inhalation at the same time.

Essential Oils for Headaches

There are a few particular essential oils for headaches, but you will find on your medicinal essential oil journey that many essential oils have multiple uses. These essential oils for headaches are found to be particularly effective.

Lavender Essential Oil

Lavender Essential Oil is one of the most useful essential oils overall. I highly recommend you have it in your natural medicine arsenal. It is regularly used for burns, bug bites, stress relief, and relaxation. 

So it’s no surprise that Lavender Essential Oil has shown strong evidence to help treat headaches and migraines. A 2013 study reported that migraine sufferers saw a significant decrease of migraine pain and connected symptoms after 15 minutes of inhaling Lavender Essential Oil (2-3 drops of the Lavender Essential Oil rubbed onto their upper lip) in the early stages of the attacks.

Rosemary Essential Oil

Rosemary Essential Oil is traditionally used as an anti-inflammatory, to improve circulation, and as an analgesic (pain-relieving). All of these properties can help headaches.

Herbalists have been using Rosemary Essential Oil as a medicine for hundreds of years. A 2008 study supports that Rosemary Essential Oil has anti-inflammatory and pain-killing qualities.

Use Rosemary Essential Oil diluted as a topical or in a diffuser to receive the benefits.

Eucalyptus Essential Oil

Eucalyptus Essential Oil is historically used to unblock sinuses and reduce inflammation. If you are having a sinus headache from clogged sinuses then Eucalyptus Essential Oil is for you. 

There was a study that found inhaling Eucalyptus Essential Oil was effective in decreasing patient’s pain and blood pressure.

Peppermint Essential Oil

Peppermint Essential Oils is another great essential oil that I recommend you have in your medicine cabinet. It can eliminate harmful bacteria, disinfect, relieve muscle spasms, aid digestive issues, soothe inflamed skin, reduce fever, and more.

Peppermint Essential Oil is one of the most regularly used essential oils to treat headaches. Its menthol properties can help loosen muscles and reduce pain.

Use Peppermint Essential Oil to treat both tension headaches and migraines topically or through inhalation.

Essential Oil Blend for Headaches

There are other essential oils for headaches you may choose to try. Essential oils that you find relaxing for a start. This can vary quite a bit from person to person, but recommended scents may include frankincense, neroli, chamomile, and citrus oils in addition to the scents previously mentioned above.

You may even want to try an essential oil blend for headaches. The mixture will provide the benefits of multiple essential oils for headaches at the same time. This may give you a broader benefit for an unknown headache cause. Try mixing a 1:1:1 blend of Rosemary Essential Oil, Peppermint Essential Oil, and Lavender Essential Oil in a carrier oil at a 2% dilution rate. You can place it in any dark glass container, but a personal essential oil roller is a great way to use this essential oil blend for headaches wherever you go. 

Conclusion

More human studies need to be done on the effects of essential oils for headaches, but the initial findings are promising. It is well worth trying this natural remedy vs. other over the counter medicines that can have side effects on your digestive system, skin, liver, and can even cause death. 

I hope this list of essential oils for headaches helps you in your time of need, but in all honesty, it is best to have these essential oils on hand ahead of time. In fact, I personally have all of these essential oils in my natural remedies medicine cabinet for use with my own family. They are not only great essential oils for headaches, but many more ailments as well. 

If you love essential oil as much as I do check out my post on Essential Oil Blends for Diffuser.