Essential Oils For Inflammation [Top 10] & Methods Of Use

Inflammation is quite a broad topic. It can involve virtually all of your body systems. And it can be treated in a number of ways, one of which is with essential oils. Yet you wonder—what is inflammation and how will you know if you it?

Inflammation is your immune system responding to something that is not quite right in your body. The immune system kicks into gear, sending blood and lymphatic fluid to where needed for repair. This is good.

But then there is also the bad – and there are two general categories of inflammation that harms: acute and chronic. Fortunately, there are essential oils that calm inflammation, giving your body the chance to do what it needs to.

Essential Oils For Inflammation

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There are two main ways that essential oils help to protect you from inflammation, and care for you when things get inflamed.

• First, their antioxidant power goes on the hunt, scavenging the free radicals that contribute to oxidative stress and inflamed tissues.
• Second, the chemical structures of essential oils support their ability to invade microbes and lessen their power to infect.

Best Essential Oils For Treating Inflammation

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This list is selected because it offers you several options for caring for various acute and chronic inflammations. You’ll read that many of these possess antiseptic, astringent, antibiotic, and anti-inflammatory properties, along with others that support your care and recovery!

1. Roman Chamomile Essential Oil (Anthemis nobilis)

Roman chamomile is regarded as one of the best essential oils for treating inflammation.

It helps to reduce swelling and offers a calming effect. You can use roman chamomile for its cleansing protection for skin conditions such as rashes and wounds.

Roman chamomile’s anti-inflammatory actions can aid with allergies and gastric irritations. These actions offer relief when people live with chronic skin conditions such eczema and dermatitis, or the gastric distress caused by colitis.

Roman chamomile can be blended with lavender, bergamot, tea tree, and geranium.

For a cold compress Add 4 to 5 drops of roman chamomile oil to some cold water. Immerse a medium size towel or piece of flannel in the water and wring thoroughly.

Apply to the affected area, covering the outside with plastic and a dry towel to insulate. Keep in place for 15 to 20 minutes. Be sure to keep yourself warm during this otherwise chilly treatment!

2. Lavender Essential Oil (Lavandula angustifolia)

Along with being anti-inflammatory, lavender supports your health by repelling viruses and bacteria. The oil is analgesic, offering you added comfort through pain relief.

Lavender’s soothing effects offer a welcome reduction in the exhaustion and headaches that accompany some inflammations. It helps you move on from respiratory infections and digestive ailments, or the achy muscles, pains, and sunburn inflammations you get while playing sports!

You’ll be grateful for its ability to ease the sting of insect bites, burns, and sores. Lavender gently bestows relief for people with the chronic inflammation that can occur with arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis or chronic low back pain.

Lavender can be blended with clary sage, geranium, and bergamot.

Use lavender in a warm compress for your aching back, knee, or hip. The warmth aids circulation to remove toxins and ease muscular tension.

Add 5 drops of lavender oil to some hot water (careful, don’t burn). Soak a medium size towel or piece of flannel in the water and wring thoroughly.

Apply to the affected area and cover the outside with plastic wrap and a dry towel to insulate. Keep in place for 15 to 20 minutes. Be sure to avoid becoming chilled as you rest during this treatment.

3. Helichrysum Essential Oil (Helichrysum italicum)

Helichrysum’s properties include being anti-inflammatory, protective of your skin, and calming. These, along with having the pain-relieving benefits of an analgesic, will support your recuperation when dealing with inflammation.

Helichrysum essential oil is beneficial for respiratory tract inflammations such as those you get with colds, bronchitis and the flu. Your skin benefits too because it calms and soothes dermatitis and a variety of sores. Consider the caring these benefits offer those with rheumatoid arthritis, arthritis, or asthma.

Helichrysum oil blends well with bergamot, chamomile, clary sage, and lavender.

Try a Helichrysum steam inhalation to relieve respiratory inflammation. Drop a few drops of Helichrysum oil into some steaming water, whether in a cup, or a bowl.

If in a bowl – place a bath towel over your head, tucking it around the bowl to create a tent. If a cup, gently bring it closer to your face. Keep you face 6 to 8 inches from the water. Use care to avoid scalding your skin!

Inhale for several minutes taking slow deep breaths. Stop if you have any difficulty. Follow with rest.

4. Frankincense Essential Oil (Boswellia carteri)

This essential oil is a spicy and woody with a moderately heavy, pungent aroma. Frankincense is calming, adding a stress-relieving benefit when you are dealing with inflammation.

Frankincense’s action helps to restore tissue elasticity. Your tendons and connective tissues then feel less restrictive as swelling is reduced. This action offers relief from muscle pain, aids in moving mucus during a cold, sinusitis, bronchitis, or with a chronic condition such as asthma.

Frankincense blends well with bergamot, sandalwood, and lavender.

Try a frankincense in a diffuser at the first signs of a cold. Refresh periodically to assure that your surroundings are filled with frankincense’s antiseptic qualities.

5. Juniper Essential Oil (Juniperus communis)

Juniper essential oil is one to consider adding to your oil collection! It removes toxins from the body as it goes after free radicals that can harm you. In addition to being an antioxidant, it is anti-fungal and antibacterial.

Consider using juniper oil for its wide range of benefits that includes caring for your mucus membranes, skin, and muscles. Its diuretic properties make it suitable when you have fluid retention. It aids the urinary system by helping to thwart infections.

Juniper’s ability to rid the body of toxins extends to aiding the elimination of uric acid that prompts gout and rheumatism flares. This flushing applies to ridding lactic acid buildup after strenuous physical activity. It is kind to your muscles as well as your joints!

Massage specific areas by blending 18-22 drops of oil with 60 ml of carrier oil into a roller bottle.

Please reduce the number of oil drops for elders, children, or those who are frail. Apply the oil to the area with the roller bottle, and massage gently into the tissues. Massage toward your center to encourage your circulatory and lymph systems to absorb the oil and rid toxins.

6. Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)

Fennel is friendly to your gastro-intestinal system, as it stimulates appetite and encourages passing of flatulence, rather than its uncomfortable retention! It reduces the upset of nausea, and the annoyance and social discomfort of hiccups. Another beneficiary of fennel is the urinary tract, as it works to prevent kidney stones and promote diuretic action.

Fennel is another oil that goes after free radicals, thus helping the body to rid itself of toxins.

For relieving gastric upset, infuse 1 tablespoon of carrier oil with 10 drops of fennel essential oil. Massage gently into the soles of your feet! Doing so gets the oil into your bloodstream quickly and efficiently.

Once done, put your feet up, sit back and relax.

7. Eucalyptus Essential Oil (Eucalyptus globulus)

Eucalyyptus has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic benefits. These are pluses when you want to fight off bacteria and viruses while reducing the effects of congestion and swelling.

Consider use of eucalyptus for a variety of ailments, from your aching muscles to your fuzzy headed stuffiness. You’ll love how the cool feels like it opens your sinuses and relaxes the tightness in your chest.

Eucalyptus offers soothing relief when your skin is harmed by burns, insect bites, and other wounds. People with chronic conditions such as migraines, rheumatoid arthritis, and asthma welcome its cool menthol and uplifting qualities.

Eucalyptus blends well with thyme and lavender.

A eucalyptus bath soothes when you have head congestion of achy joints. Prepare your bath by drawing a tub of warm water and adding 5 to 12 drops of oil along with solubol (milk or honey will also do) at a 1:1 ratio.

8. Ginger Essential Oil (Zingiberaceae officinale)

Ginger’s therapeutic properties include being antiseptic and analgesic. This gives you the ability to fight off viruses and bacteria, as you come to count on its help with any discomfort.

Ginger can bring welcome relief from inflammation associated with bruises, congestion, skin sores, and infected sinuses. It warms your cold, stiff and achy joints. Ginger’s relief extends to colds, inflamed tonsils, and the flu. Ginger is soothing for people with chronic conditions such as arthritis and constipation.

Ginger blends well with bergamot, rose, sandalwood, and frankincense.

A warm ginger compress soothes a sinus inflammation. Prepare it by adding 4 drops of ginger oil and 2 tablespoons Epsom salt to some hot water – not hot enough to scald yourself. Soak a hand towel in the water and wring thoroughly. Place on the affected area and cover with a dry towel for insulation.

9. Peppermint Essential Oil (Mentha piperita)

You will welcome peppermint’s cleansing care for skin inflammations as it relieves redness and irritation—that includes from sunburns too. It is just as soothing for tender mucus membranes, making it your digestive tract’s friend as it eases the cramps and spasms of inflamed tissues.

Peppermint is an uplifting oil to try on the aches and pains that come with muscle and connective tissue tension or injury. Its analgesic effects can reduce discomfort. All of these benefits that support you during an acute inflammation are beneficial for people who have chronic conditions such as dermatitis, migraines, asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Peppermint blends with rosemary, eucalyptus, and lavender.

Using peppermint in a diffusion is a gentle way to aid allergy and cold symptoms.

10. Thyme Essential Oil (Thymus vulgaris)

You can turn to thyme essential oil to reduce the spasms brought on by inflammation. It is antiviral, offering aid to your respiratory and digestive systems when they are inflamed. Its disinfectant action is cleansing to your lungs, thus aiding in recovery from colds and coughs.

Thyme encourages sluggish digestion to move along! It wards off the chills when you are ill, and calms inflammation caused by urinary tract infections. Thyme is beneficial for people with chronic joint inflammation.

Thyme blends with rosemary, lavender, and bergamot.

Have a relaxing thyme bath to unwind inside and out when inflammation has your stomach in knots. Draw a nice warm tub and light a few lavender scented candles. Drop 5 drops of thyme essential oil and 5 drops of solubol into the water.

Ease yourself into the water and take some nice slow breaths. Stay in the bath for 20 minutes, renewing the water’s warmth as needed.

How To Use Essential Oils for Inflammation

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Along with the above mentioned methods, here are two more ways to put these essential oils to work against inflammation.

Room Spray: A Gentle Way To Calm Inflammation

This method welcomes a healing atmosphere while you stave off current or potential inflammation. As an example, one essential oil you may select is lavender with its gentle antiseptic qualities.

• A small spray bottle
• 4 drops lavender
• 4 drops thyme
• 4 drops eucalyptus
• 50 ml of distilled water
• 5 ml vodka

Blend the water, oil witch hazel, then pour into the spray bottle. Spray in the area you wish to treat and on bed linens.

The vodka will keep the oils from dispersing and staining fabrics.

Massage Essential Oils Add Analgesic Action To Touch Magic

Use of a massage oil delivers the essential oil quickly to an area of inflammation.

• 60 ml (2 ounces) of carrier oil of choice
• 24 drops of oil of choice, selected from any of the blends suggested above.

This blend delivers a 2% concentration for general use. Prepare the massage oil and doing a patch test before you really go for it. Place on your skin for 15 to 20 minutes; if red or itchy, do not use this oil.

Slowly and gently massage the oil preparation into the affected area. This action stimulates circulation, encouraging deeper penetration of the oil into your tissues.

Delay washing the area for a bit to allow full benefit of the treatment.

To Summarize

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• Inflammation affects many body systems and tissues. An inflammatory process in your body can be short-term or long-term.
• Use essential oils to protect your well being by preventing and treating all sorts of ailments.
• Self-care is a day-to-day occurrence. Inviting essential oils into your life opens you to the gifts that surround you in the form of plants.
• These gifts offer you creative insights that benefit your well being and those with whom you share your wisdom.

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Read next:

• Tea Tree Essential Oil Benefits
• Essential Oils For Colds