Best essential oils for stress and anxiety

Like me, you all must have heard about essential oils a number of times over the last few years. I began to wonder if these oils are really essential to my life & all those who are shelling out huge amount of money on essential oils, aromatherapy products, oil diffusers & other devices to use the essential oils. Essential oils have become a rage these days; the global essential oils' market was estimated to be USD 6.63 billion in the year 2016, growing at a CAGR of 9.7% during the forecast period. The increase in usage of essential oils in spa, aroma therapy, meditation and yoga centers along with rising demand for flavors & fragrances in the food & beverage industry and personal care & cosmetics industry is sure to drive the essential oils' market growth over the forecast period.

Without further ado, let us know if 'Essential oils' are worth the hype !

What are Essential Oils?

Essential Oils are usually extracted from flowers, seeds, leaves, bark, roots, resin, peels and various other parts of plants through 2 key methods – distillation (often by using steam) and expression. Other processes used for essential oil extraction are absolute oil extraction, cold pressing, resin tapping and solvent extraction. In ancient times, the Egyptians & Jews prepared essential oils by soaking different parts of plants in oil and then filtering the oil through a linen cloth.

Essential oils are very concentrated in nature and if applied onto the skin undiluted, can cause severe discomfort, irritation, sensitization, redness, burning sensation, rashes and other reactions in some individuals. Carrier oils can be used to dilute essential oils before topical applications. A carrier oil is a vegetable oil obtained from the seeds, kernels or the nuts of a plant. Coconut oil, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, argan oil, grapeseed oil, moringa oil and avocado oil are few most popular carrier oils.

Essential oils are largely used in creams, perfumes, cosmetics, soaps, facial cleansers and other FMCG products. These are also used for flavoring various food items and drinks. Apart from this, essential oils are used for adding scents to incense sticks, room fresheners and household cleaning products.

In the modern world, stress and anxiety are two disorders faced by almost every individual. Essential oils are excellent for uplifting mood and calming the mind while boosting confidence & self esteem. Feeling anxious or low ? Had a stressful rough day at work ? Just rub few drops of an essential oil on your hand to relax your mind and get rid of stress symptoms sans the side effects. Essential oils have aromatic & fragrant molecules that can pass through the blood/brain barrier. These molecules directly work on the areas of our brain that are in charge of controlling feelings of stress, panic, depression & anxiety. Essential oils can affect a number of biological factors such as heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, stress levels and immune function.

Here is the shortlist of best essential oils for anxiety and stress relief :

• Lavender essential oil
• Vetiver essential oil
• Frankincense essential oil
• Ylang ylang essential oil
• Bergamot essential oil
• Lime essential oil
• Orange essential oil
• Rose essential oil
• Geranium essential oil
• Peppermint essential oil
• Eucalyptus essential oil
• Cinnamon leaf essential oil
• Cedarwood essential oil
• Grapefruit essential oil
• Sandalwood essential oil
• Clary sage essential oil
• Jasmine essential oil
• Lemongrass essential oil
• Copaiba essential oil
• Tea tree essential oil