How to Use Essential Oils for Stress Relief & Relaxation: Easy, Safe DIY Tips
Let’s be real—between work deadlines, endless to-do lists, and just trying to keep up with daily life, stress hits all of us at some point (okay, most days). I’ve tried everything from meditation apps to overpriced tea, but honestly? Nothing hits quite like a good essential oil routine. If you’ve ever wondered how to use essential oils to calm down without spending a fortune, you’re in the right place. Today we’re breaking down the two safest, most effective ways to use essential oils for stress relief: topical application and aromatherapy. Spoiler: I’m skipping the whole internal use thing because let’s just say that’s not worth the risk for casual at-home use, yeah?
Table of Contents
- Topical Application for Stress Relief
- Aromatherapy with Essential Oils
- DIY Stress Relief Roller Bottle Blend
- Safety Tips for Using Essential Oils at Home
Topical Application for Stress Relief
Topical use is my go-to way to use essential oils when I need a quick pick-me-up or want to wind down before bed. The key here is always diluting your oils first—straight undiluted essential oils can irritate your skin, especially if you have sensitive skin or are using them on kids. Let’s walk through exactly how I do it.
For my 1-year-old nephew (when he’s extra fussy from teething or overstimulated), I mix 1 to 3 drops of lavender or chamomile oil with 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil or fractionated coconut oil. Fractionated coconut oil is perfect here because it doesn’t go rancid and absorbs really fast, no greasy residue left behind. I rub this mixture onto the back of his neck, the soles of his feet, or his tiny wrists—those areas are super absorbent, so the oil works quickly without him being able to rub it into his eyes or mouth.
For me and my husband? We step it up a tiny bit, but still keep it gentle. I use 1 to 3 drops of my favorite calming oils (think bergamot, cedarwood, or lavender) mixed with 1 to 2 drops of a carrier oil, then rub it right onto the back of my neck, my temples, or the insides of my wrists. Pro tip: after you rub it in, take the palms of your hands, cup them over your nose and mouth, and take a few slow, deep breaths. It’s like double the relaxation effect, and it only takes 30 seconds. I do this right before I jump into a work meeting when I’m feeling frazzled, and it makes such a difference.
Aromatherapy with Essential Oils
Aromatherapy is my absolute favorite way to use essential oils for stress, especially when I’m relaxing on the couch or trying to fall asleep. There are two super easy ways to do this at home, no fancy equipment required.
The first quick method? Just pour a drop or two of your favorite calming oil into the palms of your hands, rub them together really well, then cup them over your nose and take 5 to 10 slow, deep breaths. It’s so simple, and you can do it anywhere—even at your desk at work, as long as no one’s staring too hard. I keep a tiny travel bottle of lavender oil in my desk drawer for days when my boss drops a last-minute project on my plate.
My go-to method, though? Using a diffuser. I have a small ultrasonic diffuser that sits on my nightstand, and I use it every single night before bed. Here’s how I do it: fill the diffuser up with cool water to the marked line, then add 5 to 7 drops of a calming blend. My go-to blend is 3 drops lavender, 2 drops bergamot, and 1 drop cedarwood— it smells like a fancy spa but not too overpowering. Then I just turn it on and let it run for a few hours while I read or wind down. If you’re using a diffuser with water, you can run it continuously all night, just make sure you don’t let the water tank run dry!
DIY Stress Relief Roller Bottle Blend
If you want something even more convenient to toss in your purse or keep in your car, make your own stress relief roller bottle. It’s so easy, and you only need a few supplies that you can grab on Amazon for under $20 total. Let’s walk through it:
- First, grab a 10ml dark amber or cobalt blue glass roller bottle. You need dark glass because light breaks down essential oils and makes them less effective—plastic bottles will actually leach chemicals into your oil, so skip those every time.
- Next, pick your carrier oil: fractionated coconut oil, jojoba oil, or grapeseed oil all work great. I prefer fractionated coconut oil because it’s light and doesn’t leave a greasy feel.
- Then pick your essential oils. For stress relief, stick to calming, grounding scents: lavender, bergamot, cedarwood, chamomile, or ylang-ylang are all perfect.
Here’s my exact recipe for a 10ml roller bottle: add 20 drops of lavender oil, 10 drops of bergamot oil, and 5 drops of cedarwood oil to the bottle, then fill the rest of the way with your carrier oil. Pop the roller ball top on, shake it up really well, and you’re done! I keep one in my purse, one on my nightstand, and one at my desk—anytime I feel my stress spiking, I just roll it onto my wrists and take a few deep breaths. It’s total game changer for busy days.
Safety Tips for Using Essential Oils at Home
Before we wrap this up, let’s go over a few quick safety rules to make sure you’re using essential oils the right way:
- Always dilute essential oils before applying them to your skin, especially if you have sensitive skin, are using them on kids under 6, or are pregnant. A good rule of thumb is 1 to 2 drops of essential oil per teaspoon of carrier oil for adults, and even less for kids.
- Never ingest essential oils unless you’re working with a certified aromatherapist or doctor. A lot of people think you can take them internally, but it’s super easy to mess up the dosage, and some oils are toxic if swallowed.
- Keep essential oils away from your eyes, ears, and mucous membranes. If you do get oil in your eye, flush it with plenty of carrier oil (not water!) and call a doctor if it hurts.
- Store your essential oils in dark glass bottles in a cool, dark place. Heat and light will break down the oils and make them lose their scent and effectiveness.
- Do a patch test before using a new oil all over your skin! Put a tiny drop of diluted oil on the inside of your elbow, wait 24 hours, and if there’s no redness or irritation, it’s safe to use.
Seriously, taking a few extra minutes to follow these rules will keep you safe and make sure your essential oils actually work when you need them to. I’ve made the mistake of skipping the patch test once and ended up with a weird rash on my wrist—never again!
Final Thoughts on Using Essential Oils for Stress Relief
At the end of the day, using essential oils for stress relief is all about finding what works for you. Some days I just grab my roller bottle and go, other nights I fire up the diffuser and curl up with a book. You don’t need a ton of fancy supplies to start—all you need is one good carrier oil and one calming essential oil to test things out.
Whether you’re a total beginner or you’ve been using essential oils for years, I hope this post helped you find a new routine to help calm your stress and relax a little more. Let me know in the comments what your favorite stress relief essential oil is—I’m always looking for new blends to try!
