Why You Should Use Essential Oils for Adrenal Fatigue

If you’ve been hanging around my blog for a while, you know that essential oils are my favorite natural adrenal fatigue remedies. For starters, they’re incredibly versatile, and when they are good quality, they can be a powerful weapon in your healing arsenal.

 When I was in the throes of adrenal fatigue, essential oils always had my back. I get asked all the time, “what essential oil is good for adrenal support?”, “which essential oils help lower cortisol levels?” and “how can I heal my adrenal fatigue naturally?” In this article, you’ll learn why you should use essential oils for adrenal fatigue and which are best.

How Can I Heal My Adrenal Fatigue Naturally?

There is no quick fix to healing adrenal fatigue, but there are natural ways to heal it, thoughtfully, slowly, and for good. In fact, naturally, thoughtfully, and slowly are the only ways actually to heal. 

Before we get into one of my favorite ways to heal adrenal fatigue naturally (hint, its essential oils), let’s take a closer look at the cause of adrenal fatigue. 

What is the cause of adrenal fatigue?

The root cause of adrenal fatigue is HPA axis dysfunction. Think of your body’s HPA axis as your stress response system. In this network, your hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal glands communicate to control hormonal output. 

So adrenal fatigue (unlike adrenal insufficiency) isn’t that your adrenals can’t produce cortisol (stress hormone), but it’s that once you’ve been under chronic stress, your body tries to protect you by downregulating the axis. That means stop producing cortisol. Enter fatigue due to too low levels. 

The root causes of HPA axis dysregulation beyond perceived emotional and mental stress include poor gut health, inflammation, blood sugar imbalances, poor quality sleep, and circadian rhythm disruption. To learn more about the root causes, check out this article. 

To heal adrenal fatigue naturally means we need to heal all of the above. Essential oils are versatile tools like I mentioned and can be used creatively to help. 

Why You Should Use Essential Oils for adrenal fatigue? 

1 – Essential Oils Can Give You the Energy and WillPower to Start the Healing Journey 

One of the main adrenal fatigue symptoms is, of course, fatigue. A lot of times, we want to heal so badly but lack the energy to do what is necessary. Essential oils can help give you a natural boost of physical and mental energy to begin your healing journey. 

• Peppermint essential oil: energizes and promotes mental alertness. Helps relieve headaches and migraines naturally. Keep it on your nightstand, add drops to the shower floor, diffuse it, or even add some to a smoothie! 
• Wild Orange essential oil: most citrus oils are fabulous at promoting energy and uplifting spirits. You can add a good quality wild orange oil to your water, inhale it directly from the bottle, or combine it with peppermint in a diffuser for a vibrant morning blend. 
• Rosemary essential oil: this is an oil to turn to when you are really fatigued. It’s invigorating to the mind and body. Combine with basil for a perfect energizing duo. You can also make tea or massage the bottom of your feet with it.

2 – Essential Oils Can Help With Brain Fog 

Poor adrenal function or adrenal dysfunction means major brain fog. If you have adrenal fatigue, you’re no stranger to “wait, what was I about to do/say/get?” Struggling with adrenal fatigue can be super frustrating. If you’re not as quick-witted as you used to be, don’t be so quick to blame it on “mom’s brain.” You can support brain clarity and function with stimulating essential oils like rosemary, peppermint, basil, and lemon—aka my favorite essential oils for brain fog. Here is my favorite diffuser recipe for Brain Fog:

Brain Fog Diffuser 

• 2 drops rosemary essential oil 
• 2 drops peppermint essential oil 
• 2 drops lemon essential oil 
• 2 drops basil essential oil 

3 – Essential Oils Can Help Relieve Stress & Boost Mood

Essential oil aromatherapy is well known for its speedy ability to relieve stress and relax the body and mind. As you know, the root cause of adrenal fatigue is chronic stress and HPA axis dysfunction. Essential oils are sustainable tools for stress management that can help get you out and keep you out of adrenal fatigue and burnout. The best part is while they relieve stress, they also have the ability to enhance mood and lift spirits. Hope is key in healing adrenal fatigue. These are my favorite essential oils for mood and stress:

• Frankincense: calming, relaxing, and grounding. This earthy and spicy aroma is wonderful for reducing stress and coming back into the body. 
• Lavender: calming and relaxing. Three clinical trials found that lavender oil helps with everyday stress and anxiety disorders. I love to add a couple drops of lavender with a carrier oil, like coconut oil, to my wrists and feet to relieve stress.
• Bergamot: uplifting and mood enhancing. This citrus oil can relax the frazzled and uplift the depressed. One study found that bergamot essential oil can promote a shift from anxiety behaviors to anti-anxiety behaviors with a reduced hormonal stress response. 
• Vetiver: grounding and calming. As a member of the grass family, vetiver is one of the most grounding oils you can try. When stress or anxiety feels like you’re lifted out of your body and into the past or future, try vetiver to bring you back down to the present. 
• Roman Chamomile: calming and relaxing. Participants in one study had “significantly lower” anxiety levels after using Roman Chamomile aromatherapy. 

4 – Essential Oils Can Support Hormone Health 

Some essential oils are potent adaptogenic plants that help to balance hormone and cortisol levels. As you’ve learned, they can help regulate the stress response, but when you have adrenal fatigue, chances are you have another hormonal imbalance. The oils below will help bring your body and endocrine system back into harmony so that you can begin to heal from adrenal fatigue. These are my favorite essential oils for hormone balance.

• Lavender essential oil: research shows that lavender oil can reduce stress, promote calm, foster deep sleep, and even improve PTSD symptoms. Its calming qualities make it perfect for bringing the body back into homeostasis for hormonal balance. 
• Lemon essential oil: lemon’s bright and cheerful aroma makes it one of the most loved adaptogenic oils. It’s an antidepressant that can help boost mood, stimulate energy, and calm racing thoughts-all necessary for balancing hormones. 
• Ginger essential oil: ginger is a warming oil that can be helpful for digestion and balance of mood, sex, and stress hormones. Support your nervous system with this spicy oil externally or internally. 
• Basil: supportive for hormones and especially adrenal fatigue. Basil oil helps promote emotional balance and ease PMS symptoms, which are often enhanced in those with adrenal fatigue. Do not use it if you are pregnant. 

5 – Essential Oils Can Promote Sleep 

If you have adrenal fatigue, you probably have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, and getting good quality sleep. Getting your sleep back on track is one of the most important things you can do to heal. I recommend going to bed at or before 10 when you have chronic fatigue. Essential oils can help relieve tension, calm the mind, and promote deep rest. Enjoy my favorite essential oils for sleep below:

• Lavender essential oil: a few deep breaths or drops of lavender oil on your pillow will help you unwind and relax. I love to add 12 drops to an evening bath. 
• Vetiver essential oil: a true gem for sleeping; it’s sweet, woodsy, calming, and grounding. Add to a diffuser with lavender for a short cut to deep Zs. 
• Cedarwood essential oil: the king of relaxation; cedarwood is woodsy, warm, and soothing to the mind. For an amazing essential oil blend, combine cedarwood and lavender.
• Marjoram essential oil: marjoram helps to calm busy minds and eliminates restless thoughts. This is a favorite to inhale right before bed while doing gentle stretches. 
• Roman Chamomile essential oil: this natural sedative can be drunk or inhaled to drift into dreamland. 

I hope this article was helpful. Essential oils are incredible tools that can expedite your adrenal fatigue healing journey. Let me know what you think in the comments below!