5 Essential Oils for Allergies

Allergy season is upon us, and we’re reaching for these five essential oils for allergies as a natural way to combat those unwanted sniffles, sneezes, stuffiness, and puffiness.

Essential oils are perfect all-natural remedies that can help decrease allergies while boosting your body’s natural defenses. Many oils have anti-inflammatory, expectorant, and immune-boosting properties, which help lessen respiratory distress, clear sinuses, and calm inflammation.

But how exactly do you use essential oils for allergies? Here are our two favorite ways:

Aromatically: One of the top ways to use essential oils to combat allergies is to inhale them. You can inhale directly from the bottle, the palm of your hands, or a handy-dandy diffuser. Diffusers mist oils and water into the air so that as you breathe, the oils open your airways, clear sinuses, and support your respiratory systems.

Topically: Mix your essential oil of choice with a carrier oil like fractionated coconut and apply the mixture to your chest to promote easy breathing and clear airways.

The Top 5 Essential Oils for Allergies

Peppermint Essential Oil

Peppermint is a powerful sinus-clearing tool known for its expectorant effect. Using this cooling oil for allergies will help loosen phlegm and unclog respiratory pathways. And because peppermint is also anti-inflammatory, and allergies cause inflammation of the sinuses, it is the perfect choice to help calm the allergy reaction and relieve your symptoms.

How to Use:

Add 2-3 drops to a diffuser and inhale deeply.
Inhale directly from the bottle
Mix 2 drops peppermint oil with ½ teaspoon of carrier oil and apply to chest

Tea Tree Essential Oil

Tea tree essential oil is extremely good at eliminating airborne molds and other pathogens. It is also antiseptic, so it is also useful for ridding household surfaces of irritants and pathogens that aggravate allergies.

How to Use:

Add 2-3 drops to a diffuser to kill airborne pathogens
Mix 1 of tea tree oil with ½ teaspoon of carrier oil and apply to chest
Dilute 5 drops in a spray bottle with water (and ¼ cup of distilled vinegar if you’d like) and clean surfaces

Eucalyptus Essential Oil

Eucalyptus oil’s antimicrobial and expectorant properties make it one of the best oils for allergies. Use eucalyptus oil to clear airways, get rid of phlegm, and kill those nasty pathogens at the root of seasonal allergies.

How to Use:

Inhale directly from the bottle
Put 2-3 drops on the shower floor
Combine 1-2 drops with a carrier oil and apply to the chest for a homemade vapor rub

Basil Essential Oil

Basil is a great oil for allergies because it helps deal with how the body responds to allergens. Basil oil supports the adrenal system, which helps your body respond appropriately to allergens and keeps your system from overreacting. Furthermore, basil oil helps detox the body and lower pain and inflammation.

Hope to Use:

Add 1-2 drops to raw honey for tea, sauce for Italian night, or a refreshing green smoothie
Mix 1-2 drops with a carrier oil and apply to chest

Lavender Essential Oil

Lavender oil is a natural antihistamine, meaning it can clear respiratory passages and ease allergy symptoms. It’s also an anti-inflammatory and can help strengthen immunity and keep you healthy during pollen-infested seasons. The best part? If your allergies affect your skin, lavender oil can be used topically to help you deal with a rash or hives.

One study also found that lavender oil prevented allergic inflammation as well as the enlargement of mucous cells.

How to Use:

Add 3-5 drops to your diffuser and inhale deeply
Inhale directly from the bottle
Mix 2-3 drops with a ½ teaspoon of carrier oil and apply to areas of concern