Soothing Pain Naturally: Essential Oils for Headaches and Migraines

Throbbing pain. Tension. Sore eyes. Nausea. Sensitivity to light. Being struck by a headache or a migraine is the worst. It's no wonder sufferers are searching for the best essential oils to soothe headaches and migraines!

If you're fed-up with conventional painkillers and their side-effects, you'll be pleased to know essential oils are Mother Nature's pain relievers.

How Do Essential Oils Help Headache and Migraine Sufferers?

The wonderful thing about pure essential oils is they get to the root of the problem to stop the pain in its tracks. Headaches are often caused by inflammation, sinus congestion, stress, and muscle tension. These concentrated liquid plant extracts calm the nervous system, relax muscle tension in the neck and face, stimulate blood flow, open the sinuses, and reduce inflammation.

Whether you're experiencing a tension headache, cluster headache, sinus headache, or a migraine; here are our top essential oils picks.

Woolzies Head Ease Essential Oil Blend

Our Head Ease blend has been expertly crafted to soothe headaches and ease muscle tension. A mix of basil, cardamom, rosemary, peppermint, geranium, lemon, palmarosa, and bergamot essential oils – this minty, earthy blend is a firm favorite among headache and migraine sufferers!

Inhale Head Ease by adding 3-5 drops of oil per 100ml of water to an ultrasonic oil diffuser, or add 5-10 drops to a warm bath.

Woolzies Lavender Oil

Intoxicating, floral lavender essential oil is one of the most versatile oils. Its ability to target many of the causes of tension headaches and migraines – sleep, inflammation, anxiety, and stress – lands it near the top of our list!

A 2012 study in the Journal of European Neurology confirmed that inhaling lavender essential oil for 15 minutes reduced the severity of migraine headaches (1).

TIP: We recommend applying our convenient Woolzies Lavender essential oil roll-on to your forehead, temples, and back of your neck to get relief.

Woolzies Frankincense Essential Oil

We absolutely love frankincense oil for soothing stress headaches and cluster headaches. It has a rich, earthy aroma, and when deeply inhaled or applied topically to the temples and back of the neck, it offers powerful anti-inflammatory and calming properties to stop pain taking hold.

TIP: Make a frankincense oil compress. Soak a small towel in lukewarm water, sprinkle a few drops of essential oil on the cloth, and apply it to the forehead and neck.

Woolzies Peppermint Essential Oil

A list of the best oils for headaches and migraines would be incomplete without Peppermint Essential Oil. This superstar product is popular, especially when it comes to tension headaches and sinus headaches. And clinical research supports this! A study found applying peppermint oil across the forehead and temples reduced tension headache intensity after just 15 minutes (2).

The active ingredient menthol gives it a minty, fresh aroma and a cooling sensation that relaxes muscles, clears congestion, and provides analgesic properties.

So, what's the best way to use peppermint oil for a headache? Try making an oil blend and inhaling it by adding 3 drops peppermint oil and 2 drops lavender oil to an essential oil diffuser.

Final Thoughts

Using any of the essential oils mentioned here at the first sign of a headache or migraine may stop you from spending two days in a dark room chewing on painkillers. However, if your headache persists or becomes more severe, please contact your healthcare provider.

Let us know if this article was helpful in the comments below and share it with anyone who struggles with headaches!

Resources

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22517298

2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8805113