Top 12 Essential Oils with Stress Relieving Properties:

·  Bergamot
Description:	Fresh, Orange/Lemon/Citrus, 
and Slightly Floral

Strength:  Mild to Medium

Origin:	 Essential oil is extracted from a 
round yellow fruit of a tree found in Italy, 
Morocco, the Ivory Coast, and Asia

Use:  Antidepressant, Calming and 
Refreshing for the nervous system










·  Frankincense
Description:	Fresh, Woody, Balsamic, 
Slightly Spicy and Fruity

Strength:	Mild to Medium

Origin:	Oil is distilled from the resin 
that is extracted from the small Boswellia 
carterri tree that can be found in Yemen, 
Oman, North Africa, Somalia, China, and India

Use:	Warming and Calming oil used for 
relaxation and in many religions to aid 
prayer and meditation








·  Benzoin
Description:	Rich, Warm, Slightly Woody, 
Creamy, and Vanilla

Strength:  Light

Origin:	 Oil comes from the bark of the 
Benzoin tree found in Sumatra, Java, and 
Thailand

Use:  Warm, calming oil has sedative effects 
and is used to treat tension, anxiety, depression, 
and stress








·  Chamomile
Description:  Sweet, Herbal, and Fruity

Strength:  Strong

Origin:	 Oil is made from the flower of the plant 
in the daisy family originally from South and 
East Europe and now in Asia, North and South America

Use:  Relieves anger and anxiety 
as well as nervous tension








·  Clary Sage
Description:  Sweet, Spicy, Herbal, and Nutty

Strength:  Medium to Strong

Origin:	 Extracted from an herb with white flowers; 
found worldwide but the primary sources are in 
France, Britain, and Morocco

Use:	Clary sage can be calming to the nervous 
system, particularly in cases of depression, 
stress and insomnia








·  Cedarwood
Description:  Rich, Warm, Woody, and Masculine

Strength:  Mild

Origin:	 Oil originally is from the majestic cedar 
tress native to North America

Use:  It has a calming effect and is of great 
help in conditions associated with anxiety and 
nervous tension"











·  Lavender

Description:  fresh, sweet, floral, herbaceous, 
slightly fruity

Strength:  medium

Origin:  colorless to pale yellow essential oil 
is steam distilled from the flowering tops of 
lavender shrubs.  Potency is highly variable, 
dependent on weather and region of growth.

Use:  relieves anxiety, depression, and hyper-
tension, relaxing and sedating, helps to 
alleviate anger, insomnia, and tension.








·  Geranium

Description:  floral, fresh, sweet, with a 
fruity note.

Strength:  strong

Origin:  a pale green oil is steam distilled 
from the fragrant green parts of the plant, 
especially the leaves.  

Use:  has sedative, uplifting, and anti-
depressant properties.  Can promote 
concentrations, while relieving panic 
and anxiety.  








·  Marjoram

Description:  herbaceous, sweet, woody

Strength:  medium

Origin:  marjoram branches are steam-
distilled to produce a pale orange to 
amber-colored oil.  

Use:  helps to relieve insomnia and 
release muscle tension.  It calms emotions 
and minimizes emotional upsets, making it 
useful for anxiety, emotional exhaustion, 
nervous tension and stress.








·  Sandalwood

Description:  rich, sweet, warm, woody, 
and floral

Strength:  medium

Origin:  the pale yellow or golden essential 
oil is steam-distilled from crushed heartwood.  

Use: helps to relieve confusion, fear, and 
nervousness.  Relaxes muscles and clears the 
mind








·  Vetiver

Description: woody, earthy, herbaceous, spicy

Strength: strong

Origin: dried vetiver roots are steam distilled 
to produce an amber or dark brown essential oil.

Use: strengthens central nervous system by 
reducing stress, anxiety, and tension.  Helps 
to overcome depression, insomnia, nervousness.  







·  Ylang Ylang

Description:  fresh, floral, sweet, 
slightly fruity

Strength:  medium - strong

Origin:  full yellow flowers are steam-distilled 
in a "fractionation" process to produce a yellow 
essential oil.

Use:  relaxes and calms emotional states, and is 
used by psychotherapists to treat depression, 
insomnia, and nervous tension.  Relieves anxiety, 
stress, and stress-related disorders.  








Here is a list of all the oils and spices that may 
be used for relaxation and stress relief:

	Basil
 	Benzoin Tincture
 	Bergamot
 	Black Pepper
 	Cajeput
 	Camomile, Roman
 	Camphor
 	Cardamom Seed
 	Cedarwood
 	Cinnamon
 	Clary Sage
 	Clove
 	Coriander
 	Cypress
 	Eucalyptus
	 	
	Fennel
 	Frankincense
 	Geranium
 	Ginger
 	Grapefruit
 	Hyssop
 	Jasmine
 	Juniper
 	Lavender
 	Lemon
 	Lemongrass
 	Marjoram
 	Melissa
 	Myrrh
 	Neroli
	 	
	Orange
 	Patchouli
 	Palma Rosa
 	Peppermint
 	Pine
 	Rose Otto
 	Rosemary
 	Rosewood
 	Sage
 	Sandalwood
 	Tea Tree
 	Thyme
 	Ylang Ylang








These oils should not be used for aromatherapy:

bitter Almond, Aniseed, Arnica, Boldo leaf, Calamus, 
Camphor, Cassia, Cinnamon bark, Costus, Elecampane, 
bitter Fennel, Horseradish, Jaborandi leaf, Mugwort 
(Armoise), Mustard, Origanum, Spanish Origanum, 
European Pennyroyal, North American Pennyroyal, 
dwarf Pine, Rue, Sassafras, Brazilian Sassafras, 
Savin, Savory, Southernwood, Tansy, Thuja, 
intergreen, Wormseed, Wormwood








A few safety tips:
Do not take any oils internally. 

Do not apply any undiluted essential oils, absolutes, 
CO2s, or other concentrated essences onto the skin.

Use extreme caution when using oils with children.

Use caution if you are pregnant, epileptic, have liver 
damage, have cancer, or other serious medical problems.









For more safety information see Essential Oil Safety 
by Robert Tisserand and The Illustrated Encyclopedia 
of Essential Oils by Julia Lawless.