When the head hurts: 4 ways to use aromatherapy for headaches

It can be really painful when it hurts in the head. Headaches and migraines can paralyze your daily routine and havoc your schedules, meetings or office work. You will become stressed and physically inactive when you have a severe migraine or a cluster headache. Though many oral medications offer relief, nothing works better like aromatherapy. Rubbing your favorite essential oil or inhaling a blend or adding a relaxing essential oil blend to your bath can alleviate the pain and stress caused by headaches and migraines.

Essential oils for headaches/migraines: Choosing a particular essential oil for your headaches can be very tough. Your body needs to respond to the oil and the oil’s properties should relax and de-stress you from headache pain. Normally, the following carrier oils and essential oils are used for preparing headache/migraine blends:

Carrier Oils: Sweet Almond, Apricot Kernel, Avocado, Coconut, Sesame
Essential Oils: Lavender, Peppermint, Melissa, Jasmine, Eucalyptus, Rosemary and Bay


Before you start using an oil or preparing an essential oil blend, you need to understand how intense and difficult your headache is. If you feel depressed, panicked or anxious because your migraines, you need to use oils that treat depression and anxiety. On the other hand, if you feel troubled or sleepless because of the headaches, use oils that induce sleeping or relaxing effect. Below are a few ways to use essential oils for headaches/migraines:

1. Migraine Blend: Add Sweet Almond oil to two-thirds of a bottle and mix the following with the Almond oil – 6 drops of Lavender, 6 drops of Clary Sage, 6 drops Chamomile, 12 drops Peppermint and shake the blend well. Check the fragrance of the blend. If it is unpleasant to you, add whichever oil pleases you or whichever will make the blend more pleasant. Apply the blend on temples and areas that are painful. Don’t overdo the massaging part. Keep it light. You can also rub some on to your palm and inhale it.

2. Relaxing Blend:
A relaxing blend can help you stay calm and soothe your pain. Use this recipe to prepare a sleep blend of essential oils for your headaches/migraines. Like the previous recipes, add 2/3s  of Sweet Almond oil in a bottle and mix the following with the carrier oil – 6 drops Lavender, 6 drops of Bergamot and 6 drops of Chamomile. If the bottle is still not full, add Jasmine oil (mixed with 10% of Jojoba oil). You can also substitute this with Mandarin oil to make the fragrance pleasant. Mix everything by shaking the bottle. You can apply the blend on your temples or even sprinkle on your pillow etc. to induce a calm and sleepy environment. When you go to sleep, your headache will be gone.

3. Compress for headache: Add 5 drops of Eucalyptus or Lavender oil to 1 cup of cold water. Swish a soft cloth in the blend. Wring out the cloth and place it on your forehead and eyes. Use throughout the day as much as you can. The pain and severity will be reduced.

4. Migraine/Headache hand soak: Add 5 drops of Lavender oil to 5 drops of Ginger oil in 1 quart of hot water (at about 110 degrees F). Soak your hands in the blend for at least 3 minutes. You will feel relieved and relaxed when you do this. You can repeat the therapy if required.