Essential Oils for Your Period: 10 Oils for PMS, Cramps and More!

If you are tired of dealing with bloating, cramps and other symptoms every month, then it’s time to discover the benefits of essential oils for your period.

When it comes to period-related symptoms, there are 2 main categories:

Pre-menstrual symptoms, which show up in the days leading up to your period.
Period-specific symptoms, which start on the first day of your period.

With over 90% of women reporting that they experience some kind of PMS symptoms, it’s clear that we need more effective remedies!

And one way to get quick relief is through the use of essential oils.

In fact, when combined with these other natural remedies (like PMS smoothies or these home remedies for menstrual cramps), essential oils provide the extra boost you need to improve underlying hormonal imbalances.

So, let’s take a look at which essentials are best for your cycle and how to use them effectively.

10 BEST ESSENTIAL OILS FOR YOUR PERIOD

The best essential oils to use for your period are:

Clove Essential Oil
Lavender Essential Oil
Peppermint Essential Oil
Ylang Ylang Essential Oil
Rose Essential Oil
Clary Sage Essential Oil
Cypress Essential Oil
Geranium Essential Oil
Neroli Essential Oil
Orange Essential Oil

Now, let’s take a closer look at what each oil has to offer!

1. Clove Essential Oil

This oil is a powerhouse for menstrual cramps. And it’s mainly due to one ingredient: beta‐caryophyllene (BCP).

BCP is an ingredient that is showing great promise when it comes to pain relief; it’s also found in hemp, another infamous pain reliever.

To enjoy the benefits of clove oil for your period, simply combine a few drops with a carrier oil.

Then massage the mixture onto your lower belly or lower back.

For more power, you can also combine clove oil with black pepper, copaiba and hemp essential oils. Check out this anti-inflammatory essential oil recipe for more details.

2. Peppermint Essential Oil

We can’t talk about essential oils for your period without mentioning peppermint essential oil.

This oil has a cooling effect, which makes it suitable for soothing pain and relieving headaches.

Peppermint is also a mood-booster, which means it reduces the fatigue or grogginess associated with period symptoms.

For more on this oil, check out this post on how to use peppermint oil for menstrual cramps.

3. Ylang Ylang Essential Oil

If you need a soothing oil that reduces stress, anxiety and depression, then ylang ylang is your go-to!

In addition, ylang ylang has antiseptic properties that help fight off acne-causing bacteria.

As you can see, this is one of those essential oils for your period that provides multiple benefits!

4. Rose Essential Oil

Struggling with irregular or missing periods?

Feeling nauseous?

Feeling low and moody?

Then get a whiff of some rose essential oil.

Not only does rose essential oil have antidepressant properties, but it can also relieve menstrual cramps.

5. Lavender Essential Oil

best essential oils for your period lavender

Is there anything that lavender essential oil can’t do?

Not only is this oil great for inflammation and menstrual cramp relief, but it’s also an effective relaxant.

Relaxation is key for reducing cortisol and alleviating the tension/discomfort that sometimes comes with our periods.

6. Clary Sage Essential Oil

Clary sage is one of the most popular essential oils for hormones.

So, it’s no surprise that it is also one of the best essential oils for your period!

Clary sage is memorable because it helps with emotional and physiological symptoms.

This means that it relaxes the body and relieves cramps, while also reducing stress and boosting your mood.

7. Cypress Essential Oil

This is a warming oil that soothes aches and pains, relieves bloating and helps flush out toxins.

Given that toxicity contributes to period discomfort, you definitely want to keep cypress essential oil on hand.

8. Geranium Essential Oil

This floral oil is a diuretic, mood booster and pain reliever.

As a result, you can rely on geranium essential oil to relieve bloating, calm your nerves and reduce cramps.

9. Neroli Essential Oil

This oil is a powerful relaxant that is shown to be very effective at alleviating hormone-induced stress and anxiety (source).

10. Orange Essential Oil

Like other citrus plants, orange essential oil has a bright and uplifting scent that makes it beneficial for those times when mood swings hit hard.

Whether you experience anxiety, stress or depression during your period, you can rely on orange essential to alleviate your symptoms.

HOW TO USE ESSENTIAL OILS FOR YOUR MENSTRUAL CYCLE

There are 4 ways to use essential oils for your period:

Diffuse
Tissue or Palm Inhale
Self Massage
Aromatherapy Bath

Which method you choose to go with is a matter of personal preference.

Either way, here are some general guidelines to keep in mind.

1. Diffusion

The quickest and most popular way to enjoy the benefits of essential oils is to diffuse them.

You can diffuse one oil, or a combination.

In fact, a combination is better because essential oils work in synergy and tend to give better results when combined.

2. Tissue or Palm Inhale

For a quick “hit”, place a couple of drops of essential oil on a tissue or cotton ball. Hold it under your nose and inhale.

Alternatively, you can place a couple of drops on the palms of your hands, mixed with a little carrier oil.

Then simply hold the palms of your hand close to your face, inhale and enjoy the benefits.

3. Self Massage

Making a moisturizing body oil is an easy way to get small, regular doses of essential oils for your period.

Simply combine one or more essential oils with a carrier oil like almond, jojoba, coconut or olive oil.

For topical application, a 2% to 5% dilution is generally recommended. If you’re not sure about dilution ratios, here’s a summary:

2% dilution: 18 drops essential oil per ounce of carrier oil
3% dilution: 27 drops essential oil per ounce of carrier oil
4% dilution: 36 drops essential oil per ounce of carrier oil
5% dilution: 45 drops essential oil per ounce of carrier oil

NOTE: Clove oil and ylang ylang are known to irritate the skin. It is best not to exceed 0.5% dilution with clove and 0.8% for ylang ylang.

4. Take A Relaxing Detox Bath

Adding essential oils to your bath water is a relaxing way to enjoy the benefits of essential oils for your period.

Of course, this is easier to do if your symptoms occur before your period 🙂

Avoid adding the essential oils directly into your bath water. This can cause serious skin irritation.

Instead:

mix 5 – 20 drops of the essential oil with 1 tablespoon of liquid castile soap. Then add that to your bath water.
OR you can mix 5 – 20 drops of the essential oil with 1 tablespoon jojoba oil or fractionated coconut oil (source).

That last option will make for a greasier bath experience, but it protects your skin 🙂