Even though essential oils have been used therapeutically for hundreds of years, it’s only recently that researchers have begun to look at these natural remedies for healthy, immunity, and well-being.
As results keep coming in about the benefits of essential oils, the verdict about this concentrated plant-based remedy becomes undeniable.
The specific properties of essential oils vary by plant, but ongoing research finds that certain oils can do everything from killing a type of Lyme bacteria to relieving irritable bowel syndrome.
In addition to this, essential oils can also be used for treating adrenal fatigue.
However, not all essential oils are effective in healing this issue and providing adrenal support.
In this article, you’ll learn about seven key essential oils for adrenal fatigue recovery as well as strategies you can use to support aromatherapy techniques.
What’s Adrenal Fatigue?
The adrenal glands, which are two small and triangular-shaped structures sitting on the tips of the kidneys, are the primary regulator of our body’s stress response.
Adrenal fatigue sets in when these glands, the vital production factories of the body’s stress hormones, cannot keep up with the demands we’re placing on them — or ourselves.
You’ll recognize adrenal fatigue through several common symptoms, including:
- Chronic fatigue
- Trouble falling asleep
- Trouble waking up in the morning or feeling refreshed
- Cravings for salt and sugar
- Needing stimulants like caffeine to keep you going throughout the day (because of intermittent “crashes” of energy)
- Brain fog
- Memory and cognition issues
Once the adrenal glands become overworked, they become increasingly less productive. This disrupts the natural balance of hormones, which we experience as exhaustion, insomnia, brain fog, and more.
Adrenal fatigue is not an overnight phenomenon. It sneaks up on you, often progressing through several stages before you hit eventual exhaustion and burnout. The fact is that you’re likely to experience the symptoms of adrenal fatigue in mild forms months before this final stage.
And because the symptoms of adrenal fatigue are so commonly confused with other conditions, it can be a while before you gain a definitive diagnosis. You’re left not knowing what to do or how to heal — all you know is that something is off with your body.
The good news is that it’s never late to turn this process around and spark adrenal fatigue recovery. In some ways, hitting the exhaustion and burnout stage of adrenal fatigue is a wake-up call for many individuals who are otherwise quietly suffering from this issue.
Consuming alcohol might make your adrenal symptoms worse. Read more about the connection between alcohol and adrenal fatigue here!
Organic Ashwagandha
Known for its use in Ayurvedic healing, Ashwagandha has been used for over 3,000 years to help reduce stress. It does this by:
- Normalizing your stress levels and mood
- Promoting speedier relief from cortisol and adrenal fatigue
- Boosting your immune system with this powerful adaptogen
Try it risk free with our 60-Day Money Back Guarantee.
Top 7 Essential Oils for Adrenal Fatigue Recovery
Real change starts when you become aware of the issue and start to look for solutions. Using essential oils to balance your hormones is just one of those highly effective and natural methods to address adrenal fatigue recovery.
Can essential oils really affect people’s moods, performance, emotions, and well-being?
The answer is yes, they can, and they do!
Thanks to the body’s odor receptors, which can distinguish between 10,000 to 100 billion odors, your sense of smell is a potent communication channel between your brain and the rest of the body.
When it comes to healing from adrenal fatigue, this smell “information” heads to and soothes or energizes different parts of the brain. Your adrenals don’t have to work as hard to rebalance the body’s natural cycles of sleep, rest, activity, and productivity.
Studies have shown aromas and fragrances from natural products can induce a positive response in brain activity and cognitive function.
That’s why aromatherapy is so effective for holistic health. You can potentially affect many adrenal fatigue symptoms at once, including memory, mood, wakefulness, and, most importantly, your stress response with the right combinations of essential oils.
Here are seven proven essential oils for adrenal fatigue.
#1. Lavender
We had to start this list with lavender because it’s one of the most well-balanced essential oils for adrenal fatigue. In fact, you can use it for a whole variety of purposes, including food flavoring, perfumed scents, and bath products.
However, to calm your adrenals, you’ll be harnessing the bioactive compounds of lavender.
Known as “terpenes,” these bioactive components have a marked and traceable affect on the human body. Many aromatic plants like bergamot, lemon, eucalyptus, juniper, and others, are used specifically for their medicinal or bioactive properties.
Here’s how the lavender essential oil can help adrenal fatigue:
- It can calm you down during late-night bursts of energy
- It can reduce the incidence of anxiety related to adrenal fatigue
- It helps dispel the “flight or fight” reactive state or stress response in the body
- It turns on the parasympathetic nervous system (which is what you need to rest)
To use lavender as an essential oil for adrenal fatigue, you can:
- Add a few drops of lavender to a water solution in a spray bottle. Spritz around your room before bedtime.
- Apply a drop or two on your pillowcase and let it absorb before laying down for the night.
- Use a few drops in an Epsom salt bath.
- Diffuse alone or with other calming essential oils like pine or holy basil.
- Place a drop or two on the inner soles of your feet in the evenings.
#2. Black Spruce
With over 40 species of spruce, one of the few that’s good for healing is black spruce. This bluish-green essential oil has warming, energizing effects on the adrenal, pituitary, and thyroid glands.
That’s why many individuals use black spruce essential oil for adrenal fatigue during the colder winter months, when they’re facing low levels of lights.
When you’re ready to use black spruce, simply:
- Use a carrier oil like jojoba or castor oil and mix in a few drops of black spruce. Massage this blend on the lower back.
- Mix black spruce with pine essential oil and another carrier oil and apply to your temples with a roll-on.
- Diffuse black spruce essential oil using a room diffuser.
- You can also apply a drop on each foot's sole, one to five times a day.
#3. Nutmeg
You may have heard of nutmeg being used to spice up dishes — but its use as a viable essential oil for adrenal is well-documented.
Among its many benefits, nutmeg:
- Supports the nervous system and balances the endocrine system
- Helps support the production of corticosteroids by the adrenal glands
- Provides increased energy, so the adrenals don’t have to work as long or hard
- Has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects on the immune system
To use nutmeg as an essential oil for adrenal fatigue, you can:
- Diffuse alone or with a complementary oil such as cinnamon or clove
- Combine with black spruce or pine for “boosted” adrenal support and massage onto the lower back
- Rub just one drop on the inside of your cheek once or twice a day for rapid absorption
#4. Pine
It’s more than just a handy scent for your car. Pine essential oil can energize your senses without overpowering them. It’s a useful guard against chronic fatigue, making it the perfect essential oil for adrenal fatigue.
To use pine, simply:
- Apply one or two drops to the soles of your feet when you first wake up
- Diffuse alone or with complementary adrenal support essential oils like frankincense or lavender
#5. Frankincense
Like lavender, frankincense is one of those “age-old” healing remedies that herbalists often favor. It has some notable medicinal properties, so you can understand why it’s good for maintaining overall health.
Using frankincense can help with:
- Rebalancing the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which is the main “channel” for stress, anxiety, and cognition
- Calming the nervous system
- Over time, eliminating adrenal fatigue symptoms like brain fog and insomnia
There are several ways to add frankincense to your wellness routine. These include:
- Place one drop each on the soles of your feet. You can do this up to five times each day, as you feel low on energy or anxious. You can also mix it with black spruce essential oil.
- Diffuse its pleasant smell with other essential oils for an instantly calming feel.
- Dilute frankincense in a 1 to 4 ratio with jojoba oil. You can roll this blend on your lower back where your kidneys would sit.
#6. Bergamot
Bergamot is quite similar to lavender. It, too, has a relaxing, floral scent that instantly boosts your mood when you’re feeling stressed or anxious. When you apply it to the skin, bergamot can support the parasympathetic nervous system, which is exactly what lavender does. As such, it can help you readjust your sleep cycle.
Here’s how you can use bergamot as an essential oil for adrenal fatigue:
- Mix one to two drops of bergamot with lavender and apply to the temples.
- Use bergamot in a blend within a diffuser.
- Add a few drops to an Epsom salt bath.
- During your morning shower, rub the area around your kidneys with a washcloth to activate the adrenals. Next, apply a few drops of diluted bergamot to the area and massage into the skin.
#7. Clary Sage
When inhaled, clary sage can instantly reduce stress and put the anxious mind at ease. In a study of clary sage, the essential oil was used on individuals with high-stress levels resulting in incontinence.
Researchers found that participants who inhaled clary sage consistently experienced decreased blood pressure and a more stabilized respiratory rate.
When you’re ready, clary sage works best if you:
- Diffuse it with a blend of lemon oil and basil.
- Mix a few drops of the essential oil with your favorite, quality skin lotion and massage into your body, especially around the adrenal glands.
- Blend six drops into a tablespoon of carrier oil. Next, add this to a cup of warm water and soak a compress pad. Squeeze out the excess water and apply it anywhere you’d like on your body.
Other Adrenal Fatigue Supplements
Rely on aromatherapy and essential oils for adrenal fatigue recovery is certainly not a new phenomenon. However, like other lifestyle changes, aromatherapy is scientifically proven to work well “when other aspects of life and diet” are also incorporated.
In other words, other adrenal fatigue supplements that you use will only enhance the effects of essential oils, whether inhaled, diffused, or applied topically to the skin.
#1. Ashwagandha
The first supplement you can begin to incorporate is ashwagandha for adrenal fatigue.
This natural herb has several properties that make it the perfect overall health and wellness supplement. It’s also one of the most widely-studied adaptogen for adrenal fatigue out there, so many of its effects continue to be proven and measured by researchers.
Among its many benefits, you can use organic ashwagandha to:
- Reduce anxiety
- Lower cortisol levels
- Promote relaxation and rest in the body
- Calm down bursts of hypertension
- Can help improve brain function, including memory
#2. Maca
Maca is yet another adaptogenic herb for adrenal fatigue. Well, actually, it’s a root. Taken regularly, Maca can naturally reverse the effects of adrenal fatigue.
The benefits of organic maca include:
- Increased energy that’s stable through the day
- Return of libido
- Supports a healthy immune system
#3. Namastay In Bed
You may remember — or know from experience — that interrupted sleep and insomnia are signs that you have adrenal fatigue. An effective way to address this and support your body’s natural rebalancing is to use Namastay in Bed.
Though it’s not specifically for adrenal fatigue, Namastay in Bed is uniquely formulated to help with insomnia. So, as you address the symptoms of adrenal fatigue through essential oils, a healthy diet, and exercise, its curated blend of natural herbs can help you get your sleep cycle back on track.
Conclusion
Now that we’ve covered all you need to know about essential oils for adrenal fatigue, let’s quickly recap the most important points:
- Adrenal fatigue is what happens when your adrenal glands become overworked due to chronic stress.
- Essential oils can help soothe and energize the mind and heal the adrenal glands when you use them on key points around your body, inhale their scent, pop a few drops in the bath, or diffuse them in a room.
- You can use a combination of these scents, but some of the most effective essential oils for adrenal fatigue are Lavender, Black Spruce, Nutmeg, Pine, Frankincense, Bergamot and Clary Sage.
- In addition to essential oils, we also recommend using supplements like Ashwagandha and Maca to treat your adrenal fatigue.
Related Articles
- Does Adrenal Fatigue Cause Hair Loss?
- Adrenal Fatigue & Weight Gain - What You Need to Know
- 11 Proven Ways to Boost Adrenal Function