6 Essential Oils for Nausea That Actually Work

Nausea can be debilitating and, if you experience it frequently, can negatively impact your life. Kick nausea to the curb with these six essential oils.

Whenever nausea rears its ugly head, it can ruin your day if it persists. Feeling like you’re going to vomit is something that no one wants to experience, and the gagging, stomach pain and general discomfort that comes with it isn’t a walk in the park either.

There are a variety of things that can cause nausea, from food poisoning and morning sickness to stress and anxiety, so it can be difficult to pinpoint what exactly is causing your nausea. This means that, in most cases, you just have to deal with treating the symptom of nausea, not the root cause of what’s causing it in the first place. If you suffer from nausea or stomach upset often, it’s likely that you’ve tried countless over-the-counter remedies, all with varying degrees of success. But, one treatment that many people can look over is a little bit more natural: essential oils.

Essential oils are the distilled compounds that are naturally found in plants and spices. The distillation process that these compounds go through creates potent oils that have some level of benefit to their users, so they have become popular home remedies for all sorts of medical conditions. Essential oils can be used for things like killing bacteria, relaxing the muscles, relieving pain, improving digestion and even curing nausea.

If you experience frequent nausea due to pregnancy, stomach irritation, vertigo, reflux or any other gastro-intestinal conditions, essential oils might be a helpful treatment. Below, we’ve listed six of the most common essential oils that people use for nausea. Continue reading to learn more!

6 Essential Oils for Nausea

The next time you’re feeling nauseated, try using one of the following six essential oils below.

Lavender Oil

Lavender is a plant that is most commonly associated with relaxation and improved sleep. Lavender essential oil does this as well, but much more effectively because the relaxation properties are so concentrated. Using lavender oil can help your mind decompress as you get ready for bed while also gearing your body up for better and deeper sleep. These properties are also incredibly helpful when fighting nausea.

Nausea is not only brought on by physical pain but it can also be caused by emotional stress as well. Lavender oil can help to calm the mind and body, which can help relieve nausea.

Fennel Oil

Fennel oil, along with its vegetable counterpart, has been proven to work especially well when treating nausea caused by heartburn and gas. Fennel contains properties that naturally calm the gastrointestinal lining and digestive system as a whole, and fennel oil can do the same thing more effectively. So, if your stomach is upset, you’re bloated or you’ve lost your appetite and it’s lead to nausea, try using fennel oil.

Peppermint Oil

Peppermint is a common remedy for nausea, with people usually recommending that those afflicted drink peppermint tea. But, instead of instantly reaching for your kettle, why not try peppermint essential oil first? It’s been theorized that peppermint oil relaxes the gastric muscles and keeps them from cramping up or over-contracting. This can help significantly reduce or eradicate the chance of you getting nausea and indigestion or more quickly treat it.

Ginger Oil

It’s likely that, if you’ve ever had an upset stomach, you’ve reached for ginger ale. Ginger has long been considered a remedy for nausea and motion sickness. Since it was discovered thousands of years ago, ginger has been used to treat a number of gastrointestinal issues. So, using ginger oil can reduce the feeling of nausea more quickly.

Lemon Oil

If you’re suffering from morning sickness specifically, one of the best essential oils to use in order to overcome it is lemon oil. Lemon oil has been shown to decrease vomiting in pregnant women in several peer-reviewed clinical trials. Even if it doesn’t completely get rid of your morning sickness, it can help significantly reduce its symptoms. Additionally, it has a bright and fresh scent that can help anyone get through the unpleasant feelings that nausea induces.

Chamomile Oil

Chamomile is another plant that’s known for its calming properties. In addition to those properties, it has also been used to soothe digestive ailments. This oil is especially good at soothing upset stomachs due to gas or diarrhea. Additionally, for nausea that’s caused by anxiety, chamomile oil can help calm the mind and treat insomnia so you can get your life back faster. Basically, when you need to treat a variety of stomach symptoms, you can’t beat chamomile oil.

How to Use Essential OIls

There are three main ways to use essential oils: aromatically, topically and internally. Each method of use has different and unique benefits, so be sure to find the best method for you.

Aromatically

Using essential oils aromatically is the most common method used among users. In fact, you’ve likely experienced aromatic essential oils in places like spas or in a friend’s home. Generally, essential oils are used this way with the help of a diffuser or steam dispenser. To use a diffuser, fill the tank up with water and add a few drops of your desired essential oil to either the tank or a diffuser pod. Then, turn on the machine and get ready to experience the amazing vapors it produces.

If you don’t own a diffuser, don’t fret! You can still enjoy the aromatic benefits of essential oils. Simply add drops of your oil to cotton balls and place them in the areas where you want to disperse the scent. It not only freshens up the space, but you’ll start experiencing the benefits of the oils before you know it.

Or, for an even simpler way to enjoy your essential oil, combine it with a carrier oil and place the mixture into the palm of your hands. Cup your hands around your mouth and nose and inhale, breathing deeply for as long as needed.

Topically

Another popular way to enjoy essential oils is topically, or against the skin. You can apply essential oils to most places on your body, but be careful if you have sensitive skin. Essential oils can be potent, and certain applications can irritate the skin. To help mitigate this, combine the oil with a neutral carrier oil, like coconut oil, to help dilute it.

Some of the most popular places to put essential oils include:

• Crown of the head
• Bottom of the feet
• Temples
• Armpits
• Stomach
• Certain muscle groups, like shoulders, back, and thighs

Internally

There are even essential oils that you’re able to ingest. While you cannot ingest every essential oil, there are those that are specifically formulated to be food grade. To enjoy these types of oils, add a few drops to any foods that are proven to help reduce nausea, like broths, apple juice, teas and more. This will help boost the natural nausea-reducing properties of these foods, which can kickstart your treatment.

Side Effects and Risks

Generally, there is little to no risk associated with using essential oils for nausea. Because it’s such a low-risk home remedy, you can use it as much or as little as you need in order to feel better. But, keep in mind that there are some people that shouldn’t use this treatment as a way to get rid of nausea. In very rare cases, people can develop rashes from using peppermint and spearmint oils because of their naturally occurring menthol. Additionally, a commonly reported side effect of lavender oil is dermatitis.

To help mitigate these instances, it’s recommended that people combine their more potent essential oils with a carrier oil, like jojoba oil or coconut oil, before applying them to the skin. This will help you avoid burning or irritating the skin while using essential oils topically. The general ratio of essential oil to carrier oil is three to five drops of essential oil in an ounce of carrier oil.

Another thing to keep in mind is to never directly inhale the vapor from an oil diffuser or steam dispenser. This can irritate the mucous membrane in your nose and throat, which can lead to infection.

Lastly, using essential oils to treat nausea is an at-home remedy meant for mild cases. It won’t cure the source of your nausea if you have a bacterial or viral infection. So, if your nausea persists over 48 hours, or if you begin to show signs of dehydration, contact your health provider to seek further treatment. Additionally, if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, consult with your midwife or doctor before using alternative treatments.

Get Sustainable Essential Oils from Public Goods!

Whether you’re feeling nauseated and you’d like a natural remedy, consider using any of the essential oils listed above. Or, if you simply want a gentle boost in energy, relaxation or focus, grab any of the sustainably sourced oils on the Public Goods site. You can either buy them individually or in a set of four.