If you suffer from allergies, you know that sometimes you just need relief. Like, RIGHT NOW! If you haven’t yet tried essential oils to get relief from those pesky symptoms, it’s time to add them to your arsenal!
It’s not always necessary to head to the pharmaceutical medicine cabinet.
Nope. There are better ways to find relief, and without all the side-effects that are par for the course with medications.
I’m super excited to share a few drug-free tricks you can try when you desperately need relief from all the itching, sneezing and nose blowing.
I get it.
Been there.
For YEARS, I filled prescription after prescription to seek relief from my allergies. Pills, nasal sprays, inhalers. And when those weren’t enough, I piled Benadryl on top (Hello, Benadryl Brain Fog).
I dealt with all the side-effects from the medications — dry mouth, brain fog, anxiety, digestive issues, fatigue, etc — because…DESPERATE!
Do you feel me?
Today I want to share three essential oils you can use — along with some tricks for using them — to get relief from your allergies, without resorting to the Benadryl Brain Fog.
I consider these three essential oils “must-haves” for the allergy-relief toolbox.
What are these magical essential oils?
1. Lavender.
This powerhouse essential oil has been used medicinally for over 2,500 years. It is incredibly versatile, with anti-inflammatory, anti-histamine, anti-microbial and has relaxation properties. Among its many benefits, it can help improve sleep, relieve anxiety and depression, relieve headaches, and…can calm itching from allergies! Yay!
2. Peppermint. 
The use of peppermint dates back thousands of years as well, to the ancient Egyptian and Chinese cultures. It contains antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and invigorating properties. Like lavender, peppermint has a long list of benefits, but of great interest to allergy sufferers, peppermint has long been used to treat asthma, bronchitis, headaches, respiratory function and skin itching. Boom!
3. Eucalyptus. 
When you think about eucalyptus, koala bears may come to mind. But koalas aren’t the only ones who can reap great benefits from this magical plant! Eucalyptus has anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral properties. When it comes to allergies and asthma, eucalyptus is a powerhouse because it helps to relieve symptoms of bronchitis, asthma and allergies.
Here are some of my favorite ways to use these essential oils for allergy relief:
1. Make a facial steam bath.
I find this incredibly effective for clearing the respiratory pathways and decreasing sinus inflammation for improved breathing, and it even improves itchy eyes.
How to do it:
- Add 5-10 drops each of peppermint and eucalyptus to a large bowl of very hot water, lean your face over the bowl and place a towel over your head, inhaling deeply through your nose for 5-10 minutes.
- Be sure to use filtered water, as municipal tap water contains chlorine & other chemicals that you don’t want to inhale. And be careful not to spill the hot water on yourself!
- If you have frankincense oil on hand, you could add a few drops of this as well for added anti-inflammatory and immune support benefits.
2. Make a toxin-free vapor rub.
This rub is incredibly effective at opening the airways, and making coughing more productive when you have bronchitis (or a cold). I like to use this rub proactively anytime I feel that “tight sensation” in my chest or throat.
How to do it:
- Mix a small amount of coconut oil with 3-5 drops each lavender, eucalyptus & peppermint. Rub on your chest and neck.
- The compounds in these oils will help to reduce inflammation and dilate blood vessels to allow more oxygen into your lungs.
3. Make a toxin-free anti-itch rub.
This rub is great to rub on itchy skin. The anti-inflammatory and soothing properties in the oils helps to soothe and calm inflamed, itchy skin.
How to do it:
- Mix jojoba or coconut oil with a few drops of lavender, peppermint & eucalyptus, and rub on itchy spots.
- You could also just try mixing lavender alone with the carrier oil.
4. Gargle.
I’m sure you’ve probably done the good old fashioned salt water gargle for a sore throat. Sometimes Grandma knows best. Gargling with salt water has been scientifically proven to relieve a sore throat and adding a drop or two of eucalyptus oil to your saltwater gargle will even further help to reduce pain, itching and inflammation.
The salt helps to draw fluid to the surface of the cells, including any viruses, bacteria and…allergens! Too little salt added to the water will not be effective because the salt water won’t be strong enough to pull the fluid to the cell’s surface, so make sure your solution is strong enough. Think ocean water.
How to do it:
- Dissolve at least ¼ – ½ teaspoon of Himalayan or Celtic sea salt to ½ cup of warm filtered water to make a salt water solution. Add 1-2 drops of eucalyptus oil to your solution.
- Be sure your water is warm, as that will help the salt to dissolve, and to increase blood flow in the throat.
- Gargle 3-4 times per day when allergies are at their worst for best results.
Because this solution helps to draw moisture to the surface of your throat, it acts as a lubricant to help soothe irritation while simultaneously purging allergens and toxins from the body. This is one of my favorite remedies for an itchy allergy throat, and it helps to clear your sinuses as well. Win-win!
5. Tapping.
Nope, I’m not talking about the dancing kind here.
This little-known secret weapon is one of my FAVORITES for relieving allergy symptoms such as sneezing and congestion quickly. It’s especially awesome at night when you’re trying desperately to get some sleep with hopelessly congested sinuses.
How to do it:
- Dilute a few drops each of peppermint and eucalyptus oils with a carrier oil such as coconut or jojoba.
- Dip three of your fingers into the essential oil solution and rub it under your nose. Then, using your three fingers, tap quickly and firmly back and forth for 30 seconds in the space below your nose. Inhale and exhale through your nose. Feel your congested sinuses begin to clear and sneezes dissipating!
- Repeat the tapping above your eyebrows and on your cheeks under your eyes.
- If you have a tight chest, and feel wheezy, tapping can also be done across the chest with the vapor rub I mentioned above.
There may be an additional stress-relief benefit of tapping for allergy relief as well, as the three points being tapped are three of the meridian points used in EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) tapping. This may help to create balance in your energy system and calm your nervous system.
Since we know that inflammation is an underlying cause of allergies, and that stress triggers inflammation, along with the release of histamine into our bloodstream, we should be doing everything we can to reduce inflammation.
Additional Benefits of Lavender, Eucalyptus & Peppermint
In addition to the remedies described above for allergy relief, there are a few other side benefits you may get from using these oils.
Lavender is widely used to help improve sleep, promote relaxation, reduce anxiety and depression, and reduce inflammation. If you suffer from allergies, you likely have disrupted sleep. Many allergy sufferers report anxiety as a side-effect of their allergies and/or the medications used to treat them as well.
Including lavender as part of your everyday health regimen may help to improve your sleep and reduce stress, both of which will have a positive impact on systemic inflammation and…ALLERGIES! Woot-woot!
Since boosting mental clarity, focus and energy are key benefits of both eucalyptus and peppermint, you may find that using the remedies described above may provide these beneficial side-effects as well. This is especially awesome if your energy and focus are low due to disrupted sleep and struggles with allergies.
Where to Buy Your Essential Oils
Not all essential oils are created equally. There are many, many brands out there to choose from, and it can be confusing. Many lower-quality, less-expensive brands contain additives and fillers, and/or are not therapeutic grade. It’s important to choose pure, therapeutic-grade essential oils of the highest quality.
I love and use doTERRA. Note that if you purchase using this link, I may receive a small commission, but I would never recommend a product that I don’t use and stand behind myself.
Another option for purchasing a quality brand would be to visit your local health food store or co-op, where the purchasers are educated about buying safer, higher quality products from trusted companies. Look for organic, therapeutic grade oils.
Ready to Get to the Bottom of the Vicious Allergy Cycle?
Tired of sniffling, sneezing, coughing, wheezing and itching your way through life? Grab my Allergy Freedom Toolkit, and for a small investment and just a few short hours of your time, I’ll teach you how to stop treating allergy symptoms and start eliminating the root causes.
I hope you find these tips helpful! I’d love to hear from you after you’ve tried one or more of these allergy relief tips and let me know how it worked for you.
- Axe, J., Rubin, J., Bollinger, T. (2016). Essential Oils Ancient Medicine.
- Aroma Tools. (2015). Modern Essentials: A Contemporary Guide to the Therapeutic Use of Essential Oils.
- https://albanyentandallergy.com/does-gargling-with-saltwater-really-help-a-sore-throat/
