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People living with migraine have many treatment options, and some may choose to try essential oils to help manage their symptoms. Although essential oils do not cure migraine, certain oils may help reduce how severe migraine attacks feel, improve sleep, and ease anxiety.
Before trying essential oils for migraine relief, talk with your doctor. They can help you understand the possible benefits and risks and decide whether this approach is safe for you.
Essential oils are highly concentrated extracts from plants. These compounds (natural chemicals in plants) are found naturally in the leaves, flowers, fruits, roots, and stems of certain plants. They’re made by pressing or steaming plant parts to extract their scent-producing compounds.
Different methods can be used to extract essential oils, and these methods can lead to products that vary in strength and quality.
Essential oils have long been considered home remedies or natural remedies for many conditions. Some research suggests essential oils may not relieve migraine symptoms, though some people living with migraine report feeling relief when using them.
Research suggests that certain essential oils may help relieve migraine pain or reduce the severity of headaches. Some oils may also help ease anxiety and improve sleep, which can be important for people living with migraine.
However, there isn’t enough high-quality research yet to fully understand how essential oils affect the body or migraine symptoms.
Some studies have suggested that essential oils may offer pain-relieving benefits to people living with migraine. However, essential oils are not proven treatments for migraine, and results can vary from person to person. Always talk with your healthcare provider before using essential oils, and use them alongside — not instead of — any treatments your doctor recommends.
One small study found that breathing in lavender essential oils may help relieve migraine symptoms. Lavender contains a compound called D-borneol, which may relax blood vessels and reduce inflammation in nerves.
In the study, 92 out of 129 migraine attacks (71.3 percent) improved with inhaled lavender, compared to 47 percent improving with a placebo (inactive treatment). These results are encouraging, but more research is needed to confirm how lavender essential oils may benefit migraine pain.
Another small study found that basil essential oil applied topically (to the skin) may help improve migraine headache pain and reduce the frequency of migraine attacks. More research is needed to understand the safest and most effective doses and how to use it properly.
There are a few other essential oils that may help with migraine pain, but research is limited. Some oils have been studied for other types of headaches, while others have only indirect evidence.
If you’re thinking about trying essential oils, talk with your neurologist first.
There’s a long-established connection between migraine and sleep problems, such as insomnia (difficulty falling or staying asleep). Some research suggests that using certain essential oils may help improve sleep, which may play a role in managing migraine symptoms.
Lavender oil has been found to help improve sleep in people with heart failure and hypertension (high blood pressure) when it’s inhaled. It may have similar effects in other groups, including people living with migraine, but more research is needed to confirm this.
Valerian oil may affect sleep in similar ways. It has also been studied along with acupressure (a technique that involves applying pressure to certain points on the body). However, it’s unclear whether sleep improvements were due to valerian oil, acupressure, or both, so it’s hard to know what actually helped.
In addition, most research has focused on valerian root taken by mouth, so valerian oil used as aromatherapy (breathing in scents) may not work the same way.
Overall, there is limited scientific evidence supporting valerian essential oil, especially for sleep and migraine.
Migraine is linked to a higher risk of mental health conditions, including anxiety. Some types of essential oils may help ease anxiety symptoms, but research results are mixed and sometimes unclear.
In general, these oils are not a substitute for proven anxiety treatments, but they may be used alongside other approaches if you and your doctor decide they’re appropriate.
Oils that some people have used for anxiety include:
More research is needed to confirm the safety and effectiveness of essential oils for anxiety and to determine how they work to calm the nervous system.
Aromatherapy (breathing in essential oil scents) is commonly used to reap the potential benefits of essential oils for migraine headaches. You may need to experiment with essential oils before you can determine what works best for you, particularly if you’re sensitive to certain scents and oils.
Aromatherapy is a form of complementary and alternative medicine that uses essential oils to affect mood.
Aromatherapy may be done with an aroma stick (a portable stick with a wick soaked in essential oil). Aromatherapy accessories — such as bracelets, necklaces, and keychains — made with absorbent materials can hold essential oils so you can smell them throughout the day.
Johns Hopkins Medicine advises against using essential oil diffusers (devices that release essential oils into the air), as they may have negative side effects in certain people, including young children and people with some chronic health conditions.
If you choose to try a diffuser, consider first using it when you’re not experiencing a migraine attack to make sure it’s a healthy, safe, and tolerable option for you.
If you experience anxiety alongside migraine, you might try inhaling essential oils before entering situations that make you anxious or when you notice anxiety symptoms starting.
If you want to see if oils may help reduce the impact of a migraine attack, try inhaling the scents when you notice early warning signs.
If you’re trying to develop healthy nighttime sleep patterns or a sleep schedule, try using essential oils when going to bed or just after waking to help you relax and adapt to your schedule.
Occasionally, people will apply essential oils to the skin to treat migraine. The majority of essential oils need to be diluted in a carrier oil, like jojoba oil or coconut oil, before being applied to the skin.
The oil should make up no more than 3 percent to 5 percent of the topical solution. Depending on how much of the solution you’re making, this amount is usually only a few drops of essential oil per batch. This may be too strong for some people, particularly if you’re applying the oils to sensitive skin on your face, like your forehead or your temples.
Start out diluting the oils more than 3 percent to 5 percent and test them on a patch of skin before you apply them widely.
Once the essential oil is mixed into the carrier oil, the solution can be gently rubbed into the skin. For migraine attacks, try massaging the oil onto your temples and forehead and beyond the ears.
There are some known risks associated with essential oils. You should never swallow essential oils, as they can be harmful when taken by mouth.
There’s no cure for migraine, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must approve a medication before it can be considered safe and effective for treating a health condition.
Essential oil oversight depends on their intended use and the marketing claims made about them (such as whether they are promoted as drugs or cosmetics). Advertising and consumer safety rules may also apply in certain cases. At this time, essential oils are not approved by the FDA as treatments for migraine.
Some essential oils may be improperly harvested or processed, and some manufacturers may not list all ingredients. Some companies claim their products are “therapeutic grade,” but this term has no official regulatory meaning and does not guarantee safety or effectiveness.
This lack of regulation can make it harder to know what you’re getting. If you choose to use essential oils, consider buying from a reputable company and checking for third-party testing when possible.
Some people may have side effects or allergic reactions to certain essential oils that are inhaled or applied topically. Reactions are more likely in people who have eczema (a skin condition that causes dryness and irritation) or who have had previous reactions to topical products.
Reactions from essential oils can include:
Any essential oil can cause a reaction, but the following oils are more likely to cause adverse reactions:
If you’re looking to try essential oils for migraine, consult your healthcare provider first. They can offer medical advice and alert you of any potential adverse effects. Remember that pure (undiluted) essential oils are highly concentrated. Diluting them in a carrier oil such as jojoba or coconut oil may help prevent skin irritation or other adverse reactions.
As with any new product, test a new oil mixture by applying a small amount to an area of skin. If you experience irritation, discoloration, or another sign of an allergic reaction, avoid the product and contact your doctor.
On MyMigraineTeam, people share their experiences with migraine, get advice, and find support from others who understand.
How have you used essential oils to help with migraine attacks? Let others know in the comments below.
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I rub peppermint oil on my temples when a bad migraine hits
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