Essential Oils for PMS Symptoms

Are you tired of feeling like a hormonal hurricane during PMS? You're not alone, as 75% of women in their reproductive years can attest. But don't go stocking up on heating pads and chocolate just yet... What about essential oils?

When suffering PMS symptoms, it's not just your body that's out of whack, it's your emotions too! But Aromatherapy can help tame the wild beasts of mood swings, hot flashes, and crying spells. So before you go on a medication spree (or a different type of spree), try taking a deep breath of lavender, clary sage, or even geranium. Hell, why not all three?

Throughout history, aromatherapy massage, inhalation and topical use of these essential oils have been known to soothe the especially annoying PMS symptoms like increased stress, and to generally improve women's health and wellbeing.

However, recent studies have just now started to show proof that these weren't all just wives tales and fragrant lies. There's some serious science (finally) studying effective ways to manage PMS and menopausal symptoms naturally.

For example, lavender oil has been used to alleviate labor pain, postpartum depression, and insomnia. And in a 2013 study, researchers found that just 10 minutes of inhaling lavender reduced symptoms like depression and confusion for up to 35 minutes afterwards. Nothing confusing about that!

Even more recently, a 2020 study also found that there are immediate neurophysiological effects of the inhalation of clary sage oil in people with PMS symptoms. There have also been studies on the effects of aromatherapy massage with geranium oil, which was found to improve PMS physical and mental symptoms.

Many studies have proven the calming effects on the brain of essential oils and their ability to reduce depression, stress, and many of the unsavory symptoms that come along with PMS and menopause. Even just a few minutes of inhaling lavender or clary sage could have a big impact on your brain and your ability to let your inner bitch unwind!

Sources:

Geethanjali, S., Venugopal, V., Poonguzhali, S., & Maheshkumar, K. (2020). Effect of clary sage oil as an aromatherapy on cardiac autonomic function among patients with premenstrual syndrome–a randomized controlled study. Obesity Medicine, 18, 100193.

Lotfipur-Rafsanjani, S. M., Ravari, A., Ghorashi, Z., Haji-Maghsoudi, S., Akbarinasab, J., & Bekhradi, R. (2018). Effects of Geranium Aromatherapy Massage on Premenstrual Syndrome: A Clinical Trial. International journal of preventive medicine, 9, 98. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijpvm.IJPVM_40_16

Matsumoto, T., Asakura, H., & Hayashi, T. (2013). Does lavender aromatherapy alleviate premenstrual emotional symptoms?: a randomized crossover trial. BioPsychoSocial medicine, 7(1), 1-8.

Yonkers, K. A., O'Brien, P. S., & Eriksson, E. (2008). Premenstrual syndrome. The Lancet, 371(9619), 1200-1210.