Life happens and at some point, we will all go through a situation that will threaten to draw out all the happiness in us. Just knowing that there will be those days will allow us to get out of them faster, using simple tricks like paying attention to our breathing, meditation, eating better, exercise, and practices like aromatherapy.

We’ve put together this wonderful list of all-natural essential oils that can help you manage your moods, whether you’re prone to occasional bouts of the agitation or anxiety or experience low mood. In today's journal post we seek to enlighten you on the different essential oils you can use to uplift your moods. 

Bitter Orange

Bitter orange or wild orange as it is sometimes called, smells fresh and tart and similar to neroli. It is sometimes preferred from the usual sweet orange which is more common. Bitter orange aswell as sweet orange increase positivity. If your low mood is also accompanied by low energy, try the refreshing and revitalising wild orange essential oil. With powerful, uplifting aroma, orange oil has proven benefits for creating feelings of happiness that can improve energy levels.

 

Bergamot

Bergamot has a distinctive charming, calming, and slightly citrusy scent. It is used alongside black tea to produce soothing Earl Grey tea. Its calming effect soothes anxiety and promotes feel-good feelings. It has the ability to help you 'let things go' if bad feelings or situations arise. We use bergamot in our Revive blend and the signature scent we created for the Hotpod Yoga, Europes largest yoga studio chain.

 

Lime

Lime essential oil has a sweet and tangy scent that is perfect to give you the kick you need, without being too overly powerful. It promotes energy flow in the body and works really well for uplifting your moods and re-focusing your mind. We use lime essential oil is our Happy, Invigorate and Revive blends. Find them in the uplifting collection

 

Vetiver

This essential oil is related to lemongrass with an earthier tone. It stimulates moods and helps you let go of bad moods rooted in anxiety, nervous energy, or anger. It is also known to help with sleep problems and insomnia but calming down the nervous system.

 

Grapefruit

Grapefruit essential oil is an excellent stress reliever and is very beneficial in decreasing mental fatigue. With its distinctive tart, sparkling, clarifying scent, it is a real mood booster. Grapefruit oil is a great aromatherapy oil to scent the home with an uplifting scent as its not too sweet, making it perfect for daytime use in a diffuser. We use in our Awaken essential oil blend and our Grapefruit Passion cleansing oil.

 

Chamomile

Chamomile is widely known for its sleep-inducing powers, but this soothing calming oil has a knack ability to ease depression and sadness, by promoting relaxation. 

 

Lavender

Lavender is one of the most versatile oils for aromatherapy owing to its ability to calm and inducing sleep. However, it is also effective in easing depression, tension headaches, and anxiety and uplifting moods. We use lavender in our Sleepy Head and Calm collections.

 

Mandarin Green

Mandarin green essential oil is obtained from the rind of the mandarin orange. It has numerous emotional benefits including uplifting moods, calming the mind, relaxing the body, and inducing sleepiness. It possesses sedative, anti-anxiety properties. We use mandarin in our Superfood firming face serum for some morning happiness in your skin care routine.

 

Petitgrain

Petitgrain’s woodsy citrus fragrance makes it a very popular essential citrus oil for treating not only physical but also emotional issues. It is popular for its ability to promote relaxation and calmness. It helps to deal with stress and anxiety as well as nervousness due to its chemical makeup. Petigrain oil comes from the same plant as bitter orange and neroli and is from the fresh twigs and leaves of the tree. It is also effective for combating insomnia. We use petigrain in our Luna Goddess night serum along with cedarwood for its calming qualities.

 

The Science & The Study

As you can see from this list, for uplifting moods, citrus oils definitely work the best. A study in the US tested citrus fragrance on people with depression and the results were phenomenal.

'Citrus aromatherapy oils were given to 12 depressive subjects and the results indicated that the doses of antidepressants necessary for the treatment of depression could be markedly reduced. The treatment with citrus fragrance normalised neuroendocrine hormone levels and immune function and was rather more effective than antidepressants.'

We find this study so fascinating and it proves just how powerful aromatherapy is for emotional wellbeing and mental health. So if you are feeling low mood and/or low energy, try misting or burning some citrus oils, add more citrus into your diet by eating grapefruit for breakfast or having that all important lemon water first thing in the morning and if you are a tea drinker, try switching to Earl Grey tea from your usual black tea to see if you feel a shift in mood.