If you’re looking to use aromatherapy for nausea, vomiting, digestion or motion sickness, look no further. These 6 essential oils have been shown to help with stomach troubles. Start here to learn how to use them!
What exactly is nausea? It’s that feeling when your stomach turns and you’re certain you’re going to keel over and throw up. For example; on rides at an amusement park, the day after or during a night out, while travelling, or before an important meeting. Whatever you’re doing when nausea strikes, it’s guaranteed to put a damper on your day.
Best Essential Oils for Nausea
There are natural remedies you can use against nausea and the various symptoms associated with it. Use beneficial, health promoting essential oils.
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Use these essential oils for queaziness, nausea, vomiting, digestion and motion sickness:
Ginger
GingerGinger essential oil helps to keep your digestive function stable and blood pressure consistent. This is especially useful when your symptoms include vomiting.
Ginger Root CO2 Essential Oil from Plant Therapy
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Ginger oil works as an antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, laxative, tonic and stimulant.
To use ginger oil for stomach irritation:
- Diffuse one to two drops in your favorite essential oil diffuser and inhale.
- Add two to three drops to your favorite carrier oil and rub on the stomach.
- Add two to three drops to a warm bath.
- Add one to two drops to a cotton ball or handkerchief and carry with you.
Ginger essential oil is one of your best oils to add to your natural medicine cabinet. It would be my number one choice when nausea threatens your day.
Chamomile
Chamomile essential oil helps relieve nausea by dispelling gas, soothing the stomach, and relaxing the muscles that move food through the intestines.
Roman Chamomile from Plant Therapy, 5 ml Bottle
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Chamomile is a popular herb to treat all kinds of health-related issues. It is an especially gentle oil that you can safely use in many blends.
Chamomile can help with various gastrointestinal disturbances, including nausea, vomiting, indigestion, and diarrhea.
Chamomile essential oil is a concentrated substance distilled from the chamomile plant. Though it is a gentle oil, a little goes a long way. Due to its concentrated form and vast potential uses, chamomile oil makes a great addition to your medicine cabinet.
To use chamomile essential oil for nausea, vomiting and indigestion:
- Add one to two drops to a cup of cold or warm water for a strong tea. *
- Add one to two drop to your favorite carrier oil and rub on your shoulders, neck and feet.
- Add one to two drops to a warm bath.
Peppermint
Organic Peppermint Essential Oil
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Peppermint oil packs a lot of punch. I often turn to peppermint tea for mild digestive issues. But if I need something stronger, I turn to peppermint oil to help ease an upset stomach and encourage better digestion.
Due to its antispasmodic properties, peppermint oil is a very good all-around oil for stomach troubles and can be a helpful treatment that’s easy to do at home.
To use peppermint essential oil for nausea, vomiting, and digestion:
- Diffuse one to two drops in your favorite oil diffuser and inhale.
- Add to a base oil and rub on the back of your neck and bottoms of your feet.
- Add to a cool or warm bath.
- Add to a compress and place over your head.
- Add one drop to a glass of cold or hot water or a gel capsule to take orally. *
Peppermint oil can have you feeling better in no time. Since this oil is strong in nature, a little goes a long way.
Fennel
Fennel is a natural laxative and stimulant. It helps to relieve stomach inflammation, and supports gastric emptying.
Sweet Fennel Essential Oil
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To use fennel essential oil for nausea, vomiting, digestion and motion sickness:
- Add one to two drops to your favorite base oil and rub on stomach.
- Add one to two drops to your favorite essential oils diffuser and inhale.
- Add one to two drops on to the bottoms of your feet.
- Add one to two drops to a gel capsule and swallow. *
Lavender
With its relaxing properties, Lavender oil can help relieve stomach cramps and nausea due to stress or anxiety.
Lavender Oil from Plant Therapy
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This delightfully scented, gentle aromatherapy oil is derived from the lavender plant, which is part of the mint family.
Its anti-septic and anti-inflammatory properties can help reduce nausea and vomiting symptoms.
To use lavender oil for digestive issues:
- Add one to two drops to your favorite carrier oil and rub neck and shoulder rub to relax tense muscles and ease head spins.
- Place a few drops on a cotton ball and place under your pillow to help you get some much-needed rest.
- Add one to two drops to a warm or cool bath.
- Add to a warm or cool compress and place over your head.
Lavender essential oil supports health and wellness through its many effective uses. It is definitely an oil you want to keep on hand.
Nutmeg
Another surprising essential oil for nausea is nutmeg. Nutmeg essential oil helps fight intestinal gas and cramps in conjunction with bloating.
Fennel Essential Oil
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This spice is a popular favorite during the winter months, particularly during the holiday season. It has unique health promoting components and various uses. In addition to soothing an upset stomach and reducing vomiting, nutmeg essential oil is beneficial to the hormonal system, immune system, and nervous system.
Since vomiting and nausea can be related to psychological factors, keeping yourself in good spirits using aromatherapy can help you keep your balance.
To use nutmeg essential oil for nausea, vomiting, digestion, and motion sickness:
- Add one to two drops to your favorite carrier oil and rub on the stomach.
- Add one to two drops to a cool or warm compress and place on your forehead.
- Inhale directly by applying one to two drops to a handkerchief or cotton ball.
- Add one to two drops to your favorite diffuser and inhale.
- Add one to two drops to a gel capsule and swallow.
How to Use Essential Oils to Help with Nausea
Essential oils can support health and wellness in a variety of ways. Here is how to use your essential oils for best effects at home.
Use Carrier oils for a Massage
Massage your nausea-fighting essential oils into the abdomen.
Carrier oils serve to dilute the essential oil before applying it to your skin. They act as the base for “carrying” the essential oil that is being mixed into it. Whenever you massage an essential oil into your body, you need to dilute it with a carrier oil.
Warm compresses
These can be materials ranging from washcloths to cloth bags filled with rice or beads that you can put in a freezer or warm in your microwave. Find your favorite type of warm compress, and add this technique to your natural apothecary.
Ingestion
Using essential oils in a tea or gel tablet is a controversial method of enjoying essential oils. Consult with your physician or Certified Aromatherapist to get professional advice based on your unique situation, before you use this natural remedy.
Inhalation
There are various options for inhaling essential oils:
- Diffusers can be used in your home for hours at a time. (For a list of oil diffusers, please click here)
- Steam inhalation includes adding water and your essential oil to a pot and letting it boil on your stove. The steam works to humidify your home while delivering your favorite essential oils to your body as you relax. Another method is adding hot water to a bowl and placing your head over the bowl and a towel over your head. Inhale essential oils slowly and purposefully.
- Spritzers: spritzers are great for traveling. Add two to five drops to a small spritzer bottle or five to ten drops to a large spritzer bottle. A small bottle can be stored in your purse or travel bag and used when required.
Essential Oils for Nausea During Pregnancy
Nausea is a reality for many expecting women. While there are plenty of over the counter and prescription medicine to help, pregnant women afflicted with “morning sickness”, essential oils can be a natural option to alleviate symptoms.
In an article found on www.babycentre.co.uk titled “Is it safe to use essential oils while I’m pregnant?” Author, midwife, lecturer and complimentary therapist Denise Tiran, says there are expecting moms who use them, but there are recommended precautions and oils to avoid (including nutmeg, which is in my list above). Please click on that article to find more information for pregnancy.
As with any medications, always use care and caution when using essential oils for nausea, vomiting, digestion and motion sickness. If symptoms persist make an appointment with your doctor.
Should you experience any side effects, please contact your care provider immediately.
Final Thoughts
Have you tried essential oils for YOUR nausea? Has it worked? Let us know in the comments below!
* please take extra precautions when ingesting essential oils. Read more about which essential oils are safe to ingest here.
Thanks for sharing this very detailed and informative post. I’m already in the third semester of my pregnancy and I no longer suffer from nausea. But I’ll keep this in mind so that my second pregnancy wouldn’t be as hard as this first.
Love your site and information is so helpful. You are about the only place I go to visit.
Thank you so much Pamela, I love hearing that! ?
Can I mix peppermint and lavender? Or just pick one?
Hello Jay. Yes you certainly can blend those two oils together if you like the combined scent. Personally, I would first start with trying the oils individually and see if you like one better than the other; or which smell you’re more able to “stomach” when you’re feeling nauseous. But if you like them both, by all means, mix them together!
What about oils and vertigo ?
My top choice for vertigo would be Peppermint essential oil. It’s a pretty common aromatherapy scent used for nausea, headache, and vomiting – all of which are symptoms also experienced with vertigo. It’s also popular enough you can already get it in a pre-diluted roll on so it’s super easy to carry around with you in your pocket, to use in those moments you’re actually experiencing vertigo. For example, get the Peppermint Roll-on 10 ml from Rocky Mountain Oils here.
Awesome read! With a road trip being planned out for the next few weeks, I can’t tell you how grateful I am.. Thanks lol
Great to hear Carrie, thanks for your comment! Hope your road trip went well!