Essential Oils for Menopause: How Natural Remedies Can Benefit You

Essential oil for menopause: How it helps 

If you haven’t had a menstrual cycle in 12 months, it’s safe to say that you’ve entered menopause. Menopause is a biological process that every woman goes through, and it marks the end of your fertile years. 

Although you might be experiencing symptoms like mood swings, weight gain, and waves of heat, it’s vital for you to understand that menopause can’t be reversed. But those symptoms can be treated to help minimize your discomfort. To treat moderate or severe symptoms of menopause, doctors may prescribe hormone replacement therapy after thorough examination to ensure you have no contraindications. 

But you can also decrease the severity of symptoms with the help of essential oils for menopause. If you want to avoid prescription hormone medications, essentials oils for menopause may offer natural and effective relief. 

In addition to using essential oils for menopause internally, you can also use oils externally by applying them on your skin. You can apply them on your lower abdomen or the back of your neck, or to the bottoms of your feet for a complete body experience. 

Essential oils for hormone imbalance symptoms

Hormone imbalance symptoms can be so intense that women often wonder if they will ever be able to live a normal life. Symptoms include fatigue, insomnia, depression, and mood swings. 

Here are our five favorite essential oils to help manage these symptoms: 

• Lavender oil. The change in hormone levels during menopause can cause problems with sleep and lead to feelings of depression. Lavender oil is one of the most recommended essential oils, as it promotes feelings of relaxation. Try adding one drop of diluted lavender oil to a cold compress and placing it on an area that causes you discomfort.
• Geranium oil. Geranium is another essential oil that’s been found to help menopausal women manage mood swings. Try adding two drops to a napkin and inhaling for instant stress relief. One study showed that women who used geranium essential oil had an improvement in depression after 8 weeks. Moreover, if you suffer from dry skin, add a few drops to the water and enjoy a nice, relaxing bath. 
• Basil oil. Studies have shown that basil is a great essential oil as it contains an estrogen hormone-like component — meaning it can help your body adjust to the changing estrogen levels, reducing the unpleasant discomfort of menopause.
• Ylang-ylang oil. This essential oil is best-known for its intoxicating aroma, which can calm and uplift the mind and body while relieving stress and tension. It also works wonders with reducing anxiety and depression. Simply open your bottle of ylang-ylang, take a sniff, and feel your anxiety melt away. The oil is also great for combatting low libido, another common symptom of menopause.

Essential oils for hot flashes 

Hot flashes are the most common symptoms of the menopausal transition. They’re sudden feelings of warmth, which are most intense over the face, neck, and chest. The main cause of hot flashes is a drop in estrogen levels, so the best treatment option for moderate to severe hot flashes is hormone replacement therapy, if it is not contraindicated for you. 

Contraindications are: 

• History of breast or endometrial cancer
• Porphyria
• Severe active liver disease
• Thromboembolic disorders
• Undiagnosed vaginal bleeding

If you’re looking to address the discomfort yourself, there are several essential oils for hot flashes that can lessen it and promote a more positive transition:

• Peppermint oil. Peppermint oil is one of the most popular essential oils for hot flashes. Reduce discomfort by simply misting it on your face using a water spritzer or try adding two drops to a tissue and holding the tissue up to your nose while slowly inhaling.
• Clary sage oil. Hot flashes can be naturally remedied with the help of clary sage oil. Simply rub three drops of this essential oil for hot flashes across the back of your neck or all over your feet. For a quicker effect, try adding a few drops to a napkin and inhaling and exhaling slowly. 
• Basil oil. You can also use basil oil to relieve the symptoms of hot flashes during your menopause by applying the diluted oil to your feet or the back of the neck. 

Essential oils for vaginal dryness 

As women age, their estrogen levels naturally decline. Women experience this decline through symptoms like hot flashes, but also vaginal dryness, its thinning and becoming less elastic, and changing to light pink or even white in color. All these changes are called vaginal atrophy. You can try using commercial lubricants, but they contain many chemicals that can contribute to vaginal dryness. So, what other options do you have?

You can try making your own natural lubricant. The most commonly used ingredients for preparing natural lubricants are ghee and organic coconut oil. Adding essential oils for vaginal dryness to the mix to help soothe the vaginal tissue. 

Some of the best essential oils for vaginal dryness include:

• Sandalwood — soothing, moistening to the tissue, relieves irritation and itchiness
• Rose — soothing, supports healthy tissue regeneration, reduces irritation
• Roman chamomile — anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial
• Cape chamomile — anti-inflammatory, supports cellular regeneration, reduces itching
• Lavender — soothing and anti-inflammatory
• Frankincense — soothing to mucous membranes

Essential oils for perimenopause 

The transitional period from fertility to menopause is called perimenopause. This period can last anywhere from a few months to a few years, during which time women can experience a wide range of symptoms. These symptoms include hot flashes, mood swings, and fatigue, among others. 

The good news is that naturally supporting your body with high-quality essential oils for perimenopause can help you feel better. Here are the best essential oils you can use:

• Peppermint and wild orange. These oils are great for energizing your body and mind. Try diffusing them in the morning or adding a drop to your palms, rubbing them together, and then deeply inhaling the scent.
• Clary sage, ylang-ylang, and lavender. These oils help keep cortisol levels stable while calming your body and mind. They can also support your libido. 
• Geranium. Geranium essential oil can naturally support estrogen levels while also supporting a healthy mood. 
• Bergamot. This oil supports mental health by energizing and relaxing your body and mind. 

Menopause can be an overwhelming transition, but it’s important to remember that it’s just that — a transition. It’s a temporary change in your life that can be manageable. Be gentle with yourself, take care of your mind and body, and turn to essentials oils for menopause to support you through this period.