Do Essential Oils Work? Here's What Science Says

Your friend suggests that you use a lotion infused with peppermint essential oil to help combat your nausea. Your coworker insists that he has never slept so well since starting to sprinkle a little lavender oil on his pillow at night. Last year alone consumers in the United States spent $1 billion on essential oil products and is expected to exceed $11 billion by the year 2022. But what does the research say? Do essential oils really work?

What is aromatherapy?

Essential oils are oils, typically fragrant ones, that have been extracted from the roots, flowers, leaves, or seeds of plants using steam or applied pressure. The qualifier “essential” refers to the fact that the oil contains the “essence” of the plant (i.e. the natural chemicals that provide a distinct odor or flavor). In the practice of aromatherapy, these oils—once diluted—are applied to the skin, smelled, dabbed on a pillow or in a bath, or heated so that their aroma is dispersed into the air. Some soaps and lotions can also be made with essential oils and used as aromatherapy products.

The use of essential oils is cross-cultural and dates back thousands of years. Many know the story of frankincense being offered as one of the gifts of the Magi. Even if you haven’t purchased an essential oil roller or diffuser, chances are you may have used them anyway. Vick’s Vaporub, typically rubbed on the chest as a cough suppressant, contains the essential eucalyptus, cedarleaf, and nutmeg oils (among others) suspended in petroleum jelly.

Do essential oils and aromatherapy work?

The National Institute of Health provides a thorough summary via the US National Library of Medicine of research conducted into the efficacy of essential oils. Currently, there is no evidence-backed research showing any illnesses that can be cured through the use of essential oils or the practice of aromatherapy. The results on the other possible benefits of essential oils as, for example, mood elevators or stress relievers, are more mixed. But most are still inconclusive.

One of the scientific studies that have revealed positive results from essential oils involves patients with dementia. Although, contrary to common lore, drinking a tablespoon of...

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