Essential oils help the heart indirectly. Used in aromatherapy, they do not directly prevent heart disease. But they lower stress, anxiety and high blood pressure, which are triggers for heart disease.
1 in 4 deaths in the US is directly linked to cardiovascular disease (disease of the heart and blood vessels). That is a significant share, given how many causes of death there are. Why is this? Cardiovascular disease is shaped heavily by diet and lifestyle. It can affect anyone. Once it creeps up, it is hard to manage without drastic lifestyle changes. Because of this, prevention appears to be the best way to cut down this mass killer. Essential oils are one of the tools you need to keep cardiovascular disease at bay. Here is why essential oils are good for your heart.
Lowering your risk of heart disease takes drastic steps to change how you live and eat. That can mean a heart-healthy diet, quitting smoking, and drinking less alcohol. It can also mean daily exercise and close checks on your cholesterol and blood pressure. A heart-healthy diet is made up of many things. In short, it should cut the foods that may be toxic to your heart in high amounts and add more of those that are not. Essential oils are usually used in aromatherapy to lower the risk of heart disease. They are part of the healthy habits that lower cardiovascular risk and help the heart.
How does aromatherapy help heart health?
Essential oils are sweet-smelling compounds. They come mainly from distilling flowers, leaves, wood, and plant seeds. The compounds are fragrant and also have healing properties. People have used them as medicine for centuries in many parts of the world. You can use them in aromatherapy. Or you can dilute them in a carrier oil and put them on the skin.
Aromatherapy has an indirect effect on heart health. It does not directly prevent heart disease. But it lowers stress, anxiety, and high blood pressure, which are triggers for heart disease. A 2012 study showed that aromatherapy using essential oils can lower blood pressure through relaxation. But keep aromatherapy to short bursts. Long sessions of more than 1 hour can have the opposite effect.
Which essential oils are good for your heart?
1. Basil
This “royal herb” pops up in pesto, soup, and on pizza. It packs a solid dose of vitamin K and magnesium. Basil leaf extract can also be used to lower bad cholesterol and promote heart health. Bad cholesterol plays a major role in atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). It does this by depositing fat molecules along artery walls.
2. Cassia
Cassia flower extract reduces blood glucose levels and boosts insulin production. That is good for treating diabetes. It is also good for preventing heart disease. That’s because high blood glucose left unchecked can increase the amount of plaque that forms on your artery walls.
3. Clary sage
Clary Sage is not a common herb, but research has shown that its extract works to lower systolic blood pressure (the top number). High blood pressure is closely linked to cardiovascular disease. Getting it under control can halt cardiovascular risk.
4. Cypress
Cypress oil is often used in aromatherapy because it eases anxiety and stress. It has also been shown to have a direct effect on blood pressure: it lowers it. All these effects add up to better heart health.
5. Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus has the pharma green light. It is common in cold relief products like cough drops because it is anti-inflammatory. It works to manage pain and inflammation. Those factors may add to higher blood pressure and heart disease.
6. Ginger
Ginger is a common herb in many cultures. It shows up in many foods and drinks. It is known as an antioxidant and as an anti-emetic (it eases nausea). Recent research has shown that ginger can be used to lower bad cholesterol levels and so promote heart health.
7. Lavender
Lavender extract is common in perfumes, air fresheners, and soaps because it smells good. It is also used as an essential oil in aromatherapy because it can help relieve stress, depression, and low spirits. This is because it brings a calm, relaxed mood to people who breathe it in. Overall, these effects lower the risk of heart disease. Lavender is sometimes used to keep mosquitoes away, too.
8. Marjoram
Marjoram is a Mediterranean herb and a close relative of oregano. Marjoram extract has been used to lower blood pressure and cut the risk of cardiovascular disease. It achieves this by relaxing blood vessels and improving blood flow.
Are Essential Oils Safe?
Essential oils are safe to use on the skin or to breathe in. But on the skin they need to be mixed into a skin-friendly carrier oil. Otherwise some may burn the skin. They also should not be swallowed.
Safety tests for essential oils have shown few, if any, side effects when these oils are used as directed. Most essential oils are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Even with this safety record, it is good to check with your healthcare provider before you start essential oil therapy.
Frequently asked questions
Can essential oils lower blood pressure?
Yes, mostly through relaxation. A 2012 study found that aromatherapy with essential oils lowered blood pressure by helping people relax. Some single herbs help too. Clary sage extract lowers systolic blood pressure. Cypress oil lowers blood pressure and eases anxiety. Marjoram relaxes blood vessels and improves blood flow. Lower blood pressure takes strain off the heart.
How long should an aromatherapy session last?
Keep it short. Aromatherapy should come in short bursts, because sessions longer than one hour can have the opposite effect. The heart benefit comes from relaxation: lower stress, lower anxiety and lower blood pressure. An overlong session works against it.
Can you swallow essential oils?
No. Essential oils should not be swallowed. Use them one of two ways. Breathe them in through aromatherapy. Or dilute them in a skin-friendly carrier oil and put them on the skin, since some undiluted oils can burn. Most essential oils are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the FDA when used as directed. Check with your healthcare provider before you start.
Which essential oil is best for stress?
Lavender and cypress are the two on this list chosen for calm. Lavender is used in aromatherapy to relieve stress, depression and low spirits. That is because breathing it in brings a calm, relaxed mood. Cypress is valued because it eases anxiety and stress, and it lowers blood pressure too. Lowering stress removes one of the triggers for heart disease.
Related reading
References
- CDC: Heart Disease Facts. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm
- Research Gate: Effect of Eucalyptus Oil Inhalation on Pain and Inflammatory Responses after Total Knee Replacement: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/249322327_Effect_of_Eucalyptus_Oil_Inhalation_on_Pain_and_Inflammatory_Responses_after_Total_Knee_Replacement_A_Randomized_Clinical_Trial
- NCBI (2012): Essential Oil Inhalation on Blood Pressure and Salivary Cortisol Levels in Prehypertensive and Hypertensive Subjects. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3521421/
- NCBI (2014): The effect of essential oil on heart rate and blood pressure among solus por aqua workers. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23197402
Medically reviewed by Dr. Gurpreet Singh Padda, MD, MBA, MHP
Interventional pain physician, addiction medicine specialist and obesity medicine diplomate.
Licensed in Missouri and Illinois.
Last reviewed June 18, 2026
