7 Essential Oils for Women’s Health

Natural ways to support your body, hormones, and emotions

As women, we carry a lot. We move through constant change — in our bodies, our hormones, our emotions, and our energy. Some days we feel clear and strong, and others we’re just trying to make it through without snapping at everyone in the house.

What I’ve learned is that our bodies are always communicating. When something feels off: tension, fatigue, cramps, anxiety — it’s usually a signal to slow down and support ourselves.

Essential oils are one of my favorite ways to do that. 

They help us reconnect to our body’s natural rhythm, while offering real support for mood, pain, and hormone balance. And when used with intention, they can bring both calm and clarity back into your day.

Why Essential Oils Work

When you breathe in essential oils, their scent molecules interact with the parts of the brain that influence mood, stress, and hormones. When used on the skin, certain oils can also help relax muscles, support circulation, or bring a sense of calm to the body.

That’s what makes them so special: they support the mind and body at the same time.

7 Oils to Support Women’s Health

1. Rose (Rosa damascena)

Rose oil is like emotional first aid. It helps steady your mood, open your heart, and remind you to breathe when life feels heavy. It’s one of the best oils for stress and emotional balance.

How to use: Diffuse it, roll it onto your pulse points or over your heart, or add a few drops to a warm bath. Puravia Pick: Try the Nurture Aromatherapy Roll-On: Loving Embrace — a gentle rose blend crafted to invite calm, compassion, and emotional steadiness throughout your day.

2. Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens)

Geranium is one of the best oils for women’s hormones. It helps balance mood swings, especially around your cycle or during menopause. It also supports healthy skin and circulation.

How to use: Add a few drops to a body oil or diffuser. It blends beautifully with rose and lavender.

3. Marjoram (Origanum majorana)

Marjoram is a gentle muscle relaxant that helps relieve cramps and tension. It’s also grounding when you’re feeling anxious or scattered.

How to use: Combine with a carrier oil and massage onto your lower abdomen or back during your cycle.

4. Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

If there’s one oil every woman should have, it’s lavender. It supports sleep, calms the mind, and helps your nervous system reset. It’s also wonderful for skin care and tension headaches.

How to use: Add to your diffuser at night, or apply diluted oil to your neck and shoulders before bed. Puravia Pick: Reach for the Connect Aromatherapy Roll-On: Intuitive Belonging — a grounding lavender blend designed to quiet the mind, ease tension, and bring a sense of belonging back to your body.

5. Neroli (Citrus aurantium var. amara)

Neroli is uplifting and calming at the same time — perfect for anxious thoughts or emotional lows. It’s often used for postpartum support or times of transition.

How to use: Inhale directly from your palms, or mix into a facial serum to calm both skin and mood.

6. Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)

Chamomile is the oil of comfort. It soothes irritability, reduces inflammation, and helps calm PMS headaches or sleepless nights.

How to use: Sip chamomile tea in the evening, use as an essential oil roll on or use a few drops in a warm compress for tension. Puravia Pick: The Accept Aromatherapy Roll-On: Mindful Awakening offers the same calming support in an easy, ready-to-use blend. Roll it onto your temples or wrists anytime you need to slow down, breathe, and reset.

7. Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea)

Clary sage is one of the top oils for supporting hormones and mood. It helps regulate your cycle, ease hot flashes, and reduce stress.

How to use: Diffuse or massage (diluted) onto your lower abdomen for grounding support.

A Final Takeaway

As women, we’re often taught to push through discomfort — to stay busy, stay strong, stay “fine.” But our bodies are meant to ebb and flow. Essential oils remind us that tending to ourselves isn’t indulgent; it’s intelligent.

They offer small, powerful moments of reconnection — with our breath, our energy, and our own intuition.

Disclaimer

This content is for educational purposes only and not intended to diagnose or replace medical care. Always consult your healthcare provider before using new herbs or essential oils, especially during pregnancy, breastfeeding, or while taking medication.

Sources

• Romm, A. (2010). Botanical Medicine for Women’s Health. Churchill Livingstone. 

  ➤ Foundational clinical reference on women’s hormonal cycles, botanical therapies, and essential oils used for mood and endocrine support.

  
  

• Chevallier, A. (2016). Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine. DK Publishing. 

  ➤ Comprehensive guide including traditional and modern uses of rose, clary sage, lavender, and chamomile for women’s health, stress, and emotional balance.

  
  

• Winston, D. & Maimes, S. (2007). Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief. Healing Arts Press. 

  ➤ Overview of adaptogenic and stress-modulating botanicals that pair with essential oils for hormonal and nervous system support.

  
  

• National Institutes of Health (NIH). (2024). Herbs and Natural Compounds for Women’s Health. 

  ➤ Evidence-based review summarizing the effectiveness and mechanisms of plant-based remedies and essential oils in supporting hormonal and emotional well-being.