Usually, when waking up with a hangover, the first thing we do is reach for pain relievers. Yet, some want to take a more natural approach and use essential oils for help. There are multiple ways different essential oils can help with the different effects of a hangover, so we will describe the different symptoms and the essential oils that will bring you relief!
Hangover Symptom 1: Headaches
The first symptom often felt is a headache, usually worsening with the light or sun. For this, the recommended oil is peppermint. Peppermint oils work because of the main substance found within it一menthal. Menthol helps to cure headaches, even those as strong as migraines.
For this reason, it is often used for hangovers, and often coupled with lavender oil. Lavender oil often decreases stress, depression, and similar hangover symptoms. Because alcohol contains ethanol, it is a natural depressant.
The day after a night of drinking, the headache may increase any feelings of anger, stress, or depression. Another recommendation would be the Bubbly Belle Head Ease roll-on, which you can directly place on your temples. This one contains both lavender and peppermint, so you wouldn't have to mix the two oils一it's already done for you!
If you do not use the head ease roll on, and instead have the two separate oils, the lavender oil and peppermint oil mix are recommended to be used with five drops of lavender oil, and two of peppermint oil.
You can use it in two different methods for the best results; the first method is to use a diffuser. This could be in the form of bracelet or necklace diffusers or a room diffuser. These can often help, especially because the needed essential oils are being introduced to your environment, the second method would be pressure points. When treating your hangover headache, you want to apply the oil on both temples of the head and either indent behind the earlobes. Then, you let it do its trick!
Hangover Symptom 2: Nausea
Aside from headaches, hangovers seem to bring nausea. Nausea can be helped by both ginger and lemon. For this, a study actually found that lemon oil helped significantly reduce nausea and vomiting in pregnant women, thus being one of the reasons for it being used for hangovers.
The throwing up and the upset stomach can also be helped with eucalyptus oil. Eucalyptus leaves were often used to treat an upset stomach and help a burning throat after various sessions of throwing up or dry heaving. For this reason, the recommended oil would be the Bubbly Belle Immunity Boost.
Treating these symptoms can be done by applying the oil directly to the pressure points under the chin, but it would be a better option to use a diffuser so it is put into your surroundings. The Big White diffuser could be a good option, considering it holds a great amount of oil and thus continues to dispense it within a prolonged period of time without you having to constantly refill it. This not only gives you time to rest but also helps you in regard to soreness or exhaustion since you refrain from overusing the muscles.
Of course, nausea and vomiting can bring forth a plethora of problems, one being soreness in the stomach. For this, the same recommendation as that of the headache stands; peppermint oil can help with the pain, but lavender helps with getting the muscles to relax.
Soreness happens after the constant contraction of muscles, and the main goal is to aid the muscles in relaxing and decompressing. The Sore No More essential oil blend can help with this when put in the affected areas (lightly), as can the pain relief roller essential oil. These can be directly applied under the belly button for relief, or diffused into the air and breathed in for relief.
Hangover Symptom 3: Exhaustion
The real issue with hangovers is exhaustion, especially when you have work or other errands to run the day after a night out. The Energizer essential oil can help with this since it increases energy naturally rather than having to take supplements or drink energy drinks一and it’s healthier too! In order to use this one, you want to either mix it with almond oil to apply it directly to the pressure points on your head or put it into a diffuser. It may not help immediately (it needs time to work, like any other remedy), but it will help with both fatigue and lack of energy.
Hangover Symptom 4: Lack of Sleep
Finally, the last hangover symptom we must talk about is the decreased sleep many tend to experience. Decreased sleep or “hangover insomnia” occurs because the body does not have the sufficient chemicals produced to maintain restful sleep. Instead, the alcohol can serve as a temporary sedative and decrease the restfulness of sleep.
This can be the root of many other hangover symptoms, like the lack of energy and headaches. In accordance with this, a natural remedy for sleep might be the most important place to start. Essential oils like lavender can help.
Lavender essential oil can both help to increase sleep restfulness and maintain your sleep pattern throughout the night without constant waking. These you can put at your temples, and even place some on your pillow or sheets. These oils help to relax the muscles, as stated before, but can also aid in relaxing the body to the point of sleep.
It Matters Which Oils You Use
Something to keep in mind about using the essential oils to aid in a hangover cure is the method of distribution and the location. These change depending on the use of the oils and the areas it is used for. There are different pressure points for different areas of the body, such as the temples, the elbow bit, sides of your neck, and other areas. But there are also other oils that cannot be used directly on the skin unless diluted with other oil; if diluting is not possible, these oils can be inserted into a diffuser.
The main point is to know which essential oil to use and be prepared for the hangover with the oils and diffusers as needed. If you’re going somewhere post hangover, for example, you can even introduce the oils into your car to better ease the relief.
One form of relief with essential oils can be while taking a bath. When doing this, the same rule applies: if the oil cannot be directly applied to the skin, dilute it with sweet almond oil. Apply it into the bath, and wait to mix it until after you are in.
This helps by not only relaxing your body after the hangover exhaustion but by introducing the oils to both your skin and the air simultaneously. It will help your skin directly while allowing you to breathe the diffused and slowly evaporating oils in the air as well.
If this isn't a viable option for you, there are also lavender-infused bath bombs, as well as bath bombs infused with other oils and scents. These slowly dispense and release the oils with the powder. These, like oils themselves, can help, yet it is recommended to use the oils themselves for greater relief.
Natural Hangover Relief Is Possible
While it can be stressful or difficult to overcome a hangover, you don't have to keep yourself from enjoying a night out, celebrating, or doing something fun with friends. It can be easy to prepare yourself and find relief for the hangover that follows, without further risking the health of your liver with medications.
With the relief provided by natural remedies like essential oils, you can help yourself feel better without worry. Essential oils can be helpful for some people一you just need to know how, when, and where to use them and what ways to properly apply them to yourself or to diffuse them.
You know yourself best, you know how much to use, and which symptoms are affecting you. Just make sure to follow the directions found on the pages in which the oils are listed.
That being said, the above information can be used as natural home remedies for hangovers, but also for day to day migraines, nausea, and exhaustion, thus you do not have to worry about whether or not you have these oils the next time you have a headache, or if you have pain medication for migraines. You'll have the same ones used for your hangover. These essential oils are multifaceted and able to be adapted for use according to multiple situations.
Sources:
5 essential oils for headaches: Which oils and how to use them
Eucalyptus: Health Benefits, Side Effects, Uses, Dose & Precautions | RX List
Essential Oils for Hangover That Are Backed by Research | Healthline
Throwing Up After Drinking: How to Stop and How to Feel Better | Healthline
5 best essential oils for nausea and how to use them | Medical News Today