Essential Oils to Help Beat Brain Fog

You may be wondering how essential oils can help with brain fog? Well the sense of smell is a very powerful sense indeed. Have you ever gotten a whiff of something, a perfume, certain cookies baking or a flower, and you are immediately taken back to a time of something pleasurable? Baking cookies with grandma, pruning roses with granddad, or for me, it’s Old Spice After Shave. It reminds me of sitting with my dad watching John Wayne movies after his stroke, and the smell of home-baked bread reminds me of Saturday mornings watching cartoons while my grandma was making homemade bread in our kitchen.

There’s a scientific reason that the sense of smell is so powerful.

It’s because the sense of smell, has a direct link to the brain through the olfactory bulb, which is located at the very front of the brain, almost right behind the eyes. The olfactory system, which is connected to the hippocampus, brain stem, auditory cortex and many other areas of the amygdala, and has strong links to emotions and memory functions.

Have you heard of the blood-brain barrier?

The brain is unique in that it has a built in defense system that prevents toxins and harmful substances from reaching and affecting the brain. Blood vessels are lined with endothelial cells, which create a barrier between the blood in the brain and the blood in the rest of the body. Did you know that most drugs are unable to cross this barrier? Did you also know, that essential oils have the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and may very quickly reduce inflammation in the brain and help to promote cellular regeneration?  Essential Oils and cancer and Lavender and the Nervous System

I personally have had great success diffusing essential oils to help me with everything from keeping brain fog at bay to helping me fall asleep at night. The only oils I use and promote are doTERRA (CPTG) Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade, Essential Oils. 

So following are my 10 favorite essential oils for supporting you when trying to keep brain fog at bay:

1. Peppermint – Stimulating and Invigorating
   • Peppermint is one of my favorites because it is so versatile. It helps alleviate occational stomach upset, repels bugs naturally and supports better athletic performance, but it is most well known for mid afternoon slump pick me up. Just place one drop of peppermint essential oil in the palm of your hand along with a drop of Wild Orange essential oil, rub your palms together and take a deep breath.
2. Frankincense –  Peace and Balance
   • Frankincense is one of the most valued essential oils, because of it’s many uses. It supports healthy immune, nervous, and digestive functions and when diffused it promotes feelings of peace, relaxation and overall wellness.
3.  Siberian Fir – Calming and Grounding
   • Siberian Fir with it’s woodsy refreshing scent is known for it’s support in balancing and soothing anxious feelings, while inhaling it helps promote feelings of easy breathing.
4.  Wild Orange – Invigorating and Uplifting
   • Possesses stimulating and purifying qualities which when diffused, energizes and uplifts the mind and body while purifying the air. When added to peppermint it helps to promote energizing feelings.
5.  Wintergreen – Uplifting and Stimulating  
   • Wintergreen is warming and soothing when used in a massage after exercise. Just be sure to heavily dilute with a carrier oil, such as fractionated coconut oil. When diffused it’s a very stimulating and uplifting aroma that helps to promote mental alertness.
6.  Turmeric – Emotional Support
   • When diffused Turmeric provides an emotional lift and may help to improve mood. Put a drop or two into the palm of your hand and inhale to promote feelings of positivity.
7.  Tangerine- Cleansing and Energizing
   • Tangerine has a sweet, tangy aroma, that is uplifting and energizing. When diffused, tangerine may help to soothe anxious feelings and reduce stress.
8.   Thyme – Powerful and Resolving
   • Thyme was thought to impart courage to those who possessed it in medieval times. During that same period, it was placed under pillows to help promote peaceful sleep and ward off nightmares. Today it is most commonly used as a seasoning, but when diffused with Wild Orange and  Douglas Fir, it can help to promote an increase in alertness and memory.
9.  Sandalwood – Grounding and Enhancing
   • Sandalwood, unlike other aromatic woods, can retain it’s fragrance for decades. It was used traditionally as an incense in religious ceremonies and for enhancing meditation. When diffused, Sandalwood may help to lessen tension and balance emotions.
10.  Lavender – Calming and Relaxing
    • Lavender is one of my all time go to oils. I use it on my grandchildren when they are in the middle of a meltdown, I diffuse it to help promote calming and less stress among fighting siblings. Used on it’s own to promote sleep and relaxation, when mixed with more invigorating oils such as Spearmint, Grapefruit, Peppermint, or Wild Orange, it may help to soothe nerves so that you can focus on the tasks at hand.

Almost all essential oils have the potential to promote feelings of well-being, it’s just that these 10 oils may help to promote mental clarity more effectively. You can find out more about doTERRA Essential Oils here: