Painful menstrual cramps are not fun. I remember times when the pain caused me to curl up in a ball & cry. My daughter has experienced those same painful cramps.

There's a lot of info out there on ideas to help ... more water, medication, diet changes, exercise ... but for me most of the time, the only thing I could do was wait it out - miserable for a few days every month.

Before kids, I could curl up in bed when I needed to. That's not really an option if you have a job or kids to take care of.

Hormone imbalances are another common problem for women. These are hugely responsible for the emotional roller coaster of PMS symptoms.

Being in pain, emotional, & tired can make for one unhappy mama.

Did you know there's actually a host of medical research on aromatherapy & dysmenorrhea (painful menstrual cramps)? Essential oils have been highly studied in relation to menstrual cramps & monthly cycles:

👉 This study talks about lavender, clary sage, & marjoram essential oils for menstrual cramps
👉 This one used lavender, clary sage, & rose essential oils
👉 This study used inhalation of lavender essential oil to reduce the painful cramping

We've put essential oils to the test for supporting our PMS & period woes many times, so I've got some helpful options to share with you below.

Top 7 Oils for Supporting PMS + Periods

PastTense

Apply this over wherever you're holding tension, as often as you need it. If you get tension headaches with your period, you'll find this very supportive (apply to temples, across forehead, & back of neck/shoulders). Also wonderful applied to your lower back for any crampy feelings there.

Deep Blue Rub

Deep Blue Stick

Deep Blue Soothing Blend

Deep Blue Polyphenol Complex (a supplement)

Deep Blue is always going to come up in relation to any kind of pain. This stuff is magic!

Deep Blue Rub is a lotion that is so, so effective on any kind of pain. I love rubbing it into my lower back when cramps are making me miserable.

Deep Blue Stick is a your Deep Blue in a handy stick format for easy application so your hands stay clean. It also has Copaiba added to it - such a huge upgrade to what this can do! We love this at our house.

Deep Blue Soothing Blend is the essential oil format of Deep Blue. I love making a 10mL roller bottle using this by using 35 drops of Deep Blue oil, then filling the rest of the bottle with fractionated coconut oil (as a carrier oil). Then I shake & roll on wherever I'm feeling uncomfortable or tense.

Deep Blue Polyphenol Complex is a supplement in the Deep Blue family of products. It contains frankincense, turmeric, green tea extract, ginger, pomegranate, grape seed, curcumin, resveratrol, peppermint, & caraway seed. When it comes to tenseness, discomfort, or muscles or joints that need support of any kind…this supplement is where it's at. Just a look at the ingredients will tell you a whole lot about how powerful this is.

Clary Calm

This favorite blend comes ready to apply in a roller bottle format. It contains the following essential oils: Clary Sage, Lavender, Bergamot, Roman Chamomile, Cedarwood, Ylang Ylang, Geranium, & Fennel. It is AMAZING for supporting cramps & hormone levels.

How to use:

💦 If you struggle with extreme hormone fluctuations you can apply ClaryCalm to the bottoms of your feet daily
💦 Roll over the abdomen when experiencing cramping
💦 Roll on the back of the neck if your emotions are all over the place
💦 If you're menopausal & your temps are fluctuating 🥵, you'll love applying this to the back of your neck & to your wrists

Balance

Rub behind ears to support emotions that are all over the place & need some grounding.

If someone in your household doesn't THINK they need some help in this department, but you know they could use some support, I'll just add 3-4 drops of this in the diffuser wherever they're hanging out. Game changer! 🙌

Turmeric Dual Chamber Capsules

The benefits of turmeric have been known for a long time. One of the reasons we love it for period support is because it supports a healthy inflammatory response.

It's actually something I take as a daily supplement. Here's why…

This unique capsule combines the essential oil format with the herb format (something unique & patented by doTERRA). Doing this increases the absorption of both by quite a bit, helping it to do its job better!

You'll really appreciate combining this with Copaiba softgels & Deep Blue Polyphenol supplement for maximum period support.

Copaiba Softgels

Take these with a Turmeric capsule & a Deep Blue Polyphenol capsule for maximum results, but they're also awesome all on their own. Copaiba works on the endocannabinoid system of the body (similar to how CBD works), but Copaiba is a much safer alternative. Here's a video discussing the difference HERE.

AromaTouch

I can't even begin to tell you the LOVE I personally have for combining this with Lavender as one of my all time favorite scents! And then what they can DO!…

I'll put both in a warm bath with a 1-2 cups Epsom salts & I'm in heaven! Especially if I have any kind of discomfort from my period.
Two drops of this + 2 drops Lavender in the diffuser is SO relaxing & great at bedtime.

AromaTouch is a combination of the following essential oils cypress, peppermint, marjoram (which naturally helps muscles relax), basil, grapefruit, & lavender. Heaven you guys! Seriously!

helpful video:

Dr. Mariza Snyder (a Functional Medicine doctor, background in Biochemistry, & author of 6 best selling books on nutrition & essential oils) covers her top tips for balancing your hormone levels.

Start with this:

My link here allows you to CUSTOMIZE A KIT. This is the unique ability to create a kit that meets your specific needs! You get to pick every piece.

It includes a free doTERRA wholesale account that give you 25% off any purchases whenever you want for one year.

Use this option to pick out the oils you want to try from this post.
Or you can create something entirely different with other oils of your choice.

I've given you some popular choices in the pictures below, but you can build a kit however you would like!

CUSTOMIZE A KIT

Need some ideas for how to start?

Click on any of the following pictures & it will take you to that customized kit where you can check out right now!

Any of the items below can be deleted or swapped out for other items of your choosing. I've just grouped some of the favorites people love for each wellness goal.

Free from me:

When you purchase through me, I'll send you The Essential Life reference book as a free gift!

(only for those in the continental USA)

This book is over 500 pages with full color illustrations, recipes, DIY & more. You'll love this book. It's what I still turn to when I have a question.

Top 7 Essential Oils for PMS and Period Support