Essential Oils for Hot Summer Days

1. Peppermint Oil

Peppermint oil provides instant cooling relief when inhaled. It’s a fantastic addition to your diffuser to cool down any indoor space. Another refreshing application is to make a cool foot bath with peppermint bath salts (see recipe below). You can also dilute peppermint oil in aloe vera gel and apply a small amount to the temples or the back of the neck for cooling relief.

Be cautious, peppermint is very strong and should always be diluted. It works wonderfully when further diluted with other cooling essential oils like eucalyptus. Another great way to use peppermint in a blend is to mix it with a soothing, cooling hydrosol, such as rose water, and spritz it on as needed.

2. Vetiver Oil

Vetiver essential oil makes a wonderful perfume oil during the summer months. Much like sandalwood, vetiver acts as a perfume fixative, so you can use it to make the scent of your other cooling perfume oils, such as Rose Otto or Rosewood, last for many hours. One of our favorite ways to use vetiver is mixed with Rose. The heady, cooling aroma of the rose perfectly balances with the earthy scent of the vetiver for a delightful summer fragrance.

Vetiver’s rich, rooty properties deeply cool the body and ground heated emotions. It has been used in the deserts of India for many years for this purpose.

When it’s too hot to fall asleep, rubbing vetiver essential oil into the soles of the feet or forehead can cool the body quickly and allow for peaceful, sweet-scented slumber.

3. Sandalwood Oil

Sandalwood oil is known for its cooling properties and calming effect on the mind and nerves. As temperatures rise, tempers can flare out of control. Sandalwood can help to soothe fiery moods. Applying a drop to the top of the head, the temples, and pulse points will surround you with a calming fragrance that will uplift everyone you encounter.

Sandalwood is another lovely oil to mix with Rose, Rosewood, Jasmine, and other cooling perfume oils. It enhances the cooling, dreamy effects of floral oils and fixes their scent to the body so that it lingers.

Add a couple of drops of sandalwood oil to a bowl of cool water, immerse a washcloth in the water, and place it on the back of the neck, over the face, or anywhere the skin is hot and overheated to refresh the mind and body. Feel free to experiment with adding other oils to your water. Florals make a lovely cool water wash when mixed with sandalwood, as do tree oils such as eucalyptus, cypress, and palo santo.

4. Lavender Oil

Lavender oil is a staple year-round. For summer, it offers calm and cooling for our nerves, while simultaneously cooling the skin and physical body.

Getting sunburned during a heat wave is problematic since it makes it harder to keep the body cool. Try making an after-sunburn gel using lavender, chamomile, and helichrysum essential oils in aloe vera gel. This sunburn gel not only cools the burned skin quickly but also promotes healing of the damaged skin cells.

Cool lavender baths and chilled lavender compresses are helpful when the heat is overwhelming or when headaches arise due to excess heat. A drop of lavender essential oil massaged into the temples and back of the neck can alleviate discomfort and tension caused by an overheated state.

Lavender essential oil is also an excellent oil to diffuse in your home to create a cool oasis where you can retreat from the heat. Add 4 or 5 drops of lavender essential oil to your diffuser, along with 2-3 drops each of chamomile and eucalyptus for a summery blend that is cooling to both the physical body and the mental state.

5. Clary Sage Oil

Clary sage oil is our go-to oil for headaches and tension. Like the other cooling oils on this list, clary sage is excellent for calming the mind and emotions while it grounds and cools our bodies.

Clary sage oil is another great oil to use in foot baths. Clary sage essential oil combines well with lavender, chamomile, helichrysum, and other florals for luxurious massages and baths, and it’s a great diffuser oil.

This oil is also ideal for women who tend to overheat at night. Clary sage is known as the “woman’s oil” and can regulate the hormonal imbalances that cause the female body to suffer from excess heat, especially at night. A drop of clary sage on your pillow or a few drops in the diffuser will keep you comfortable while you sleep. You can also add clary sage oil to your vetiver and dab it on the soles of your feet for cool, grounded slumber. Avoid topical use of clary sage when pregnant.