Essential Oils for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Q: I loved your article on the uses of aromatherapy oils for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Do you have any other recipes for that aside from bath soaks? Aromatherapy Inhalants, diffuser, etc? Thanks, A. 

A: Dear A, I'm so glad you enjoyed the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Essential Oils article. There are many, many ways to use essential oils to support persons with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and you can probably find many good formulas by looking in the indexes of books available in your area. 

If you liked the bath formula that I have in the article, you could also use it either as a massage oil or in a diffuser. 

For a massage oil, put 3 drops Lavender, 2 drops Petitgrain and 1 drop Frankincense in 2 to 3 tsps of carrier oils, such as Grapeseed Oil or our own Massage Base. 

For the diffuser, make an essential oil blend in the same proportions but use only the essential oils and not the carrier oils. Put a few drops of this blend in your diffuser (for some diffusers, you would be putting the drops of blend in a basin filled with water) - follow the instructions for your diffuser. 

In general, essential oil blends used to comfort those with muscle pain or weakness or muscle fatigue need to be applied directly to the skin, either through massage or a bath. However, for support of persons with symptoms of depression, insomnia, poor concentration and similar problems, diffusers and simple inhalations from the bottle can be very helpful. 

Here are some suggestions for blends: 

To relax and sleep better: blend essential oils of Marjoram and Chamomile in equal proportions. 

For concentration: blend 2 parts Lavender to 1 part Bergamot. 

For support during depression: blend 2 parts Geranium to 1 part Orange 

Also, Shirley Price, in her book, Aromatherapy for Health Professions (published by Churchhill Livingstone, 1999), reports on a case study in which a 25 year old mom with chronic fatigue was greatly helped by using the following formula for a massage oil which was used regularly for full body massage: 

Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender) - 2 drops 

Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea Tree) - 2 drops 

Chamaemelum nobile / Anthemis nobilis (Chamomile) - 2 drops 

Vetiveria zizanioides (Vetiver) - 1 drop 

Combine above in 20 ml of carrier oil (such as Grapeseed or our Massage Base).