Boy, do we have news for you.
Essential oils for men offer all-natural, organic alternatives to so many chemical-laden pharmaceutical treatments. These oils can do everything from taming unruly facial hair to soothing sore muscles to assisting with erection issues or giving you a confidence boost.
So, which essential oils are recommended for men? What can you do with them? How should you use them?
Read on to find out!
The best essential oils for men
What is the best essential oil for men? Good news: essential oils are not gendered! Although there are some that work better for one gender than the other, you’ll find that most overlap to a degree. Some women will prefer certain traditionally masculine scents, and certain men will like what many deem female aromas more. Let your nose be your guide!
Whether you prefer smelling woody and traditionally masculine or fragrant and floral, there is a scent for every man.
Bergamot
Bergamot essential oil has a citrusy, fresh scent profile, akin to orange but with the floral, round notes of lemon added to the mix. This oil can be an amazing antidote to feelings of depression, grief and sadness because of its compounds. Bergamot contains roughly 30% linalyl acetate and esters, and these can have calming, soothing effects on us whilst still being a brilliant essential oil scent for men.
Bergamot oil is so refreshing it’s sometimes referred to as ‘nature’s Prozac’, and it’s excellent for treating states of nervous tension and mental agitation and can calm you down when you’re feeling overwhelmed emotionally. It’s even effective when it comes to reducing vascular tension, turning it into a weapon in the fight against cardiovascular disease - something that's more prevalent in men than women. And hey, vascular tension is something guys don’t want when the mood is right - you’ll need all the blood supply you can get!
Cedarwood
With a woodsy scent and an undertone of citrus, cedarwood essential oil has balsamic hints and a somewhat camphorous odour, making it a widely used ingredient in many colognes. Along with its brilliant smell, cedarwood oil will do wonders for your skin, priming it for new beard growth to flourish if that’s your aim. It’ll also regulate the amount of oil your body produces, helping to keep the skin underneath your beard free of blemishes. No wonder many beard oils contain cedarwood oil.
What makes it one of the best essential oils for men is that it does all this while encouraging mental clarity and focus too, so you can not only look sharp but be sharp too!
Frankincense
Frequently described as having a sweet, woodsy scent with an undercurrent of lemon, frankincense essential oil has been used in scents and perfumes for thousands of years. It’s still a common base note in many perfumes and colognes. It has an earthy, spicy scent that is tied to spirituality - which for some, also means sensuality.
Frankincense is popular in aromatherapy for treating tiredness, turning bad moods around and boosting confidence. Use it when you feel like you need a bit of a pick-me-up and need some positivity injected into your day or night.
Add a few drops to your diffuser when you’re feeling anxious or stressed and you’ll soon start feeling much better. It also helps with symptoms of asthma, bronchitis and severe coughing. Research has shown that frankincense is also effective in battling inflammation.
And mixing it with a high-quality carrier oil and your other favourite essential oils before rubbing it into your skin to deal with scars is a popular way to include it in essential oil blends for men you’ll use all the time.
Grapefruit
While grapefruit may seem like a bit of a feminine scent, it offers surprisingly tasteful top notes to many men’s cologne. We get grapefruit essential oil by cold pressing or steam distilling the rinds of the fruit. Interestingly, as bitter as the peels are, the oil is remarkably sweet, citrusy, uplifting and pleasant. This oil is another one that is good at fighting throat and respiratory infections and it can also be a miracle worker in terms of muscle aches and fatigue.
Emotionally, you can use grapefruit oil to balance out your mood and restore a lost connection to the way you’re feeling. It promotes the healthy release of anger and resentment, making it the perfect choice if you’re the strong and silent type, and you may find relief from symptoms of depression and nervous exhaustion after extended use of this unlikely essential oil for men.