- Shower Steamers: Turn your shower into a cooling oasis by adding a few drops of your favorite essential oil (or essential oil blend) on the shower floor just outside the direct stream of water so it fizzes slowly, releasing refreshing aromatic vapors as you shower. The warm steam carries the invigorating scent throughout the shower, helping you feel cooler, clear mental fatigue, and leave you feeling refreshed—perfect after a hot day, a workout, or time in the sun.
- Topical Application: Massage into the back of your neck, on your temples, or onto pulse points such as your wrists and the inside of your elbows. These areas are close to the surface of the skin and can provide an invigorating, cooling sensation while supporting circulation and relaxation.
- Cooling Mist: Create a refreshing face and body mist for hot afternoons, after sun exposure, or whenever you need a quick cool down. Combine a few drops oil – like Lavender – with water and a splash of witch hazel in a spray bottle. Shake well before each use and lightly mist your face (keeping your eyes closed), neck, arms, and legs for an instant burst of freshness.
- Cold Compress: Add 2–3 drops of essential oil to a bowl of cool water, soak a clean washcloth, wring it out, and place it on your forehead, the back of your neck, or your wrists. This combines the natural cooling effects of cold water with the refreshing aroma of the oils to help you feel cooler and more relaxed.
- Cooling Foot Soak: After a long day in the sun or on your feet, add a few drops to a basin of cool water along with Epsom salt for a soothing foot soak. Your feet contain thousands of nerve endings, making this an easy way to refresh your whole body while easing tired, overheated feet.
Temperatures are soaring this summer.
Europe is experiencing a heat wave, and even my hometown of Seattle is seeing record temperatures.
I live in an old home with no air conditioner, which has given me ample opportunity to test cooling essential oils as a natural way to keep your body temperature down.
Whether you’re navigating long days under the sun, feeling sluggish from humidity, or just looking for a natural way to cool down, essential oils can provide natural relief, create a cooling experience and reduce the feeling of heat
They are ideal for hot summer days or humid nights, post-workout recovery, or anytime you feel overheated
How Essential Oils Keep You Cool
Essential oils have been shown to support a cooling and refreshing sensation on the skin or in the air. This effect comes from certain chemical components—like menthol (in peppermint) or 1,8-cineole (in eucalyptus) —that trigger a sensory response in the body.
Here’s how it works:
These compounds do not actually lower your core internal temperature.
But they DO trigger cold-sensitive receptors that respond to cool temperatures, known as Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 8 or TRPM8 for short.
TRPM8 is the primary sensor that tells your brain when it’s cold. Your skin, mouth, and eyes contain millions of sensory neurons where TRPM8 sensors are located. Temperatures between 46°F and 82°F trigger the receptor to open, releasing a nerve signal to the brain.
Certain compounds in essential oils act as agonists. They bind to a specific part of these receptors and trigger it to open, just like cold temperature would. Thus, it mimics the physical sensation of cold, chemically “tricking” your nervous system into sending cold signals to the brain.
While your actual body temperature doesn’t physically lower, your brain perceives an instant, refreshing cooling effect—kind of like a natural “air conditioning” response.
What’s more, oils like peppermint and eucalyptus also cause vasoconstriction, a temporary narrowing of the blood vessels at the skin’s surface, which can reduce the sensation of heat and help the skin feel cooler.
Beyond the initial perception of coolness, this process is heavily utilized for its analgesic properties. Because TRPM8 nerves are part of the body’s broader pain-signaling network, activating them can disrupt and override the transmission of pain and itch signals, effectively numbing localized discomfort, according to research on TRPM8 is the Principal Mediator of Menthol-induced Analgesia of Acute and Inflammatory Pain.
How to Use Essential Oils Keep You Cool
I wanted to share some easy, simple ways to use essential oils to help you cool down and beat the summer heat. Whether you’re spending time outdoors, exercising, travelling, or simply feeling overheated, try these easy application methods to help you feel more refreshed and comfortable this summer.
Best Cooling Essential Oils for Summer
When the temperature climbs, the following essential oil blends may help offer quick relief and refreshment.
Energize™ contains several “cooling” oils that help activate cooling receptors. For example, Peppermint essential oil contains high levels of menthol, giving it the strongest and most immediate cooling effect. Similarly, Spearmint is rich in the constituent Carvone, which contributes to a cooling sensation. What’s more, Black Pepper and Geranium help enhance circulation so your body can regulate temperature more efficiently. Healthy circulation helps distribute heat more evenly rather than allowing it to pool in one area.
Topically apply 1–2 drops to the temples or the back of the neck to help cool you down.
Healthy circulation improves your body’s ability to regulate temperature.
Here’s how it works: Circulation moves heat from the core to the surface of your skin, where the heat then radiates into the surrounding air. This is your body’s primary cooling mechanism. Without adequate blood flow to the skin, heat becomes trapped in the core.
The essential oils in Circulation™ blend are designed to help improve circulation by relaxing the smooth muscles that line the blood vessels, improving your circulation and increasing oxygen levels in the process. Plant compounds, including the highly concentrated essence of plants found in essential oils, have been shown to help the veins contract, stimulating blood flow and enhancing “microcirculation,” which is the flow of blood through the body’s smallest vessels.
Circulation™ blend contains a proprietary formulation of organic and/or wildcrafted essential oils that work synergistically to support healthy circulation and blood flow to the body. For example, they allow the blood vessels near the skin to widen – known as vasodilation— which increases blood flow to the skin, allows more heat to escape and helps to lower core body temperature.
Circulation™ contains Peppermint, known for its high menthol content, which delivers an instant cooling effect. It also contains Black Pepper, which helps to warm the body and stimulates circulation, increasing blood flow and heat. This helps to boost nutrient absorption so much that it is often added to supplement formulations to enhance the effectiveness of the supplement.
Black pepper and its active compound, piperine, have been found to enhance circulation, increasing blood flow throughout your body, which helps increase body temperature. The blend also contains Cypress, which may help improve circulation and contraction of the blood vessels, making it easier to stimulate blood flow.
Apply 2- 3 drops on the sides or back of the neck, over the left clavicle, and on the wrists or ankles to promote circulation and greatly accelerate the healing process.
Your lymphatic system helps to keep your body cool by promoting the conditions that allow tissues to stay healthy, hydrated, and less prone to heat and inflammation.
For example, your lymph helps remove excess inflammatory fluid, helping to reduce the excess heat associated with inflammation.
Your lymphatic system also helps to maintain healthy tissue hydration and supports heat exchange between tissues. Lymph fluid moves through the spaces between cells (the interstitium), helping distribute water, nutrients, proteins, and signaling molecules. Well-hydrated tissues transfer heat more efficiently than congested, stagnant tissues.
Lymph™ blend contains spearmint with strong cooling properties. To enhance lymphatic flow and support full-body cooling, generously apply Lymph™ around the sides of the neck, under the armpits, and along the bikini line.
Healthy fascia allows your body’s natural cooling systems to work more efficiently.
When your body feels overheated, supporting healthy fluid flow can help you cool down.
Your fascia, the connective tissue that surrounds every muscle, organ, and blood vessel, plays a surprisingly important role in internal temperature regulation. This living network helps move blood, lymph, and interstitial fluid throughout the body, allowing heat to travel from your core to your skin, where it can be released.
When fascia becomes dehydrated, dense, or restricted, this movement can become less efficient. Healthy, hydrated fascia supports circulation, lymphatic flow, sweat distribution, and the movement of fluids that help your body regulate temperature naturally.
Fascia Release™ was formulated to support this dynamic tissue. Applied topically, its blend of penetrating essential oils helps encourage healthy circulation, ease areas of tension, and support the mobility of fascia so fluids can move more freely.
Fascia Release™ combines Angelica Root, Black Pepper, Cypress, Elemi, Frankincense, Lavender, Rose, Geranium, Vetiver, Litsea Cubeba, Rosemary, and Ylang Ylang to support healthy connective tissue and fluid movement.
Several of these botanicals are especially helpful during warmer months. Geranium supports skin comfort and healthy perspiration. Litsea Cubeba provides a bright citrus aroma that feels refreshing and uplifting. Lavender promotes relaxation, helping calm both body and mind when heat and stress rise together. Cypress is traditionally used to support healthy circulation and lymphatic flow.
When fascia can glide, fluids can flow. And when fluids flow, your body’s natural cooling mechanisms can function more effectively.
Your hypothalamus is your body’s thermostat. This small but powerful region of the brain continuously receives temperature signals from receptors throughout your skin, organs, spinal cord, and body core. It processes this information and directs the hormonal and nervous system responses needed to keep your temperature in a comfortable range.
When your core temperature rises, the hypothalamus signals your body to cool itself by increasing blood flow to the skin and activating sweat glands. When you’re cold, it triggers responses that conserve and generate heat, including adjusting metabolism and muscle activity.
During perimenopause and menopause, fluctuating estrogen levels can make the hypothalamus more sensitive to even small changes in body temperature. As a result, your internal thermostat may overreact, triggering hot flashes, night sweats, or sudden waves of heat when your body isn’t actually overheating.
Hypothalamus™ is formulated to support this important control center so it can send and receive signals more efficiently. By supporting healthy hypothalamic function, it helps promote balanced communication throughout the endocrine and nervous systems—including the pathways involved in temperature regulation.
When your body’s thermostat is working well, you’re better able to respond to temperature changes with greater ease and comfort.
How to Use: Apply 1 drop of Hypothalamus™ to the forehead just above the space between the eyebrows (the “third eye” area) up to 6 times daily. For aromatic support, inhale directly from the bottle for 3–4 slow breaths.
Have you ever noticed that stress can make you feel even hotter?
Your autonomic nervous system—which helps to balance your sympathetic (“fight-or-flight”) and parasympathetic (“rest-and-digest”) responses—plays an important role in temperature regulation.
At the center of your parasympathetic nervous system is the vagus nerve, which helps respond to the temperature needs of your internal state – coordinating autonomic responses that influence circulation, perspiration, heart rate, and other functions involved in maintaining a comfortable body temperature.
When you’re under chronic stress, your body may remain stuck in a heightened sympathetic state. This can amplify the perception of heat and make it more difficult for your body to transition back to a calm, regulated baseline. During perimenopause and menopause, when the body’s temperature regulation is already more sensitive, this stress response can make hot flashes and overheating feel even more intense.
Parasympathetic® is formulated to support healthy vagus nerve function and encourage parasympathetic activation. By helping your body shift from “fight-or-flight” into “rest-and-regulate,” it supports the nervous system pathways involved in healthy temperature regulation, relaxation, and resilience.
When your nervous system feels safe, your body is often better able to respond appropriately to changes in temperature.
Parasympathetic® blend helps stimulate your vagus nerve and activate your parasympathetic nervous system to support healthy temperature regulation. Apply Parasympathetic® over the vagus nerve (behind the earlobe on the mastoid bone) to activate the vagus nerve.
Known for its high menthol content, Peppermint™ delivers an instant cooling effect that you feel within seconds. It stimulates cold-sensitive nerves, making it one of the most effective oils for immediate relief from heat.
Peppermint essential oil contains a high amount of 50-55% of the alcohol (monoterpenol) menthol that provides an immediate tingling, cooling sensation. The alcohol is believed to evaporate quickly and takes heat with it, hence being cooling in its action.
Peppermint has anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic properties, which help support the relief of intense heat and pain. What’s more, the flavonoids contained in Peppermint were found to have a potent inhibitory effect on excessive histamine release from mast cells. The menthol constituent helps support throat infections, colds, and flu, along with asthma, bronchitis, and sinusitis.
Known for helping lower your nervous system’s baseline, Lavender provides a different kind of cooling than peppermint. Rather than creating an intense cooling sensation, lavender helps the body feel cooler by calming the stress response, easing emotional tension, and supporting the skin’s natural recovery after heat or sun exposure.
One of lavender’s primary constituents, linalool, has been shown to support relaxation and is traditionally considered energetically cooling. By promoting parasympathetic nervous system activity, lavender may help reduce the feelings of stress, irritability, and internal “heat” that often accompany hot, humid weather or emotional overwhelm.
Lavender is also rich in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds that help soothe skin irritated by sun exposure, heat, insect bites, or minor environmental stressors. It supports the skin’s natural repair process while helping reduce redness and discomfort, making it a favorite addition to after-sun sprays, cooling mists, compresses, and body lotions.
While not traditionally thought of as a “cooling” oil like peppermint, lavender offers a gentle, lasting sense of cool through its ability to calm the mind, comfort the skin, and support the body’s natural recovery from heat. It’s an ideal choice when you want to feel refreshed, relaxed, and restored on a warm summer day.
Featured Oils:
Ready to get started? Click the link below to order today:
- Parasympathetic® – Click here
- Energize™ – Click here
- Circulation™ – Click here
- Lymph™ – Click here
- Fascia Release™ – Click here
- Hypothalamus – Click here
- Peppermint™ – Click here
- Lavender™ – Click here
