5 Essential Oils That Help Stop Smoking

Millions who struggle with an addiction to cigarettes find that it is not an easy feat to quit smoking. Some try to quit cold turkey but later struggle with withdrawal symptoms. Many take the help of nicotine patches and chewing gums, electronic cigarettes, herbs, acupuncture, medication, and even meditation and hypnosis. What if we told you essential oils can help you stop smoking too.

Studies have found if something can make you feel the way you felt when you smoked a cigarette, you could use that particular to fight your cigarette craving and other withdrawal symptoms.¹ And certain aromatherapy oils can indeed give you that sensation. They are absorbed into your bloodstream through inhalation and even topical application. Essential oils for smoking cessation basically work to reduce cravings, lessen anxiety and stress, and ease the nervous system while quitting smoking. You can inhale them directly from the bottle, get a whiff of them on a handkerchief or tissue, rub a drop or two on your wrists, use them with a carrier oil for a massage, or just use in a diffuser. So what essential oils are good for quitting smoking? Let’s find out.

1. Black Pepper Essential Oil

Black pepper is touted as one of the best essential oils for quitting smoking. And there’s scientific proof too! In a study, a cigarette substitute delivering a vapor of black pepper essential oil, mint, or menthol and an empty cartridge was tested on 48 smokers. The participants were deprived of smoking overnight and asked to try either of the smoking devices with these three vapors. The craving for cigarettes was significantly reduced in the group inhaling black pepper essential oil vapors. It also alleviated anxiety when compared to the unflavored placebo. The intensity of sensations in the chest was also significantly higher for the pepper group, indicating that respiratory tract sensations are important in relieving smoking withdrawal symptoms.²

2. Angelica Oil

If you’re struggling with kicking the butt, angelica oil is one of the essential oils that you definitely need to try. Often called the “oil of angels” owing to its calming aroma and effects, studies have found that this is one of the most useful smoking essential oils to curb nicotine cravings. When 20 volunteers who were regular users of nicotine (cigarettes, snuff, or chewing tobacco) were asked to smell angelica oil drops on a tissue, the results were astounding. Just 2 minutes of inhaling the vapors of the aromatherapy oil reduced the craving and also caused a delay in the next use.³ Angelica oil is known to be one of the good essential oils for smokers lungs and it is used for many respiratory problems in aromatherapy.

3. Lavender, Chamomile, And Bergamot Oils

Smoking cessation essential oils are not only effective when the vapors are inhaled but also when they are topically applied to the skin, as one study reports. Forty-eight female college students were recruited in a smoking cessation program applying aromatherapy massage or a control group. The treatment group was taught to conduct a self-hand massage with a blend of lavender, chamomile, and bergamot aroma essence oils. The results of this study showed that the smoking cessation program applying aromatherapy massage resulted in significantly reducing the number of cigarettes smoked per day, smoking-related anxiety, nicotine cravings, and withdrawal symptoms.⁴

4. Citrus Oils

When you’re trying to quit smoking with essential oils, you can also try to make your own blend, tailored to your specific withdrawal symptoms. Do you feel nervous, angry, anxious, or irritable when a craving strikes? Perhaps you feel drained or lethargic. Citrus oils like lemon, grapefruit, and orange blossom are said to have an uplifting effect because of their clean smell. A study has also shown that artificial lemon fragrance worked almost as well in smoking cessation as a nicotine patch and placebo.⁵

So you can try one of these smoking essential oils in a vaporizer and see if it works for you, especially if you feel irritable, angry, and agitated. You can also try to get a whiff of them by pouring a couple of drops of these essential oils on a handkerchief. Keep it on you and inhale the aroma every time you crave nicotine.

5. Ylang-Ylang Oil

This essential oil, when poured on a cotton square and placed on pillowcases, helps curb cravings during the night. Inhaling the vapors from a cotton square also helps manage cravings during the day. In a study quoted in the book Clinical Aromatherapy: Essential Oils in Practice by Jane Buckle, participants reported that smelling ylang-ylang oil relieved the stress and anxiety during the moments when cravings hit. It is effective in easing daytime cravings and is especially helpful when diffused overnight.

Clove, clary sage, marjoram, and cinnamon are some other oils to try.