Libido and Essential Oils: Increase Your Sex Drive

Since ancient times, essential oils have been used to awaken desire and feelings of sensuality. Queue Marvin Gaye…

It’s true, essential oils can be used to increase sex drive in both men and women! Why is this?

The olfactory system is closely connected to the limbic system in the brain, so using aromatherapy stimulates the limbic system (where emotional memory is stored).  To put it more simply, the sense of smell and the sex drive are connected.  It’s for this reason that essential oils have such profound physiological and psychological effects when it comes to sexual desire.

There are of course, hormonal and medical reasons that both men and women may lose their desire for intimacy.  And while essential oils can help with this, always visit a doctor first if you feel this may be the issue.

Aside from medical reasons, a few intimacy killers can include: exhaustion, stress, feelings of sadness or anxiousness, new children (god love ’em), major changes in life, etc.  Again, essential oils can help with this too, but always look for ways to relax and de-stress (especially for the ladies, women have a much harder time compartmentalizing, so stress from one area of life can bleed over into the bedroom).

Before we get into the essential oils, a few quick suggestions:  1) make sure you’re both getting plenty of sleep, 2) eat nutritious food, and 3) get daily exercise.  These will go a long way toward being able to get in the mood.

Now, let’s bring out the big guns! Essential oils can be used topically if diluted in a carrier oil (think massage oil), burned in a diffuser, or used in a bath (for instance with sea salts).

Here are the most popular essential oils for increasing sex drive:

• Orange –  Overcomes shyness, increases attraction between people, and is a great oil for lifting moods.
• Ylang Ylang – one of the more powerful aphrodisiacs, ylang ylang increases libido and attraction.  It enhances sensuality, energizes, stimulates the senses, and intensifies feelings.  It eases anxiety, anger, and fear, and combats impotence and frigidity due to its powerful erogenous effect.  It’s also mildly euphoric.
• Rose – Boosts sexuality and balances hormones.  Enhances feelings of happiness while easing anxiety, sadness, anger, jealousy and fear.  This is one of the more expensive essential oils, it takes approximately 22 pounds of rose petals for a 5-ml bottle!
• Jasmine -Enhances mood and feelings of sensuality, adds to energy levels, and is mildly euphoric.  Relieves stress, fear, and anxiety.  Combats frigidity and impotence.
• Sandalwood – Elevates the level of physical intimacy. Enhances feelings of sexuality and openness.  Enhances physical sensuality, male arousal, relieves nervous tension, and induces a state of calmness.
• Clary Sage – Regulates and balances hormones in women, improves sexual desire, decreases inhibitions, relaxes, and is mildly euphoric.  However, if you are trying to get pregnant, this one should be avoided.

Which one to use?  This is an area where experimentation works best, although a combination of a few will probably do the trick… start with an essential oil sea salt bath (maybe jasmine and ylang ylang) then an essential oil massage (try cedarwood, clary sage, orange, and ylang ylang with your favorite carrier oil).