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5 Best Relaxing Scents Backed by Science to Ease Stress
Written By Natalie Wilkinson
Smell affects mood almost immediately. Humans can detect over 1 trillion odors, and just one inhalation of a calming scent can affect your nervous system. In a 2015 study, women who inhaled lavender oil twice weekly for 20 minutes slept better and reported less fatigue. Likewise, a 2013 test study found that rose geranium significantly reduced anxiety levels in patients.
When you inhale certain scents, your nervous system responds in seconds and your brain shifts from fight-or-flight to rest-and-digest
The moment you smell the right fragrance, the molecules travel through your nose to the olfactory bulb, which is directly connected to your limbic system (the emotional control center of the brain). This system then signals the parasympathetic “rest and digest” state, which is the opposite of “fight or flight.”
The result? Your heart rate drops, your muscles relax, and your stress hormone levels fall—all from breathing in a fragrance. With that said, only certain scents trigger the parasympathetic system. In light of this, our review team voted Healing Solutions’ Comfort blend best overall out of five popular relaxing scents.
5 Best Relaxing Scents of 2025
Healing Solutions Relaxing Scent
Best Overall
Some days feel too loud. The Healing Solutions Comfort blend takes off the edge—and surprisingly fast. It’s formulated specifically for stress relief and relaxation. The scent leans warm and slightly honeyed, with soft citrus notes from lemongrass and sweet orange oils, a hint of grounding from rose geranium, and soothing floral undertones from cananga. This is what happens when you inhale it: orange uplifts your mood and soothes, cananga slows your heart and calms your nerves, lemongrass releases physical tension, and rose geranium helps balance your stress hormones. Together, the aroma is calming without being too floral or sharp. Within minutes, your heart rate slows, tension drops, and your mind softens into stillness. It’s a smell you want diffusing in the background while you unwind or work through a moment that teeters on overload.
Because it’s undiluted, you’ll want to use it in a diffuser or mix it with a carrier oil if applying to skin. The oil comes in an amber glass bottle with a built-in eyedropper for controlled use, and each batch is GC-MS tested for purity. The test results are even available on the Healing Solutions website if you want full transparency. The reason why this blend ranks so high is simple: it works. We voted it best overall because… well, it smells heavenly—and it will make you forget the noise of the day in under five minutes.
Nexon Botanics Relaxing Scent
Runner-Up
This scent feels like a deep breath on a hard day. The Nexon Botanics Stress Relief roll-on blends sweet geranium, citrusy orange, floral frankincense, black spruce, lavender, and a touch of ylang-ylang. It smells soft and exotic—floral with a woodsy edge and just enough citrus to brighten it. The frankincense grounds you, the black spruce clears your head, the lavender melts away tension, and the ylang-ylang brings a soft, dreamy calm. In essence, the combination is ideal when you’re overwhelmed and just need your mood to shift. Whether you’re heading into a stressful meeting or winding down before bed, this scent brings the calm.
The cherry on top? It’s pre-diluted and ready to apply to wrists, temples, or even the soles of your feet just before bed. All in all, with over 38,000 reviews and a 4.5-star rating, this scent isn’t just calming—it makes you feel more balanced, more collected… more you.
Maple Holistics Relaxing Scent
Best Range
If your home had a “relax” button, this would be it. The Maple Holistics Relax blend contains lavender, Roman chamomile, geranium, and ylang-ylang—each one known for its calming, floral aroma. Together, they create a soft scent that’s sweet and mellow. Think lemon rind, rose petals, and snapped green stems.
Moreover, the 1-ounce bottle is ideal for nighttime wind-downs, slow mornings, or even yoga and meditation sessions. Just add a few drops to your diffuser or bath, and you’ve got instant calm in a bottle. Range-wise, the brand offers many essential oils—but if you’re focused on winding down, there are three scents to choose from: “Relax,” “Breathe,” and “Chill.” According to customers, the smell of “Relax” (photo above) is the clear winner. The “Breathe” blend lands at number two for calming the mind, and “Chill” takes third for its soft, mellow scent. Not sure which to choose? The variety set makes it easy to try them all.
Gya Labs Relaxing Scent
Budget-Friendly Pick
For something that fits in your palm, our fourth scent offers more than a little moment of peace. This relaxing scent feels like stepping into sunlight after a long day. Gya Labs’ Stress Relief roll-on blends ylang-ylang, rose geranium, sweet orange, and a hint of lemongrass—creating a scent that’s floral, citrusy, and bright. The ylang-ylang lifts the mood, the geranium adds softness, and the orange gives it a clean, happy finish. Of course, it’s pre-diluted, so you can swipe it on your wrists or temples for quick calm before work, after travel, or in the middle of a busy day.
It’s lightweight, non-greasy, and comes in a TSA-friendly size you can keep in your bag or desk drawer. It’s also certified ClimatePartner for its reduced and offset carbon impact. So, if you’re after a relaxing scent that feels uplifting rather than sleepy, this is a solid one to keep close—and it smells good enough to wear as a natural perfume.
O’Linear Relaxing Scent
Best Value
Some scents are made to lift your mood—and this one does exactly that. The O’Linear Feel Good blend combines floral notes like lavender and rose with bright lemon, spicy cinnamon, and soft geranium. The result is surprisingly balanced: fresh and floral with a warm, cozy base. It’s the kind of scent that clears the air and boosts your mood without overpowering the room. Simply add a few drops to your diffuser and the space feels lighter, calmer, and… well, happier.
This is also the biggest bottle on our list. At 3.4 fluid ounces, it’s ideal if you go through calming oils fast. It’s also undiluted, so you’ll want to stick to diffuser or humidifier use unless you mix it with a carrier oil. With over 6,900 reviews and a 4.5-star rating, this is the one to choose if you want your space to smell like peace and possibility. Simply add a few drops to your diffuser and the space feels lighter, calmer, and… well, happier.
Choosing the Best Relaxing Scents: A User’s Guide
7 Things You Need to Consider When Choosing a Relaxing Scent
A relaxing scent isn’t just about what smells “nice.” It’s about how your brain responds to it. One sniff can slow your heart rate, drop your cortisol levels, and cue your body to shift into rest mode.
1. Start With Why You Want It
Are you using a relaxing scent to help you fall asleep? To stay focused during stressful workdays? To unwind in the bath? Some oils are better for mental clarity while others are all about easing anxiety.
For example, lavender and frankincense are go-tos for deep calm. But citrus oils like sweet orange or bergamot can also relax you without making you drowsy.
2. Understand Oil Blends vs. Single Oils
You’ll find both single oils (like pure lavender or eucalyptus) and blends that combine multiple oils. Of course, blends are often made to target a specific outcome—like stress relief, focus, or sleep.
The Healing Solutions Stress Relief Blend, for example, is a pre-balanced formula made specifically to take the edge off. It includes soft citrus from sweet orange, grounding elements like geranium or frankincense, and floral undertones from cananga.
3. Check for Purity
“100% pure” and “natural” don’t mean much without proof. So, look for oils that are GC-MS tested. That stands for Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry—a test that checks for quality and purity.
If a company’s willing to post their GC-MS reports online, that’s a green flag. Some oils may still be labeled “pure” but include fillers or synthetics that ruin both the effect and the scent. The Healing Solutions Stress Relief Blend above is GC-MS tested, and the test results are easy to access online.
4. How You’ll Use It
Essential oils can be used in different ways: in a diffuser, added to a bath, or applied topically with a carrier oil. But here’s the key—if you only plan to diffuse it, don’t waste time with diluted formulas. Go for undiluted oils so the scent actually fills a room.
If you want to wear it on your wrists or add it to lotion, make sure the oil is skin-safe and that you’re mixing it properly.
5. Pay Attention to How It Smells to You
You might love the smell of something like patchouli or vetiver—until you smell it and wonder why your room reeks of potting soil. Personal preference matters. Everyone’s sense of smell and emotional response is different. That’s why it’s smart to read reviews where people describe the scent and how they use it. Some oils are more floral, others more herbal or woodsy. Know what you lean toward.
6. Check the Packaging
Essential oils should come in dark amber or cobalt blue glass bottles to block light. Essentially (pun intended), light degrades oil over time, which kills both the scent and the effect.
7. Consider the Price
Pure essential oils are concentrated, which means they take a lot of plant material to produce. If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is. That said, you can find solid oils under $10.
Bottom Line?
If you’re not sure where to start, go for a GC-MS-tested blend that’s been rated highly for actual stress relief—not just scent. The Healing Solutions Stress Relief Blend checks those boxes and was voted best overall by our team for a reason. It’s affordable, works in a diffuser, and smells heavenly.
And remember—your nose knows. If it calms you, it’s the right one.
Relaxing Scents FAQs
Which essential oils are the most calming?
Lavender, frankincense, bergamot, sweet orange, and chamomile are some of the top calming oils. Each affects the brain slightly differently, but all help ease tension and promote relaxation.
How do essential oils help you relax?
When you inhale essential oils, the scent travels through your nose to the brain’s limbic system. This triggers a drop in stress hormones and activates your parasympathetic nervous system—your body’s rest mode.
What’s the best essential oil to use for stress?
Blends designed for stress relief—like lavender with citrus or frankincense with florals—tend to work better than single oils for most people.
Why did the Healing Solutions Stress Relief Blend rank best overall?
It’s GC-MS tested for purity, undiluted, and formulated specifically to ease stress. Likewise, the scent is warm, slightly citrusy, and not overpowering. I look forward to smelling it every day.
Is it better to use diluted or undiluted essential oils?
Undiluted oils are better for diffusers because the scent is stronger and cleaner. For skin use, always dilute an undiluted oil with a carrier oil—straight essential oil can irritate your skin.
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