Essential Oils for Sex and Intimacy

Essential Oils in the Bedroom:  Top Sensual Oils for Women

• Yylang ylang
• Clary sage
• Rose
• Geranium
• Jasmine

Can women use essential oils for sex or to boost libido? It’s a good question, and one that a lot of women are asking.

You may have heard people talk about using essential oils for libido or to spice things up in the bedroom, and you may even have heard them mention specific oils, like ylang ylang or clary sage. But do they work, which ones work, and how do you use them?

Before we jump into talking about essential oils for sex, let’s first acknowledge that the path to embracing and enjoying our sexuality as women often seems very difficult to navigate. Everything pulls us in the opposite direction – the direction that leads to stress, fatigue, and little or no interest in sex.

And the sensual woman inside of us, the one who used to show up with some frequency, seems to have disappeared. Very often, it seems like finding her will take more effort and energy than we have to give.

For me, finding that inner sensual woman has been difficult at times. In trying to find her, I’ve taken a number of steps, including taking better care of my health, exercising regularly,  and getting my mind around the fact that sex is important for me, not just my husband.

But I wanted more, and so I started thinking about essential oils for sex and sensuality. (Includes affiliate links)

I knew a little bit about essential oils, but not much. I believed they could help promote physical and emotional health in some cases, and so I started to wonder if they could be used to increase libido or sexual energy. As it turns out, it seems likely that they can. After some reading and study, here’s what I learned:

1. People have used essential oils to increase sensuality and libido for thousands of years.

The idea of using essential oils for sex and sensuality, and the belief that essential oils can increase interest in and enjoyment of sex,  is not new; people have been using them for those purposes for a very long time.

Ancient Egyptian writers and artists often created sensual images by referring to scents and fragrances in the context of sexual relationships. And the Song of Songs in the Bible refers to scents, perfumes and anointing oils as part of its sensual imagery.

2. While many essential oils are considered to have sensual properties, several emerge as the top sensual oils for women.

Although a woman’s response to scents is very individual and personal, certain scents are considered to be particularly sensual or evocative for women. Modern Essentials, 5th Edition lists ylang ylang, clary sage, rose, geranium, and jasmine as essential oils for sex or sensuality for women, ones that may promote sexual energy or enhance libido.

Other sources mention sandalwood, cinnamon and the citrus oils. Some companies create blends of oils that are designed to promote sensuality and sexuality in women, using the sensual scents they consider most effective.

For example, one of those blends, my current favorite sensual essential oil blend, contains patchouli, bergamot, sandalwood, rose, jasmine, cinnamon bark, vetiver, ylang ylang, geranium, and cocoa and vanilla bean extracts. (And purchasing it as a blend is much less expensive than purchasing all of those oils separately, although if you have a number of oils on hand you can create your own sensual essential oil blends.)

3. Oils can be used in several ways to enhance sensual feelings.

Generally, these methods involve applying diluted essential oils to the skin, inhaling the scent of the oils, or both. The oils should be diluted in a carrier oil (such as almond oil, light olive oil or liquid coconut oil) and can be worn as a perfume.

The same oil mixture can be used as a sensual massage oil. In addition, oils can be added to a warm bath or shower, diffused or sprayed into the air, or spritzed onto bed linens. (Don’t add carrier oils to a bath or shower, as they can be slippery.)

4. Different oils appeal to different women.

Some women love floral scents, such ylang ylang, jasmine or rose. Some feel energized by spicy scents, like cinnamon, or energizing scents, like lemon or orange. Some women may consider a relaxing scent to be sensual, while others may find that an invigorating scent increases their sexual energy.

So, armed with this information, I tested some of these oils and blends:

I diluted all of these in a carrier oil, either fractionated coconut oil or almond oil.  I wanted to try ylang ylang because it came up repeatedly in my research as a primary essential oil for sensuality in women.

But it’s very strong and very floral, so I added wild orange or bergamot (a light citrus scent) to “soften” it. I’ve used all of these mixtures as a perfume (separately, not together); I put some of them in roller bottles for easy application and the rest in regular oil bottles.

I also used a couple of the combinations as a bath oil and a massage oil. I talked my husband into giving me several massages (it wasn’t that hard!).And I took the advice of a midwife friend, who suggested rolling or massaging the oil mixtures onto the lower abdomen (over the ovaries).

(Prefer to watch and learn? Check out this video.)