Can Essential Oils Treat Erection Problems?

For hundreds of years, herbalists and folk medicine practitioners have used essential oils to treat a number of diseases and disorders, including erection problems. Just remember: essential oils are extremely concentrated, and in most cases should not be put directly on the skin. It’s also worthwhile to remember that there are several readily-available, FDA-approved prescription medications that effectively treat erectile dysfunction in most men.

 

While the idea of treating erectile dysfunction with essential oils might seem a bit far-fetched to you, a growing body of anecdotal evidence shows it can be useful, particularly for certain types of erectile dysfunction.

• TABLE OF CONTENTS
• Introduction
• What Are Essential Oils?
• What Is Aromatherapy?
• Essential Oils Used to Treat ED
• Aloe Vera
• Basil Oil
• Cardamom
• Cedarwood
• Cinnamon
• Clary Sage
• Clove
• Ginger Oil
• Jasmine Oil
• Lavender Oil
• Nutmeg
• Rose Oil
• Rosemary
• Sandalwood
• Ylang Ylang
• If All Else Fails

Introduction

Given the flood of print and broadcast commercials over the last two decades for Viagra and the other PDE5 inhibitors such as Cialis and Levitra, most Americans are now aware that insufficient blood flow is one of the primary causes of ED. However, other men — even young men with robust blood flow — may suffer from ED that is psychological in origin, caused by depression, anxiety, and problems coping with stress.

Treatment with essential oils appears to be most beneficial to men whose impotence is largely traceable to psychological issues. These naturally sourced oils tend to combat anxiety, improve mood, and also act as a natural aphrodisiac. This last property is of particular importance to men who have lost their desire for sex and desperately need to find ways to fire up their libido.

However, many men with erection problems, even those caused by insufficient blood flow, over time may develop certain psychological hang-ups that exacerbate their symptoms of ED. Such men may also benefit from the use of essential oils as an adjunctive therapy to treatment with PDE5 inhibitors such as Viagra and Cialis.

What Are Essential Oils?

According to an article posted at the website of the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy, the term “essential oils” is actually a contraction of “quintessential oils.” Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle believed that matter is composed of four elements — air, earth, fire, and water. Yet another element, quintessence was considered the spirit or life force that animates matter.

According to NAHA, the International Organization for Standardization defines essential oils as compounds produced by distillation with water or steam or by dry distillation of natural materials. After the distillation process, the essential oil is separated physically from the water or steam used for distillation.

 

Brian Lawrence, widely considered an expert on essential oils, says a true essential oil “must be isolated by physical means only. The physical methods used are distillation (steam, steam/water and water) or expression (also known as cold pressing, a unique feature for citrus peel oils).” He points out, however, that there is another method of essential oil isolation that is specific to a limited number of plants from which essential oils are extracted. That method is known as maceration/distillation, a process during which plant materials are macerated or softened in warm water to release enzyme-bound essential oils. Essential oils produced through maceration/distillation include bitter almond, garlic, onion, and wintergreen.

What Is Aromatherapy?

Any mention of aromatherapy, an alternative form of medical treatment, tends to evoke images of New Age herbalists looking for pleasing scents that can perk up the spirits of patients and thus help them along the road to recovery. In fact, aromatherapy, albeit in more primitive form, has been around for more than 5,000 years, according to clinical nutritionist Josh Axe, who’s also a certified doctor of natural medicine.

Essential oils contain the compounds that give most plant materials their distinctive scent. And for the most part, these essential oils are distilled from plants that are reputed to have healing properties. When these therapeutic-grade essential oils are inhaled or applied to the skin, they have been shown to help many people overcome health issues without resorting to conventional medications.

Axe says that aromatherapy can be used in a number of different ways. Some patients use a diffuser to fill the air around them with the scents from one or more essential oils. Alternatively, a patient can inhale the scent of an essential oil directly from the bottle or from a cloth soaked in the compound. Others get the benefits of aromatherapy from massages using one or more essential oils or from soaking in an oil-infused bath.

Essential Oils Used to Treat ED

While not all essential oils are useful for the treatment of ED, a number have demonstrated — largely through anecdotal reports — an ability to resolve problems of impotence and to fire up the libido in men who have lost their interest in sex. These are some of the essential oils most often cited as erection-friendly:

• Aloe vera
• Basil oil
• Cardamom
• Cedarwood
• Cinnamon
• Clary sage
• Clove
• Ginger oil
• Jasmine oil
• Lavender oil
• Nutmeg
• Rose oil
• Rosemary
• Sandalwood
• Ylang ylang

Aloe Vera

Long reputed for its skin-healing properties, aloe vera has a number of other medicinal properties. Used as an aromatherapeutic agent in experiments with laboratory mice, aloe vera essential oils appeared to stimulate cell division thus increasing the body’s production of testosterone, which helps to support sexual desire and also increase sperm count.

Basil Oil

Basil oil, according to MenSexualClinic.com, reputedly helps to relieve the symptoms of erectile dysfunction and also increase sexual pleasure in both men and women. This essential oil’s calmative properties are key to its success in relieving ED among men whose impotence stems from anxiety or inability to cope with stress.

Cardamom

Best known as a spice extracted from the seeds of several plants native to the Indian subcontinent, cardamom in essential oil form is considered a powerful aphrodisiac that paves the way for sexual arousal. It also helps to improve vascular function, which is essential to optimal erectile function, according to BelMarraHealth.com.

Cedarwood

The essential oil from cedarwood is prized for its calming and soothing properties, which can be very helpful in overcoming ED symptoms in men troubled with performance anxiety or unable to cope with everyday stress.

Cinnamon

Not yet widely studied in human males, animal research has shown that essential oil from cinnamon stimulates the body’s production of sperm and testosterone, the latter of which can help to promote sexual desire. Derived from the bark of  several tree species from the genus Cinnamomum, cinnamon has long been used as an aphrodisiac.

Clary Sage

Mildly intoxicating, according to an article at BelMarraHealth.com, Clary sage is widely considered the single best essential oil for the treatment of ED, particularly in men whose impotence is due at least in part to sexual inhibition. Clary sage triggers feelings of excitement and euphoria and helps to balance and regulate hormones, which is likely a key factor in its erection-friendly reputation.

Clove

The essential oil from cloves, often used in combination with the essential oil of nutmeg, has been shown in animal studies to stimulate sexual activity. According to BelMarraHealth.com, a 2003 study found that the combination of clove and nutmeg oils increased sexual activity in male mice. Both of these essential oils are classified as nervous system stimulants and are believed to improve vascular function.

Ginger Oil

Long used as an aphrodisiac by both men and women, ginger is a powerful antioxidant and helps to protect against oxidative stress, which is the culprit behind a wide array of physiological and psychological ills in both men and women. Studies of ginger oil’s effects on male rats indicate that it both stimulates and regulates hormonal activity.

Jasmine Oil

In addition to its calmative properties, jasmine oil appears to promote robust blood flow, which is essential to normal erectile function. Within the natural medicine community, jasmine oil is one of the most popular options for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.

Lavender Oil

One of the most widely used essential oils in aromatherapy, lavender oil has a long list of medicinal properties, including its anti-anxiety and calmative effects. However, its application as a treatment for ED is predicated in large part on findings that its scent — as well as that of pumpkin pie — stimulates blood flow to the penis, thus increasing sexual arousal.

Nutmeg

Extracts from nutmeg have been used for centuries as a treatment for ED among the traditional medicine systems of South Asia. To learn more about the use of nutmeg’s essential oil in combination with cloves, check out the Cloves entry above.

Rose Oil

For men whose erection problems can be traced to depression, aromatherapy with rose oil is said to be an excellent choice. Rose oil tends to increase brain levels of dopamine, a neurotransmitter closely associated with pleasure and sexual desire.

Rosemary

A powerful antioxidant, which science has shown us is a potent tool against a variety of ills, rosemary reduced reproductive function damage and oxidative stress in an animal study published in 2015. Used in combination with lavender, rosemary appears to increase testosterone levels, which can help to promote strong sexual desire.

Sandalwood

Studies have shown that this essential oil is effective in relieving anxiety, depression, and stress, all of which are key causative factors in ED of psychological origin. Sandalwood also appears to enhance sensuality, which is obviously conducive to more normal sexual function.

Ylang Ylang

Said to improve overall mood, ylang ylang (pronounced EElang EElang) essential oil possesses a powerful scent with reputed aphrodisiac properties. It also is said to enhance sexual energy and help to fire up the libido.

If All Else Fails

Depending on the severity of your ED symptoms, you may have to treat the problem with one or more therapies to get the desired results. For men whose erection problems are relatively mild, treatment with essential oils alone could conceivably resolve the issue. However, those with more severe symptoms of ED might have to supplement their aromatherapy with one of the popular ED drugs, known collectively as PDE5 inhibitors.

Under current U.S. regulations, PDE5 inhibitors can be purchased by prescription only. You can obtain one from your regular doctor that then can be filled at the local pharmacy or used to place an online order with a reliable facilitator such as eDrugstore.com. If you already have a prescription, you can fax it or scan and email it to eDrugstore along with your order.

If you’d prefer to avoid the added cost of a visit to the doctor’s office, eDrugstore.com can set up a complimentary online consultation with one of its team of licensed U.S. physicians. If you are found to be an appropriate candidate for a PDE5 inhibitor, a prescription will be authorized at no charge to you. Order as few or as many drugs as you like, and eDrugstore.com will send them, discreetly packaged, directly to your home address. To learn more about erectile dysfunction and its causes, as well as the drugs available to treat it, click below to access our Male Impotence page.