I calm an anxiety attack: my 5 essential oils for moments of panic

Christian St-Pierre

Anxiety can hum in the background; panic, on the other hand, overflows all at once, short breath, pounding heart, looping thoughts. I’m not looking for a magical “off” switch: I rely on a 90-second reset (breath + grounding + inhalation) that I’ve practiced beforehand. In a few breaths, the alarm lowers, the exhale lengthens, and I regain just enough clarity to act.

Here, I go straight to the practical with five complementary allies: petitgrain bigarade to bring everything down a notch without shutting you down, khella when the breath locks up, yuzu to lighten the emotional wave, vetiver to come back into the body and interrupt the surge, and German chamomile to release physical tension and soften the system.

No complicated protocol: 60–90 seconds of inhalation, 10–15 minutes of diffusion if needed, a 1–2% diluted trace on the sternum or wrists to maintain the effect. I breathe, I ground myself, I inhale the scent… and I take back the steering wheel, one step at a time.

1- Petitgrain Bigarade (Citrus aurantium var. amara, leaves)

Key molecules: Linalyl acetate, Linalool, α-Terpineol
Overall effect: Balancing and soothing; eases nervous tension, supports emotional reset, and brings a clear, calm steadiness when the mind feels scattered or overstimulated.

When panic rises suddenly, racing heart, colliding thoughts, breath too short, petitgrain helps you come back down without knocking you out. Its green, slightly woody note calms the autonomic nervous system: you feel the body drop half a notch, the inside reorganize, and the breath return to a rhythm you can follow. It’s not an “escape”; it’s an accessible deceleration.

I use it at the very beginning of a panic surge, when I feel the shift coming. A slow 60–90-second inhalation, preferably seated, is often enough to undo the escalation. If I want to continue, I take three long exhales, the exhale is always the key.

In diffusion, ten minutes create a grounding backdrop, helpful at the end of the day or before sleep. On the skin, I stay light: 1–2% dilution on the sternum or wrists; if my skin is sensitive, I patch-test in the elbow crease.

My ritual: as soon as the alarm rises, I take the petitgrain, breathe slowly, place my hand on my sternum. Three exhales longer than the inhales. And often, the body remembers it can come back.

2- Khella (Ammi visnaga)

Key molecules: Khellin, Visnagin
Overall effect: Bronchodilating and opening; soothing for chest tension. Helps reduce spasms and supports easier, more comfortable breathing.

During a panic attack, the breath is often the first thing to disappear: tight chest, constricted throat, the feeling of being unable to “get air.” Khella works exactly where it’s most urgent: it helps loosen the respiratory mechanism.

Its clear, herbal scent doesn’t try to calm the mind directly; it reopens space so the brain can get the oxygen it needs to come back down.

I use it only by inhalation, as soon as the feeling of suffocation appears: one drop on a tissue, 60–90 seconds of slow breathing, lengthening the exhale. If I still feel stuck, I take a short pause, then a few more cycles.

No diffusion, no skin application, we stick to what’s simplest and safest. Avoid during pregnancy/breastfeeding or in cases of uncontrolled asthma; here, caution is essential.

My ritual: when my breath compresses and the mind panics, I take khella, inhale gently, and lengthen each exhale a little more. I’m not trying to “calm the panic”; I’m creating just enough space for air to return, and with it, the possibility of taking back control.

3- Yuzu (Citrus junos)

Key molecules: Limonene, γ-Terpinene, β-Pinene
Overall effect: Bright and gently uplifting; clears mental heaviness, softens stress, and brings a fresh, sparkling clarity that helps restore calm focus.

When a panic surge hits, everything feels too close: thoughts glued together, heart pressured, attention clenched. Yuzu opens a window. Its soft, almost velvety citrus note lightens the emotional wave without creating dizziness.

It’s a light that doesn’t glare: it brings a bit of space around what you’re feeling, just enough to breathe again.

I use it when panic starts gaining ground and I feel my shoulders rising. A slow 60–90-second inhalation often helps lift my gaze away from catastrophic scenarios. In diffusion, ten minutes are enough to soften the atmosphere, especially late afternoon when the mind is tired.

On the skin, I stay light: 1–2% dilution on wrists or sternum, avoiding sun exposure on the area for several hours afterward. Its scent is tender, never overwhelming; I reach for it when I need to “come down” gently.

My ritual: when the emotional wave rises too fast, I inhale yuzu for a few cycles, then look at three objects around me. That simple return to the real world, paired with the scent, helps me land again, softly, without forcing.

4- Vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanioides)

Key molecules: Khusimol, β-Vetivone, α-Vetivone
Overall effect: Deeply grounding and stabilizing; releases nervous tension, supports emotional anchoring, and brings a slow, steady calm when feeling scattered or overstimulated.

When a panic attack hits, the mind rushes far and fast. The body, meanwhile, empties out: weak legs, cold belly, the ground disappearing. Vetiver does the opposite, it brings everything back down. Its earthy, deep, almost mineral note gently pulls attention toward the feet, slows the inner pace, and cuts through the upward surge.

You’re no longer “floating” in fear: you return to the body, here and now.

I use it when everything shoots upward, buzzing head, narrow vision, pounding heart. A slow 60–90-second inhalation is often enough to put weight back into the legs.

In diffusion, a few minutes create a dense, reassuring atmosphere; I like using it in the evening, when I want to land. On the skin, vetiver is potent: I dilute it at 1–2%, preferably on the ankles, lower back, or sternum. Its viscous texture helps slow things down, as if time thickened a little.

My ritual: when panic pulls me out of the present, I breathe in vetiver and plant my feet firmly on the ground. I feel them. I take three exhales longer than the inhales. Little by little, fear loses its speed, and the body takes back control.

5- German Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)

Key molecules: Chamazulene, Bisabolol, Bisabolol oxides
Overall effect: Strongly soothing and anti-inflammatory; eases deep tension, calms irritation (emotional and physical), and supports a grounded, comforting sense of release when everything feels too intense.

When a panic attack hits, fear doesn’t stay in the mind: it tightens the jaw, the belly, the throat. German chamomile helps unravel these physical tensions, calm the nervous system overload, and make the body more inhabitable.

Its soft, slightly fruity herbal note invites slowing down, not to fall asleep, but to return to a bearable sensation.

I use it when panic shows up as spasms, a knotted digestive system, or an overreactive body. A slow 60–90-second inhalation is often enough to ease the tightened areas.

In diffusion, ten minutes create a more flexible atmosphere, ideal at the end of the day or before sleep. On the skin, I stay light (1–2%), sternum, belly, or wrists; if the skin is sensitive, I patch-test in the elbow crease.

My ritual: when the crisis shows up mainly as body tension, tight belly, blocked breath, I breathe in German chamomile, then place a warm hand on the tense area. The combination of scent + physical contact helps create space, just enough for the wave to come back down.

A botanical bath soak to ease anxiety

Why I offer baths for anxiety and panic attacks

There are moments when anxiety leaves very little room. The body tightens, the chest contracts, the heart speeds up without any clear reason. The mind fills with scenarios, with “what if…,” with looping thoughts. Even rest feels distant, as if there were no space left inside to truly breathe.

These sensations aren’t whims or weaknesses. They often speak of a nervous system that’s exhausted, unsure of how to come back down. When everything tightens like that, what we need are simple, concrete gestures that give back a bit of space to the breath, the body, the present moment.

For me, a bath can become one of those gestures. Warm water surrounds the body, the weight shifts, and the breath gradually settles into a slower rhythm. There’s nothing to explain to anyone, nothing to justify. It’s a place where you can simply say: “Here, I pause. I let my body find a bit of space again.”

In that environment, essential oils aren’t there to “stop” anxiety like a medication. They help create an atmosphere that invites release, a sensory climate that speaks to the nervous system in a way thoughts cannot.

For anxiety and moments of deep inner tension, I chose a blend that works both on the mind and the body:

True lavender to soothe, release inner pressure, and support the slowing of the heart rate and mental agitation.
Roman chamomile to cradle the nervous system, soften emotional knots, and offer real comfort.
Vetiver to deeply ground, draw awareness back into the lower body, as if finding the floor beneath your feet again.
Amyris to wrap everything in a warm, steady, reassuring woody tone that gives a sense of being held.
Sweet orange to bring gentle clarity, a bit of light in the fog, without forcing cheerfulness.

This blend doesn’t promise to make anxiety disappear in an instant. It offers a different experience: a warm, discreet presence that helps the body loosen, the breath return, and the mind take just one centimeter of distance from what feels overwhelming. In a bath, you don’t “fight” anxiety, you give it a softer space so it can settle a little.

How I make these bath salts

As with all my botanical bath salts, I don’t work with a mass-production mindset. Each blend is made one by one, at the moment the order is placed. I weigh, I mix, I smell, and I take the time to do it calmly. This deliberately slow rhythm feels aligned with what these baths are meant to offer: slowing down, regaining presence, stepping out of emergency mode.

I want to stay simple, accessible, and caring. I have no ambition to open a factory or fill pallets. My intention is to offer something real, handmade, that can genuinely support someone during a difficult moment. When people tell me that this bath made a complicated evening a little more breathable, or that a crisis felt a bit less intense, I feel the product is fulfilling its purpose: to support, without pretending to solve everything.

And I prefer to be very clear: neither essential oils nor this bath salt replace medical care, therapy, or professional help when dealing with significant anxiety or repeated episodes.

What they can offer, however, is complementary support: a ritual that helps the body loosen, that gives the nervous system a signal of safety, that creates a moment where you feel a little less trapped inside the tension. Sometimes, this kind of small pause opens the door to other steps, asking for help, talking to someone, adjusting your pace.

This bath is not a miracle solution. It’s a discreet ally, a gesture to give yourself back some space when everything tightens, to let the breath return and the body remember that it can still relax, even a little.

If you’d like to try it, here’s the link. >>>

Conclusion — you don’t need to be “zen,” just to have a handle on it

My goal is no longer “zero anxiety.” I look for a handle: the right scent, a longer exhale, a concrete step. The alarm rarely drops all at once; it settles through repeated gestures. One step at a time, that’s enough for today.