How Essential Oils Support Immune Resiliency, Balance Excess Histamine Levels, and Aid in Alleviating Histamine Intolerance and MCAS Symptoms

The Rise in Histamine Reactivity

Many practitioners have noted that there has been an increase in the number of their patients getting sicker more often. There has also been a rise in those experiencing more robust allergic responses, menstrual issues, gut disturbances, strange skin eruptions, mood shifts, and sleep issues. Unfortunately, these issues are not resolving as quickly to the integrative health and lifestyle interventions that were effective a few years prior.

Perhaps you are among those who are struggling with what appears to be weaker resilience or hyper-reactivity? You are not alone.

Due to the increase in environmental and emotional stressors in world, people’s histamine levels have become more elevated. This leads to an imbalanced immune response.

Previously, I discussed the causes and issues related to excess histamine in the body, highlighted the first step to treating excess histamine responses, and reviewed how essential oils can aid histamine balance.

With this background information, I now want to dive deeper into the details about using essential oils for histamine balance and explain more about how they impact immune resiliency.

In this video blog, we’ll cover:

• A review of histamine, histamine intolerance, and MCAS
• How essential oils are harmonizers of our health
• How essential oils indirectly influence histamine balance
• Some essential oils that directly influence histamine levels

In the final articles in this series, I’ll focus more on specific essential oils for balancing chronic inflammatory responses and heightened histamine levels.

As always, all the references, articles, and studies will be available in the resource section and within the links in this accompanying post.

So, let’s get started.

Histamine, Histamine Intolerance, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, and Essential Oils… OH MY!

Histamine is a vital chemical messenger that ignites an effective immune response and influences many bodily functions. Since histamine receptors are found in so many locations in the body, a wide range of symptoms can occur when histamine is released. These include allergies, congestion, headaches, hives, skin issues, fatigue, digestive problems, blood pressure changes, flushing, vertigo, hormonal imbalances, and asthma attacks.

Excess histamine release can occur when our body’s natural defenses go array due to various environmental and emotional triggers. The harmful effects of these external factors can get compounded by a genetic variation or nutritional deficiency that leads to a slower breakdown of histamine, metabolic disorders, underlying pathogens, or decreased excretion and metabolism of histamine.

If the body doesn’t effectively deal with excess histamine, the chronic rise in its levels can lead to histamine intolerance and contribute to many of the issues related to MCAS (Mast Cell Activation Syndrome). In both instances, the immune system becomes dysregulated and multiple, systemic responses often occur.

Although treating histamine intolerance and MCAS can be complex, the first priority is symptom relief. This includes lowering histamine levels with nutraceuticals or OTC drugs and calming down the hyper-reactivity of the limbic system. Essential oils can be allies in all phases of the process of aiding balanced histamine levels and relieving symptoms.

Essential Oils- The Great Harmonizers of Health

In a previous post, I detailed how essential oils possess biochemical characteristics that harmonize our entire body, elevate defense and repair, and assist with optimizing our immune response. They also aid our ability to cope with external stressors and harmful chemicals. This is due to their properties of being:

• Anti-inflammatory
• Hormone and neurotransmitters modulators
• Mood supportive
• Anti-microbial
• Digestive aids that enhance assimilation, elimination, intestinal barrier protection, and support a healthy microbiome
• Antioxidants (cellular protectors)
• Stress relieving
• Supportive of detoxification of harmful compounds

Due to all these multiple effects, essential oils address many of the underlying external triggers and emotional stressors that fuel excess histamine levels. Furthermore, they can directly modulate the histamine response.

How Essential Oils Indirectly Impact Histamine Levels

Based on their actions noted above, essential oils can aid in healing from histamine intolerance and MCAS and their resulting symptoms. This is through optimizing the immune response. Below, I dive into the details of how the properties of essential oils effects histamine overload and/or immune response patterns.

• As anti-inflammatory agents, essential oils can calm down excess histamine release and inflammation from triggers.
• Through regulating neurotransmitters, essential oils can help to balance histamine’s impact on the brain, relieving brain fog symptoms.
• By acting as antimicrobials, essential oils can help to rid of pathogens that can stimulate immune activation and histamine release.
• Essential oils support gastrointestinal health, aiding digestion, elimination, intestinal barrier function, and a healthy microbiome:
  • As a result of their ability to lower inflammation, stress, and high levels of histamine, they can help to remediate factors leading to a “leaky gut.”
  • Essential oils also support gut health by mediating signals via the gut-brain axis and interacting with the microbiome. This impacts immunity and the nervous system response.
  • Optimal nutrition and assimilation supported by essential oils are critical for healing and enhancing resilience when in a chronic inflammatory state.
  • By promoting healthy elimination, our aromatic allies help to prevent toxic accumulation in the body which triggers a rise in histamine output.
• As antioxidants, essential oils act to protect our cells and organs from damage due to inflammation and help to sweep up cellular debris in the intracellular spaces.
• By directly aiding detoxification of harmful compounds, essential oils can help to rid the body of triggers of histamine release and inflammation.
• By supporting vagal tone, essential oils modulate the immune response and nervous system. The vagus nerve enhances parasympathetic activity and optimizes autonomic (subconscious) physiological functioning. It also impacts inflammation and gut-brain signaling. The result is a calmer mind-body and a less reactive immune and nervous system response.
• Essential oils well-known ability to induce relaxation and relieve stress is an important means to calm down the brain and body and allow for healing. Through supporting the stress response and relaxation, our digestion and elimination pathways are also more efficient. Essential oils directly influence our emotional and physical state during times of upheaval, which indirectly aids the negative effects of elevated histamine. This is through the following mechanisms:
  • Regulating our hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis
  • Buffering stress at the level of perception
  • Balancing hormones
  • Lowering cortisol
  • Stimulating the vagus nerve (as noted above)

Now that we have noted how essential oils can indirectly influence histamine balance and assist with some of the damage of excess histamine responses, let’s consider how they can directly lower heightened histamine levels.

Essential Oils That Directly Impact Histamine Levels

Certain herbs, essential oils, and plants help balance histamine levels due to their anti-inflammatory and antihistamine properties. Whereas plants contain flavonoids that are attributed to lowering histamine levels, essential oils contain other constituents which also modulate chemical mediators. Several studies have demonstrated these effects of specific essential oils.

In this section, I’ll review a few oils that have been shown to modulate histamine levels, and in upcoming posts, I’ll offer a comprehensive review of many others that I found within an article with great peer-reviewed references.

1. Geranium has been shown to inhibit mast cell degranulation in lab studies. This effect is linked to citronellol, a main component also present in rose, neroli, chamomile, basil, lemongrass, and lavender oils.

2. Rosemary oil is another that was also found in a lab study to inhibit the histamine reaction.

3. An animal study with rats and mice sought to determine the effects of lavender oil on mast cell-mediated immediate-type allergic reactions. The researchers found this oil inhibited immediate-type allergic reactions by preventing mast cell degranulation.

4. Peppermint oil has several in vitro studies demonstrating its effectiveness as an anti-inflammatory agent and impacting various inflammatory mediators from mast cells. It also offers respiratory support.

5. Aromatherapy Blend – A human randomized trial assessed aromatherapy oil inhalation on quality of life measures in 54 subjects aged 20-60 years with perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR – inflammatory nasal irritation year round). The blend contained sandalwood, geranium, and ravensara and the placebo was almond oil (the placebo). The aromatherapy was used 5 minutes twice daily for 7 days. The findings reported that the essential oil blend helped to relieve PAR symptoms, improve rhinitis-specific quality of life, and reduce fatigue in patients with PAR.

The authors stated:

Aromatherapy, especially direct inhalation of aroma essential oil fragrance, has long been used for various inflammatory diseases [12].

Essential oils such as eucalyptus, Ravensara, and frankincense contain the monoterpenes like 1,8-cineol, alpha-terpineol, and alpha-pinene, which demonstrate anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effect [14–16].

Other essential oils like sandalwood, rich in santalol, are frequently used for relaxation or sedation, implying potential effect on a hypersensitive organ [17].

Summary of Using Essential Oils to Balance Histamine

Essential oils possess biochemical properties that help us cope with external stressors as they harmonize our entire body, aid in defense and repair, and assist with optimizing our immune response. These characteristics can influence histamine levels and aid in addressing the negative impacts of excess histamine and inflammation in the body. Various essential oils may also directly lower histamine in the body, these include geranium, lavender, rosemary, peppermint, and specific blends.

In a follow-up vlog, I’ll dive even more into specific oils that have anti-inflammatory and antihistamine effects.

I’d love to hear from you about your experience with using essential oils for high histamine levels and relieving its associated symptoms.

Thanks for taking the time to learn more about essential oils for modulating our immune response and balancing histamine.

Sending many blessings.

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Resources:

• Histamine in Health and Disease. (Clin Allergy Immunol. 2002)
• Too Much Histamine? How to Naturally Boost Your Diamine Oxidase (DAO) Levels (Dr. Jill Carnahan, 2023)
• Impact of Mold on Mast Cell-Cytokine Immune Response (J Biol Regul Homeost Agents. 2018)
• Mold, Mycotoxins and a Dysregulated Immune System: A Combination of Concern? (Int J Mol Sci, November 2021)
• Characterization of Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (Am J Med Sci. 2017)
• Histamine and Histamine Intolerance (The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, May 2007)
• Histamine Intolerance: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Beyond (Nutrients, 2024)
• Mold, Histamine Intolerance, and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome: Everything You Need to Know. (Becky Campell, MD)
• Mast Cell Activation Syndrome: Here’s What You Need to Know When Histamine Goes Haywire (Dr. Jill Carnahan, 2016)
• Histamine Potentiates SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Entry Into Endothelial Cells (Front Pharmacol, April 2022)
• The Complex Interplay between Immunonutrition, Mast Cells, and Histamine Signaling in COVID-19 (Nutrients. 2021)
• Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (Clin Rev Allergy Immunol, June 2018)
• Mast Cell Activation and Histamine Intolerance (Jodi Cohen, VBO)
• Essential Oils for Seasonal Allergies (Jodi Cohen, VBO)
• Essential Oils Considered Antihistamine For Allergic Reactions (Creators Apothecary, 2022) (cross referenced)
• Mast Cells Explained: Biohacking Inflammation, Allergies, and Brain Fog (The Human Upgrade Podcast, September 2025)
• Understanding Histamine Intolerance and MCAS with Michelle Shapiro
  (Conversations for Health, September 2025)
• How Essential Oils Directly Aid Detoxification and Cleansing and Protect Us from Harmful Toxins (My video article with references)
• Limbic Retraining: 10 Strategies to Improve Limbic Function (Dr. Jockers Website)
• My Three Favorite Essential Oils for Supporting the Vagus Nerve (+2 Honorable Mentions) (My video article with references)
• The Five Mind-Body and Mood Benefits of Essential Oils That Support Healthy Detoxification and Enhance Our Mental and Physical Health (My video with references)
• Inhibitory Effects of Geranium Essential Oil and Its Major Component, Citronellol, on Degranulation and Cytokine Production by Mast Cells. (Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry, June 2016 )
• Lavender Oil Inhibits Immediate-type Allergic Reaction in Mice and Rats. (Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, February 1999)
• Effect of Inhalation of Aromatherapy Oil on Patients with Perennial Allergic Rhinitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial. (Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2016)
• The Anti-inflammatory Activity of L-menthol Compared to Mint Oil in Human Monocytes in Vitro: A Novel Perspective for its Therapeutic Use in Inflammatory Diseases. (European Journal of Medical Research, December 1998.)
• Antispasmodic Effect of Mentha Piperita Essential Oil on Trachea Smooth Muscle of Rats. (Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2010).
• Histamine, Neuroinflammation and Neurodevelopment: A Review (Frontiers in Neuroscience, July 2022)
• Intestinal Permeability, Histamine, and Leaky Gut Functional Lab Markers (Dr. Jockers Website)