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Lavender vs Chamomile Oil

Lavender and chamomile oil side by side: how the plants differ, what small inhalation trials found, and the daisy-family allergy point. No winner is declared.

Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.

Safety first. Natural products can cause side effects and interact with medicines. Read essential oil safety before you use anything on this page.

Safety first. Neither oil is for swallowing. Poison Control describes an 18-month-old boy who became extremely drowsy and confused after swallowing a small amount of lavender extract used as a home fragrance. [1] If a child or pet may have swallowed any essential oil, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). Call 911 for collapse, a seizure or trouble breathing. See Poisoning: what to do first.

Quick answer
The sources we read do not show that one of these oils is better than the other. The two oils come from different plant families, they have different documented cautions, and the few trials that put them side by side used small groups and self-reported scores. Which one suits a person is a question for that person and their clinician or pharmacist.

What each oil is

Lavender oil is the essential oil of Lavandula angustifolia Mill. [2] The European Medicines Agency (EMA) describes it as obtained by passing steam through the flowering tops of the plant. [3] Chamomile oil can come from two different plants, Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile (L.) All.) [4] and German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.). [5] NCCIH notes there are two types of chamomile, German and Roman. [6] The differences between them are covered in Roman vs German chamomile oil. The single-oil guide is Lavender oil.

What is documented, side by side

QuestionLavender oilChamomile oil
Plant familyLavender is a mint-family plant (Lamiaceae) [2]Daisy family (Asteraceae) [4]
EU herbal committee view (traditional use, not clinical proof)Long-standing use for mild stress and to aid sleep. [3]The committee's summary covers chamomile flower medicines, not the distilled oil. [7]
Quality of the clinical evidence, per the sourceThe committee said the number of patients per study was too low to establish an effect. [3]The committee said the data were insufficient to be used as evidence. [7]
Allergy pointNCCIH: topical products with lavender may cause allergic skin reactions. [8]NCCIH: allergic reactions are more likely in people allergic to ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds or daisies. [6]
Eye cautionNot described in the sources we readNCCIH: chamomile might cause eye irritation if used near the eyes. [6]
MedicinesNCCIH: theoretical reasons to suspect interaction with some sedative drugs or herbs. [8]NCCIH: interactions with warfarin and some drugs metabolized by the liver have been reported. [6]
Pregnancy and breastfeedingNCCIH: little is known. [8]NCCIH: little is known. [6]

Important limit: the NCCIH chamomile fact sheet is about the herb (mainly German chamomile), not the distilled oil, and the EMA chamomile summary is also about flowers. [6] [7] They show the kinds of reactions to watch for, not how often they happen with the oil.

Evidence head-to-head

Promising but limited. Two small trials of inhaled oils included both. In 183 community-dwelling older adults, those who inhaled lavender or chamomile oil for 30 nights had lower depression, anxiety and stress scores than a distilled-water group. [9] In 100 children aged six to nine having dental pulp treatment, chamomile aromatherapy reduced anxiety about as much as lavender, and peppermint less. [10] The abstracts do not name the chamomile species. Smell is hard to hide from a comparison group, and the main outcomes were self-reported scores.

A 2026 scoping review of 26 trials in radiology and interventional procedures found lavender was the most studied oil, with chamomile among the others, and said differences in oil composition and methods limit comparison across studies. [11] NCCIH says it is unclear whether lavender aromatherapy helps anxiety, stress, depression, some types of pain, or sleep. [8] For chamomile, NCCIH says studies have not produced sufficient reliable evidence to rate clinical usefulness. [6]

Proper evidence not found for adults head-to-head on sleep: we searched NCCIH, EMA and PubMed for a trial comparing the two oils on sleep and found none that we could read. NCCIH says a 2019 review found one study on insomnia, which found no benefit from chamomile. [6]

Hormone question (lavender)

NIEHS reports that lavender and tea tree oil may act as endocrine disrupting chemicals in laboratory studies, and that the clinical cases it describes involved skin use, not aromatherapy. [12] NCCIH says a few cases of breast tissue swelling in children using topical lavender products were reported and it is unclear whether lavender caused them. [8] Hormone-related concerns for chamomile oil are not described in the sources we read; NCCIH says the herb might have some of the same effects as estrogen. [6]

Frequently asked questions

Is lavender oil or chamomile oil better for sleep?

Not shown. NCCIH says it is unclear whether lavender aromatherapy helps sleep, [8] and a 2019 review it cites found one chamomile study on insomnia, which found no benefit. [6]

Which is safer for someone allergic to ragweed?

Ask a clinician. NCCIH says people allergic to ragweed, daisies or related plants are more likely to react to chamomile. [6]

Did any trial compare the two oils directly?

Two small trials included both oils inhaled by older adults and by children at the dentist, and both reported lower self-rated anxiety. [9] [10]

Can I swallow either oil?

We do not advise it. Poison Control reports a toddler who became very drowsy and confused after swallowing a small amount of lavender extract. [1] Call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 in the US.

Are lavender and chamomile oil safe in pregnancy?

Little is known about either, according to NCCIH. [8] [6] Ask the pregnancy care team.

More details: evidence, limits and cautions

The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.

Who should ask first
People with daisy-family allergy, anyone taking warfarin or sedating medicines, pregnant or breastfeeding people, and parents of young children should ask a pharmacist or clinician first. Tell the surgical team about any oil use before an operation. See how interactions work and essential oils in pregnancy and breastfeeding. For the herb as a tea, see chamomile tea.
References
  1. Poison Control, Essential oils: Poisonous when misused. Read 2026-10-23.
  2. GBIF Backbone, Lavandula angustifolia. Read 2026-10-23.
  3. EMA, Lavender oil herbal medicinal product summary (2014). Read 2026-10-23.
  4. GBIF Backbone, Chamaemelum nobile. Read 2026-10-23.
  5. GBIF Backbone, Matricaria chamomilla. Read 2026-10-23.
  6. NCCIH, Chamomile (updated November 2024). Read 2026-10-23.
  7. EMA, Matricaria flower summary (2016). Read 2026-10-23.
  8. NCCIH, Lavender (updated February 2025). Read 2026-10-23.
  9. Explore 2022: Lavender and chamomile essential oil inhalation aromatherapy in older community-dwelling people. Read 2026-10-23.
  10. J Dent Sci 2025: Lavender, chamomile and peppermint inhalation aromatherapy on dental anxiety in children. Read 2026-10-23.
  11. Pain Manag Nurs 2026: Aromatherapy for anxiety and pain in radiologic and interventional procedures, a scoping review. Read 2026-10-23.
  12. NIEHS, Essential Oils (reviewed March 2026). Read 2026-10-23.
Education, not medical advice. This page is for general information. It does not diagnose or treat any condition and is not a substitute for care from a qualified health professional. Natural does not automatically mean safe. Ask a clinician or pharmacist before changing your care, especially if you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a health condition.