Public Perception and Usage Trends of Essential Oils: Findings from a Nationwide Survey

In recent years, an increasing demand for natural products for personal care, cosmetics, supplementation, and the treatment of different conditions has been reported worldwide. At the same time, the global essential oil (EO) market was valued at more than 23 billion per year in the last two years and is expected to grow significantly in the next five years. The purpose of this study was to explore the use of EOs in daily life, including frequency, preferences, and health-related outcomes among Bulgarian adults. The respondents and their responses remained anonymous as the survey was conducted online in January 2025. The study was associated with some important findings: usage of essential oils among Bulgarian adults is widespread (68.7% of the respondents use essential oils); secondly, we found that EO usage had a statistically greater association with younger age, higher education, and female sex. Most of the consumers of EOs did not report any side effects after use. However, 4.0% reported contact dermatitis and allergic reactions after the application of EOs. Most respondents (86.3% of the EO users) believe that repellents based on EOs provide good protection. It was established that Bulgarian adults use EOs for various applications: skin care, general wellness, aromatherapy, and as repellents. Most of the consumers of EOs would recommend EOs to other people.