Index of Herbs

Concern guide

Herbs for Headaches and Migraine

Feverfew, peppermint oil and other herbs that may ease headaches or help prevent migraine, with what research shows and when to get care.

4 herbs reviewed

Updated October 7, 2026

Headaches are one of the most common reasons people reach for a remedy. Most are tension-type headaches, a dull, band-like pressure on both sides of the head, or migraines, which bring throbbing, often one-sided pain with nausea and sensitivity to light and sound. Both are usually not dangerous, though they can return often and get in the way of daily life. A small number of headaches signal something more serious, and the safety section lists the warning signs that need prompt care.

Herbs can be a helpful part of a wider headache plan. That plan usually starts with knowing your triggers, keeping regular sleep and meals, and using standard pain relievers on no more than a few days a week; for frequent or disabling migraine, prescribed treatments for attacks and prevention make a big difference, and herbs can sit alongside them. Two herbs stand out in the research: feverfew, taken daily to help prevent migraine, and peppermint oil, rubbed on the forehead and temples to ease a tension-type headache. Feverfew works gradually rather than as a rescue for an attack in progress, and peppermint has been studied for tension-type headache rather than migraine.

The list is ordered by strength of evidence for headache and migraine, then by how commonly each herb is used. Feverfew and peppermint lead, followed by lavender aromatherapy and willow bark, a traditional remedy for aches and pains. The ratings show at a glance how much research sits behind each herb, from promising clinical evidence to long traditional use, and every entry links to its full monograph.

02 The shortlist

The herbs, from best studied to time-honored

How to read the ratings

  • Good clinical evidence
  • Promising clinical evidence
  • Early or mixed evidence
  • Long traditional use

Ratings show how much research backs each herb for this particular concern. Every herb links to its full monograph, with preparations, safety notes, and sources.

  1. 01 Feverfew

    Promising clinical evidence

    Tanacetum parthenium

    Feverfew is the best-known herb for migraine, taken daily to help prevent attacks rather than to stop one. In the largest trial it cut attacks by about 0.6 a month more than placebo, and a US neurology guideline rated one extract probably effective, though results vary between studies and Cochrane calls for larger trials to confirm the benefit. It was generally well tolerated in trials. Avoid it in pregnancy and with daisy-family allergy.

    Read the feverfew monograph →

  2. 02 Peppermint

    Promising clinical evidence

    Mentha × piperita

    A 10% peppermint oil solution spread on the forehead and temples is a cooling option for tension-type headache. In a double-blind crossover trial of 41 patients and 164 headaches, it eased pain within 15 minutes compared with placebo and worked about as well as 1,000 mg of paracetamol (acetaminophen). EMA accepts this as well-established use in adults, though it rests largely on that one small trial. Keep it out of the eyes and away from babies’ faces.

    Read the peppermint monograph →

  3. 03 Lavender

    Early or mixed evidence

    Lavandula angustifolia

    Lavender is a gentle, much-loved scent, most often inhaled as aromatherapy for headache and migraine. Small migraine trials noted by NCCIH and MSKCC are a starting point that needs replication, and NCCIH says it is not yet clear whether lavender aromatherapy helps pain; because scent is hard to blind, expectation may play a part. Never swallow retail lavender oil, and note that oxidized oil on the skin is a recognized cause of allergic contact dermatitis.

    Read the lavender monograph →

  4. 04 White Willow

    Long traditional use

    Salix alba

    Willow bark has a long history as a remedy for aches and fever, and EMA lists it as a traditional remedy for headache in adults. It contains salicin, which the body converts to salicylates related to aspirin, though its trial evidence is for low back pain rather than headache. It carries aspirin-type risks, including stomach irritation, added bleeding with blood thinners and NSAIDs, and Reye syndrome in children and teenagers, who should not take it.

    Read the white willow monograph →

03 Caution

Using these herbs safely

Most headaches are not a sign of anything serious, and used as directed these herbs are generally well tolerated. A few headaches need emergency care, though, not herbs. Seek help right away for a headache that comes on suddenly and is explosive or violent (often called a thunderclap headache) or is the worst ever; a headache with fever and a stiff neck; headache with weakness, numbness, slurred speech, vision changes, confusion or loss of balance; a headache that follows a head injury; or a new pattern of headaches starting after age 50, especially with pain on chewing, scalp tenderness or vision problems. A headache that worsens over a day or changes pattern also needs a medical assessment, and EMA’s feverfew indication applies only after a doctor has ruled out serious causes.

Taking pain medicine for headache on three or more days a week can itself cause medication-overuse, or rebound, headaches that keep coming back. A few combinations are worth checking with a pharmacist. Willow bark is a salicylate, and its monograph warns against stacking it with aspirin, other NSAIDs, anticoagulants such as warfarin or antiplatelet drugs such as clopidogrel, because bleeding and stomach-injury risks add up; anyone told to avoid aspirin should avoid willow bark too. Feverfew inhibits platelets in the laboratory, needs care alongside blood thinners, and should be stopped at least two weeks before surgery; EMA also records a possible interaction with propranolol, itself a common migraine preventive. Lavender may add to the drowsiness of sedatives and sleeping pills.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: feverfew is not recommended because it may affect uterine contractions; willow bark is generally avoided in pregnancy and contraindicated in the third trimester; EMA does not recommend medicinal peppermint oil or lavender preparations because safety has not been established. Children and teenagers should not take willow bark, because salicylates are linked to Reye syndrome, the same reason aspirin is avoided in children with viral illnesses. Feverfew and the peppermint headache solution are not recommended under 18, and peppermint or menthol products must never go near the face of a baby or young child, because menthol can cause breathing to stop.

Product strength varies. Feverfew brands have been found to differ about 150-fold in parthenolide content, and chewing fresh leaves can cause mouth ulcers. Willow bark products are best judged by stated salicin content, since homemade decoctions are unpredictable. Stopping feverfew after long use has been linked to post-feverfew syndrome, a rebound of headaches, anxiety, poor sleep and joint stiffness seen in a small study and not confirmed in larger ones, so tapering is the sensible approach. People allergic to ragweed, chrysanthemums or other daisy-family plants should avoid feverfew.

04 Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Feverfew is the most studied herb for migraine, taken daily to help prevent attacks rather than to treat one in progress. The largest trial found about 0.6 fewer attacks a month than placebo, and a US neurology guideline rated one extract probably effective, though results vary between trials and Cochrane rates the evidence low quality. EMA advises allowing about two months to judge the effect and seeing a doctor if migraines keep recurring. Prescribed migraine treatments have stronger evidence, and feverfew can be discussed alongside them.

For tension-type headache, it can. In a small double-blind trial, a 10% peppermint oil solution rubbed on the forehead and temples eased pain within 15 minutes and worked about as well as 1,000 mg of paracetamol. It has not been shown to treat migraine. Keep it away from the eyes and from the faces of babies and young children.

Many people find the scent of lavender relaxing, and it is often inhaled during a headache or migraine. Small migraine trials have been reported, but they need replication, and NCCIH says it is not yet clear whether lavender aromatherapy helps pain. If you try it, enjoy it as a scent: retail lavender oil should never be swallowed, and oxidized oil on the skin can cause allergic contact dermatitis.

It is related, but not the same. White willow bark contains salicin, which the body converts into salicylates, but it is slower, less predictable and not a milligram-for-milligram substitute for aspirin. It still carries salicylate risks: stomach irritation, bleeding with blood thinners or NSAIDs, and Reye syndrome in children and teenagers. Anyone told to avoid aspirin should avoid willow bark too.

Yes, so it helps to keep track of how often you take them. Taking pain medicine for headache on three or more days a week can lead to medication-overuse, or rebound, headaches that keep coming back. Willow bark is itself a salicylate, and its monograph warns against stacking it with aspirin or other NSAIDs. Stopping feverfew after long use has also been linked to rebound headaches, anxiety and stiffness in a small study, so tapering is wise. Frequent headaches are a good reason to see a doctor about prevention.

05 References

Sources

These references support the claims in this guide. Each herb’s monograph carries its own full source list.

  1. Feverfew for preventing migraine

    Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (PubMed 25892430), 2015

    Six trials, 561 participants: the source for the 0.6 fewer attacks a month in the largest trial and the call for larger trials to confirm it.

  2. Evidence-based guideline update: NSAIDs and other complementary treatments for episodic migraine prevention in adults

    Neurology (PubMed 22529203), 2012

    American Academy of Neurology and American Headache Society guideline rating the MIG-99 feverfew extract probably effective for migraine prevention.

  3. Effectiveness of oleum menthae piperitae and paracetamol in therapy of headache of the tension type

    Der Nervenarzt (PubMed 8805113), 1996

    The 41-patient crossover trial in which 10% peppermint oil on the forehead and temples beat placebo and matched 1,000 mg paracetamol.

  4. European Union herbal monograph on Mentha x piperita L., aetheroleum (Revision 1)

    European Medicines Agency (EMA/HMPC/522410/2013), 2020

    Regulatory basis for well-established adult use of topical peppermint oil in tension-type headache and for the contraindication in young children.

  5. Salicis cortex (willow bark)

    European Medicines Agency, 2017

    Lists willow bark as a traditional adult remedy for headache, with salicylate contraindications including children and the third trimester of pregnancy.

  6. Reye’s Syndrome

    National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NIH), 2026

    Explains the link between salicylates and Reye syndrome, the reason children and teenagers should not take willow bark.

  7. Headache

    MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, National Library of Medicine (NIH), 2025

    Source for the headache warning signs on this page, including sudden explosive onset, fever with stiff neck, new headaches after 50, and medication-overuse headache.

Other concern guides