This time of year, we’re often on the lookout for those extra touches that can make the season special. The unique decorations, flowers, wreaths, and candles all add a little something to our lives and the lives of our family. How far we go in creating the right space can have a significant impact on the overall enjoyment and shared gratitude of our loved ones. So what little something could you use this year that’s simple, inexpensive and would go a long way to creating a special space? Real aromatherapy using pure essential oils is a wonderful way to do it that might just have the side effect of promoting your family’s health and wellness, too.
Essential oils offer a totally unique and effective means of creating a warm, familial atmosphere with relative ease. Our hearts and minds respond to aromas before we even ‘think’ about them. Before we’re able to decide whether we like or don’t like a particular smell, our body is already reacting physiologically. In the case of aromatherapy, we’re generally concerned with pleasant, healthy mind/body responses to aroma (and we’ll be discussing the strictly emotional and psychological aspects of aromatherapy here, saving its extremely important roll in our physical health for another time). In scientific studies, the simple aromatic use of pure essential oils has been shown to lower cortisol levels, lower blood pressure, and promote endorphin release…they’ve even been shown to prevent rats from fighting. Imagine what they can do for your family!
Getting started with aromatherapy is a very simple process - you’ll need just a bottle of essential oil (single or blended - we’ll get to some suggestions in a moment) and a means to diffuse the aroma into your living space. Many great ’seasonal’ essential oils are available at local health food stores or over the internet. Essential oil diffusers are often found at the same stores, with a wide selection of prices and style to suit your needs.
Diffusing essential oils, which really means evaporating them from their oil state into the air around you, can be done in a number of ways. The least complex of all might be making your own potpourri, adding several drops of oils to the bowl or basket. Other folks add a few drops of oil to pinecones and place them about the house. Using this diffusion method, you may want to mix a small amount of a vegetable oil with the essential oil, as to slow the oil’s evaporation rate, and lengthen the time you’ll be enjoying the aromas. As for the more modern devices, there are warming diffusers which just plug into an outlet and evaporate the oil from a cotton pad. There are ‘fan’ models which blow air over a similar, but often larger pad. Then there are the high-end units of nebulizing diffusers which make a mist of the essential oils to get higher concentrations into larger areas. ANY of these will work for making your home smell lovely for the holidays; if you think you may want to pursue aromatherapy in the future, you may consider investing in a nebulizer-style diffuser, as they generally have a more broad range of therapeutic possibilities.
Now for the oils. What scent or scents would really bring a smile to your face and to the faces of your family members? Ohhh, there are so many to choose from! An excellent place to start is with the truly ’seasonal’ evergreen aromas. Balsam Fir is probably the most widely recognized, broadly appreciated of these scents. It has the bright, uplifting high notes that never fail to brighten your mood, and the warm woody notes that impart a sense of comfort. Black Spruce is another complex needle oil with similar qualities but unique aroma. For a brighter, sweeter scent, try common Spruce (also known as Hemlock Spruce). Pine essential oil is also available in a great many varieties, with the less-expensive Scotch Pine releasing a nice, bright ‘piney’ aroma, whereas more exotic species like Pinus kessia are more complex and earthy. And while not necessarily a ‘needle’ oil, Juniper Berry is also very widely loved, having the fresh smell of a ripe Juniper berry just crushed between your fingers. Of final note about the evergreen oils, these are all very easily mixed together to create a custom blend. Creating scents with different floral, citrus and herbaceous notes can be tricky, but the evergreen oils seem to mix nicely in whatever formula you dream up - a little of each can create a spectacular aromatic symphony to immerse your household in.
If you’re wishing to bring a little more exotic scents into your home, the oils of Frankincense, Myrrh and Sandalwood are perfect choices - aromas that have been used extensively for both their psychological and physiological health benefits for ages. These are grounding oils, one’s that are known for bringing peace and stillness. Frankincense is both bright and earthy at the same time, with its citrus and woody notes. Myrrh is more hypnotic and mysterious, useful in small amounts. Sandalwood is a classic favorite with both sweet and woody notes, with lovely varieties coming from India, Australia and the South Pacific. These oils can be blended together, or added in small amounts to one or more of the evergreen oils for a pleasant combination.
If you really want to get creative, there are many brilliant aromatics from which to choose. Lavender is well-known for its calming scent; citrus oils like Bergamot, Orange and Grapefruit are lively can easily brighten your space. Spice oils can be added to blends or used on their own in small amounts (they can be potent, and should be used cautiously)…these include Cinnamon, Clove, Peppermint, Cardamom and the like. If you’re not familiar with blending, try using these oils singly, or in combinations of two or three at most. Or get enough to make small batches to test your formula, then a just as your nose desires.
Just a little essential oil can bring a new kind of cheer to you and your family this season. One small bottle is often enough to scent your home for several days - more potent oils will last even longer. As you become familiar with the array of aromas available, you’ll be able to pick and choose oils particularly suited to your needs. The effects of aromatherapy may surprise you; maybe enough to get you hooked and keep you smiling through the rest of the winter.
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