Aromatherapy is extremely exciting, but people often find themselves asking, "How do I USE these oils?" Anyone who's gone crazy over an essential oil understands that once you find an oil you love, you want to smell it constantly. Such is the power of scent! Smelling beautiful oils from their tiny blue bottles is how most of us end up buying essential oils, but we don't want to stop there. A unique way to use your oils is to create aromatherapy sprays or misters. This application allows you to work with the healing properties of essential oils without necessitating carrier oils or diffusers. Best of all, they are fun and easy to create.
How many times have you encountered a commercial room spray that made your head spin? Often, the fragrances used in these products are synthetic and leave us feeling overwhelmed rather than refreshed. Therapeutic-grade essential oils are all plant-derived, and if we find oils we like, our experience of a room spray changes dramatically. Instead of simply acting as a mask for unpleasant odors, an aromatherapy spray changes the atmosphere of a room, providing us with immediate physical and psychological benefits.
Essential oil sprays contain a mixture of oils, water and, sometimes, witch hazel. To create your own, all you need are your own oils, purified water and spray bottles. Since aromatic oils don't do well with too much light exposure, try to find amber or cobalt blue bottles to protect your blends. When topping off with water, find the purest water possible to avoid the risk of compromising your blend with chemicals, such as chlorine. Also, if you want to store your blends for more than two months, it's a good idea to mix in a bit of witch hazel. This extract from the plant Hamamelis virginiana provides natural preservation of your aromatic oils. Next, the best part - your oils!
With so many aromatic oils to choose from, you can create an endless variety of sprays for your home, office or car. When considering which oils to buy, always seek the highest quality you can afford. You will need to use less oil, and the healing benefits of the oil will increase ten-fold if you choose a superior oil. Therapeutic-grade oils satisfy our senses in ways inferior oils simply cannot. Excellent oils make the mind feel bright and provide instantaneous changes in the body. This is because the body/mind connection is immediately felt with essential oils. That's why we want to make the most of the oils we have and choose the best we can find.
Any essential oil can be turned into a spray, but some are even better than others. The citrus oils, like mandarin, grapefruit, lemon, lime and tangerine, make excellent misters. Citrus oils give your environment an instant facelift, turning a tired room into a bright sanctuary. These pleasing oils can be mixed with sharp-smelling oils like eucalyptus, rosemary verbenone, myrtle or peppermint for a wonderfully balanced blend. Just remember, citrus oils can cause skin reactions if they are worn in the sun, so keep these blends indoors.
Another popular group of oils for room sprays is the coniferous plants and trees. Juniper berry, balsam fir, spruce, black spruce, cedar and sandalwood are perfect choices for infusing a space with grounding aromas. These essential oils are simultaneously calming and uplifting, and they are particularly pleasant during the winter months, when access to the outdoors is limited. Unlike fruit and flower scents, pines and woods imbue our environments with a subtle scent that, like incense, warms the space without overpowering our senses.
Next, blending. First, fill your bottle most of the way with water. If witch hazel is needed, blend it in a 4 to 1 ratio. For one ounce of liquid, put in 4 to 16 drops of oil. Since the water and oil won't naturally blend, you must shake the mixture whenever you use it. All essential oils can be made into misters, yet some oils are more viscous that others (like vetiver) and need to be shaken well prior to spraying.
When blending your own scents, start with a few drops and increase in number to make sure you like the mix. Just remember that strong oils, like peppermint, black pepper or cinnamon, are more intense once atomized. Only use a few drops of oil, and you should run no risk of irritating your nose, eyes or throat. Also, it's usually a good idea to avoid essential oils that have been mixed with carrier oils. These mixtures may clog your spray bottle, as carrier oils do not evaporate the way volatile oils do.
Blending aromatherapy room sprays is an easy, enjoyable way to introduce children to the benefits of plant medicine as well. There are, however, a few guidelines to remember when creating sprays for children. For example, always opt for less oil in a spray intended for children than you would for an adult. Soft oils like sandalwood, lavender, rose and Roman chamomile are great for children, as are rosalina, lemon tea tree and vanilla. In fact, vanilla is one of the most calming oils in the aromatherapy repertoire. If a peaceful night's sleep is what your child needs (or what you need, for that matter!) 2 drops of Roman chamomile and 2 drops of lavender in one ounce of carrier water will help. Just spray this in the child's room. Only remember, essential oils should NEVER be misted in a child's face.
Don't forget that these sprays can also be adapted for use as natural perfume or deodorant. Simply choose oils that are non-irritating to the skin and mix in the same way you would a room spray. A few beautiful oils to consider: jasmine, rose, sandalwood, vetiver or neroli all make wonderful personal sprays. Just avoid spraying near the eyes or face. Also, any oil you're using for healing purposes can be diluted in a water/witch hazel mixture and applied as needed throughout the day. If you want your scents on the go, pocket- and purse-size misters are a great way to freshen up, calm down or revive in the middle of the day.
Discovering which oils work for you is a delightful journey. The next step is learning how to mix and match your favorites and developing a few methods of application that work in different contexts. Nature is a bouquet of aromas, so there is no limit to the variety of aromatherapy treats you can create. Misters are an ideal way to extend your oils, as they use very little oil and pack an incredible aromatic punch. They are quick to create and can be used in virtually all environments to change the feel of a space. Once you start to incorporate aromatherapy in your daily life, the urge to find new and exciting ways to experience your favorite oils becomes second nature. Start with misters and have fun!
