We use essential oils in our scented goodies but you can use them in their pure form too. One safe and enjoyable way to get to grips with essential oils is to use them to fragrance your home.
There are plenty of different essential oils you can use so we have listed a few for you to have a look at, as well as the atmosphere they can hopefully help create.
Our scent (or olfactory) memory is very strong and deeply rooted. We have all walked into a room smelling of fresh cake, walked out onto freshly cut grass, or got a brief whiff of someone’s perfume and been suddenly transported back to a time, place or person this smell reminds you of. Essential oils can help you connect with these memory smells and tend to adapt to seasons according to what they remind you of. If you think of Christmas, certain smells will come to mind: cinnamon, oranges, pine. So, in essential oil terms, try frankincense, pine and orange in winter (not necessarily all at once!).
Orange also works well in summer (it has that sunny, warm, cheering feeling), as do Bergamot (light and uplifting and not unlike orange) and freshening Rosewood, all of which can be used to burn or spray on a summer’s evening. They will help relax the atmosphere and get you in the mood.
Exotic and warming Ylang-ylang (known as the flower of flowers) and the Queen of Flowers the Rose are strongly associated with romance: there are many historical references and they are both used in perfume. They can be a good one for a romantic evening at home or to give your bedroom a bit of a boudoir feel.
Now, if you are planning on having spicy food, woody sweet Sandalwood and musky Patchouli might just be the ticket and get everyone in a suitably exotic mood.
For children’s parties, Orange and Lemon work really well, for an uplifting and happy mood.
Floral and sweet Lavender are the grand ladies of perfumes and essential oils and their scent is, as such, quite well suited for daytime activities such as afternoon tea. Lavender is also the essential oil of choice for bedrooms and night time as it can have a lovely relaxing and slightly soporific effect.
Finally, Clary Sage is a good solid essential oil, with a warm, nutty scent and relaxing properties. It’s a good scent for a party, to get everyone to relax.
If you are wondering how to spread the scent of essential oils, there are a few options:
- The good old essential oil burners, still unbeaten in effectiveness and value for money
- You can try and drop a couple of drops on a cold light bulb in your light fitting. The scent will spread as the light bulb gets warmer. Warning!! Do not do this on an already warm light bulb and don’t drop anything on any exposed piece of metal. This one is for the experienced.
- Humidifiers, for those who have one, can work here.
- Simply putting a few drops on a handkerchief or tissue can fragrance an enclosed space quite effectively.
- If you are so inclined, you can create your own spray and perfumes, using a fixative such as frankincense or sandalwood, and water.
Finally, why not try one of our room fragrances? They are very effective and smell beautiful!
