Discovering the bounty of aromatherapy is a wonderful treat, but if you aren't used to working with essential oils, it is easy to become confused about how these powerful medicines should be applied. We've all been intoxicated by an essential oil and then found ourselves thinking, "Now what?" A delightful way to incorporate essential oils in your daily life is to make your own room sprays. The process is not complex, it offers you many opportunities for mixing and matching scents and exposes your whole family to the healing potential of aromatherapy.
Many of the commercial room deodorizers found on the market end up making us feel overpowered because they contain synthetic fragrances. While room sprays can be a delightful way to change the feel of a space, the wrong scent can make a room feel oppressive rather than cheerful. Medicinal-quality aromatherapy oils have the opposite effect. Rather than just covering up annoying odors, essential oils actually alter the energy of a room, giving us the healing benefits we've all come to love.
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!
The great number of essential oils available today means you can easily make a different spray for car, office and home. While most of us only think of scent when deciding on aromatherapy oils, it's always ideal to get the best quality oil you can find. High-quality oils are potent healers, and you will need to use very little oil to achieve great results. Your senses know the difference between so-so oils and oils that offer the full spectrum of healing benefits. Since scent creates an instantaneous mind/body response, go with your instincts when it comes to choosing oils and don't skimp! Your senses will thank you in the long run.
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 enjoy the mix. Just remember that strong oils, like peppermint, black pepper or cinnamon, are 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 essential oils do.
Children often love creating sprays. This simple activity can be a fun way of teaching children about natural health while providing exposure to scents they love. When creating spray blends for children, less essential oil is always best. Oils like lavender, Roman chamomile, rose and sandalwood are gentle enough for use with children, as are lemon tea tree and rosalina, oils with qualities similar to tea tree but having less sharp-smelling aromas. Children also respond well to vanilla's calming scent. Finally, a delightful sleep aid for children and adults alike is 2 drops of lavender and 2 drops of Roman chamomile in one ounce of liquid. Spraying the oil in the corners of a room greatly aids sleep and relaxation. Just remember, NEVER spray a child's face directly with essential oil products.
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 delectable 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 therapeutic 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 a long day.
Learning about essential oils is a fascinating and rewarding journey. With so many oils to choose from, you are bound to find a dozen oils and blends that work well as sprays, enabling you to change your environment in minutes. Atomizing essential oils in misters does not require much work, and the investment is low. If your blend is not what you'd hoped, you only expended a small amount. With an imagination and a few ingredients, you can begin to change your space immediately. Start your journey with sprays, and aromatherapy will become a part of daily nourishment. - 14130
Many of the commercial room deodorizers found on the market end up making us feel overpowered because they contain synthetic fragrances. While room sprays can be a delightful way to change the feel of a space, the wrong scent can make a room feel oppressive rather than cheerful. Medicinal-quality aromatherapy oils have the opposite effect. Rather than just covering up annoying odors, essential oils actually alter the energy of a room, giving us the healing benefits we've all come to love.
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!
The great number of essential oils available today means you can easily make a different spray for car, office and home. While most of us only think of scent when deciding on aromatherapy oils, it's always ideal to get the best quality oil you can find. High-quality oils are potent healers, and you will need to use very little oil to achieve great results. Your senses know the difference between so-so oils and oils that offer the full spectrum of healing benefits. Since scent creates an instantaneous mind/body response, go with your instincts when it comes to choosing oils and don't skimp! Your senses will thank you in the long run.
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 enjoy the mix. Just remember that strong oils, like peppermint, black pepper or cinnamon, are 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 essential oils do.
Children often love creating sprays. This simple activity can be a fun way of teaching children about natural health while providing exposure to scents they love. When creating spray blends for children, less essential oil is always best. Oils like lavender, Roman chamomile, rose and sandalwood are gentle enough for use with children, as are lemon tea tree and rosalina, oils with qualities similar to tea tree but having less sharp-smelling aromas. Children also respond well to vanilla's calming scent. Finally, a delightful sleep aid for children and adults alike is 2 drops of lavender and 2 drops of Roman chamomile in one ounce of liquid. Spraying the oil in the corners of a room greatly aids sleep and relaxation. Just remember, NEVER spray a child's face directly with essential oil products.
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 delectable 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 therapeutic 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 a long day.
Learning about essential oils is a fascinating and rewarding journey. With so many oils to choose from, you are bound to find a dozen oils and blends that work well as sprays, enabling you to change your environment in minutes. Atomizing essential oils in misters does not require much work, and the investment is low. If your blend is not what you'd hoped, you only expended a small amount. With an imagination and a few ingredients, you can begin to change your space immediately. Start your journey with sprays, and aromatherapy will become a part of daily nourishment. - 14130
About the Author:
Aromatherapy diffusers and burners are available at The Ananda Apothecary at www.anandaapothecary.com.
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