I have loved essential oils and used them in my home for over 20 years. I love their delicate and uplifting scent, and I love their miraculous properties for healing and emotional well being.

Below are some wonderful and simple recipes to try at home. Use them as personal fragrance blends, in oil diffusers, in a spray bottle with water as room spray...or just open the bottle occasionally for a lovely inhale!

A couple of important pieces of information:

  1. NEVER put straight essential oil on your skin. Essential oils is a potential irritant, and used straight can be toxic. Always dilute essential oils with a 'carrier' oil.
  2. Always buy essential oils from a reputable vendor. They should be clear, ad they should not feel 'oily'. They are almost like water in may cases. Some have a color, but many do not. See the bottom of this article for links to some great vendors that I use.
  3. Do not burn essential oils over an oil diffuser without adding water. If you put the oil straight over a flame, it will sizzle and burn. it will smell OK, but it is NOTHING compared to the glorious scent you get when it is combined with water over a diffuser flame! 

To clear an over-active mind:

  • 2 parts Sweet Orange Oil
  • 1 part Ylang Ylang Oil

To scent sheets as if they had been dried outdoors:

  • 3 parts Lavender
  • 1 Part Clary Sage
  • 1 part Dalmatian Sage
  • 1 part Rosemary

Combine oils, then add a few drops to a spray bottle filled with clean water. Shake well and spray over the bedding. The sheets will smell as if they were line dried in a summer field.

To cheer the blues:

  • 2 parts Sweet Orange
  • 1 part Lemon
  • 1 part Lime
  • 1 part Neroli

Use in diffusers or sprays to lift the spirits and make the home or office more cheerful.

To make a space feel "like home":

This can vary a lot because we all grew up in different homes! One common reaction though is to feel secure and relaxed around the scents of fall baking. Try any of these:Amber, Cinnamon, Ginger, Clove, Peppermint and Vanilla

One of my favorites:

  • 1 part Cinnamon
  • 1 part Ginger
  • 1 part Clove
  • 2 parts Lemon
  • 1 part Vanilla

To make a space feel earthy and relaxed:

  • 1 part Cedar Wood
  • 1 part Cypress
  • 2 parts Lavender
  • 2 parts Rosemary
  • 1 part Vetiver

Blending 7 Cost Saving Hint:

Don't add a lot of expensive oil all at once! To begin with, try making a 'part' equal to 1 drop. Then if you don't like the resulting combination, you won't have used up so much oil!

Sterility:

Although I don't observe exacting sterile procedures for my own home use, it is a good idea to keep oils and tools used to blend oils clean. If you accidentally place a used dropper into a bottle of oil, that dropper is going to instill whatever it was used for into the bottle of oil! I use disposable droppers almost all the time to avoid contamination, and to prevent degradation of the dropper rubber tops. Believe it or not, essential oils will actually eat right through the rubber over time!

Containers:

If you are looking for a good resource for empty containers such as spray bottles, small oil vials, etc. Try  SKS Bottle. They have been around a long time and are nice people. They offer a wide variety of items shipped out promptly - including disposable droppers!

The absolute BEST book I have ever read on essential oils was written by Valerie Ann Warwood. I refer to this book so often I have had to replace my paper back copy as it literally fell apart from the frequency of use in my house. Can't recommend it highly enough! The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy

Reputable Sources for High Quality Essential Oils

I have used the following vendors myself,and have always found them to carry high quality oils.

Mountain Rose HerbsNew Directions Aromatics

If you are a fan of Amazon, I have purchased Plant Therapy oils from Amazon and never been disappointed with the quality. This little set:  Plant Therapy Top 14 Singles Set | Lavender, Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Orange Sweet, Lemon & More in A Wooden Box | 100% Pure, Undiluted, Natural Aromatherapy, Therapeutic Grade | 10 mL (1/3 oz) looks like a decent starter package to me, although I have not purchased it personally, but I have purchased their essential oils and they are good.

Bright blessings!

Alison