Using Essential Oils In Aromatherapy Sprays And Mists
Home-made aromatherapy sprays are one of the easiest yet most profound methods of using the therapeutic aspect of essential oils. They’re also a great way to create a natural air-freshener for use in any space, one that will far surpass the aromatic beauty of a store-bought synthetic fragrance. Further, you can create aromatherapy sprays to suit special health needs for yourself and your family by selecting oils with specific therapeutic effects.
This little project is something you can do alone, or with older children in the family. Getting your loved ones involved will have two important benefits: First, they’re likely to let you know which scents appeal to them the most. Often in aromatherapy, it is the scents we are most fond of that can have the strongest supporting effects for emotional health. Second, they’re also more likely to use and enjoy the oils they’ve had a part in making. This not only will give them greater satisfaction with the sprays, but will likely open their eyes and minds a little bit more to the world of natural health and wellness.
Just a few easily found items are required: 1 or 2 ounce dark glass bottles with pump spray tops are great containers. The dark color helps preserve the essential oils, and their small size makes them relatively durable, easily handled, and portable. An eye-dropper makes it easy to dispense the oils drop by drop (as the recipes call for “drops” of each essential oil). Plastic ones are most appropriate if children are involved, as the droppers tend to be somewhat delicate. As for the “carrier” of the essential oils, filtered or spring water is really all you need. If you’d like to store the blends for longer than a couple of months, use 1/5th witch hazel in your formulas. Finally, you can also keep the water and oils from separating by using one to three percent of an emulsifying agent known as “Tween”.
And of course you’ll need some essential oils. There’s a very wonderful array of oils available online; a much more diverse selection than you’ll find at your local health food market. Plus you’ll have the option of using medicinal grade oils in your blends if you so desire. Many dedicated aromatherapy practitioners believe the higher grade oils are worth the cost, particularly if your blends are intended you support your health and the health of your family. You may also find a big difference simply in the aromas. Therapeutic grade oils tend to have stronger, more interesting scents as well, which will translate into a much nicer aromatherapy mist.
If children will be involved in making or using the mists, you may want to give a little consideration to essential oil safety. Generally, the floral oils will be absolutely fine for everyone to play with. The citrus oils are also very safe, but should not be sprayed repeatedly on bare skin. Oils distilled from evergreen tree needles can also be skin irritants over time. The pungent, spicy oils should be used with caution — cinnamon, clove and the like. These are found in sprays in the very tiniest concentrations just to add a little “zing”, but can burn the skin of sensitive individuals. Finally, while peppermint is a wonderful addition to blends to add an invigorating top note, spearmint is the oil of choice around very young children.
On to making the sprays! Creating aromatherapy sprays is very simple – just fill your bottles up most of the way with water or your Witch Hazel extract and water (1 part Witch Hazel to 4 parts water), then add your essential oils by counting the drops. If you’re using “tween”, use 8 drops per every ounce total spray you’re making. Put the cap on and shake vigorously for several seconds. Without the tween, the oil and water will naturally tend to separate, somewhat like a salad dressing — shaking a lot when first made will help keep the oils and water mixed. For the simplest formulas, you can use 4 to 16 drops total amount of essential oil in each ounce of water.
For a therapeutic synergy for calming children and helping them sleep, lavender and chamomile blend very well together. A simple formula of two drops of each essential oil per ounce of spray is perfect. Misting a child’s room as the lights go out for the night can really make a difference for many children (and their parents, too!).
Citrus oils are especially well-liked during the warmer months. They also blend together very easily (whereas it can be harder to create nice aromas from scents of different families). You can mix sweet and tart oils for a wonderful effect. Suggested oils are bergamot, sweet orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime and mandarin. In France, mandarin is known as “the children’s remedy” as it has a natural constituent not found in the other citrus oils that is especially soothing to the young ones.
Finally, the evergreen oils are very popular as room fresheners. These are the essential oils distilled from the needles of Pine, Spruce, Balsam Fir and from Juniper Berries. Like the citrus oils, these all blend well together, and mixing them creates very complementary scents. Juniper Berry is especially lively and bright; Pine is a classic evergreen aroma, and Balsam Fir and Spruce are somewhat richer and more complex. Like the citrus oils too, these are uplifting aromas, though they seem to be uplifting and grounding at the same time.
Whatever oils you choose, you can always mix together very small amounts, counting the drops, until you’re sure you like the blend, then add larger amounts to your spray mixture. You can even create a different blend for every room in your home. And by using pure essential oils, you’ll be creating natural aromatics that have been used for centuries, with positive emotional, physical and spiritual health benefits for you and your family.
For more on the therapeutic value of aromatherapy essential oil, and one of many important oils individually such as chamomile oil, visit The Ananda Apothecary online.