Evoking the Festive Spirit through Scent
The warm-up to the festive season has already arrived! Now is the time to start looking forward to Christmas, as well as some welcome down time and is the ideal time to begin creating handcrafted gifts and filling your home with enriching scents. Cinnamon, orange, nutmeg and pine are just some of the natural fragrances that make us instantly think of Christmas, evoking nostalgic memories from our past. This ancient mid-winter festival is an all-encompassing sensory experience, where our sense of smell plays an important role in our overall experience, since it is a powerful recall mechanism and a vital element of traditional ritual.
Enjoy the richness of celebrating this seasonal ritual by honouring your family traditions. There is something very reassuring about continuing age-old festive rites, especially in our fast-moving modern world, helping us to feel more grounded, not only in the moment, but also within the context of our past and future. And since aromas are processed in the same area of the brain as our emotions, these traditional festive scents can help to put us in touch with long-lost memories, dreams and reflections.
During the often-hectic festive season, natural aromatics can also help uplift our spirits and de-stress our body whilst simultaneously purifying the air in our home. With essential oils, we can create a specific mood, whether we are enjoying a peaceful evening by the fire or planning a vibrant atmosphere for a Christmas party. In addition, since all our Aqua Oleum essential oils are 100% pure & natural botanicals, they provide a versatile, healthy and environmentally-friendly alternative to commercial air fresheners, synthetically-scented candles or chemical fragrances.
Warming Spices: Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Ginger & Clove.
Cinnamon is a feel-good favourite of mine, with a scent reminiscent of mulled wine and mince pies. Tie the aromatic sticks into small bundles with a ribbon then attach them to the Christmas tree as naturalistic decorations. Cinnamon essential oil not only has a lovely, warm-spicy scent, but like nutmeg oil, it also helps to soothe stress and promote a feeling of relaxation to encourage a better night’s sleep. The scent of ginger oil reminds me of gingerbread and making fresh ginger tea over the winter months – perfect for creating an enveloping sense of warmth and to enjoy its energising aromatherapeutic benefits. Clove is a familiar festive spice too, used to flavour spiced wine while the buds have traditionally been used to decorate fresh oranges to make pomanders – another simple and heavenly scented natural decoration idea.
Uplifting Evergreens: Pine, Cypress, Rosemary & Juniper
Bringing in the Christmas tree, so the fresh-woody scent of pine spreads throughout the home, is unmistakably nostalgic for me, being reminiscent of long walks in the Finnish forests. Pine needle oil has an invigorating aroma which instantly creates a refreshing atmosphere, having a mood-boosting, enlivening effect. Cypress is another evergreen, having a soft-woody fragrance, which like bunches of rosemary, can be used to decorate the home or be made into festive wreathes. Try diffusing a few drops of rosemary and juniper oil together to create an uplifting, outdoor-wilderness atmosphere – plus these oils offer an extra boost of energy if you’re feeling depleted. If you don’t have a real Christmas tree, simply add a few drops of these fresh-woody essential oils to a spray-bottle of water, shake well, and then mist the branches with the aromatic spray daily.
Calming Oleoresins: Frankincense, Myrrh, Sandalwood & Elemi
Rich in festive history, being one of the original gifts to Jesus, frankincense has a lovely, resinous-balsamic scent with a grounding and calming effect. Perfect for enjoying cosy nights by the fire, especially when combined with sandalwood and a little nutmeg oil, for helping to relax and recharge. Myrrh oil has a slightly smoky scent and blends well with citrus essential oils to create an intriguing aroma, while sandalwood and rose oil make a classic perfume blend – combining male and female energies – according to the Indian tradition. Elemi is a lesser-known oleoresin with a warm, spicy-lemony scent which is fortifying yet soothing, a favourite of mine used in blends to create a seamless, harmonious quality. These oils are all traditionally used as incense – just add a few drops to a diffuser to create a contemplative atmosphere which can help you to cope with Christmas overload. They can also be added to wax melts or firewood, so when burnt, their resinous aromas are released.
Zesty Citrus: Orange, Bergamot, Mandarin & Lemon
Sweet oranges were traditionally placed in Christmas stockings as a treat, so their scent evokes the rituals of a bygone era. Orange oil has a warming, comforting fragrance, ideal for setting a cheery evening mood that’s perfect for entertaining. Zesty mandarin essential oil is an instant pick-me-up, encouraging a joyful atmosphere and is a common favourite alternative to classic orange. Lemon, lime & grapefruit oils are all refreshing, morning, ‘pick-me-up’ scents – while bergamot oil is uplifting yet soothing, known as an ‘adaptogen’, as it helps create a feeling of energetic balance. Orange, like other citrus oils, blends well with spicy aromas, to create a layered fragrance. For example, try adding a drop of cinnamon, ginger or nutmeg oil to a diffuser to add a twist to any of these zesty, fruity aromas. All these fruits also make lovely tree decorations, simply sliced, dried and then threaded onto short lengths of cotton or ribbon before attaching to the branches.
Floral Perfumes: Rose, Jasmine, Neroli & Lavender
At Aqua Oleum we offer a range of 100% natural, botanical pulse-point perfumes, each with a unique character. All are blended with our light coconut oil, which acts as a long-lasting, scentless base, thus preserving their shelf-life. Our Rose Maroc 5% has a rich, classic aroma for when you’re feeling sultry and seductive. We have also just launched an organic Rose Otto botanical perfume which has an exquisite sweet-floral fragrance. Our beautiful Jasmine pulse-point perfume has an exotic allure, known as ‘Queen of the Night’ as it is renowned as an aphrodisiac. While our uplifting neroli 5% perfume, made from the blossoms of the bitter orange tree, is named after the Princess of Nerola in Italy, who popularised the essence by using it to perfume her gloves, clothes, stationery and bathwater. Lavender is our most popular essential oil, having a calming aroma, known for its ability to help unwind and promote a restful night’s sleep – try putting a few drops on your pillow to help wind down during the Christmas season.
How to enjoy Essential Oils at Home this Christmas:
Room Diffuser/Oil Burner:
Add 5 to 6 drops of our Festive Diffusion blend or mix of your chosen essential oils to a diffuser or oil burner to suit your mood, then let their aromatic mist create an enriching ambiance in your home.
Bathing for Relaxation:
Add 8 to 10 drops of a calming essential oil, such as lavender, neroli or frankincense with a handful of Epsom salts (optional), to your evening bath then unwind in the aromatic, warm water – a great pre-bedtime ritual for over-excited children over the holiday season.
Aromatic Decorations:
Craft your own Christmas ornaments with cinnamon sticks, dried citrus-fruits or make naturalistic mobiles scented with essential oils, then hang them on the tree or around the house for their festive, aromatic effect.
Homemade Potpourri:
Create your own potpourri using dried orange slices, cinnamon sticks, cloves buds and found items, such as small fir cones or rose hips. Add a few drops of your chosen essential oils for an attractive, aromatic display.
Scented Christmas Gifts:
Like the Princess of Nerola, use a few drops of an essential oil to scent your Christmas cards and gifts, such as gloves or scarves – plus the wrapping paper can also be perfumed!
Essential Oil Safety Guidelines:
Do not use essential oils internally; do not use undiluted on the skin; always do a patch test before use; check for any contra-indications; keep away from children and eyes; store in a cool, dark place.