How to Make Aromatherapy Oils

Aromatherapy oils can make your home smell nice, help you unwind after a long day, or even boost your mood. With a variety of oils on hand, you can concoct refreshing, invigorating scents for any occasion. Play around with different essential oils and accessories and see what you can come up with!

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]How to Get Oils

1. Use pre-made essential oils if you’d like to save time. Search online or in your local wellness store for bottles of essential oils. These oils can be a bit pricey—still, shopping for pre-made oils can save you time if you’re eager to start playing around with different scent combinations.
   
   • Certain essential oils cost more than others. For instance, of lavender might cost at least $16, while of orange essential oil might cost under $6. Other scents, like rose and chamomile, tend to be more expensive as well.^[1]
2. Make your own essential oils if you plan on using them a lot. Real essential oils, like the ones you see online and in stores, are often made with “stills,” or large containers crafted from stainless steel. This equipment can be a bit pricey upfront, but may be worthwhile if you plan on making essential oils very frequently. ^[2]
   
   • You can find still equipment on most all-purpose online marketplaces. These are pretty pricey and cost at least $100.
3. Craft your own infused oils by soaking your favorite herb or plant in oil. Fill a clean glass bottle or jar halfway with the herb or plant of your choice. Add in a carrier oil over the herbs, like olive, grape seed, or coconut oil, so there’s around of oil on top of the herbs. Place a square of wax paper on top of the glass jar before securing the lid in place. Wrap the jar in a paper bag, leaving it in a sunny spot for 1-2 weeks. Strain the infused oil through a cheesecloth into a new, clean jar, giving the new oil a day to settle.^[3]
   
   
   • It helps to roll the jar around in your hands once every 1-3 days while the oil heats up in the sunlight. This helps the herbs infuse into the rest of the oil.
   • Store your jar in a cool, dark place when you’re not using it.
   • Infusing oils is a lot easier than making your own essential oils. It can also be safer than using essential oils, which need to be diluted before they can be applied to the skin.^[4]

[Edit]Fragrant Essential Oil Blends

1. Pump up your energy with lavender, rosemary, lemongrass, and eucalyptus. Create a base for your refreshing mixture with 12 drops of lavender oil. Round out the scent with 8 drops of rosemary oil, along with 6 drops of lemongrass oil. As a finishing touch, stir in 4 drops of eucalyptus oil. Before applying this mixture to your skin, dilute it with 2 drops of a carrier oil, like calendula oil, or of distilled water. This refreshing, energizing blend of oil can really kickstart your workouts.^[5]
   
   
   • This can be a great essential oil mixture for a diffuser in your bedroom. When you wake up each morning, you can enjoy a fresh boost of natural energy!
2. Boost your mood with bergamot mint, tangerine, and lavender. Dilute your mixture with of distilled water, which will make your essential oils a lot less potent and safer to apply to the skin. Add in 12 drops of bergamot mint oil, along with 10 drops of lavender oil and 8 drops of tangerine oil. This combination creates a soothing, refreshing scent that can really improve your mood.^[6]
   
   
3. Mix lavender, ylang-ylang, and orange together for a citrusy aroma. Concoct a gentle citrus scent with 3 drops each of ylang-ylang oil, orange oil, and lavender oil. You can also try a different spin on this scent with 3 drops of bergamot, orange, and cypress oil. This creates a really soothing scent that’s great for relaxation and winding down.^[7]
   
   
4. Recreate a flower garden with ylang-ylang and geranium. Create a simple floral mixture with 3 drops of ylang-ylang oil, along with 3 drops of geranium oil. This combination creates a wonderful floral scent that can really brighten up your home!^[8]
   
   
   • You can always experiment with your favorite floral oils and see what kinds of combinations you can come up with.
5. Tap into holiday nostalgia with orange, cinnamon, cardamom, and clove. Mix 3 drops of orange oil, along with 2 drops of cardamom oil, cinnamon oil, and clove oil. Add this mixture to your diffuser, inhaler, or other essential oil appliance whenever you need to get in the holiday spirit!^[9]
   
   • This creates a spicy, nostalgic scent that will get your home ready for the holidays.
6. Whip up a refreshing but grounding scent with a basil base. Create the base of your aromatherapy fragrance with 10 drops of basil oil. Add in 4 drops of rosemary oil, along with 3 drops of vetiver oil. Finish off the mixture with 2 drops of pine oil and 1 drop of peppermint oil.^[10]
   
   • This is a fun blend—since there are so many different oils at play, the fragrance tends to change if you let it diffuse for an hour or so.

[Edit]How to Use Aromatherapy Oils

1. Sniff an oil-soaked cotton ball for a refreshing scent. Squeeze a few drops of your favorite essential oil (or oils) on a clean cotton ball. Smell this cotton ball to get a good whiff of these oils as you go about your day.^[11]
   
   • You can also leave the cotton ball in your general workspace. This way, you can still get a mild whiff of your favorite aromatherapy oils.
2. Spread fragrances through the air with a diffuser. Follow the manufacturer's instructions to see how much oil and water you need to add. Typically, oil diffusers use specific amounts of aromatic oils and water to spread a pleasant scent throughout the room.^[12]
   
   • For instance, you can diffuse a lavender scent throughout your bedroom if you’re looking to relax after a long day.
3. Breathe in the oils safely with hot water. Fill a bowl or container with hot water, then drip a few drops of your favorite oils on top. Breathe in the scented steam to enjoy your different essential oil scents.^[13]
   
   
4. Soak up fragrances with a diffuser bracelet. Shop online for a special bracelet designed specifically for aromatherapy.^[14] Pour a few drops of essential oils over the clay beads, which will soak into the bracelet. Wear this bracelet throughout the day and enjoy the subtle scent!^[15]
   
   • Always add the oil to the outside of the accessory so it doesn’t touch your skin directly.
   • You can also use other diffusing accessories with essential oils, like necklaces and keychains.^[16]
5. Apply fragrances to your skin as a body oil. Dilute essential oils with carrier oils, or less potent oils that won’t hurt your skin. As a general rule of thumb, mix 1 drop of essential oil with of carrier oil.^[17] Once the oil is diluted, relax and unwind by rubbing the massage oil into your skin.^[18]
   
   • Some great carrier oils are avocado oil, jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, and apricot kernel oil.^[19]
6. Create a fragrant mist with water and essential oils. Mix 4-5 drops of your favorite essential oil into a spray bottle filled with of water. Mix these ingredients together, then spritz the mixture around your living space.^[20]
   
   
   • For instance, spritz it over the bottom of your pillowcase to freshen your sleeping space without worrying about skin irritation.

[Edit]Video

[Edit]Tips

• Mix 1 drop of essential oil with several drops of carrier oil, like coconut oil, and rub it over a small area of your skin first. This way, you can get a sense if you’re allergic or not.^[21]

[Edit]Warnings

• Never apply raw essential oils to your skin, as these oils are very strong. Always dilute essential oils with a carrier oil before using them as a massage oil.^[22]
• Don’t eat your essential oils—although they smell great, they can be very bad for you when ingested.^[23]
• Double-check the safety instructions on your oils before using them. Certain oils shouldn’t be stored in direct sunlight.^[24]
• Essential oils are flammable and can start a fire when left next to a heat source.^[25]
• Always follow the recommended instructions with pure essential oils. Some essential oils can be eaten, while others are only meant for cosmetic use.^[26]

[Edit]References

1. ↑ https://www.massagetoday.com/articles/14563/The-Business-Side-of-Adding-Aromatherapy-to-Your-Practice
2. ↑ https://www.savvyhomemade.com/make-your-own-essential-oil/
3. ↑ https://theherbalacademy.com/herb-infused-oils/
4. ↑ https://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com/2019/08/09/essential-oils-vs-infused-oils/
5. ↑ https://www.betternutrition.com/natural-living/diy-aromatherapy-blends
6. ↑ https://www.betternutrition.com/natural-living/diy-aromatherapy-blends
7. ↑ https://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/essential-oils-smell-candles#gid=ci02300b61300027dc&pid=smartchef_280_01_fnl
8. ↑ https://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/essential-oils-smell-candles
9. ↑ https://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/essential-oils-smell-candles
10. ↑ https://info.achs.edu/blog/blending-101-the-art-of-pairing
11. ↑ https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/how-do-i-choose-and-use-essential-oils
12. ↑ https://thesleepdoctor.com/2018/06/12/7-essential-oils-for-relaxation-and-better-sleep/
13. ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK65820/
14. ↑ https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/aromatherapy-do-essential-oils-really-work
15. ↑ https://helloglow.co/diy-diffuser-bracelet/
16. ↑ https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/aromatherapy-do-essential-oils-really-work
17. ↑ https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/how-do-i-choose-and-use-essential-oils
18. ↑ https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/aromatherapy-do-essential-oils-really-work
19. ↑ https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/how-do-i-choose-and-use-essential-oils
20. ↑ https://thesleepdoctor.com/2018/06/12/7-essential-oils-for-relaxation-and-better-sleep/
21. ↑ https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/blog/essential-oils
22. ↑ https://www.hopkinsallchildrens.org/ACH-News/General-News/Are-Essential-Oils-Safe-for-Children
23. ↑ https://www.hopkinsallchildrens.org/ACH-News/General-News/Are-Essential-Oils-Safe-for-Children
24. ↑ https://www.hopkinsallchildrens.org/ACH-News/General-News/Are-Essential-Oils-Safe-for-Children
25. ↑ https://www.hopkinsallchildrens.org/ACH-News/General-News/Are-Essential-Oils-Safe-for-Children
26. ↑ https://www.poison.org/articles/2014-jun/essential-oils