Essential oils are natural mood boosters you can use in a variety of ways at home. Choose your favorite scent combinations, and bring a little aromatherapy to your daily routine with these nine projects. You’ll feel better for it.
Important note: Do NOT handle essential oils with your bare hands. Essential oils are concentrated and can cause skin irritation if not diluted in a carrier oil or diffused across a material. If you do get some on you, do not wash with water. Apply a neutral oil over the spot (like coconut, canola, olive, etc.) and wipe away.
DIY reed diffusers are an affordable, set-it and forget-it, way to create a signature scent for your home. They’re inconspicuous enough to place anywhere in your home and you can make them as strong or subtle as you want. Just be sure to use a bottle with a narrow neck to slow down evaporation. Otherwise, pick your favorite scent, or experiment with different combinations .
Rocky Mountain Essential Oils Kit – 15 ml with Lavender Bulgaria, Lemon, Peppermint, & Tea Tree; $57.90 from Amazon
Take a cue from 204 Park and swap out your dryer sheets for eco-friendly, wool balls (she explains all her reasons why here). Wool dryer balls cut down your dry time, and with a few drops of essential oils, lightly scent your clothes with all-natural fragrance.
Porous lava stones make great essential oil carriers, as seen in this project from A Beautiful Mess . Consider an essential oil-infused necklace a lighter, more day-to-day friendly alternative to perfume. Laura picked up what she needed on Amazon, including the dyed beads , carrier oil , leather necklace cord , and jewelry findings .
Did anyone else use to overdo the body spray just to be able to walk into a cloud of cucumber melon? I use to spray that stuff everywhere —on my clothes, pillows, and even shoes. Now I take a tamer approach to scenting my home with DIY sprays actually meant for the house. Design Love Fest shows you how to make your own using dried flowers, and has some suggested go-to recipes. All you need is a spray bottle , some alcohol, and your favorite essential oils .
Use a witch hazel and essential oil cleansing spray on daily use items you get up close and personal with, like your yoga mat. Trust me: Tea tree oil (which is what I used for this spray) smells much better than feet.
DIY bath bombs are my go-to small indulgence. Just search Pinterest for any scent combination, from revitalizing citrus or these calming lavender ones from A Pumpkin & A Princess, and your bathroom becomes a spa. Plus, they make great batch gifts.
Essential oil candles aren’t anything new, but have you tried a massage candle? Stephanie’s candles combine soy wax and skin-soothing oils to easily melt on your skin for a soothing, spa-like treatment.
When looking for beard oils to gift, I learned two things : 1) Beard oils are crazy expensive; and 2) They’re just carrier oils with essential oils thrown in! Blend your own for luxurious beard care or use as body oil.
Take a cue from the nail salon (and Laura Gummerman at A Beautiful Mess ) and prevent painful hangnails with cuticle oil. She used a combination of sweet almond oil , rose geranium essential oil , lavender essential oil , and a few drops of vitamin E . Simply brush on and rub in for healthier skin, and your nail beds will thank you.
What are your favorite feel-good uses for essential oils?
