12 Aromatherapy Oils for Christmas

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I find aromatherapy an incredible, completely natural way to change your environment and mood. There are so many essential oils available, you can really find the perfect scent for any occasion. Whether it’s menthol when you’ve got a cold, lavender when you want to relax and sleep, lemon to give a fresh-cleaned zest or winter allspice for a Christmas feel, you’ll be amazed at what a difference aromatherapy can make.

My Top 12 Aromatherapy Oils for Christmas

The first thing I recommend you do is to buy an aromatherapy diffuser. There are a massive array of these available, some with lots of extra features. The one I chose is a natural wood look (it’s actually plastic though, which is the most hygienic and durable option), with a multi-coloured mood light for the evening. It has a high or low misting system and also has a timer of 30, 60 or 90 minutes, and an automatic cut off when it runs out of water. You can get these delivered on Amazon for under £25! Oils are relatively inexpensive, running from £2 – £5 per bottle and a little more for blends.

This is the diffuser I currently use, sold by VicTsing.

I was amazed after starting using aromatherapy oils how much every scent can affect my mood and relax me.

1. Frankincense

Frankincense was one of the three precious gifts gifted to baby Jesus, but I’m personally not religious. My sister in law actually gifted me a pure Frankinsense oil for the birth of my son and she swears that it has many holistic health benefits.  I did some research on it before using it (that Type A personality shining through!) and found there is a significant amount of evidence to show that Frankincense boosts the immune system and can help prevent illness. It is an astringent, which means it can kill germs! It can also reduce stress and negative emotions. So even without the Biblical association, this is definitely a good one to have going over the winter period.

If you’re not sure what it even smells like, it’s a very sweet, woody smell that reminds me of the forest and nature, but with a distinct honey-like overtone. It’s quite mild and a very pleasant background aroma.

Buy Fresh Skin’s Pure Frankincense Oil on Amazon. Only £3.09 a bottle!

2 & 3. Pine or Cedarwood

Want to bring that outdoor forest scent indoors? I think this one is especially good if you don’t have a real Christmas tree. I switched from a real tree to a plastic one a few years ago, due to a cat that insisted on attempting to eat the needles and I really missed that Christmas tree smell. A pine essential oil not only smells Christmassy, but Pine can boost your metabolism. I definitely need a bit of that with Christmas chocolate around!

Cedarwood is a little more complex and a little less Christmassy than Pine and is traditionally used as an insect repellent, but can also give a lovely indoor forest scent. I personally prefer Pine, but Cedarwood is a good option for those wanting a more delicate smell, and it’s also great all year around. You can mix a drop of each too!

Buy Pine on Amazon for just £2.09 or Cedarwood for £1.99

4 – 8. Christmas Spice Combo

Christmas Spice can be bought in a pre-blended oil, but you can also mix your own and choose the different strength you prefer. If you mix cinnamon with clove, nutmeg, vanilla, and orange and you will find a very recognizable traditional Christmas scent that reminds me of Christmas Markets and my grandma’s Christmas baking! One of my favourite things about aromatherapy is you can mix and match and create your own concoction of smells that suits you.

Cinnamon – the spicy traditional Christmas scent offers comfort and relieves stress.

Clove – has powerful antibacterial and antiviral properties to keep the nasty bugs at bay in the winter.

Nutmeg – helps stimulate and boost the brain, ideal when you’ve got a ton of things to remember and prepare.

Orange – has a strong citrus scent that will really revive the senses and provide a feeling of energy.

Vanilla – a delicate, gentle scent that adds a sweetness to a mix and blends scents together really well.

9. Peppermint

You’ll find peppermint in candy canes and sweet treats over Christmas, but it also makes an invigorating and distinctive scent to your home. Peppermint in the morning will wake you right up and boost your energy for the coming day. Set your diffuser on a timer and have it come on 15 minutes before your alarm goes off and you’ll find this a very natural way of waking yourself up in the morning, even if you’ve had a sleepless night with the kids.

Peppermint is also a very inexpensive oil, with a 10ml bottle being just £1.99 on Amazon from Fresh Skin. You’ll only need a few drops, so 10ml will actually last quite a long time!

10. Eucalyptus Oil

Not a traditional Christmas scent, this is one I use all year round. I often find that I have a winter cold, and Eucalyptus is absolutely amazing for helping beat the winter bugs. It’s an expectorant, which helps clean the body of the micro-organisms that are causing the cold. It really clears out the sinuses, and it’s even been medically accredited as a treatment for sinusitis. It can kill mold in the home and it filters nasty pollutants from the air. Finally, this also helps it remove odors, so if you have pets or any lingering smells, this doesn’t just cover them up – it actually absorbs the smells and makes them disappear. On top of that, it makes the home smell very fresh!

It’s just £1.99 for a 10ml Bottle on Amazon or you can pick up a Starter Set of 5 essential oils from Fresh Skin (the brand I use), for just £8.95. It contains Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Orange, Lavender and Lemon, so an excellent set of scents you can use all year round.

11. Bergamot

Bergamot is a tree that’s native to South East Asia, but is now widely established in warmer regions of Europe. It produces a fruit that’s sort of a cross between an orange and a grapefruit, but the shape of a pear. The oils made from it are a very spicy, warm, fruity and sweet scent – decidedly citrus, but definitely discernable from orange or lemon. It’s a really interesting scent that I think works well as a sweeter option to Christmas spice scents. It can also replace orange in a Christmas spice mix, or if mixed with lavender has a much more floral scent that is incredibly relaxing. Bergamot is known as an anti-depressant and can really boost moods and it’s a pain reliever, so great to put on if you have a headache.

It blends really well with Frankincense too, try it! It’s available on Amazon for £2.09.

12. Lavender

Lastly I’m including lavender even though you may associate lavender oil or lavender scent with a more summer feel. It is a very summery flower, with a strong scent that you’re probably very familiar with. The thing about lavender for me, is that it’s incredibly relaxing, really helps me decompress and fall asleep. At Christmas it’s all hustle and bustle and I definitely find my stress levels rising and my sleep getting patchier and patchier. That’s why I’m recommending lavender all year round – but especially at any times of increased stress or when you need to relax and unwind. Lavender blends well with most other scents, but I would personally recommend having it run in the diffuser alone for just half hour in the evening or before bed time.

Since this is my favourite aroma, I usually buy it in the larger size bottle (50ml). At 5 times the size of the other bottles, it’s only £6.99 which offers ridiculously good value for money.

Have an Aromatic Christmas!

Today’s Codeword is: FRANKINCENSE, if you would like to read another post and gain another entry, then head over to Mummie’s Waiting for their take on 12 ways parents can relax this season.

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