Fall will be here soon and with it comes a plethera of good things…
Beautiful foliage, crisp apples, hay rides, holidays, invigorating temperatures and preparing to cozy into our homes for the long winter ahead.
But we are also for the most part, sensitive to our environments and the changes of weather and light they bring. For many of us, the change of season from Summer to Fall can also cause feelings of melancholy. This is natural, and there are a lot of little things that we can do to help ease the transition. Creating a pleasant environment for ourselves, and bringing a little bit of Summer via the senses into it with us are among them.
As a note, some people are impacted quite adversely by the change of seasons due to the shorter amounts of daylight and begin to feel a sense of deep depression. For those who are effected in this manner by Fall and Winter, we encourage you to read and follow up on our article concerning seasonal affective disorder (SAD). A very real illness that often goes unrecognized and untreated.
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Before we begin with the recipes, let’s contend with the age old question…”How big is a drop?”
The size of a “drop” varies, depending on the size of the dropper opening, as well as on ambient temperature, and the thickness or natural viscosity of the essential oil. Happily, for our purposes here a simple drugstore dropper and your own good nose will be accurate enough.
We invite you to visit our line of pure Aromatherapeutic Grade Essential Oils
Blends to Help Ease the Winter Blues
A string of gray skies, restricted activity and the lack of greenery can all lead to what is commonly known as the “Winter Blues.” The blends below can help ease the symptoms of the winter blues. Citrus oils are emphasized here because they are energizing and uplifting oils and are favored by many people. The various blendings of them create a synergy which offers a feeling of space to claustrophobic environments and a sense of light to dreary days.
Blend #1
3 drops Orange
2 drops Grapefruit
Blend #2
3 drops Grapefruit
2 drops Cypress
Blend #3
4 drops Orange
1 drop Ylang Ylang
Blend #4
3 drops Bergamot
2 drops Clary Sage
Blend #5
3 drops Orange
2 drops Ginger
Blend #6
3 drops Bergamot
1 drop Neroli
1 drop Jasmine
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“Grandma’s Kitchen”
The aroma of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and orange blend to make a sweet, spicy aroma perfect for Fall and evoke positive feelings in most people. The directions below are for creating a diffuser blend, but it is also lovely to use with potpourri and kitchen sachet bags.
note: this blend is excellent to use when having house guests or when selling a home. Just add a few drops to your diffuser or burner before visitors are due to arrive. The “homey” fragrance extends a warm and inviting feeling, and most people respond positively to it.
Ingredients:
10 drops Vanilla
5 drops Ginger
8 drops Cinnamon
1 drop Clove
Directions: Add your oils to a 2 ml dark colored glass bottle and mix well by rolling the bottle in between your hands. If you would like to make a larger quantity, simply multiply the recipe above and add to a larger bottle.
To Use: Add a few drops of your created blend to a scent ring, add to water in an oil burner or use the manufacture’s suggested number of drops to your oil diffuser.
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Essential oil Recipes for you to wear
These recipes, as with any oil that is to be worn against the skin, should be blended with a carrier oil. Technically most any oil can be used as a carrier, however some oils, such as Olive oil, have a scent already and can interfere with the final fragrance. Oils such as Jojoba oil, or Sweet Almond oil are generally recommended for creating wearable fragrances. They are readily available in most health food stores. We prefer Jojoba oil as a carrier because it’s scent it virtually undetectable, and has a very long shelf life, so there is little risk of spoilage before the fragrance oil is used up.
When blending a wearable fragrance, it’s best to blend the essential oils first and then add drops to your carrier. This allows for more control over the final blend and helps eliminate difficulty in adjusting the fragrance balance. Remember, it’s easier to add a drop or two of an oil than it is to try to re-balance the blend to compensate for too much.
Below is a basic oil to carrier dilution ratio for most fragrance blends. 2% is generally the default. There is rarely any need to go beyond a 3% ratio for any blend. The measurement chart below was created using water since it has a medium viscosity compared with the range of viscosity found in essential oils.
1% dilution: 5-6 drops essential oil per ounce of carrier oil
2% dilution: 10-12 drops essential oil per ounce of carrier oil
3% dilution: 15-18 drops essential oil per ounce of carrier oil
The following recipes can be worn at anytime, but while designed to be uplifting and evocative of Spring and Summer, are best suited for Fall and Winter as they are deeper and the resultant scent more complex than their lighter Spring and Summer counterparts.
‘Love Potion”
Jasmine- 4 drops
Neroli- 4 drops
Ylang Ylang -4 drops
Ginger -2 drops
“Butterfly Kisses”
Geranium -10 drops
Lavender- 40 drops
Frankincense- 5 drops
Sandalwood- 20 drops
Ylang Ylang- 3 drops
” Forest”
Patchouli- 4 drops
Sandalwood- 12 drops
Vetiver- 4 drops