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Scent is a simple and easy way to boost our mood, mental health and brain performance. No matter what your need is, essential oils can they help to shift your head space and make you feel great. What are they? In a nutshell essential oils are the concentrated essence of plant botanicals. In some cases, they’re made from thousands of pounds of a plant concentrated in just a small bottle. Essential oils come from different parts of the plant depending on the oil, for example it could be from the flower, the stem, or the whole plant itself. Plants convey messages to us; they trigger emotions within us as we smell their oils. When we surround ourselves in nature, we can come back to our center, balance is the state we’re supposed to be in. The main ways to use them include influencing our moods, managing stress levels, improving sleep, as a personal or home fragrance, and even cleaning.

Scent affects our nervous system and our brain, namely the limbic part of the brain. The limbic part of the brain is responsible for inducing a sense of calm, or conversely can rev us up and stimulate us. Oils such as Roman Chamomile, Lavender and Vetiver have been proven to help with the calming aspect and studies have even shown them to be successful in fighting insomnia. Vetiver also fights stress and promotes a feeling of grounding so it can be particularly helpful in times of high stress. Just take a cotton pad or cotton round like the one you’d use for removing makeup, dispense a few drops of your essential oil and place the cotton round inside your pillow case on the side you sleep on.  A night of restful slumber is guaranteed. This method means the scent will last a lot longer than a pillow spray and as a bonus, won’t stain your pillow. Extra lush sleep tip, sleep on natural fibers such as a silk or a satin pillowcase to help regulate your body temperature since synthetic fibers can cause friction, sweating and pull on your delicate facial skin. Not exactly a recipe for beauty sleep.

As mentioned, scent influences the limbic part of the brain and that includes stimulating our senses, waking us up and making us more productive. Oils such as eucalyptus not only help as a nasal decongestant, but have been used as a powerful boost during morning meditations to help clear the mind as much as they do the sinus. Try sprinkling a few drops in your shower for a complete at home spa experience that will leave you ready to take on the day. You can also find natural shower and bath oils infused with eucalyptus and tea tree oils that both cleanse and “open” your senses, leaving you ready to take on the day ahead. Keep a vial of eucalyptus oil on your desk and when in need of a reset, just take a sniff. Kids trapped indoors at home for online learning can really benefit from the grounding and focusing scent of Vetiver. The connection between emotion and scent, the psycho-somatic influence is real. So, if you want to support how you feel, or turn your mood around, there are tonnes of combinations from floral rose to earthy palo santo and even blends dedicated to opening specific chakras.

We know artificial fragrances are toxic for us, but it’s hard to pass on the ever-expanding array of delightful fragrances, decadent perfumes and refreshing scents marketed to us every single day. Essential oils that invoke feelings of self-care such as vanilla, rose, and citrus scents like lemongrass are gorgeous natural personal fragrance options. If making your own personal scents or even massage oils, just make sure you use a carrier oil like coconut oil or jojoba so the pure essential oil isn’t too strong and irritating when applied directly to the skin. You can concoct your own skin care by adding a few drops of your favorite scent to shea butter and mixing it through to warm up for easy application. Products that make you feel good, smell good and are totally natural will also help you to stay on track with your health goals throughout the day by putting in place enjoyable rituals for you to go back to in times of stress.

Make your own home fragrance by placing a few drops of your oil of choice in a spray bottle filled with distilled water. Shake well and spray liberally each time you want to freshen up the space. Another way to infuse your home with scent is to simmer a pan of water on the stove and add about five to seven drops of your chosen essential oil. Your home will quickly fill with the amazing scent. Try sweet orange or grapefruit during the day, and patchouli or myrrh in the evening for a more grounding vibe.

Essential oils such as tea tree, are high in antimicrobial compounds, and can safely be added to vinegar and water for effective home cleaning. Another DIY cleaning recipe suitable for most surfaces includes one cup of apple cider vinegar, one cup of water, one-eighth of a cup of lemon juice and thirty drops of orange, lemon or grapefruit essential oil.

Seasonally speaking, as we move into the warm summer days, you may be surprised and delighted to know that essential oils can help ease the intense heat. Oils such as peppermint and spearmint can immediately impart a cooling sensation for the body upon contact. Add your choice of essential oil to a water base and make a cooling mist that can be sprayed on the go. Combine around 30 ml of aloe vera gel with six drops of lavender and peppermint oils to create an effective cooling gel you can take to the beach or on a picnic. Peppermint is also amazing for car sickness, so make sure to stash a bottle in your bag to sniff during any summer staycation road trips. Spearmint is a great alternative if you’re traveling with kids younger than school age. One way to make the scent mobile without worrying about the liquids is to place a few drops on some cotton rounds, seal them in a small sandwich bag and enjoy during your travels. Lastly, keep in mind that summer may be a good time of the year to lay off the spicier oils such as cinnamon, clove and nutmeg which create warmer sensations.

Hopefully you’ve learned a lot about the many uses of essential oils and how they aren’t limited to yoga studios, and massage spas. Make sure to source your collection from a reputable brand that offers high quality, organic and pure essential oils. You can find affordable options at health food markets, pharmacies and online health food stores. It is worth spending more since they are so potent, you’ll find a small vial will last you ages. Stored correctly, in a cool dark place, your essential oils can easily last three years and beyond. Citrus oils do expire a little sooner, around two years. Nevertheless, it’s a small investment that will brings years of joy, soothing memories and multiple healing uses.