The festive season is nearly here. Crisp winter evenings, cosy log fires, the scent of your favourite Christmas candle burning in the background. It all sounds too cosy, and we can't wait to get into the holiday spirit.
Christmas is all about feeling warm, cosy, united and is altogether a magical time - no one can tell us differently - and one of the most distinctive things about Christmas is all of the smells. Freshly baked gingerbread, pine Christmas trees, spiced mulled wine ... is your mouth-watering yet?
The fantastic thing about scents is that they can transport you to a time and place in your memory. That is why aromatherapy is so upcoming in the health industry. You should never underestimate the power of essential oils.
Christmas essential oils and diffuser blends will transform your home into a festive wonderland - and you don’t even have to do any festive baking. With that in mind, here is our list of the top Christmas essential oils and diffuser scents you need in your home this season.
What is aromatherapy?
Have you ever smelt something and it immediately made you feel better? Certain smells can make you feel comforted and safe such as the smell of baking, clean laundry or freshly cut grass. No wonder everyone is so obsessed with Lush and Bath and Body Works.
Certain scents, ingredients and oils do more than just smell really good. They also have many medicinal properties. According to Aromatherapy Associates, aromatherapy is the "power of aroma, through essential oils to improve your wellbeing therapy."
"Used in ancient cultures for thousands of years, the term aromatherapy was named by a French perfumer and chemist René-Maurice Gattefossé in 1937."
Aromatherapy is now thought of as both an art and a science. In recent years, aromatherapy has gained more recognition in the fields of science and medicine to help with anxiety, wellbeing and general health.
The best Christmas essential oils for the festive spirit
We may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this page, we never allow this to influence product selections.
madebyzen.com
If you are a fan of ginger tea or gingerbread, this smell will leave your body and senses tingling.
Benefits:
A festive warming and spicy scent.
It has anti-inflammatory properties that could be helpful in easing feelings of nausea or digestive issues.
Mixes well with lemon, rosemary, orange & frankincense essential oils to make your own blend.
Are you mad about Terry's Chocolate Orange or any other citrus-based foods? This orange essential oil will put you straight into the festive spirit.
Benefits:
Oranges are zesty, invigorating, bright, and welcoming.
The essential oil will lift your mood or reduce stress and can treat skin conditions such as acne.
Orange is perfect for blending with scents like ginger and citronella.
Lavender is very well-known for its relaxation properties and will help people to relax at bedtime. This would be perfect for you or if you have children on the night before Christmas.
Benefits
Helps you to relax and unwind and get a better night’s sleep.
Floral and earthy tones.
Tried and tested by Ellen Kinsey, Commercial Content Writer for Closer Online: "I have used lavender to help me sleep since a child. Lavender is often an ingredient in pillow mists and sleeping spray as it is one of the most calming fragrances. Whenever feeling stressed or anxious I apply lavender to my wrists, behind my ears and on the lymph nodes on my neck. It helps me to feel calm and grounded again. Sometimes little rituals like these are the best remedy for anxiety."
www.hollandandbarrett.com
This spicy and sweet scent is distinctively warming and has a soothing aroma, cinnamon can provide instant comfort, through food, drinks and smell.
Benefits:
It can help to relax your body and calm your mind.
Cinnamon has antibacterial and antifungal agents. As cinnamon oil is very strong do not rub or massage the oil directly on skin unless it’s diluted with a carrier oil such olive or jojoba oil.
Creates a warm and uplifting atmosphere.
www.hollandandbarrett.com
When someone mentions frankincense, most of us picture the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh from The Three Wise Men. Fun fact, there is a reason behind this gift. In ancient times, it was considered a way to connect the divine and earth. However, in aromatherapy today, frankincense is used to promote calm, relaxation, and peace.
Benefits:
Deeply comforting and can help with swelling, pain, and joint movement associated with arthritis.
Helps to find inner peace and enhance wellbeing.
www.hollandandbarrett.com
When it comes to Christmas scents, nothing can quite beat the smell of a u2018real’ Christmas tree. This fresh, green scent will make you feel like you're in a winter wonderland.
Benefits
The oil is made with steam distilled from needles and twigs of wild firs.
This scent will help calm nerves and soothe anxious feelings.
The smell of fir creates a clean and inviting environment with a fresh, green fragrance.
Peppermint is an iconic Christmas smell with red and white striped candy canes that hang on the tree. Peppermint has so many medicinal properties that will leave you feeling fresh and festive. Peppermint is an especially good essential oil for headaches and aching neck and shoulders. A few drops on your temples, the scalp or the nape of your neck will help ease a tension headache.
Benefits:
Fresh, energising and a festive aroma to clear your mind and release tension
Can also help to keep away spiders (best news ever).
Tried and tested by Ellen Kinsey, Commercial Content Writer for Closer Online: "Peppermint is my number one go-to when I get tension headaches. Always taking a pain-killer isn't an option, so peppermint essential oil really helps to relieve the stress. I apply it to the nape of my neck, on both sides of my temples and either side of my jaw. It is extremely cooling and will feel tingly at first. The cooling properties work much the same as an ice pack when you have a migraine or headache. This brand is affordable, comes in a good size bottle, and I carry it around in my bag for travelling, for working and daily use."
Vanilla essence is not just a flavour you add to baking. Vanilla essential oils have several uses, including relieving PMS symptoms, fighting infection, boosting libido, lowering blood pressure, reducing inflammation. More than just a sweet scent, right?
Benefits:
Warm, comforting scents that will help you relax.
Vanilla essential oil offers antioxidants that help stimulate and repair the body's existing damages.
www.hollandandbarrett.com
Clove is one of the most aromatic spices out there, often found in chai teas or your satsuma over Christmas. It is deeply rich, soothing and will leave you feeling festive.
Benefits:
Known for its warming and stimulating properties.
It works as a great pain reliever for toothaches and muscle pain, upset stomachs and relieves respiratory conditions like coughing or asthma.
Clove is filled with anti-inflammatory compounds, which can aid sore throats, coughs and sinusitis add the essential oil to your diffuser if you feel like you have a bit of a sore throat.
The best Christmas diffuser oils for your festive sanctuary
madebyzen.com
Wake up and smell Christmas every morning with these magical festive fragrances - with scents such as fresh pine, festive orange and spicy apricot.
Christmas diffuser blends:
Christmas Spice : Blend of Christmas spices, zesty orange and amber.
Aspen: Lush evergreen scent with fresh pine needles, and a hint of citrus.
Three Kings: An iconic mix of frankincense, myrrh, sandalwood, fruit and spice.
Tried and tested by Ellen Kinsey, Commercial Content Writer for Closer Online: "The Christmas inspired fragrances from Made by Zen will leave your house feeling warm, cosy and festive. Aspen has a lovely fresh scent, Three Kings has a deep and rich smell, and my personal favourite Christmas Spice smells exactly as you would envision Christmas. It is warming, spicy and zesty. Once you put on your diffuser,you won't be able to get enough of this gorgeous fragrance."
www.next.co.uk
Indulge your senses in this uplifting gingerbread fragrance, a sweet, spicy, treacle scent that smells like biscuits freshly baked from the oven.
madebyzen.com
These magical warming blends will leave you feeling warm on a cold night. The set is made up of freshly baked gingerbread, winter berries and fig and cassis.
Christmas diffuser blends:
Gingerbread: The smell of baked gingerbread with spiced nutmeg, cinnamon, brown sugar and vanilla.
Fig and Cassis: A sweet treat made with ripe figs, damsons cassis and white scented flowers.
Winter Berries: Created with sweet red berries, pine, patchouli and vanilla.
Stimulate your senses and bring the spirit of a crisp winteru2019s day into your home (although not much effort is needed for that in the UK) with this refreshing diffuser oil.
Christmas diffuser blend:
Made from black spruce fresh aroma that will leave you feeling energised, cedarwood that has a grounding woody aroma and juniper berry has a sweet fragrance that will stimulate your senses.
Create your silent night with this blend of frankincense, black pepper and mandarin.
Christmas diffuser blend:
Made of frankincense has sweet notes that promote tranquillity and calm. Black pepper has a hoppy warming aroma that helps restore energy, and mandarin has a festive classic that brings subtle brightness and balance to the blend.
How to use essential oils:
- Aromatically (in a diffuser or smelling it directly). If you have a diffuser apply a few drops to yours and inhale the scent. The easiest way to get the aromatic benefits of essential oil is by simply taking a few drops from the bottle into your hands. Cup your mouth, put it to your nose and inhale.
- Topically (directly on your skin). Topical use of essential oils is one of the most popular ways of using essential oils. You can apply it to your pressure, point, feet or anywhere on your body.
- Internally (ingesting the oil), you can add a drop or two of your favourite oil to water or even add it to your food.
Here is a video from Yogi Approved showing the basics of essential oils:
Read more:
The best aromatherapy diffusers to make your house feel like a spa
Ylang-ylang essential oil benefits - could it help your sex life?
Our top 3 festive essential oil and diffuser blends you can make at home
Here are some of our favourite Christmas essential oil blends you can put in your diffuser or apply to yourself:
Christmas cottage: 3 drops orange + 1 drop clove + 1 drop cinnamon
Icy fresh: 2 drops of peppermint + 1 drop fir + 1 drop vanilla
Fresh gingerbread: 2 drops clove + 2 drops cinnamon + 3 drops ginger