Article by Eileen Doody
Christmas is a time rich with aromas. There are the mouth-watering smells of Christmas baking if you make your own traditional cake, plum pudding and mince pies. The refreshing and pleasing scent of pine if you have a real Christmas tree and the aromas of spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg and of course orange if you put together your own mulled wine.
I always feel that Christmas is one of the best times for using essential oils to help create or add to the celebratory ambience so I am going to share some ideas and recipes with you on which essential oils work well in bringing not only some Christmas magic but to help with lowering stress levels and enhancing connection and kindness. It is the “Season of Goodwill” but I often feel that it is preceded with the “Season of Silliness” with us all doing our best to get everything right, shopping until we drop for the best pressies to give our loved ones and burning the candle at both ends doing all of this on top of everything else we ordinarily do at a time of the year when we ought to be slowing down and going inward. All this pressure and busyness can sometimes lead to physical burnout and frayed nerves. Essential oils can help with the fallout!
Please note that is it vital to use pure, unadulterated and therapeutic grade essential oils. Using adulterated, synthetic or cheap oils has no medicinal or wellbeing properties even if you like the aroma.
The main Christmas time essential oils are:
CINNAMON LEAF
CLOVE BUD
ORANGE
MANDARIN
PINE
CEDARWOOD
SANDALWOOD
FRANKINCENSE
MYRRH
CINNAMON LEAF
Cinnamon Leaf is an essential oil distilled from the leaf of the tree. A spice, it is a potent oil with a very strong aroma so ought to be used in low amounts. One drop in a blend is usually more than enough to bring it’s gorgeous aroma without overpowering the blend altogether. It is exceptionally good for feelings of exhaustion and for depressive states bringing a feeling of inner warmth and upliftment. It also disguises any lingering heavy odours.
CLOVE BUD
Clove essential oil has a very strong and penetrating aroma so again, as with cinnamon, it is to be used sparingly as too much will be overpowering. Again, one drop in a blend is more than enough. Clove is said to lift depression, strengthens memory and has a positive effect on the mind generally. It also can help to disinfect the atmosphere so if there are a lot of germs over the Christmas period, vaporising this essential oil can help fight the spread of infection. It has also been said to have aphrodisiac properties.
SWEET ORANGE
This essential oil is distilled or cold expressed from the peel of the fruit. It smells just like the fruit with a zesty citrus aroma. It is an antidepressant oil encouraging a positive outlook. Also good for tension and stress and helps with insomnia as it is a relaxant.
MANDARIN
Mandarin essential oil is distilled or cold expressed from the peel of the fruit. A very uplifting essential oil which also helps with depression, anxiety and loss of appetite. It is known to be an essential oil that helps the inner child energy in all of us and helps with any feelings of fragility.
PINE
The essential oil is distilled from the Pine needles. It is a very refreshing essential oil, good for balancing the whole system and is said to be very beneficial for tiredness and weakness. It is also a very powerful antiseptic (which is why it has been used in so many cleaning products). It is very good to use when there are colds, ‘flu and respiratory issues in the home as it helps breathing and clears the sinuses.
CEDARWOOD
Distilled from the wood of the tree, cedar has been used in incense blends since antiquity. It is valuable for meditation as it promotes deep breathing but also helps with tension and anxiety and brings a sense of deep calm and peace. On a physical note, it has expectorant properties so is very good for coughs and colds. It’s energy is very grounding.
SANDALWOOD
This beautiful essential oil is distilled from the wood of the tree which is in actual fact parasitic as its roots burrows into other trees for its survival. It is endangered and the best oil comes from India where the government controls its production. Sandalwood has been used in incense since antiquity for meditation and religious ceremonies as it is deeply calming. It is an aphrodisiac and the smell of sandalwood lingers long after use. It is an oil good for anxiety and tension and brings a sense of peace and acceptance.
FRANKINCENSE
Distilled from the resin of the tree, Frankincense was one of the three gifts brought to infant Jesus by the three Wise Men. Its value was on the same level as Gold in olden times and it was thought to banish evil spirits and was burnt on Egyptian altars as a gift to the gods. It is still used in religious ceremonies and is popular in incense form as an aid to meditation. It slows down the breathing which promotes a feeling of calm. It is very good for anxiety and is exceptional for feelings of grief. Christmas can be a time of deep pain for some as they remember their loved ones who are not with them now. It often is a time when we look back on the year on all that we experienced which has sometimes been challenging due to loss or change. Frankincense can help deeply with these strong feelings as it soothes the soul.
MYRRH
This essential oil is distilled from the resin of the stem and branches of the bush. It has quite a smoky and heavy aroma so one drop is sufficient if you chose to use it in a blend. Myrrh was also one of the three gifts brought to the infant Jesus by the three Wise Men. It is said to be purifying aiding the healing of old wounds on an emotional level. It also helps with feelings of apathy.
WAYS TO USE THE ESSENTIAL OILS AT CHRISTMAS
Diffuser: The most obvious way to use the essential oils is in a diffuser. Blends of two to three essential oils at a time work better than one essential oil on its own however there is nothing stopping you using one essential oil on its own if you want to. Using up to 6 or 8 drops of essential oil in the water of the diffuser should be sufficient to give a gorgeous ambience. Most people switch on the diffuser and leave it until the water totally evaporates however, after a certain length of time (some researchers say 10 minutes) our brain stops smelling the aroma. The essential oils still register in our brain and have effects, it’s just that we no longer can smell them. With this in mind, it is said that it is more effective to use your diffuser in 30- 60 minutes stints switching it off in between, i.e. use it for 30 – 60 minutes, turn it off for the same amount of time and then switch it back on again.
Suggested Christmas Diffuser Blends
| Blend 1 | Blend 2 |
| Cinnamon 1 drop | Cinnamon 1 drop |
| Clove 1 drop | Clove 1 drop |
| Sweet Orange 3 drops | Frankincense 1 drop |
| Mandarin 3 drops | Sweet Orange 3 drops |
| Blend 3 | Blend 4 |
| Cedarwood 1 drop | Cinnamon 1 drop |
| Frankincense 2 drops | Pine 2 drops |
| Pine 2 drops | Mandarin 4 drops |
| Cinnamon 1 drop | |
| Blend 5 | Blend 6 |
| Myrrh 1 drop | Sandalwood 1 drop |
| Frankincense 2 drops | Frankincense 2 drops |
| Sweet Orange 2 drops | Pine 2 drops |
| Mandarin 3 drops | Mandarin 3 drops |
| Blend 7 | Blend 8 |
| Orange 4 drops | Clove 1 drop |
| Cinnamon 1 drop | Cedarwood 2 drops |
| Clove 1 drop | Sweet Orange 3 drops |
You can experiment in a myriad of ways to find the blend that you most like so I would encourage you to have fun with it!
Around the Christmas tree: Whether you have a Christmas tree or not, or a real one or an artificial one, you can create the fresh scent of a pine forest in your own home. The trick is not to use too much pine essential oil as it may overpower and you end up with people wondering if you have been disinfecting the house! You can either use pine essential oil on its own in the diffuser 4 – 6 drops or else put 1 – 2 drops of the oil on some tissue paper and place near or around the Christmas tree. You may have to incrementally do this until you find the level of scent you like. You may also have to replenish the pieces of paper every couple of days. On a cautionary note; make sure that if you have children or pets that they cannot get to these pieces of paper.
Pine Cones: You can buy or go for a walk and pick up some pine cones to use for this. Drop neat pine essential oil directly onto the pine cones. A couple to a few drops per cone should do the trick. Place them in a basket or a bowl as a decorative centrepiece. If you wish, you could use cinnamon essential oil instead of the pine or a blend of cinnamon and pine essential oils. As above, please make sure that if you have children or pets that these pine cones are well out of their reach.
Scented Sachets: These are good to either hang on the tree or around the home or to place in gift bags along with your gifts to scent the bag. The neat thing is that if you gift them they can be used by the receiver in their own home. Put some dry rice in a glass bowl. Into the rice sprinkle several drops of essential oils of your choice. You can use the above blend suggestions or experiment and create your own. Sweet Orange and Cinnamon work well for this as do Pine and Cedarwood. Mix well with a metal spoon. Spoon the aromatic rice into premade cloth bags and tie with colourful ribbon. Sometimes you can pick up delightful cloth gift bags from craft shops.
Wrapping Paper for presents: It is preferable that you have wrapping tissue for this which you would wrap your present in before wrapping it in decorative paper. You can put 1 or 2 drops of an essential oil on the tissue paper and leave to dry before wrapping your gift. Frankincense, Sandalwood, Pine, Cedarwood, Mandarin or Sweet Orange are good for this.
These are just some ideas to create festive aromas to bring a sprinkling of magic to your Christmas. I would be delighted to hear from you if you have any others! Meanwhile, I wish you a safe, warm and joyful Christmas and a multitude of Blessings in 2020.
Holistic Wellbeing stocks a range of therapeutic grade essential oils and you can contact Ann or Jonathan on 01484 767 227 to enquire.
Eileen trained and qualified in CranioSacral Therapy with Upledger Institute International. She is also qualified in Aromatherapy, Reiki, Indian Head Massage and Reflexology and uses Australian Bush Flower Essences as a support to the emotional aspects of treatments when necessary. Eileen is delighted to answer any questions you might have so please feel free to contact her on 07803 731161 or email her at eileen.doody28@yahoo.com. Her website is www.eileendoody.com You can find her on Facebook at eileendoodytherapies.
The views and opinions included in this blog post belong to their author and do not necessarily mirror the views and opinions of Holistic Wellbeing. Complementary therapies should not be used in place of conventional medical assessment and treatment. Always consult your GP or other health professional for advice on any symptom of illness.