USING RELAXING ESSENTIAL OILS TO HELP YOU FIND PEACE AND CALM
Ask almost anyone you know, “are you experiencing stress?” The answer tends to come back almost unequivocally as “YES!” Stress is a physical and emotional ailment that will wreak havoc on even the strongest among us if we let it. Stress has the ability to show up in so many different places, from our personal relationships to our professional relationships, in our lifestyle habits like sleep and nutrition and even in the relationship we have with ourselves. So what can be done to manage stress?
The short answer is, there are many strategies that can (and should!) be employed to help us keep our stress levels at bay. In a physical sense, many people report relief from stress by moving their bodies consistently, making a conscious effort to reduce screen time and eating a well-balanced diet. Mentally and emotionally, stress release can come in the form of reading, meditation, therapy and many more strategies.
What we’re here to talk about today is the way in which using essential oils and natural wellness products can help to ease and relieve symptoms of stress and in turn promote relaxation and calm. Most people have heard of the oil lavender and its purported benefits to soothe, balance and restore the body and mind when used through inhalation or topical application to the body. While lavender is a highly effective ingredient at encouraging calm, there are so many more essential oils in aromatherapy to choose from as part of your wellness tool kit.
Read on to learn more about the different ways you can use relaxing essential oils in your daily routine.
RELAXING ESSENTIAL OILS: ROLL-ONS
One of the simplest ways to use relaxing essential oils is in what we call an oil blend roll-on. These roll-ons are filled with a blend of essential oils that have been carefully formulated to be safe for direct application to the skin. This means you can use these products on popular areas of the body like the temples, jawline, wrists and elbow creases to help you feel comforted and balanced.
A few of our most popular roll-ons for relaxation:
Unwind: this is one of our community’s well-loved favorites for helping the body and mind to feel at ease. This blend contains sweet and cheerful orange and bergamot, floral and inviting lavender and geranium and warm, comforting cinnamon for a touch of spice to tie the blend together. Try this blend at the end of your work day to help you transition.
Yoga: a grounding and harmonizing blend for helping you feel centered, this earthy and citrusy blend is popular with our community. We’ve blended citruses and florals of orange, ho wood, bergamot, neroli and champaca with the earthy, herbal and woody notes of patchouli, cedarwood and vetiver with a splash of cardamom for a warm, spicy note. Try this blend prior to your yoga practice to encourage a deep opening for the mind and body.
Aroma Fairy: soothing bliss can be yours with this gentle and delicate formula. Originally blended as part of our children’s collection, we chose relaxing essential oils like lavender, orange, marjoram and cedarwood for this blend designed to encourage stillness and rest - for adult’s too! Try rolling into your palms, rubbing hands together briskly and taking 2-3 deep breaths to encourage feeling at ease.
RELAXING ESSENTIAL OILS: DIFFUSER BLENDS
We love the aromatic benefit of essential oil diffuser blends, enjoyed through your choice of diffuser. Diffuser blends use 100% pure oil, without any carriers or fixatives, to deliver the benefits of the different ingredients to the body and mind through inhalation. Diffuser blends are excellent ways to enjoy the benefits of relaxing essential oils in part because you can tailor the scent according to your preferences and even maintain control over the strength of the aroma by using more or less drops.
A few of our most popular diffuser blends for relaxation:
Tranquility: create an oasis of calm that helps to rest your mind either at bedtime or when you’re experiencing stressful feelings. We’ve blended orange, marjoram, roman chamomile, lavender and ylang ylang to encourage deep breathing and peacefulness.
Deep Breath: this blend was inspired by the feeling you get when relaxing in a eucalyptus steam room. Think of the opening, clearing feeling in your chest as you take deeper and deeper breaths and the invigoration you feel from stimulating, uplifting essential oils like eucalyptus, lemon and peppermint. This blend also includes balancing lavender and marjoram for a true spa-like experience.
Spa Day: make any space your sanctuary by creating a peaceful and renewing spa-like atmosphere. We love that this blend is reminiscent of sitting outside a Scandinavian spa by a crackling fireplace, with notes of fresh, woody and herbal black spruce, juniper berry and Labrador tea mingled with bright lemon for a truly refreshing scent experience.
RELAXING ESSENTIAL OILS: BATH SALTS
Nothing says relaxation like a warm, soothing bath. The bath has long been the ‘north star’ of self-care experiences; a time just for you, tailored to your personal preferences with candles, bubbles and a mug of herbal tea at your side if you choose. We love the benefits of our 100% natural bath salts, with Epsom salts mineral derived from underground salt deposits and sea salt that’s been solar evaporated from the Great Salt Lake in Utah alongside soothing, calming essential oils.
A few of our most popular bath salts for relaxation:
Sleep Well: formulated to help you begin to wind down in the evening before bedtime, this is a combination of powerful yet soothing essential oils and salts to help calm, relax and relieve restlessness in both the body and mind. This formula includes valerian root, lavender, vetiver, jasmine and more.
Muscle Melt: when you’re feeling stiff or want to relax, reach for this ultra-comforting and decompressing bath salt blend to help your body feel eased and restored. This formula includes rosemary, sweet birch, roman chamomile, ginger and more.
Stress Release: the name says it all! When you’re looking to relieve the physical and emotional manifestations of stress, a warm soak can help you begin to feel more like yourself. Invite calm and balance with lavender, clary sage, roman chamomile, orange and more.
RELAXING ESSENTIAL OILS: SINGLE NOTES
Lastly, we want to share some of the single note essential oils that we personally find to be the most relaxing. Single note essential oils refer to one singular scent in a bottle, unlike the blends that we have mentioned above. Two of the most popular ways to enjoy single note essential oils are through inhalation (using a diffuser, breathing in deeply from a tissue, etc.) or through topical application (applying to the body via a roll-on, lotion, body butter etc.).
A few of our most popular single note essential oils for relaxation:
Balsam Fir: this fresh, slightly-sweet and woody note comes to us straight from the lush forests of Canada. Spiritually, balsam fir is thought to help us grow our confidence and place our focus while staying grounded. Try enjoying this clean, light single note in a facial steam by adding 4 drops of oil to a bowl of hot water, carefully draping a clean towel over the bowl and inhaling deeply.
Lavender: likely the most well-loved and well-known essential oil, lavender is well reputed for its dreamy, relaxation-inducing properties. Derived from the world’s best natural sources to deliver calmness with a soft, floral scent, try diffusing 5-10 drops of lavender whenever you need a metaphorical hug from a friend.
Eucalyptus: though this woody and herbal note is deeply opening and clearing, many people find eucalyptus effective in encouraging relaxation because it is so soothing. The signature-scent of spas everywhere, let this fresh and light essential oil connect you to feelings of peace and calm. Try adding 1-2 drops to a body lotion or massage oil of your choice and treat your body and mind to its restorative scent.
LIFESTYLE TIPS TO INCORPORATE RELAXING ESSENTIAL OILS INTO YOUR DAILY ROUTINES
Relaxation means so many things to so many people. Because there isn’t just one definition of what it means to relax, luckily there isn’t just one essential oil that can help you feel relaxed! Below are a few of our favorite ways to dip into relaxation each day in which you can incorporate some of the products we’ve mentioned above.
- Stretching. There is a reason stretching feels so good. Stretching increases blood flow to the muscles and is also thought to release endorphins that may help to relieve pain and uplift the mood.
- Meditation. Again, this is a well-revered wellness habit for many good reasons. Becoming quiet and stilling our mind allows us to stay in the present moment and focus on our breathing, which in turns helps us to feel relaxed in both the body and mind.
- Reading. For many people, reading is relaxing in part because it’s so good for our mental health. Reading fully engages the mind and the imagination, and can also help give us a break from the potentially damaging blue light of screens – but you have to go old school and read an actual paper book!
Take a deep breath. Inhale peace. Exhale happiness.
— A.D. Posey
