6 essential oils for the festive period

WORDS ELIZABETH BURCHILL

Christmas cheer is almost here – and there is nothing more comforting than a home filled with festive fragrances. Dig out your diffuser and add some magical, healing scents to your space.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a firm favourite for the Christmas period. Warming, strengthening and restorative, it brings all the festive feels and is a tonic for troubled minds. Amazing for anxiety, remarkable for respiratory conditions and lovely for lowered immunity – you can’t go wrong with a drop of this in your diffuser. Cinnamon is the comfort of Christmas in a bottle; spicy, warming and nurturing. Try blending in your diffuser with clove and mandarin.

Clove

Clove is much loved at this time of year. Sweet and spicy, dynamic and energetic, it packs a powerful punch and is fantastic for focus. As strain and stress increase, our concentration can be constricted; clove can enhance your attention and improve memory whilst combatting fatigue – a fantastic friend for your diffuser. If you feel like a fever is coming, use in the bath to remain fighting fit. Add 2-4 drops of clove to two tablespoons of carrier oil such as grapeseed or coconut and pour into the bath.

Pine

Pine has a fresh fragrance which is both strengthening and a stimulant. Antimicrobial and antiviral, it is a perfect partner to the colder months. Super for stress, it energises and clears the fog, enabling you to focus. It’s also a fabulous respiratory remedy, making it ideal to use when you feel yourself coming down with a cold or cough. A cleansing oil that cultivates clarity, pine is also great if you need to discover your direction and regain control. Pine blends beautifully with other woods.

Myrrh

Myrrh is mentioned at Christmas as a gift from the Three Wise Men. As an oil, it is often used for both physiological and psychological wounds. Terrific for treating chronic respiratory conditions, it encourages deeper breathing and also works well for dealing with grief. Completely calming, balsamic and spicy, it’s ideal for inspiring stillness and serenity into your space – a protective oil, perfect for times of Christmas chaos and stress. Add a drop to a tissue and inhale to imbue a sense of peace.

Mandarin

Release your inner child! This oil is pure joy and brings vitality and vivacity back. It’s easy to get lost in the humdrum home of adulthood, but mandarin manifests joy and lifts your spirits. Soothing and stress busting, calming and uplifting, this mood booster will help you unleash your playful side. It’s incredible for insomnia, too: scatter a couple of drops on your pillow and fall into a sweet slumber. Blend with frankincense and myrrh for a relaxing diffuser blend.

Frankincense

Last, but definitely not least, frankincense is often called the ‘king of essential oils’. It has the ability to alleviate anxiety, prevent panic attacks and stimulate a sense of calm, so if stress is creeping into your festive fun, reach for the frankincense. As it deepens breathing and stills the mind, it’s the perfect meditation partner, too, so will work wonders in your diffuser during the crazy Christmas season.

If you don’t have a diffuser, look out for aromatherapy candles containing the above oils – light, inhale and restore. Find a qualified aromatherapist if you need advice about essential oils as they will explain how to use safely and effectively.

If you are struggling with stress and anxiety this Christmas, an aromatherapist can provide massage treatments and bespoke products to calm you. Remember never to ingest essential oils; always dilute in a carrier oil before external use.

Elizabeth Burchill is a clinical aromatherapist and founder of B Loved Candles.

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