Natural Aromas
The simplest way to use aromatherapy to enhance your outdoor spaces is by carefully selecting which plants you choose to have around you. A window or balcony box planted with fragrant Rosemary or any variety of Mint, from Apple Mint or Lemonbalm, to classic Peppermint is a great way to add natural freshness to your environment at very little cost. For garden borders, English Lavender or Lavendin make fantastically fragrant additions to your space. For climbing plants to adorn a trellis or pergola, try a flowering Jasmine or a climbing Rose. All of these plants have flowers that will flower again and again over Summer so you will have a steady release of scent. A Jasmine’s aroma is especially pungent after dark so it’s a lovely addition to a seating area so you can enjoy its scent way past sunset and into the evening – perfect for social gatherings.
Outdoor Candles and Oil Burners
As the scent from a candle can sometimes be dispersed into the breeze more easily when you’re outside, it’s best to choose heavily scented candles when outside. If you’re making your own candles, follow your wax/Essential Oil ingredient ratio accurately or you will affect the burn and the safety of your candles, so don’t be tempted to add extra essential oil to make them smell stronger. Some of the more punchy fragrances you can use outdoors would be classic Lavender and fresh Lemon, Lemon Myrtle (a more sherbetty scent) or of course Citronella which would also double as an insect deterrent… Peppermint and Eucalyptus Essential Oils are lovely fresh choices and are good scents to choose if you want to mask or neutralise any unpleasant outdoor aromas.
Outdoor textiles
We love spritzing our outdoor textiles with Floral Waters like Lavender to give them freshness – it’s ideal for parasols and garden furniture cushions, and you can also add the floral water into your steam iron, to iron table linen like napkins and tablecloths and it will leave it with a subtle, 100% natural scent.
Hot Tub Heaven!
Recently, we have been asked about the suitability of using Essential Oils in you hot tub in the Summer months, but sadly they are not appropriate to use in there. Your hot tub has been specially designed to filter, clean and purify your water which is why you are able to leave the water periods of time without changing it. It is really important that you don’t add oily aromatherapy products to your hot tub, even though it may be nice at the time, as it will quickly clog up your filters and damage the internal parts of your hot tub – creating you more hassle in the long run. To incorporate some relaxing scents to your hot tub routine, you can allow the warm water to relax and open your pores, then spritz your face with some lovely fresh Rose Floral water – this will act as a toner and with help to keep moisture in. You could also treat yourself to a lovely, hot-oil hair mask while you’re in the hot tub – our HairSpa range is ideal for this. Simply massage the hair oil into the lengths of your hair and then cover it completely with a robust shower cap or old towel (the oils may cause staining to towels). Make sure all your hair is covered and the oil doesn’t get into the water, then sit back and relax! You can leave the treatment on for as long as you like (at least 20 mins we recommend) and then wash out in the shower afterwards with your usual shampoo. Of course, Essential Oils infused candles are gorgeous at night as they will provide ambient light and subtle fragrance.
Elevate your Outdoor Dining
There’s nothing lovelier than creating a beautiful table-scape for outdoor meals. Cut flowers in jam jars can be a stunningly simple way to add colour and scent, and oil burners and tea lights are lovely additions to a table runner too. We could recommend not using any oils that are too powerful here as strong scents could disturb the enjoyment of your food, but a few drops of subtle or fruity oils can be a great addition. We like the gentle, floral scent of Roman Chamomile, a couple of drops of citrussy Bergamot, or our Daybreak Blend of Essential Oils is an uplifting oil you could try in a burner.
Natural Insect Repellents
For some reason, almost all winged beasts seem to despise the scent of Citronella, and it’s therefore a great idea to use this out outside to deter these unwanted visitors. If you have a big pest problem, you can make your own bug spray to disperse around you, or spray onto your outdoor textiles.
- Choose a receptacle with a spray lid and pour 1/2 cup water into it.
- Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of witch hazel or rubbing alcohol.
- Add between 30 and 50 drops of citronella essential oil.
- Shake the mixture well and shake again before each use.
However you choose incorporate Aromatherapy this summer, we hope you have a great one!
