4 Essential Blends for Quarantine

4 Essential Blends for Quarantine

Many of us are at home right now with lots of time on our hands. You might be wondering, “How can I best use essential oils during this time?” Well, we’re using them daily through diffusion, and we suggest that you do that, too.

Each month in the Atlantic Aromatic Library Membership, we publish four recipes for our members featuring the oil of the month. This month, we decided to do something a little different and a little more versatile.

As I continue to teach others about essential oils, I’m reminded how much people need step-by-step instructions on how to make and use aromatherapy products at home. With this month’s recipes, I want to challenge you to get creative and feel confident in making the best decisions for yourself (even if they stray from the given recipes).

As I thought about the four ways I’d like to recommend using Bergamot (our featured essential oil for April), I realized one of the strengths of this oil.

When talking about the basic psychological effects of an oil, most oils can fit into one of four categories: sedative (helps you go to sleep), stimulant (wakes you up), euphoric (makes you feel good), and balancers (will enhance the other properties of the oils used with it).

Bergamot is a balancer, which means it blends well with stimulants, sedatives, and euphorics. It’s a versatile oil and can work in many different blends. 

So that got me thinking, wouldn’t it be great if we all had a few blends on hand for anything we might need over the next few weeks?

With all that in mind, here’s my suggestion for the four types of blends that you can create at home to use throughout this time:

Sedative Blend: Let’s start with helping you sleep better. It’s all over social media, “Prioritize your sleep!” “Get rest” “Sleep helps your immune system.” But with all that’s going on, I’m willing to bet that for many, getting to sleep isn’t the easiest thing to do at the moment. So why not try making yourself a sleepy time blend that you can use at night?

Oils I’d consider for my sedative blend include: Bergamot, Lavender, Sweet Marjoram, Vetiver, Frankincense, Petitgrain, and Roman Chamomile.

Wake-Up Blend: If going to sleep isn’t the easiest, then chances are that neither is waking up. Since many of us are staying in the same place most days, changing scents throughout the day can help you feel like you’re changing your environment. There is immense power in the way scent affects our well-being, and I’m not just talking about killing microbes (though essential oils can help with that, too).

Oils I’d consider for my wake-up blend include: Bergamot, Rosemary, Peppermint/Spearmint, Eucalyptus, Ginger, Black Pepper, and Cardamom.

Purifying Blend: Something to keep running in your diffuser for most of the day—or when you want a general clean air blend. This wouldn’t have any strong sedatives or stimulants in it but would instead focus on oils with properties that are anti-infectious, anti-microbial, and antiviral (I’m not saying it will kill coronavirus, just that it’s what we usually turn to during cold and flu seasons). If you use oils that are safe on the skin (avoid strong oils like Cinnamon and Clove, or use in very small amounts), it can double as a chest rub when diluted.

Oils I’d consider for my purifying blend include: Bergamot, Spruce, Pine, Cedarwood, Fir, Ravensara, various kinds of citruses, Thyme, Tea Tree, Cinnamon, and Clove.

Anxiety Blend: Though you might use oils in this blend that qualify as stimulants, sedatives, and/or anti-infectious oils, the purpose of this blend is for you to turn to it when you are overwhelmed by what’s going on. Perhaps you use it in a diffuser, an inhaler—or our favorite way—as an anointing oil. This is a blend that you find so lovely, you can’t help but exhale with a smile. It’s your happy place blend, the blend that helps you feel like everything is going to be all right.

Oils I’d consider for my anxiety blend include: Bergamot, Clary Sage, Geranium, Lavender, Jasmine, Neroli, Patchouli, Cypress, Grapefruit, Myrrh, and Frankincense.

So, here’s your assignment: 

Create a version of each of these blends for yourself, and start using them stat!

You can use Bergamot in all of them, or any other oils you like, are familiar with, and know the safety of.

If you’re not sure what to do, leave me a comment and I’ll advise you the best I can. 

Did this help? I hope so.

Are there more topics that you’d like to see me write about over the next few weeks? 

I’ve got some time to share and want to make sure that you have the information you need to be able to move forward using good scents with good sense.

Try out the Atlantic Aromatic Library and gain access to our recipes featuring Bergamot and so much more. Hope to see you in there!