When people first encounter aromatherapy, they often find themselves wondering how to use the oils they adore so much. It’s one thing to smell rose absolute from the container, but we don’t buy essential oils to let them sit in their beautiful cobalt bottles. We want to use them! And as anyone who has fallen in love with an essential oil knows, we want them around us all of the time. One way to achieve this is to venture into making your own aromatherapy sprays. It’s easy, inexpensive and can be a way for the whole family to enjoy the therapeutic effects of essential oils.

How many times have you encountered a commercial room spray that made your head spin? Often, the fragrances used in these products are synthetic and leave us feeling overwhelmed rather than refreshed. Therapeutic-grade essential oils are all plant-derived, and if we find oils we like, our experience of a room spray changes dramatically. Instead of simply acting as a mask for unpleasant odors, an aromatherapy spray changes the atmosphere of a room, providing us with immediate physical and psychological benefits.

Aromatherapy sprays are a combination of pure essential oil and water, and in some instances, witch hazel. For supplies all you’ll need are spray bottles, spring water and essential oils. Because essential oils don’t like to be exposed to too much light, it’s best to pick cobalt blue, amber or some other dark-colored glass bottle for storage. When filling with water, try to use purified water to reduce the possibility of chemical contaminants, which might taint the scent of your spray or diminish the medicinal qualities of the oils. Finally, if you intend to keep your sprays for longer than two months, consider putting a small amount of witch hazel in the mix. Witch hazel is an extract from the North American shrub Hamamelis virginiana, and it is an excellent natural preservative when used with essential oils. Finally, you’re on to the fun part – the essential oils!

With so many aromatic oils to choose from, you can create an endless variety of sprays for your home, office or car. When considering which oils to buy, always seek the highest quality you can find. You will need to use less oil, and the healing benefits of the oil will increase exponentially if you choose a superior oil. Therapeutic-grade oils satisfy our senses in ways inferior oils simply cannot. Excellent oils make the mind feel bright and provide instantaneous changes in the body. This is because the body/mind connection is immediately felt with aromatic oils. That’s why we want to make the most of the oils we have and choose the best we can afford.

Any essential oil can be turned into a spray, but some are even better than others. The citrus oils, like mandarin, grapefruit, lemon, lime and tangerine, make great misters. Citrus oils give your environment an instant facelift, turning a tired room into a bright sanctuary. These pleasing oils can be mixed with sharp-smelling oils like eucalyptus, rosemary verbenone, myrtle or peppermint for a balanced blend. Just remember, citrus oils can cause skin reactions if they are exposed to sun, so keep these blends indoors.

Another popular group of oils for room sprays is the coniferous plants and trees. Juniper berry, balsam fir, spruce, black spruce, cedar and sandalwood are excellent choices for infusing a space with grounding aromas. These essential oils are simultaneously calming and uplifting, and they are especially pleasant during the winter months, when access to the outdoors is limited. Unlike fruit and flower scents, pines and woods imbue our environments with a subtle scent that, like incense, warms the space without overpowering our senses.

Next, blending. First, fill your bottle most of the way with water. If witch hazel is needed, blend it in a 4 to 1 ratio. For one ounce of liquid, put in 4 to 16 drops of oil. Since the water and oil won’t naturally blend, you must shake the mixture whenever you use it. All essential oils can be made into misters, yet some oils are denser that others (like vetiver) and need to be shaken vigorously prior to spraying.

When blending your own scents, start with a few drops and increase in number to make sure you like the mix. Just remember that strong oils, like peppermint, black pepper or cinnamon, are more intense once atomized. Only use a few drops of oil, and you should run no risk of irritating your nose, eyes or throat. Also, it’s usually a good idea to avoid essential oils that have been mixed with carrier oils. These mixtures may clog your spray bottle, as carrier oils do not evaporate the way volatile oils do.

Blending aromatherapy room sprays is an easy, enjoyable way to introduce children to the benefits of plant medicine as well. There are, however, a few guidelines to remember when creating sprays for children. For example, always go for less oil in a spray intended for children than you would for an adult. Soft oils like sandalwood, lavender, rose and Roman chamomile are nice for children, as are rosalina, lemon tea tree and vanilla. In fact, vanilla is one of the most calming oils in aromatherapy. If a peaceful night’s sleep is what your child needs (or what you need, for that matter!) 2 drops of Roman chamomile and 2 drops of lavender in one ounce of carrier water will help. Just spray this in the child’s room. Only remember, essential oils should NEVER be misted in a child’s face.

Don’t forget that these sprays can also be adapted for use as natural perfume or deodorant. Simply choose oils that are non-irritating to the skin and mix in the same way you would a room spray. A few beautiful oils to consider: jasmine, rose, sandalwood, vetiver or neroli all make wonderful personal sprays. Just avoid spraying near the eyes or face. Also, any oil you’re using for healing purposes can be diluted in a water/witch hazel mixture and applied as needed throughout the day. If you want your scents on the go, pocket- and purse-size misters are a great way to freshen up, calm down or revive in the middle of the day.

Essential oils are extremely versatile. Once you find a group of oils you love, don’t be afraid to try your hand at making your own blends or creating your own unique applications. After all, nature is a banquet of scents! Room and body sprays are an easy way to make your oils last a long time, and they can be created with any combination of oils you can imagine. The investment is low, they take virtually minutes to concoct, and you can use a different spray in every room of the house. For those of us who cannot imagine life without aromatherapy, sprays ensure we always have a mist of our beloved healing scents close by. Spray and enjoy!