DIY Aromatherapy Gifts for Valentine’s Day

Homemade gifts are extra special, because they show how much you truly care about someone. The process of making a gift entails doing the research, gathering the supplies and ingredients, and taking the time to create the gift. So of course it’s extraordinary — you made it! 

Let’s get started by learning which essential oils are the most enticing, and just a little bit about each one, so you can pick the characteristics that best suit your Valentine’s sensibilities — and your intentions!

Once you decide which essential oils have the profiles you’re looking for, try combining them to create a unique blend all your own.

• Bergamot. This lively, sweet aroma has the capacity to both elevate the spirit and encourage a peaceful, grounded mood. Be sure to use bergaptene-free bergamot for use in body-care products.
• Clary Sage. Known for its gentle nature and ability to ground and center, clary sage is uplifting, without being overly invigorating, making it ideal for relaxing and resetting. Used frequently in spa settings.
• Clove Bud. Cleansing, comforting, and strengthening. This potent essence of clove bud offers spicy and warming high notes that fade into a softer, fruity heart note. Ideal for diffusion, and when diluted in a massage carrier oil, it can inspire confidence.
• Geranium. Fresh, green and softly floral. Geranium helps ease feelings of stress, anxiety, sadness, fatigue, and tension. It’s distinct, yet soothingly gentle, so it’s perfect when you feel out of sync and need to reconnect.
• Ginger. A robust spicy aroma with earthy undertones that’s believed to encourage attraction, love, prosperity and purification. Ginger warms and invigorates the muscles in massage oils and blends especially well with other oils, like patchouli and jasmine.
• Jasmine. The sensuously rich aroma of jasmine has been known to evoke romantic moods. Warming, connecting, and pacifying, it entices while it calms….
• Lavender. Best known for its ability to relax, calm, and balance emotions, lavender is an excellent choice to create a peaceful and intimate atmosphere. Use it in a diffuser, bath salts and massage oil. Because it’s a middle note, lavender blends very well with most other oils.
• Neroli. This sweet, floral scent is kissed with a hint of citrus, offering a relaxing effect while also strengthening. Calming and uplifting, neroli inspires courage, quiet resolve, and happiness.
• Patchouli. A uniquely rich, earthy aroma that’s been described as musky, velvety, and irresistibly sensuous, patchouli is a favorite in romantic applications. One should not overlook its peaceful, calming and warming attributes.
• Rose. Of course the Flower of Love would produce a most joyful floral aroma! Added to bath water, rose oil is said to conjure a lover. In a massage, it helps ease anxiety and stress and supports deep relaxation. Use it in a diffuser to create a romantic atmosphere.
• Sandalwood. The woody, exotic aroma of sandalwood masks a subtle floral quality, and this interplay is said to entice and arouse men. Sensual and comforting, it creates an inviting atmosphere for seduction. So intense, dilute in carrier oil before using on the skin.
• Vetiver. Its aroma is mildly sweet, moderately earthy, and deeply relaxing. A favorite in men’s fragrances and body-care products, vetiver brings to mind forests and marshlands; its grounding and nourishing qualities open the heart and mind, supporting sensual and romantic intentions.
• Ylang-ylang. Best known for its rich and inspiring floral aroma, soothing capacities and long-time associations with peace and happiness. Supports relaxation, a sense of emotional balance, and an openness to romance.

Bath salts have been around forever, but these days, they often don’t get the appreciation they deserve. Many people have switched to a showers-only lifestyle, or take an occasional bath during winter months. But after a long day, submerging your body in a steamy bath enhanced with fragranced salt is one of the best ways to restore yourself; it not only bathes the body, it also cleanses the mind.

Our Bath Salts recipe (below) suggests combining three different salts. Though not necessary, this will provide the most rejuvenating bath experience, thanks to the unique macro and trace minerals found in each of the salts. These elements can be drawn into the body during a relaxing 15-20 minute soak and can help improve skin hydration, ease pain, and decrease inflammation. For most bath salt applications, you should use fine salt, as it dissolves more easily and provides a smoother feel on the skin, while rough salt is better suited for exfoliating scrubs due to its larger grain size.

A foot soak is a great alternative to a whole body bath, offering many of the same benefits, such as reducing stress level, elevating mood, easing pain and inflammation, as well softening and hydrating the skin.

Though optional, consider adding kaolin, a natural clay, to your bath salts. It’s chemically inert, non-swelling, and highly adsorbent. Because it has a neutral pH level, kaolin doesn't alter the chemical composition of products or promote bacterial growth. Instead, it will gently exfoliate and draw out impurities from the pores and soothe dry, irritated and sensitive skin, while helping to stimulate circulation and improve tone.

Why not go the extra little way to make your bath salt gifts even more special, with the aesthetic addition of dried flowers? We recommend our calendula flowers, chamomile flowers, lavender flowers, or rose petals; all are edible-grade, with no artificial additives or chemicals used at any stage of growing, harvesting and manufacturing. If using homegrown, be certain your flowers are free from all pesticides and herbicides, and that they are absolutely dry. 

And finally, when choosing a vessel to place your bath salts, a glass pickling or jam jar with an airtight lid will work nicely. For added charm, re-use a pretty glass storage jar with a cork lid or a rustic Kilner-type jar that has a wide mouth and flip top with rubber seal. Avoid plastic and metal containers. Personalize your jar with painted or cut-out hearts, attached flowers, a love note sealed with a kiss…

Makes a bit more than 1 cup

• 1 cup salt, ideally using a blend of sea salt, Epsom salt, Neti pot salt, and/or Himalayan pink salt
• 5 drops neroli essential oil
• 5 drops ylang ylang essential oil
• 3-5 drops sandalwood essential oil
• 1 teaspoon kaolin clay powder (optional)
• 1 tablespoon dried flowers (optional)

Instructions

1. In a bowl, combine your salts. Stir until thoroughly blended. Add essential oils and stir until worked in throughout salts.
2. Place flower petals in a small separate bowl, and with your dry fingers, crumble them into a variety of sizes, so none are larger than a dime and others are oatmeal-sized flakes. Stir in the clay powder, if using.
3. Combine flower and clay mixture with salts and gently stir, carefully working in the flowers to create a visually appealing blend.
4. Pour into your vessel and close lid tightly. 
5. To use, pour or scoop 2 heaping tablespoons into bath… and enjoy!

In a world where material things are overly abundant, giving someone massage oil and a massage is like a breath of fresh air. Your homemade gift is sensual, romantic, and smells great! Plus, it offers several benefits: it can help moisturize the recipient’s skin, relax their muscles and ease their stress level. And if you are the one giving the massage, you will build a deeper level of trust and intimacy with the receiver. 

Though a massage oil has few ingredients, it’s important that each one used is of the highest quality. The key ingredient is the carrier oil, or base. For this purpose, jojoba oil is one of the best, as it is easily absorbed into the skin and doesn't clog pores. Sweet almond oil is a good option, but its stronger scent may mask or influence the essential oils aroma. Other oils to consider include: Apricot kernel, argan, avocado, black seed, castor oil, grapeseed, olive and rosehip. 

For added benefits, you could enrich your massage oil by adding a teaspoon or two of Vitamin E oil, which can promote collagen production, increase water retention, and protect the skin from oxidative stress. You can use just one type of oil, or a blend of two or more oils to combine the specific characteristics and qualities of individual oils you wish to employ. Purchase oils that are cold-pressed, 100 percent pure, and additive- or preservative-free. If using a cooking oil as a carrier oil, choose only cold-pressed, organic varieties.

Be sure to choose your massage oil’s storage vessel with care. Glass is always better than plastic, with darker glass preferred over clear to protect it from light. You will use just a few teaspoons at a time, adding more to your hands as needed during the massage, so your container’s mouth should allow for easy pouring, with minimal spillage or dripping. The lid should fit snuggly and allow you to shake the vessel gently, before dispensing; it will also protect the oil from oxygen, which can degrade its quality over time. Store your oil in a cool, dry place to preserve its freshness. 

Makes a bit more than 4 ounces

• 4 ounces jojoba oil or other carrier oil, or blend of oils
• 8 drops sandalwood essential oil
• 8 drops geranium essential oil
• 8 drops ylang ylang essential oil
• 8 drops sweet orange essential oil

Instructions

1. Combine essential oils and carrier oil in a 4-ounce bottle.
2. Cap and shake well to mix.
3. Allow your oil to sit and the ingredients to fully distribute and unify for 1-2 days. Shake well before using.