06 Apr Using Essential Oils in the Family this Easter
Crafts with the Children
There are so many great crafting activities that can involve the use of Essential Oils, some which you may never have thought of! We love the super-squishy aromatherapy playdough recipe, it’s quick to make and not too messy (a big plus in our opinion) and the dough can also be a great stress reliever for grown-ups too! The beauty of these recipes is that you can add whatever colours or biodegradable glitters you like – you can even make different colours of the slime and then swirl them together! However, it’s important to note that these activities are supervised by an adult and the essential oil quantities should be carefully followed…
Aromatherapy Craft Recipes
Lavender, Chamomile, Mandarin, Lemon, Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Neroli, or Geranium are all considered safe for children when diluted. Please be careful to check the safety and potency on the label prior to use and be aware of any allergies, then you can get crafting!
Scented Sensory Playdough
- 1 cup of plain flour
- ½ cup salt
- 1 tbsp cream of tartar
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- Natural food colouring
- Essential Oils 5 drops
Method
Mix the flour, salt and tartar together thoroughly. Then add the water, olive oil and a few drops of colouring of your choice. You can also add glitter if you fancy. When everything is fully combined, add the essential oil a couple of drops at a time and knead into the dough until it’s fragrant enough.
Fun Fizzy Bath Bombs
- 100g bicarb of soda
- 50g citric acid
- 25g cornflour
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Essential Oils 5 drops
- Natural food colouring
Method
Whisk together the bicarb, citric acid and cornflour. When combined whisk in the olive oil and essential oil and a few drops of colouring. Pack tightly into your mould and leave to dry for 4 hours, then it’s ready to fizz! These make lovely Easter presents if you’ve had enough chocolate!
Aromatherapy Slime
- ½ cup Elmer’s craft glue
- ½ tsp Borax
- Hot water
- Natural Food colouring
- Biodegradable glitter
- Essential Oils 3 drops
Method
With a wooden spoon, mix the glue with ½ a cup of hot water. When combined, add the colouring and essential oils until blended well. Combine the Borax with another ½ cup of hot water until dissolved and then add this to the glue mixture. Mix well and pour out excess water then knead to form a slime.
Home Fragrance this Easter
When you’ve finished crafting and want to restore peace and tranquillity to your home, Essential oils can be used in many ways to do this. A simple way to add some fragrance is to pop a few drops of your favourite oil to home-made, contemporary pot-pourri… pinecones are great, or try some pretty pieces of bark or even dried flowers which are having a resurgence in popularity. You can also use the oils in an electric diffuser or an oil burner. Some of our favourite oils for spring freshness are Geranium which has a fresh floral, uplifting scent. Bergamot is a great oil to use in a burner or diffuser to cleanse and uplift a room’s atmosphere. Experiment by blending with the other citrus oils, Cedarwood, Frankincense, Lavender or Clary Sage for a fresh and relaxing atmosphere. You can also make a simple room spray and add your own blend of oils by combining 10 drops of oil in a small glass bottle, then add a tablespoon of witch hazel (which will help the oils and water fuse together) and top up with water. Shake before each use and keep somewhere handy and have a quick spritz when you need to freshen up your home.
Enjoy the Brightening Spring Weather
After all the dark, wet days of winter, hopefully we are overdue some lovely spring weather! As we begin to venture out and about, we at Absolute Aromas always love to pack a few Essential Oils in our bags to ease the pressures a family day out sometimes brings! Firstly, the journey; any family who suffers from travel sickness will know that this can put pressure on any travel plans, but we recommend carrying Ginger Essential Oil which is known to help reduce feelings of nausea – a few drops on a tissue can be gently inhaled to reduce those churning tummies on journeys and can provide a focus for the boredom of a long journey.
While out and about, our Prevention Aroma-Roll is a go-to as it is pre-blended and diluted and so ready to use on the skin. Simply roll over pulse points such as your wrists, temples, and neck whenever you feel you need to refresh and protect. Our Prevention blend contains notes of Tea Tree, Cajeput and Niaouli, to help naturally defend and protect. Our De-Stress Aroma-Roll is also a great on-the-go-companion… a little can be applied to necks and shoulders if you’re aching after a long walk or carrying a rucksack full of packed lunches and can be gently massaged into the skin for a quick pick-me-up. We always carry a Tea Tree oil too, a great little tip is to add a few drops to your hand cream and rub into the armpits if you’re feeling less than fresh!
Whatever you’re up to this Easter, remember to take a little time to relax – maybe try out one of those bath bombs for a well-deserved moment of quiet!