The Holidays are a great time for diffusing traditional aromas including spice, citrus, resin-like, and pine-like essential oils. You can diffuse Holiday aromatherapy scents with an aromatherapy diffuser, through a personal inhaler, or with a spray, depending upon your purpose. Here are some suggestions on how to diffuse – and which essential oils to use for – Holiday aromas.

Diffusing Holiday Scents with an Aromatherapy Diffuser

Aromatherapy diffusers have grown both in popularity and sophistication in recent years. Once upon a time, an aromatherapy diffuser consisted of a lit tea light candle beneath a tray of water, to which essential oils were added. Although this simple type of aromatherapy diffuser is still available, diffusers with silver ion technology, mist sprays, and colorful lights now dominate the aromatherapy market.

Choose an aromatherapy diffuser appropriate to your space and purpose. For example, an aromatherapy diffuser which covers a small amount of square footage might be appropriate for an intimate evening for two, but you will need one that covers a larger amount of square footage if you intend to diffuse essential oils at a Holiday party.

Consult manufacturer's guidelines for use before using your aromatherapy diffuser.

Diffusing Holiday Scents with a Spray

A simple spray bottle filled with water and essential oils can act both as a room freshener to combat Holiday germs and to invoke a particular Holiday atmosphere. You can even spray your Christmas tree with complimentary scents, in addition to the traditional pine aroma.

Diffusing Holiday Scents with an Inhaler

If you want to diffuse essential oils for personal reasons, use an aromatherapy inhaler. These popular devices, similar in shape and use to a Vicks inhaler stick, can be used to combat headaches, stress, cold and flu, or simply to inhale a seasonal scent.

Types of Essential Oils for Holiday Diffusion

There are a lot of essential oils that are appropriate for the Holiday season. Here are some suggestions:

• spice essential oils: ginger (Zingiber officinale), clove (Syzygium aromaticum), nutmeg (Myristica fragans), and cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) essential oils
• citrus essential oils: sweet orange (Citrus sinensis), lemon (Citrus limon), and mandarin (Citrus reticulata) essential oils
• tree essential oils: pine (Pinus sylvestris), Canadian balsam (Abies balsamea), and silver fir (Abies alba) essential oils
• resin-like essential oils: myrrh (Commiphora myrrha), opopanax (Commiphora erythraea), benzoin (Styrax benzoin), and frankincense (Boswellia carteri) essential oils.

Cautions for Use

As with other uses of essential oils, essential oils used as Holiday scents carry cautions for use. Check individual essential oil profiles for any particular cautions associated with the essential oil. Check if you will be diffusing in an area where pregnant women, babies and young children, seniors, or people with specific health conditions may be present – and extra caution is needed.

References:

• Falsetto, Sharon, 2014, Authentic Aromatherapy, US: Skyhorse Publishing
• Lawless, Julia, 1995, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils, UK: Thorsons
• A decade of the international training and experience of a certified aromatherapist.