Top Essential Oils for Aromatherapy and Relaxation
After a long day, few things shift your mood as quickly as scent. A few drops of the right essential oil can turn an ordinary evening into a quiet ritual: a warm bath, a softly glowing diffuser, a pillow that smells of lavender.
Here are our favorite essential oils for relaxation and sleep, how to use them, and a few simple bedtime rituals to try – from the Exquisite Blumen boutique on Whidbey Island.
Why Scent Feels So Calming
Smell is closely linked to the parts of the brain involved in emotion and memory, which is why a familiar scent can instantly bring back a place or a feeling. Many people find that a consistent calming scent becomes a cue to slow down, much like dimming the lights before bed. Essential oils aren’t a treatment for anxiety or insomnia, but as part of a relaxing routine, they can make winding down feel like something to look forward to.
The Best Essential Oils for Relaxation
Lavender
The classic calming oil, herbaceous, clean and gentle. Lavender is the most popular choice for evening routines and blends easily with florals.
Blue Lotus
Soft, sweet and dreamy. Blue lotus has a quiet, watery-floral character that’s lovely in the evening.
Ylang Ylang
Rich, warm and exotic. A small amount goes a long way, so try it blended with lavender.
Rose
Velvety and comforting, rose makes a bath feel instantly luxurious.
Eucalyptus
Crisp and fresh rather than sleepy. Eucalyptus is perfect for a reviving morning shower or a spa-style bath, and pairs beautifully with lavender.
How to Use Essential Oils for Relaxation
Diffuse: add a few drops to a diffuser 20 to 30 minutes before bed, following its instructions.
Bathe: blend 5 to 8 drops into bath salts or a spoonful of carrier oil before adding to the water. Oil and water don’t mix on their own.
Massage: dilute in a carrier oil such as jojoba (roughly 10 to 12 drops per ounce for the body) and massage into shoulders and feet.
Pillow and linens: a light mist of water with a few drops of lavender, sprayed on linens rather than directly on skin.
Three Simple Relaxation Rituals
The 10-minute wind-down: diffuse 3 drops lavender + 2 drops blue lotus, dim the lights and put your phone in another room.
The Sunday soak: a warm bath with bath salts and a few drops of rose and ylang ylang.
The fresh start: a few drops of eucalyptus on the shower floor (away from where you step) for a spa-like morning.
Complete the ritual with a lavender neck pillow or a silky sleep mask.
Using Essential Oils Safely
Always dilute before applying to skin, and patch test first.
Never swallow essential oils, and keep them away from your eyes.
Mind your pets: cats in particular are very sensitive. Diffuse in a ventilated room they can leave.
Check with your doctor if you are pregnant, nursing or have a health condition.
Explore More Floral Scents
Love florals? Our guide to floral essential oils covers peony, orchid, violet, plumeria and more, and our self-care gift guide is full of ideas for a relaxing night in.
Visit the Exquisite Blumen boutique at 221 Second Street in Langley on Whidbey Island, open Wednesday through Sunday, 11am to 5pm, or shop online.
