Summer Essentials

Get ready for summer with these aromatic aromas

Ten Oils for Summer

Hip, Hip, Hooray! Summer at last! Summer is so improtant to people in the UK becuase we just don’t get much of it, which is why you’ll see us reach for the suntan lotion and head outside at the slightest suggestion of a sunny day. So now the summer season has arrived, essential oils can be a delightful and refreshing addition to your daily routine. Whether you're looking to create a relaxing atmosphere, repel insects, or soothe sun-kissed skin, certain essential oils can provide natural solutions to common summer-related issues.

1. Peppermint: Peppermint oil has a cooling effect on the skin, making it an ideal choice for hot summer days. Its invigorating aroma can also help to boost energy levels and improve focus whilst working in higher temperatures.

2. Lavender: Lavender oil is well-known for its calming and relaxing properties, making it perfect for promoting a restful night's sleep after a sun-filled day. It can also help soothe minor skin irritations that may occur during outdoor activities.

3. Citronella: Citronella oil is a popular choice for warding off insects during the summer months. Its fresh, lemony scent makes it a natural and effective insect repellent, perfect for outdoor gatherings or al fresco dining.

4. Tea Tree: Tea tree oil is renowned for its purifying and cleansing properties, making it a useful addition to your summer skincare routine. like Lavender, It can help soothe skin conditions that increased sun exposure can produce, such as blocked pores that lead to blemishes.

5. Eucalyptus: Eucalyptus oil is excellent for promoting clear breathing and supporting respiratory health, particularly during the hay fever season. Its refreshing scent can also help to create a spa-like atmosphere in your home.

6. Coconut: This tropical and creamy fragrance oil scent instantly transports you to a paradise beach setting and is excellent choice for a summer aroma. The sweet and nutty undertones of coconut evoke feelings of relaxation and warmth, perfect for the summer.

7. Tangerine: Tangerine is a refreshing citrus scent that instantly uplifts the mood and energises the mind. Its bright aroma helps to combat feelings of lethargy and brings a sense of vitality during longer (and hopefully) warmer days of summer.

8. Vanilla: A favourite fragrance for summer time due to its comforting and inviting scent. The sweet aroma of vanilla evokes feelings of relaxation and happiness, making it perfect for the laid-back atmosphere of summer. Its subtle yet long-lasting fragrance is ideal for hot weather, providing a sense of comfort without overpowering the senses.

9. Ylang Ylang: Ylang ylang is a sensuous summer essential oil thanks to its exotic, floral scent that evokes feelings of relaxation and romance. Its sweet, rich aroma can help elevate your mood and create a warm, inviting atmosphere. Although it’s known for having calming effects that help you to unwind, it is also used to promote feelings of joy and self-confidence, making it a versatile oil to have on hand during the summer season.

10. Sandlewood: Sandalwood essential oil's woody aroma can transport you to a serene walk along the beach, where the salty ocean breeze welcomes you with open arms. Its earthy notes harmonise with the fresh, invigorating air, creating a sense of tranquillity reminiscent of a seaside escape.

Incorporating these essential oils into your summer wellness rituals can help enhance your overall well-being and enjoyment of the season. Remember to always dilute essential oils properly before applying them to the skin and consult with a healthcare professional if you have any underlying health conditions or concerns.

What are your favourite essential oils to use during the summer months? Share your thoughts on our soical media:

Off the Shelf

If you’re too busy packing up a picnic and your snorkle for your summer break to blend your own oils, you can call into Soul Aromatics for a relaxing summer massage with one of our summer signiture massage oils:

Meditaranian Moods

Summer Fields

Ocean Stroll

Rosemary Essential Oil

You can’t scroll through social media at the moment without seeing an advert for Rosemary hair oil these days, but can you believe the hype?

Well yes in a nutshell - Rosemary is all it’s cracked up to be. Rosemary (official name Rosmarinus officinalis) is one of my favourite aromas and it is a great oil to help promote healthy, strong hair. This aromatic, herbaceous plant is so versitile, prized not only for its captivating scent but also for its numerous therapeutic properties reported not only to keep hair healthy, but also to benefit skin, muscles and even your emotional state.

Precautions

Please avoid using Rosemary if you are pregnant, breast-feeding or suffer from epilepsy. It should not be used on children under 12 years. You should never use Rosemary essential oil undiluted - most essential oils are very potent and must be diluted in a carrier oil with the correct percentages to avoid adverse reactions. Always do a small patch test even with diluted essential oils to check for allergies or reactions.

Skin Care

When blended with a carrier oil, Rosemary oil can be applied topically to the skin. In fact, its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties make it great to balance oily or combination skin, whilst still keeping it hydrated. Try this night face oil to help soothe and balance skin:

Diffuse

Used in diffusers, it promotes feelings of clarity and mental alertness, I often used this at the times when my children were studying for exams as an antidote against leaving their studies in favour of the X-Box (sometimes the X-Box still came out on top, but at least their rooms smelt fresh!).

Diffusing this oil in a room can help boost concentration and memory, making it an excellent choice for work environments.

The camphoraceous aroma of rosemary oil is known to help clear the respiratory tract so using it in a diffuser is said to provide relief from congestion and support respiratory health.

Hair Care

The balancing nature of Rosemary makes this oil brilliant for hair care - it has been known for combating dandruff, stimulating hair growth and even as a remedy for head lice when added to shampoo! I often make Rosemary hair tonics for clients, but I think the secret is mixing it with the right carrier oil for each individual. A good all-rounder carrier oil for hair is Jojoba oil, but you can find out the formulas I use in Soul Aromatics for all hair types by clicking the link below and watching the tutorial:

Rosemary Hair Tutorial

Body Care

Rosemary oil is a popular choice for soothing aching muscles due to its analgesic properties. When diluted with a carrier oil and massaged onto affected areas, rosemary oil can help reduce muscle pain and tension. Its invigorating aroma can also provide a refreshing sensation, further contributing to relaxation and relief. Regular use of rosemary oil for massages or baths targeting sore muscles can promote a sense of well-being and comfort.

Take Away

In conclusion, the uses of rosemary essential oil are diverse and plentiful. From promoting mental clarity to supporting respiratory health and relaxation, this oil is a valuable addition to any essential oil collection. As with all essential oils, it is important to dilute rosemary oil properly and perform a patch test before using it topically.

Spring is on its Way!

Spring officially starts this month, but while I’ve still got my wooly hat on whilst walking the dog because it’s still blinking cold, I take great encouragement from the crocuses and other early flowers that are beginning to pop up. Not only do they herald an end to ridiculous energy bills, they announce that days will be getting longer and I can shove my wooly hat to the back of the cupboard for another season.

Just for now though, my wooly hat is staying put! However, there are some essential oils that may help us spring energetically into spring rather than groggily waking up from winter so we feel less like…

and more like…

Citrus Oils

Citrus oils such as Orange and Bergamot have long been thought of as uplighting aromas. Maybe it’s because these particular plants grow in warmer climates and we associate warmth with happiness, but a study in 2012 found that Lemon essential oil raised the levels of serotonin in the brain, indicating that the oil can go somewhere to helping us feel happier and more motivated. Don’t forget about the number one rule when using citrus oils that most of them can make skin sensitive to sunlight when used topically so always get the dilution correct.

Mint Oils

Peppermint and Spearmint oils have fresh, sharp aromas, which is probably why they are known for fighting fatigue and helping mental stimulation. Various studies have shown that these oils may help people suffering from fatigue brought on by chronic illness feel less tired.

Rosemary

One of my favourites! Great for hair regrowth and reducing inflammation, but also great to boost moods. What’s not to love about Rosemary’s aroma - fresh, herby and well, green! Bringing to mind spring growth and the beautiful outdoors. So it’s no wonder it’s associated with vitality. A recent study published in the International Journal of Neuroscience found that rosemary significantly enhanced the quality of memory and increased mental alertness.

How we can use these Uplifting Oils

These oils can be used topically in massage or via inhalation using a diffuser. Always consult your medical practictioner if you are on medication to make sure none of the oils interact with medication. Don’t forget to ask me to try out these oils as part of your session at Soul Aromatics or have a go at making my uplifting aroma blend for your home diffuser to boost energy and spring into spring!

Diffuser Scent #1: Spring Equinox

200ml of water

3 drops of Rosemary

3 drops of Grapefruit

2 drops of Spearmint

2 Lemon

Accreditations - Jonsnow and lamb gif from tenor. Scientific studies mentioned in the blog are from the following sources: Antidepressant-like effect of lemon essential oil is through a modulation in the levels of norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin in mice: Use of the tail suspension test (2012: sciencedirect.com. Cherng-Wei Hao, Wen-Sung Lai, Chi-Tang Ho, Lee-Yan Sheen) Comparing the Effect of Aromatherapy with Peppermint and Lavender Essential Oils on Fatigue of Cardiac Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial (2021: hindawi.com Somayeh Mahdavikian,1Masoud Fallahi,2and Alireza Khatony)

Carrier Oils and Their Properties

Short month February isn’t it? Which lends itself to quick, easy reads. This one gives you a little bit of information on the carrier oils that are used in Aromatherapy.

New Year, New You?

New Year, new you? I always used to be full of good intentions for the New Year: 1) exercise more, 2) meditate every day, 3) get organised, 4) take up paddle-boarding - you get the idea. Three days in, I was always full of self-loathing because I couldn’t stick to my resolutions and to console myself of my failure I’d go and eat the biggest bar of chocolate I could find and tell myself I’d try again next week.

The problem wasn’t the planning or the failing, the problem was the way I felt about myself. Over the years, I have come to know myself a little better and I am happy to live with being a little disorganised at times and having such a busy day that I fall asleep during my evening meditation and not being able to paddle-board (although one day…😁). There are also a couple of life-hacks that can help you stick to your intended goals:

Gift Yourself - Don’t look at your intentions as goals, view them as gifts to yourself. I bet if you promised someone you love that you would treat them every week to a day out or a favourite snack, you would keep that promise. We aren’t great at self-love, however seeing your intention as a gift to yourself will help you keep it; for example, ‘I’m gifting myself a yoga class every week this year’, ‘I’m gifting myself a cup of tea and 20 minutes reading my book every day’, ‘I’m gifting myself a weekly massage to relieve stress’ - we all love a gift!

Build up stamina -  Start small. One kept intention is better than 10 you didn’t keep. There are lots of apps now like Noom that delve into the psychology of habit making and tell you that making a small thing each day a habit is easier than trying to change everything in your life at once.

Affirm your intentions - Saying your intentions out loud or writing them down each day effects your efforts in maintaining your goals. This has roots in both scientific and spiritual forums, but the idea is that you say it as if it’s already happening and you are grateful for it, for example, ‘I am grateful that I have this moment to myself every week to help me recover and relax’. Give it a go, you’ll be amazed at the impact positive thinking can have on your life. If it’s difficult to do yourself, there are loads of affirmation coaches on social media sites that can give you more tips on affirmations; take a look at Rachel Jackson, a mindset and manifesting coach on TikTok (@rachelmanifestingcoach), who has lots of great ways to stay positive.

Whatever your good intentions are this year, be kind to others, but don’t forget to be kind to yourself and have a great year in 2023!

-Clare at Soul Aromatics ❤️