Smells like... something better than teen spirit

I laugh when I go into a store that sells aromatherapy sprays for $10+ a bottle.  If you read the label it's nothing more than filtered water and 40 drops of essential oils.  Don't get me wrong, I love these sprays, I'm just not willing to pay for them when I can make my own!

So tonight I put together a collection of body & room sprays as a housewarming present for my sister's new place.  I get those fancy blue glass bottles at www.specialtybottle.com for a dollar a piece (the stores want $4 or $5 each for these empty bottles!).  I fill them most of the way with filtered water (sometimes adding 2 tablespoons of witch hazel for the face sprays).  Then I drop in the scents I want.  With essential oils (oils from plants in their purest forms) a little goes a long way. Anywhere between 20 - 30 drops in total in 8oz will be more than enough for a great smelling spray.

Here are the combos I chose
Home: Wild Cedarwood & Rose Absolute (relaxing, sweet & uplifting)
Hearth: Cinnamon, Cedarwood, Juniper & Sandalwood (warm, sexy & soft)
Health: Eucalyptus, Tea Tree & Rosemary (fresh & clean)
Happy:  Geranium & Bergamot (fuzzy & fizzy)

Now I've been collecting essential oils for a while and so I have quite a few to choose from but you can go to any natural foods store to test out a couple of scents and buy two or three. These will last you a long time and this way you just fill up your bottle with water, add a few drops and presto... you have an easy-to-refill and great smelling aromatherapy spray.

I find a few deep breaths in a calming scent can do wonders for how I'm feeling.  When I first dropped Kaela off at preschool (three years ago) it was the rose oil that calmed me down.  I find a couple of sprays of rosemary and lavender in the morning can wake up my brain. There are a number of great books for learning more about aromatherapy if you are interested. I use the Complete Guide to Natural Home Remedies and Aveda Rituals most often as reference guides for blending the oils.

I also buy oils that I already know I like from Ananda Apothecary... they've got great prices and excellent information on all of the oils (though they want $2.50 for their fancy blue glass bottles).  BTW these sprays are also great for nurseries and kids' rooms because they are so light.  And yet my tea tree & lavender spray can rid any room of diaper smell in three pumps!