Christmas is fast approaching, so what better to focus on than my favourite Christmas essential oils? My latest blog highlights the essential oil scents that remind us of Christmas, and how they can help support us through the season’s challenges!

It’s beginning to smell like Christmas

Smells have an amazing ability to trigger memories – this is known as the ‘Proust Effect’ (the reliving of events from the past through sensory stimuli). When we inhale a scent, airborne molecules travel through the nose and affect the brain through a variety of receptor sites, one of which is the limbic system, which is commonly known as the emotional brain. The limbic system is connected to parts of the brain that control heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, stress levels, hormone balance and memory, so it easy to see how aromas can stimulate memories and why inhaling essential oils can have such profound physiological and psychological effects.

Interestingly, other sensory stimuli like sight, sound and touch don’t pass through the limbic system, which might explain why smells are so emotionally evocative.

So now we understand the science, let’s get back to essential oils and the ones we most associate with the festive season. 

The oils that tend to remind us of Christmas and invoke warm, fuzzy nostalgic feelings include Cinnamon, Clove, Frankincense, Ginger, Lemon, Mandarin, Myrrh, Nutmeg, Orange Sweet, Pine and Tangerine. 

More than just a pretty smell

While you may be aware of these scents and their link to Christmas, it might not be as apparent as to what their healing properties are, so here is how each aromatherapy oil can help balance your body - especially at Christmas time.

Cinnamon – exotic/spicy

• Warming during the cold season
• Uplifting and invigorating for exhaustion – energising during the busiest season of the year
• Good for muscular and joint pain – useful in Winter as these are aggravated by the cold

Clove – sweet/spicy

• Antiseptic – helps prevents colds and flu
• Analgesic – soothing for stiff, aching joints and muscles
• Settles the digestive system
• Warming – great for winter chills
• Best oil for toothache – if your dentist is closed over Christmas

Frankincense – woody/spicy

• Calming during stress - useful for Christmas stress!
• Anti-depressant – uplifting during winter darkness
• Slows and deepens breathing – aids respiration and relaxation
• Rejuvenates, balances and heals the skin – especially mature skin (great in a facial oil)
• Stimulates immunity - good for warding off winter bugs

Ginger – woody/spicy/sweet

• Stimulates circulation – warms the body especially cold hands and feet
• Relieves fatigue / nervous exhaustion
• Aids the digestive system
• Soothes tired, aching muscles
• Relieves congestion – good for colds / sore throats
• Recommended for winter blues / seasonal affective disorder

Lemon – fresh/sweet

• Aids stress-related fatigue
• Cleansing – helps clear the mind
• Enhances memory function
  
• Uplifting for depression
• 1 drop mixed in 5ml carrier oil is great for oily/acne prone skin
• Helps build immunity

Mandarin – warm/citrussy

• Hypnotic and sedative in times of insomnia – especially useful and safe for helping excited children sleep on Christmas night!
• Relaxing and calming, yet strengthening
• Digestive support – in times of digestive upset

Myrrh – woody/spicy

• Emotionally balancing and comforting - during a stressful season
• Helps overcome digestive problems - useful for combating excess Christmas food!
• Supportive in meditative practice – good for grounding at a busy time
• Helps with respiratory issues – particularly colds, catarrh, coughs (useful for winter bugs)
• Helps heal wounds

Nutmeg – woody/spicy/sweet

• Uplifting – a nerve tonic
• Focuses the mind
• Relieves fatigue
• Aids circulation – very warming in cold weather

Pine – sweet/woody

• Relieves mental fatigue and nervous exhaustion
• Encourages self-confidence
• Aids tolerance and forgiveness (especially useful during Christmas shopping or with irritating relatives!)
• Helps coughs, colds and bronchitis, sinusitis and asthma
• Also aids kidneys and detoxing
• Useful for muscular pains and over-exertion

Sweet Orange – sweet/fruity

• Great immunity booster for Winter
• Great tonic and skin balancer – aids toxin removal
• Relaxing, comforting and uplifting

Tangerine – warm/citrussy

• Uplifting and soothing for the nervous system
• Sedative – relaxes an over-active mind

Christmas blending tips

So, we know what they are and what they do – and we can select based on the properties our bodies need - but how well do the scents blend together? Well, most of the Christmas essential oils blend well together, so it’s all about selecting the ones your body needs, but also choosing the ones your body is drawn to at the time. Smell them together – play around with the scents on a tissue or cotton pad to see how nice the blend smells when you mix the oils together. Ultimately, let your nose decide which ones you need. Once you’ve decided, you can then:

• Diffuse them - diffuse up to 3 different oils blended together, in either an electric diffuser or a candle burner
• Use them in the bath – unless you have very sensitive skin, you can mix up to 10 drops of oil with 15ml of Bath Oil and add this to your bath for a wonderful aromatherapy self- treatment
• Mix them with salts – try adding 15 drops to a bowl of Himalayan Pink Salt to fragrance a room
• Make a winter massage blend - mix 10ml of carrier oil such as Sweet Almond Oil with 1 drop each of 3 essential oils - perhaps try making a warming massage oil to combat the winter chill
• Make Christmas gifts - Given their healing properties, which essential oils might your friends be in need of this season? Create individual blends for friends (taking care to read the safety notes for use of the oils with certain health conditions like skin sensitivity). Try popping your massage blend into a rollete bottle and label it as a ‘pulse-point’ gift! Or just create a festive blend that they diffuse or use in the bath. You could even add your blend to Dead Sea Salt or Himalayan Pink Salt for personalised bath salts.

Christmas essential oil pre-blends

If you’re not a qualified Aromatherapist, or don't have many oils at home, it might be easier to use a pre-blended essential oil. Try our Christmas Spice, Festive Fruits or Holy Nights blends.

My favourite Christmas oils

My favourite Christmas winter-warming blend is 3 drops Cinnamon and 5 drops Sweet Orange diffused in a candle burner. You could throw in a non-Christmassy oil like 1 drop of balancing Geranium too! Why not experiment?

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Nicole Barton
Consultant Aromatherapist

Disclaimer & Safety Advice

Read other articles by Nicole Barton