This holiday season, many of us are busy setting up festive decorations, planning memorable parties, and preparing the home to be cozy and inviting. If you are hosting a holiday party this winter, it might be worth considering the role that aromas play in creating the perfect atmosphere for lasting memories and experiences.
Pure essential oils can be a great tool for entertaining. One of the first things we do when we walk into a home is to register its unique smells and fragrances. Certain familiar aromas can be particularly welcoming and comforting for invited guests, such as the smell of freshly cut grass, just-baked cookies, and newly laundered curtains. Essential oils can – if used appropriately – allow hosts to replicate and elevate certain ambiances to provide a dazzling guest experience.
However, different people can have different sensitivities to smell – your favorite diffuser blend can be overpowering (or even downright unpleasant) to another. More importantly, though, some guests can have bad reactions to essential oils, including children and those with certain health conditions and allergies. As a host, you must be able to cater to varying needs, tastes, and preferences, as well as use essential oils with purpose and in a way that minimizes risk for both yourself and your guests. This guide will provide useful ideas on how you can incorporate essential oils to entertain friends and family in your home for a safe – but unforgettable – holiday party experience.
While you might be excited about sharing the potentially magical and uplifting experiences essential oils can offer, it is vital to keep in mind some key safety considerations, particularly when it comes to diffusing essential oils for parties and other public gatherings.
Our overarching safety tip is this: if in doubt, do not diffuse.
With these key safety tips in mind, read on to find out which essential oils you will want to keep on your radar for winter hosting and entertaining.
Here are the top essential oils to create a perfectly festive atmosphere this holiday season:
To create an enticing woodsy and wintery aroma that reminds you of Christmas trees, try this blend. The combination of Cinnamon Bark and Pine produces a luxurious, cozy aroma that will warm, calm, uplift, and energize any home.
| INGREDIENTS | AMOUNT |
|---|---|
| Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil | 1 drop |
| Pine Essential Oil | 5 drops |
Recipe adapted from: The Essential Oils Book (Creating Personal Blends for Mind & Body) by Colleen K. Dodt.
This celebratory blend captures the essence of Hanukkah by featuring some of the glorious spices, flavors, and scents that are incorporated into a traditional Hanukkah menu. The resulting aroma is spicy-sweet and will help stimulate and elevate your guests’ moods and spirits.
| INGREDIENTS | AMOUNT |
|---|---|
| Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil | 3 drops |
| Ginger Essential Oil | 2 drops |
| Clove Essential Oil | 2 drops |
| Sweet Orange Essential Oil | 1-2 drops |
This diffuser blend featuring Peppermint will provide a welcoming, comforting ambience that is perfect for a small and cozy dinner party. The rich scent of Peppermint along with the sweet, earthy, herbal aromas of Rosemary and Sweet Orange will both invigorate and revive, while helping to put your guests’ minds and bodies at ease.
| INGREDIENTS | AMOUNT |
|---|---|
| Peppermint Essential Oil | 2 drops |
| Sweet Orange Essential Oil | 3 drops |
| Rosemary Essential Oil | 2 drops |
If you’re celebrating Kwanzaa this season, try this cheery and mood-lifting diffuser blend that will provide a much-needed contrast to the dull winter weather. Kwanzaa is all about strength, faith, identity, and togetherness, and this blend features the warm, earthy, and refreshing scent of ginger for a boost of energy, alongside the spirit-lifting powers of Bergamot and Patchouli.
| INGREDIENTS | AMOUNT |
|---|---|
| Ginger Essential Oil | 3 drops |
| Bergamot Essential Oil | 2 drops |
| Patchouli Essential Oil | 2 drops |
This diffuser blend, highlighted by the exotic sweetness of Patchouli along with the floral notes of Lavender and the woodiness of Cinnamon, has a light, pleasant, and cleansing aroma that has the power to refresh and uplift your home space.
| INGREDIENTS | AMOUNT |
|---|---|
| Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil | 1 drop |
| Patchouli Essential Oil | 4 drops |
| Lavender Essential Oil | 3 drops |
Recipe adapted from: The Essential Oils Book (Creating Personal Blends for Mind & Body) by Colleen K. Dodt.
This simple blend produces a beautifully sweet but mildly spicy aroma. Cinnamon and Sweet Orange is a wonderful mixture, invoking a traditional holiday atmosphere that is sure to spark a sense of joy, happiness, and elation.
| INGREDIENTS | AMOUNT |
|---|---|
| Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil | 1 drop |
| Sweet Orange Essential Oil | 5 drops |
Celebrate the holidays with the sweet and woodsy fragrance of Balsam Fir needles with this warming blend that both friends and family are sure to love. Not only is Balsam Fir essential oil perfect for building festive memories, it is also reputed to create a sense of balance while reviving the mind and spirit.
| INGREDIENTS | AMOUNT |
|---|---|
| Fir Balsam Essential Oil | 5 drops |
| Sweet Orange Essential Oil | 2 drops |
| Cinnamon Essential Oil | 1 drop |
If you’re on the hunt for perfect Christmas essential oil recipes, try this invigorating holiday diffuser blend designed specifically for a Christmas-themed party. It features Frankincense, Sweet Orange, and Pine to help recharge, brighten, and uplift, while inspiring a charmingly classic ambience for picture-perfect holiday memories.
| INGREDIENTS | AMOUNT |
|---|---|
| Frankincense Essential Oil | 3 drops |
| Sweet Orange Essential Oil | 5 drops |
| Pine Essential Oil | 2 drops |
Wondering how you can use these essential oil blend recipes to enhance your holiday party experience? Here are some helpful tips and ideas:
Essential oils can be a wonderful way to infuse the power of scent into a holiday gathering or party. As a host, however, it is also important to carefully consider any side effects that may be experienced by your guests. That being said, as long as safety is prioritized (when in doubt, do not use!) and proper resources are consulted if uncertain about potential reactions, there are so many creative ways to enjoy essential oil blends with your friends and loved ones this winter.
Happy hosting!
It is important to enjoy the self-care benefits of these essential oils while using them safely and responsibly. This includes never using them undiluted, performing a skin patch test prior to use, being knowledgeable about the sun’s effects after use, and sourcing them from an ethical brand known for quality and purity.
External use only
As with all other New Directions Aromatics products, essential oils are for external use only. Essential oils must never be used near the eyes, inner nose, and ears, or on any other particularly sensitive areas of skin. It is imperative to consult a medical practitioner before using these oils for therapeutic purposes.
Pregnancy and other health conditions
Pregnant and nursing women are especially advised not to use essential oils without the medical advice of a physician.
Those with the following health conditions are especially recommended to consult the advice of a physician: cancer, heart-related ailments, skin disorders or allergies, hormone-related ailments, or epilepsy.
Individuals that are taking prescription drugs, undergoing major surgery, or who are at a greater risk of experiencing strokes, heart attacks, or atherosclerosis are also advised to seek medical consultation prior to use.
Children and safety
These oils should always be stored in an area that is inaccessible to children, especially those under the age of seven.
How to conduct a skin patch test
Prior to using any essential oil, a skin test is recommended. This can be done by diluting 1 drop of the essential oil in 4 drops of carrier oil and applying a dime-size amount of this blend to a small area of non-sensitive skin.
Essential oil side effects
Potential side effects of essential oils include redness, rash, hives, burning, bleeding disorders, decreased speed of healing, low blood pressure, dizziness, headache, nausea, diarrhea, convulsions, and rapid heartbeat. In the event of an allergic reaction, discontinue use of the products and see a doctor, pharmacist, or allergist immediately for a health assessment and appropriate remedial action. To prevent side effects, consult with a medical professional prior to use.