Wellness & Wellbeing

How to use the oils in your ritual

Diffuser. The most obvious route: 4 to 6 drops in 150–200 ml of water. For an evening ritual, the interval mode is worth using: 15 minutes on, 30 off. After about a quarter of an hour the nose barely registers a constant scent anyway.

Scent stone. Two or three drops on a porous stone or a felt pad. Very discreet, without electricity and without water. Practical on the bedside table or on the yoga mat.

Bath. Here the order is decisive. Essential oils are not water-soluble – added neat to the bath water, they form a film on the surface and meet the skin undiluted. So: first stir 5 to 8 drops into a tablespoon of almond oil, cream or honey, then add to the water.

Not advisable: essential oils directly on bed linen, pillows or clothing. They leave stains, and hours of skin contact is too intense undiluted.

Why a scent becomes an anchor

Smell is the only sense that reaches the limbic system without a detour – the part of the brain that is also responsible for memory and emotion. That is why you recognise the smell of a house from your childhood immediately, without being able to describe it. For a ritual, that is the actual mechanism: it is not the oil that brings you to rest, but the association you have built up yourself over weeks.

In practical terms that means: consistency beats selection. A single scent that you use for eight weeks, always on the same occasion, carries more than ten oils in rotation. Whoever collects loses precisely the effect they collected for.

What works at which time of day

In the morning, bright, dry scents work best. Vital Oasis with grapefruit and ginger or Joy of Life are at home here – citrus evaporates quickly, which is no disadvantage in the morning.

During the day, when a scent stands in the room for hours, restraint is called for. Myrtle is an underrated candidate for this: clear and lightly herbaceous, without the emphasis of eucalyptus.

In the evening it may become woody and soft. Swiss stone pine and Forest Love tolerate long running times, Ho wood and Roman chamomile are the softer variants of these. Sunlit Calm is the scent that is most likely to become a habit.

Two oils that are worth it, although they are expensive

Roman chamomile and frankincense are above the rest in price, but they go so far that this evens out. With chamomile, two drops in the diffuser are enough, where you would take five of lavender. Anyone who buys the 10 ml bottle once a year pays less per application than with an inexpensive oil of which twice as much is used.

Frequently asked questions

Which essential oil is suitable for the evening?
Woody and soft scents carry better in the evening than citrus, because they evaporate more slowly. Swiss stone pine, Forest Love, Ho wood and Sunlit Calm are the obvious candidates.

Can I add essential oils to bath water?
Not neat. First stir them into a tablespoon of carrier oil, cream or honey, then add to the water.

How many oils do I need?
Fewer than you think. Two or three scents for different times of day are enough.

How long should the diffuser run?
15 to 20 minutes at a time is enough. After that the nose barely registers the scent anyway.

Are essential oils suitable for pregnant women or small children?
Different rules apply here than we can set out in general terms. Please clarify this with a doctor beforehand.