Everyone loves to have their home smell fresh and clean but what if your favorite room spray or air freshers were filled with chemicals that could harm you and the environment. Most artificial scents are filled with phenol and xylenes which are neurotoxins. Although each bottle has a small amount of these chemicals, there can be some side effects to prolonged exposure to these chemicals. There have been links to respiratory problems and worsening of asthma symptoms. Chemicals and toxins pollute the air which can cause gas emissions affecting the air we breathe. Another argument for ditching your favorite air freshers is the containers cannot be recycled as they are pressured cans. Many companies will say that they use natural ingredients or non-harsh chemicals. This is greenwashing a product to make it appear eco-friendly when actually they are just ticking a box to say they have created something eco-friendly.
Making your own room sprays and air freshers can be fun and cheaper than buying one from the store. The initial purchase of all the items you need can be expensive but they will last much longer. Essential oils can range in price depending on the scent and amount you are wanting to get. Scents like tea tree and lavender are very popular and can average £3 whereas scents like jasmine can cost you a little more. Also if you don't have a spray bottle already that you can use then that will put you back £5-£10. Although you don't need to buy a brand new spray bottle look online or in charity shops for old perfume bottles with pumps. They look very decorative on shelves as well as functional.
There are a range of essential oils out there and plenty of recipes online so you have lots of choices to choose from but to start I would start with a scent you enjoy—scents like lemon, lavender, eucalyptus, and orange. Once you work out your base scent you can add more scents to create your own personal scent. Try and avoid using scents like vanilla, rose and sandalwood as these are overproduced becoming burdens on the environment.
I like to add witch hazel into my fragrances as it helps the oils to bind with the water. If you just mix your oil and water you will notice oil will naturally sit on top of the water, adding the witch hazel will help to prevent this problem. Also, witch hazel will also help the scent last longer when it is out in your room. An added benefit to adding witch hazel helps to protect your skin from any damage. So if any of the fragrances lands on your skin or anyone else it will not cause irritation.
Each essential oil has its own benefits and combining them helps to give an aroma that will benefit your wellbeing and the environment.
Lavender helps with relaxing your parasympathetic nervous system allowing you to relax. Lavender also helps with reducing anxiety, depression, and stress which can cause insomnia. Commonly lavender is used to help people sleep and is commonly used in pillow sprays and oil rollers.
Eucalyptus oil has great benefits for your respiratory system as it helps to stimulate your sense. This is a great scent to use when you have a cold or are congested. I also love it as an asthmatic to help when I am struggling with my breathing some days.
Tea tree supports and boosts your immune system, and also helps to decrease inflammation. Most skin care products have witch hazel and tea tree combinations to help with skin inflammation and breakouts. Also helps if you have insect bites help to reduce the itchiness and rate of infection.
Peppermint is a very powerful scent and invigorating, the scent helps with improving mental function and reducing stress. It is brilliant to burn on an oil burner if you have a task you need to complete or study.
Fresh room spray
Ingredients
¼ cup of water
2 tbsp witch hazel
4 drops of eucalyptus oil
3 drops of lavender oil
2 drops of tea tree oil
2 drops of peppermint oil
Equipment
Bottle with spray top
Funnel
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Instructions
Add your witch hazel first to your bottle.
Now add you're essential oils to the witch hazel to the bottle.
Top up with your water and put the top on
Give a good shake and use.
You can adjust the number of essential oils to your personal preference.
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