In the final post of my trilogy of posts surrounding Thanksgiving, I am looking at three aromatherapy products (complete with recipes) that you may find useful to have in your home for your guests at Thanksgiving – or any other family celebration or party! Switch out your standard soap, lotions, and oils with these seasonal, aromatic variations!

Seasonal Soap for Thanksgiving Guests

If you are having a celebration or gathering at your home, your guests will undoubtedly use the bathroom facilities at some point. Many people are sensitive to scented soaps, so switch out the commercial soap with an unscented liquid Castile soap – or add in an aromatherapy blend if you know your guests will not have any sensitization issues. The following aromatherapy recipe is ideal for seasonal soap:

• 8 oz base of castile liquid soap

Essential Oils:

• 10 drops lime (Citrus aurantifolia)

• 25 drops geranium (Pelargonium graveolens)

• 6 drops rosalina (Melaleuca ericfolia)

• 7 drops frankincense (Boswellia carteri)

*This is a 1% dilution to minimize the risk of any sensitization in guests. It may be increased to 2% if there are no young children, seniors, pregnant ladies, or anyone else with a serious medical condition in the group.

Instructions for Use:

• Mix the essential oils with the castile liquid soap base and pour into a pump bottle.

Seasonal Lotion for Thanksgiving Guests

Once guests have washed their hands they may wish to use a moisturizing lotion or cream. Although people prefer different types of lotions, creams, or butters, I would stick with a basic, white, unscented lotion base for your guests. You may add the following essential oil blend at a 1% dilution:

• 8 oz basic, white, unscented lotion

Essential Oils:

• 7 drops frankincense (Boswellia carteri)

• 8 drops cedarwood (Cedrus atlantica)

• 20 drops geranium (Pelargonium graveolens)

• 13 drops sweet orange (Citrus sinensis)

Instructions for Use:

• Mix the essential oils with the lotion base and pour into a pump bottle.

Seasonal Oil for Thanksgiving Guests

You may wish to offer your guests an alternative to lotion with this oil blend – or simply use it as a fragrant “perfume” to be added to pulse points before exiting the bathroom. Although I usually recommend roll-on applicators for this purpose, it is more hygienic to make up a larger batch for a pump bottle application and instruct guests to apply a small amount as desired. Alternatively, make individual roll-on applicators for each guest as gifts:

• 8 oz of either walnut, hazelnut, or macadamia nut oil

Essential Oils:

• 12 drops frankincense (Boswellia carteri)

• 8 drops rose(Rosa x damascena)

• 20 drops sweet orange (Citrus sinensis)

• 8 drops vetiver (Vetiveria zizanoides)

Instructions for Use:

• Mix the essential oils with the oil base and pour into a pump bottle.

Learn More About Aromatherapy with Sedona Aromatherapie

If you would like to learn more about how to use carrier oils in aromatherapy, consider the Sedona Aromatherapie Linguistics of Aromatics^TM program!

References:

• Author is a 20 year veteran in the health care and aromatherapy industry, a UK-certified aromatherapist, published author in aromatherapy, an approved education provider for the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA), an aromatherapy business owner, a consultant, and Chief Editor for the NAHA Aromatherapy Journal.