Aromatherapy Blends: How to Create That Summer Vibe All Year Long

In these months with the shortest days and fewest hours of sunshine, we can long for the lazy days of summer. If your clients have the winter blahs, help them rekindle that summer feeling with aromas that evoke the pleasures of sun, sand, and relaxing vacations.

Create an oasis of warm-weather desires in your practice with these aromatherapy recipes for diffusing, massage, and body treatments. Your clients will look forward to their appointments and the memory of your session will linger long after their treatments are finished.

Note: For every recipe outlined here, you'll need a high-quality diffuser; your favorite unscented massage oil, cream, or lotion; unscented bulk sugar or salt scrub; bulk unscented bath salts; and cello bags.

Spa in Paradise

What You'll Need:

• Sandalwood essential oil
• Organic Ylang-Ylang essential oil
• Sweet Orange essential oil
• Ginger essential oil

Diffuser: Fill your diffuser with water. For every 1 ounce of water, add 2 drops of sandalwood, 2 drops of ylang-ylang, 5 drops of sweet orange, and 2 drops of ginger.

Massage Oil, Cream, or Lotion: Mix 4 ounces of unscented oil, cream, or lotion with 1 drop of sandalwood, 1 drop of ylang-ylang, 3 drops of sweet orange, and 1 drop of ginger.

Polish or Scrub: Mix 8 ounces of salt or sugar with 4 tablespoons of a carrier oil of your choice. Stir until well blended. Add 5 drops of sandalwood, 5 drops of ylang-ylang, 10 drops of sweet orange, and 2 drops of ginger.

Bath Salts (for home use): Start with 8 ounces of bulk bath salts and add 5 drops of sandalwood, 5 drops of ylang-ylang, 10 drops of sweet orange, and 2 drops of ginger. Seal tight in a cello bag.

Sweet Sun Tea

What You'll Need:

• Sweet Orange essential oil
• Lemon essential oil
• French Lavender essential oil

Diffuser: Fill your diffuser with water. For every 1 ounce of water, add 10 drops of sweet orange, 10 drops of lemon, and 2 drops of French lavender.

Massage Oil, Cream, or Lotion: Mix 4 ounces of unscented oil, cream, or lotion with 5 drops of sweet orange, 5 drops of lemon, and 1 drop of French lavender.

Polish or Scrub: Mix 8 ounces of salt or sugar with 4 tablespoons of a carrier oil of your choice. Stir until well blended. Add 15 drops of sweet orange, 15 drops of lemon, and 5 drops of French lavender.

Bath Salts (for home use): Start with 8 ounces of bulk bath salts and add 15 drops of sweet orange, 15 drops of lemon, and 5 drops of French lavender. Seal tight in a cello bag.

Ocean

What You'll Need:

• Lemon essential oil
• Eucalyptus Globulus essential oil
• Vetiver essential oil

Diffuser: Fill your diffuser with water. For every 1 ounce of water, add 10 drops of lemon, 5 drops of eucalyptus, and 2 drops of vetiver.

Massage Oil, Cream, or Lotion: Mix 4 ounces of unscented oil, cream, or lotion with 5 drops of lemon, 2 drops of eucalyptus, and 1 drop of vetiver.

Polish or Scrub: Mix 8 ounces of salt or sugar with 4 tablespoons of a carrier oil of your choice. Stir until well blended. Add 10 drops of lemon, 5 drops of eucalyptus, and 2 drops of vetiver.

Bath Salts (for home use): Start with 8 ounces of bulk bath salts and add 10 drops of lemon, 5 drops of eucalyptus, and 2 drops of vetiver. Seal tight in a cello bag.

Creating an aromatic "summer" ambiance for your clients during winter's doldrums can put a whole new twist on their massage experience. Craft some of these recipes as holiday gifts for your clients, or sell them as products clients can gift someone else. Be creative and your guests will appreciate it!