As we emerge from the sluggish summer heat, we enter a time of renewal and fresh beginnings. 

Even if we are no longer in school, the season's spirit is still contagious, and many of us naturally gravitate towards planning our focus for the rest of the year and rushing to finish those last-minute summer activities before launching into colder, cozier weather. 

Fall is when many of us need to be extra focused, whether helping our kids as they start a new school year or gearing up for big end-of-year goals, deadlines, and holidays. In September’s Back to School AromaBox, we give you everything you need to support your mind, body, and spirit as you prepare for the changes coming your way this fall. 

Spearmint Essential Oil

If you’re still feeling overheated or you struggle with headaches or migraines, you’ll love this minty addition to this month’s AromaBox. Spearmint Essential Oil has been traditionally used for its cooling and anti-inflammatory properties. 

It’s also stimulating, making it an excellent focus aid. However, it’s less stimulating than peppermint essential oil and can be used later in the afternoon and evening without adverse effects for most of us.  

Here are just a few of our favorite ways to use this fresh and minty essential oil: 

• If you struggle with headaches or migraines (and spearmint isn’t a trigger for you), try dabbing a small amount of spearmint in a carrier oil like Jojoba Oil to your temples or on the back of your neck. You may experience a slight tingling, numbing, or cooling effect, which can be quite pleasant, and many find the scent soothes their symptoms. 
• Diffuse spearmint essential oil. Whether you have a headache or brain fog or are trying to relax your mind, try diffusing this potent essential oil. We love diffusing this during any mentally taxing task to soothe the mind while providing greater clarity. 
• Add a few drops to your hot bath to support your body during a fever, cold, inflammation, fatigue, or nasal congestion. Many find that strong, minty scents, like spearmint, help clear their sinuses and provide a much-needed boost. A perfect essential oil to have on hand for the upcoming cold and flu season! 
• Interested in experimenting with different essential oil blends? Our favorite essential oils to pair with spearmint are Basil, Sweet Birch, Bergamot, Eucalyptus, or Rosemary.

Atlas Cedarwood Essential Oil

Atlas Cedarwood Essential Oil is a sharp but sweet essential oil commonly used in skin and hair treatments, masculine fragrance blends because of its woody scent, and supportive remedies for bronchial and urinary tract infections. 

• Make a hair or skin treatment. Support your body during this hectic time of year with an herbal hair or skin treatment. Atlas Cedarwood is a fantastic addition to lotions, skincare products, and hair oils or masks. This essential oil is a favorite for the skin and hair as some have found it helpful for treating greasy skin, hair loss, eczema, dandruff, and acne - all of which like to flair up during weather changes. Before applying your DIY treatment, always perform a small patch test on your skin or hair to see how your body reacts first. 
• Create an herbal cough oil to support yourself if you’re feeling congested. Unlike many cough oils, this recipe includes no eucalyptus essential oil, which is a nice change for those who don’t like the pungent smell of eucalyptus while recovering. Natalie demonstrates our DIY cough oil recipe featuring Atlas Cedarwood in this video and article. 
• Give yourself a confidence boost! Atlas Cedarwood’s powerful, woodsy scent may promote increased confidence and self-esteem. Diffuse it or keep it on your person so you can take a few deep breaths and relish everything you have and will accomplish with your day. 
• The smell of cedarwood blends well with so many other scents, including Bay, Bergamot, Cardamom, Cypress, Frankincense, Geranium, Grapefruit, Marjoram, Orange, Neroli,  Palmarosa, Sandalwood, and Ylang Ylang Essential Oils. 

Ruby Red Grapefruit Essential Oil

Ruby Red Grapefruit Essential Oil is a vibrant essential oil that shares the same citrusy, bright, and clean scent of the fruit. If you’ve tried our Pink Grapefruit Essential Oil before, you’ll find that ruby red grapefruit has a more potent aroma, which may be why it’s traditionally used as an antidepressant and stimulant. 

Here are a couple of ways you can use Ruby Red Grapefruit Essential Oil to support yourself: 

• Brighten up any room. Diffuse Ruby Red Grapefruit Essential Oil to lighten up your space with its purported uplifting and tension-relieving properties. 
• Add to a massage oil. Traditionally, this essential oil has been used to detoxify the body and treat cellulite, as it’s believed to affect fluid retention. Add Ruby Red Grapefruit Essential Oil to massage oil, then blend and massage into your abdomen and body to promote greater detoxification and circulation. 
• Relax your mind and body. Add this to a favorite perfume, body lotion, salve, or body oil, and apply it to your body (after a patch test). Take some slow, deep breaths and enjoy the fruity, vibrant scent as it permeates the air around you. One study recorded that participants inhaling grapefruit essential oil experienced greater relaxation and lowered blood pressure. 
• Ruby Red Grapefruit Essential Oil plays well with any citrus essential oil, like Bergamot. Our other favorite combinations include Clove, Cypress, Fennel, Frankincense, Palmarosa, Patchouli, Peppermint, or Ylang Ylang. 

Balance And Focus Roll-On

This powerful essential oil blend contains lavender, peppermint, rosemary, basil, and clary sage in a stunning pure golden jojoba oil base. 

Our Balance and Focus Roll-On is an absolute must-have for anyone struggling with their focus! We recommend this to students, parents, and anyone needing a concentration aid. It may also help with physical balance issues, such as vertigo or dizziness, and in a treatment to support your body as it heals from bug bites and stings. 

 

We hope you love these focus and confidence-boosting essential oils as much as we do! Don’t forget to slow down and support yourself - mind and body - as the year continues to slip away from us faster and faster. 

Well Wishes, 

Herbalist Natalie & Herbalist Leilah