It’s Christmas! Ho, ho, ho!

As I write this, the weather is freezing outside , no snow yet but it’s a perfect time to think about Christmas with family and friends.

Wrapping the presents, buying the food and of course decorating the house and tree (maybe not yet though!)

Everything seems so expensive, especially if you have young children but there are ways you can make your home smell gorgeous without spending a fortune.

Do you want to impress your guests and family this holiday?

You can fill their senses with gorgeous festive smells cheaply, but most importantly, naturally.

We all know people who fill their homes with fragrant plug-ins, air freshener sprays and candles made from paraffin wax.

They try to make their homes smell wonderful but the problem is, they are generally filled with chemicals.

There is a solution and it can be fun

It isn’t always easy to recapture that aroma of pine that you get with real Christmas trees when trees are made of plastic and tinsel .

Often, even real trees are coated with preservatives to stop the needles dropping in the modern houses with central heating.

With nature’s essential oils the evocative aroma of Christmas need not be lost so let’s rescue the Christmas tree!

Spray the tree with a mixture of 300ml water and 6 drops of pine essential oil OR put a few drops of pine oil on a piece of absorbent material and wrap it around the trunk of the tree.

What about the artificial tree?
This blend will give you the aroma of a real tree without the problem of falling needles:

Combine 5 drops of spruce essential oil, 3 drops of fir, 3 drops of pine and 2 drops of cedarwood essential oils. Combine in a spray as before or drop it onto an absorbent cloth draped around the base of the tree.

Are you lucky enough to have a log fire?
You can create a wonderful Christmassy aroma by adding one drop of essential oil per log like sandalwood, cypress, frankincense and myrrh.

Only use one scented log for each fire and make sure you let the oil soak into the wood overnight prior to using it to avoid dangerous sparks. Prepare several logs at a time and use them as needed.

When we think of Christmas, we can’t forget the decorations. Pine cones which are bought in shops are dry and don’t generally smell of anything but this is easily rectified by putting the cones into large plastic bags with a cotton wool ball to which you have added 2 drops of pine oil. Seal the bag and leave overnight. Guess what they smell of in the morning?

They can then be decorated with ribbons which have been infused with the essential oils of the season…

Simply add 6 drops of a Christmas essential oil to half a pint of water e.g. cinnamon, clove, bay, mandarin, orange, tangerine, pine, cedarwood, frankincense or myrrh). Swish the ribbons around in this and dry them. You could wrap them around bunches of holly and ivy.

Don’t forget the scented wrapping paper ( I love this idea and it’s great for children to do!)

Place 2 drops of oil on a cotton wool ball and leave it in a sealed bag with the wrapping paper overnight.

You could use a different aroma for different members of the family. Maybe cedarwood or frankincense for men, geranium or cinnamon for women and maybe lemon or mandarin for the children.

Oranges studded with cloves are a classic Christmas decoration and is one of my favourites.

It won’t deteriorate quickly because clove is a natural preservative, but you can boost the aromatic effect by rolling the oranges beforehand in orange and clove oil and then the oranges will go on and on.

TOP TIP

If you store your aromatic decorations separately, by aroma, in sealed polythene bags, their impact will last for years and years.

I hope these suggestions are useful but I would love to know if you have ideas you would like to share. If so why not share them over on our Facebook page?

I am the least artistic person I know but even I can do this !

…and finally! Wishing you all the best for the coming festive season and hope you have a wonderful time doing whatever you makes you happy!

Happy Christmas from Mellow Skincare.

PS: There will be a price increase in January, so please stock up on your favourites at the lower price in December!