Festive Holiday Aromatherapy Ideas from Our Retirement Communities

Get in the holiday spirit with these incredible scent combinations!

It’s the holiday season, and we are feeling the spirit! One of the best things about the holiday season is that it is a delight for all of the senses. From the crunch of snow underfoot to the beautiful lights decorating homes around the country, it’s a feast for the senses.

At our Sunshine Retirement Living communities, one of our favorite senses is smell. In fact, we love it so much that we have incorporated aromatherapy into many of our communities, within our sensory spas.

What is Aromatherapy?

First of all, it is important to understand what aromatherapy actually is! Simply put, aromatherapy is the use of plant extracts and oils to improve your well-being. They can be used in massage therapy, in a diffuser for calming effects, and can even be used to aid in digestion or pain management. Some of the most common oils or extracts used are lavender, peppermint, chamomile, tea tree oil, frankincense, rosemary, lemon oil, or eucalyptus. While some might be good for aiding in sleep, others are better energizers, and some can even help aid in inflammation!

With the holiday season upon us, we thought it would be fun to share some of our favorite scent combinations for your next aromatherapy session or simply to use in your diffuser at home. Check out our recommendations below!

Peppermint and Vanilla

Classic and candy-sweet, this combination tingles the nose and floods the brain with memories of childhood holiday treats and comfort. Like your mom’s best cookie recipe, this delightful combination is comforting. It’s also energizing, as peppermint is known to wake up the senses. This might be a great combination for a day of wrapping gifts, writing holiday cards, or even setting the tone for your next holiday party.

Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Clove

There’s nothing more comforting than the smell of our favorite foods, and this scent combination is warm, and cozy, and will make your home smell like pumpkin pie! The plus with this combination of scents is that they all have amazing benefits for your well-being! Clove is a great focus booster, cinnamon can help stimulate mental energy, and nutmeg can stimulate a sense of calm in the body. This means that this combo is great for when you need to focus and get a stressful project done!

Almond and Sandalwood or Frankincense

This scent combo is the epitome of Christmas! Almond is the key ingredient in marzipan candy and gives a sweet counterpart to the woodsy aroma of sandalwood or frankincense. Both of these scents are great for stress relief and sleep, and also have anti-inflammatory benefits, which make it an excellent holiday scent for winding down at night!

Rosemary, Lemon, and Peppermint

For an overall feeling of the holiday season, this combination is the holy grail. While the scents may seem like they might overpower one another, they actually work perfectly in tandem to create a scent that can provide mental clarity, boost energy, and in some cases, due to the peppermint, reduce nausea! We love this powerful scent combination and are sure you will too.

Aromatherapy truly has immense benefits, and if you haven’t dabbled in it yet, we encourage you to try!

If you’d like to learn more about our sensory spas or other offerings at any of our Sunshine Retirement Living locations, please give our friendly team a call today!