Discovering the bounty of aromatherapy is a wonderful treat, but if you aren't used to working with essential oils, it is easy to become confused about how these powerful medicines should be applied. We've all been intoxicated by an essential oil and then found ourselves thinking, "Now what?" A delightful way to incorporate essential oils in your daily life is to make your own room sprays. The process is not complex, it offers you many opportunities for mixing and matching scents and exposes your whole family to the healing potential of aromatherapy.

Many of the commercial room deodorizers found on the market end up making us feel overpowered because they contain synthetic fragrances. While room sprays can be a delightful way to change the feel of a space, the wrong scent can make a room feel oppressive rather than cheerful. Medicinal-quality aromatherapy oils have the opposite effect. Rather than just covering up annoying odors, essential oils actually alter the energy of a room, giving us the healing benefits we've all come to love.

Essential oil sprays contain a mixture of oils, water and, sometimes, witch hazel. To create your own, all you need are your own oils, purified water and spray bottles. Since aromatic oils don't do well with too much light exposure, try to find amber or cobalt blue bottles to keep your blends fresh. When filling with water, find the purest water possible to avoid the risk of compromising your blend with chemicals, such as chlorine. Also, if you want to store your blends for more than two months, it's a good idea to mix in a splash of witch hazel. This extract from the plant Hamamelis virginiana provides natural preservation of your aromatic oils. Next, the best part - your oils!

With so many aromatic oils to choose from, you can create an endless variety of sprays for your home, office or car. When considering which oils to buy, always seek the highest quality you can find. You will need to use less oil, and the healing benefits of the oil will increase exponentially if you choose a superior oil. Therapeutic-grade oils satisfy our senses in ways inferior oils simply cannot. Excellent oils make the mind feel bright and provide instantaneous changes in the body. This is because the body/mind connection is immediately felt with aromatic oils. That's why we want to make the most of the oils we have and choose the best we can afford.

Any essential oil can be turned into a spray, but some are even better than others. The citrus oils, like mandarin, grapefruit, lemon, lime and tangerine, make excellent misters. Citrus oils give your environment an instant facelift, turning a tired room into a bright sanctuary. These pleasing oils can be mixed with sharp-smelling oils like eucalyptus, rosemary verbenone, myrtle or peppermint for a wonderfully balanced blend. Just remember, citrus oils can cause skin reactions if they are worn in the sun, so keep these blends indoors.

Another popular group of oils for room sprays is the coniferous plants and trees. Juniper berry, balsam fir, spruce, black spruce, cedar and sandalwood are perfect choices for infusing a space with grounding aromas. These essential oils are simultaneously calming and uplifting, and they are particularly pleasant during the winter months, when access to the outdoors is limited. Unlike fruit and flower scents, pines and woods imbue our environments with a subtle scent that, like incense, warms the space without overpowering our senses.

Next, blending. First, fill your bottle most of the way with water. If witch hazel is needed, blend it in a 4 to 1 ratio. For one ounce of liquid, put in 4 to 16 drops of oil. Since the water and oil won't naturally blend, you must shake the mixture whenever you use it. All essential oils can be made into misters, yet some oils are denser that others (like vetiver) and need to be shaken vigorously prior to spraying.

When blending your own scents, start with a few drops and increase in number to make sure you enjoy the mix. Just remember that strong oils, like peppermint, black pepper or cinnamon, are intense once atomized. Only use a few drops of oil, and you should run no risk of irritating your nose, eyes or throat. Also, it's usually a good idea to avoid essential oils that have been mixed with carrier oils. These mixtures may clog your spray bottle, as carrier oils do not evaporate the way essential oils do.

Blending aromatherapy room sprays is an easy, enjoyable way to introduce children to the benefits of plant medicine as well. There are, however, a few guidelines to remember when creating sprays for children. For example, always opt for less oil in a spray intended for children than you would for an adult. Soft oils like sandalwood, lavender, rose and Roman chamomile are great for children, as are rosalina, lemon tea tree and vanilla. In fact, vanilla is one of the most calming oils in the aromatherapy repertoire. If a peaceful night's sleep is what your child needs (or what you need, for that matter!) 2 drops of Roman chamomile and 2 drops of lavender in one ounce of carrier water will help. Just spray this in the child's room. Only remember, essential oils should NEVER be misted in a child's face.

These simple sprays can be used for natural deodorants or perfume as well. To create your personalized scent, pick oils that won't bother your skin and blend the way you would an environmental mister. A couple of suggestions for luscious skin sprays: geranium, patchouli, lavender or ylang ylang all make great misters. The only thing to keep in mind is that essential oils and eyes don't mix, so avoid this area. Also, if you're using an essential oil for medicinal reasons, these oils can be turned into sprays and used all day, especially when carried in a purse-size spray bottle. Whether you need to relax or clear your mind, to-go misters can provide an instant aromatherapy retreat during even the most hectic day.

Learning about essential oils is a fascinating and rewarding journey. With so many oils to choose from, you are bound to find a dozen oils and blends that work well as sprays, enabling you to change your environment in minutes. Atomizing essential oils in misters does not require much work, and the investment is low. If your blend is not what you'd hoped, you only expended a small amount. With an imagination and a few ingredients, you can begin to change your space immediately. Start your journey with sprays, and aromatherapy will become a part of daily nourishment.