Love is in the air this Valentine’s Day when you use essential oils to create an atmosphere of romance. Channel the wisdom of Aphrodite and infuse your day with love and affection. Find out how to create your own sensual scents with our heavenly aromatic blends.
Ever since Aphrodite used the aromatic petals of roses to advance her romantic designs, the rose has symbolized love and affection. Invoking Aprhrodite’s designs can be as easy as checking out your nearest health food store for rose essential oils, dropping some into your diffuser, and then enjoying the atmosphere of romance while you enjoy the sensuousness of free-flowing warmth.
Open up your heart
Natural essential oils can be used to bring awareness to the heart centre. The simple act of lighting a candle, intentionally making a massage oil with natural essential oils to use on your valentine, or taking time for you and your partner to create a romantic, aromatic bath can create an opening to the heart that can be a powerful aphrodisiac for the spirit.
Essential oils
Essential oils can be used in diffusers or to scent massage oil or bath salts. For a memorable and sensual Valentine’s experience, try these fragrant essential oils.
Rose (Rosa damascene)
Rose essential oil has a very earthy, rich aroma that’s highly concentrated and best used with a carrier oil like jojoba. It blends well with sandalwood. Rose oil is especially noted for enhancing sexuality.
Sandalwood (Santalum album)
The deep, rich, woodsy scent of sandalwood induces a state of calmness and serenity and relieves nervous tension. It’s considered a sexual restorative for both women and men and is wonderful on its own or paired with other essential oils like rose and lavender.
Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin)
Associated with peace and love, this ancient fragrance has a rich, primal, earthy scent. The earthy aroma is said to help reduce tension, insomnia, and anxiety as well as ground energy, helping us feel present and connected to our roots.
Jasmine (Jasminum grandiflorum)
With an exotic, fruity, floral fragrance, jasmine oil is said to help relieve nervous tension, and its mild euphoric properties are said to restore sexual confidence. For use as a perfume, dilute in a carrier oil, like jojoba, to moderate its somewhat heady aroma.
Get steamy in a warm bath
Put your rubber duck away. Instead, pop the cork on your loved one’s favourite wine and break out the candles (organic soy or beeswax, please). Baths are an easy—and relaxing—way to share the benefits of essential oils. Just breathe in their calming aromas while your skin absorbs the nourishing oils.
Be Love in a Bath
- 4 drops jasmine absolute oil (Jasminum grandiflorum)
- 4 drops lavender oil (Lavandula angustifolia)
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) sunflower oil
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) sea salt
Mix essential oils with sunflower oil and stir into sea salt. If you’re not going to use it immediately, store in an airtight jar.
Heavenly scents
Sharing the aromatic pleasure of essential oils is easy with a diffuser. Most diffusers you can buy work by heating the essential oils until they’re vapourized (diffused) into the air. But you can make your own reed diffuser in a Mason or other small jar with a narrow opening.
Warm Heart Diffuser Blend
- 5 drops orange oil (Citrus sinensis)
- 4 drops lavender oil (Lavandula angustifolia)
- 3 drops rose oil (Rosa damascene)
Add some warm water (about 1/4 cup / 60 mL) to the jar. Add the drops of essential oils and then place some reeds or small twigs inside—the more reeds, the headier the scent.
Massage à deux
Hands down, the best way to share your love, massage combines the therapeutic value of touch with the healing qualities of essential oils to soothe stress and build communication and connection.
Rose-Chocolate Massage Oil
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) cocoa butter, melted
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) almond oil
- 8 drops orange oil (Citrus sinensis)
- 4 drops rose oil (Rosa damascene)
- 6 drops sandalwood oil (Santalum album)
In a bain-marie (or double boiler), melt cocoa butter; stir in almond oil until melted together. Stir in essential oils. This oil is best used warm. If you’re not going to use it right away, pour it into a bottle to store. Before you use it, heat the bottle in a cup of hot water.