Four ways to embrace wellbeing through aromatherapy this autumn

Coming into the autumn months, our focus is on new beginnings, renewal, and using self care in line with nature's rhythm. With the later sunrises and earlier sunsets, we're embracing and incorporating the changing environment into self care - working with it, rather than against it. There are some very simple but effective ways we can introduce aromatherapy into our everyday life. I think there are four key ways you can introduce aromatherapy into your life and routine, to help embrace that mindset, some are more about routine, and some are more indulgent.

1) Diffusing essential oils into your home

Most people are familiar with the idea of using a diffuser at home, and I love this because it's something you can do everyday and it is indeed very popular at the moment! At Aromatherapy Associates, we use pure essential oils in our diffusers, which are really simple to use as there are several settings where it can be just a quick blast or ongoing for several hours. We even have a diffuser which you can operate through an app on your phone so you can have the beautiful aroma dispersing through your home before you even step through the door! The essential oils diffuse into the air and fill your home so it gives that luxurious smell and feels like you're walking into a spa. They are also completely safe for pets because of the purity of essential oils.

We provide lots of different essential oil blends to choose from but going into the autumn months, you may want to try a refreshing blend such as our Revive blend which contains grapefruit, orange, and citrus notes which are a great way to boost your energy on darker mornings when it's a bit harder to find motivation. It's especially helpful if you work from home! Alternatively, if you are coming to the end of the year, feeling tired and run down, boost your immune system with our Support Breathe blend full of decongesting eucalyptus, pine and tea tree, a great one for congested sinuses and adds a refreshing sense to your home! If you would like a comforting, luxurious scent, I highly recommend our Pure Rose essential oil in the diffuser - a natural antidepressant but it definitely adds that spa essence smell to your home.

2) Introduce a bathing ritual into your routine

One of the most popular ways to use aromatherapy is part of bathing routines; whether it is an uplifting energetic shower in the morning or a soothing soak in the bath in the evening this is a great way to boost self-care, especially if you turn it into a regular ritual.

As well as using one of our bath and shower oils, a nice touch would be to add some of our aromatherapy infused skincare products into your ritual each day, tailoring the scents to how you want to feel in the morning and evening. The skincare range uses an addition of botanical extracts and skin stress relief technology to keep the skin hydrated and improve texture during these months where our skin can be affected with the harsh elements of strong winds and extreme temperature change from indoor heating to out in the cold.

Bathing and aromatherapy go hand-in-hand, and I think it's one of the best ways to experience the benefits because it is important to take that time for yourself at the beginning and at the end of the day. Using hot water to relax and soothe the muscles, but also the combined use of steam inhalation from the hot water and use of the essential oils as they work together on the skin and enter the blood stream, means you get the real benefits of aromatherapy.

The ritual can be completely bespoke because you can really tailor the experience to what you want –whether it is a citrus blend to uplift or a lavender blend to calm or vetiver to sedate for a better night’s sleep. You could even enhance your experience with an aromatherapy candle for added benefit and to add ambience after a long day.

At Aromatherapy Associates we're really passionate about taking something you do every day and making it a more intentional, elevated form of self-care. It's easy to do but feels like a real, everyday luxury.

3) Make sleep a priority

Making quality sleep a priority is really important. Coming out of the busy summer, which is usually a packed time, autumn can be a really good opportunity to prioritise rest, especially in this gap between summer and Christmas.

Sleep is an essential part of that, and it's something we're really passionate about. Our Deep Relax blend is one of our most iconic products. We really tried to go beyond the traditional idea of using lavender because while it is very good for calm, to go from neutral to a deep state of relaxation other essential oils work even better. Instead, we use vetiver, which is a natural sedative, helps you feel grounded and takes you from a calm, neutral state to a restful, deep sleep.

Creating a routine around better sleep is a beautiful thing to do going into autumn, and there are lots of ways to help do that. An infusion of vetiver, chamomile and sandalwood from our Deep Relax range, in products like the sleep mist for your pillow, not only helps you sleep but when it's used as part of a routine, you will start to associate it with feeling relaxed, which helps you fall asleep faster. Insomniacs have raved about this product being extremely effective for them to have a deep undisturbed full night’s sleep!

Aromatherapy Associates also provides this blend in other products, which are great for enhancing your routine before bedtime for the ultimate sleep ritual. It can be provided in a body oil, body cream or even a candle so you can really create an environment and space around nurturing sleep.

4) Book an aromatherapy spa treatment

I can't finish without talking about the benefit of aromatherapy spa treatments. Whether you're looking for a really special way to supercharge the benefits of aromatherapy, or maybe you want to start incorporating it into your wellbeing routine, but you're not sure where to start, it's a really beneficial way to enjoy self-care.

There are mental and physical benefits, as well as lots of treatments to choose from, like the Ultimate Aromatherapy Experience Massage. They all start with a bespoke and unique consultation, where your therapist will discuss any ailments and how you are feeling. The information provided will allow the therapist to choose aromatherapy blends tailored to you for you to choose which aroma your body is craving and drawn to most. This tells you what your body chooses rather than what you think you need and this is an amazing way to reset at the start of the season.

There are beautiful spas across the UK, which offer Aromatherapy Associates therapies, such as Bryn Tanat Wellness Spa, The Spa at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, Nàdarra Spa @ The Coniston Hotel, Quob Park Rose Spa, and lots more.