You might be working with a smaller budget at the moment, but there’s no reason you can’t still enjoy using essential oils. That’s why we’re sharing some of our simple methods for making your essential oils go the extra mile, and preserving their quality when you store them.
Where are you storing them?
Citrus oils are known to degrade when placed in direct sunlight, but ideally, all of your essential oils should be stored in a cool, dark place. It’s important that essential oils are contained in the right materials, such as aluminium screw cans or amber glass bottles. When essential oils aren’t stored properly in appropriate containers, the fragrances can quickly degrade and lose their effect.
Carrier oils are your friend
If you’re using essential oils on your skin, combining them with a carrier oil is the best way to achieve a long lasting fragrance. Carrier oils such as coconut, jojoba or grapeseed are rich in fatty acids which have a similar structure to the natural oils found on the skin. This means they can penetrate the top layer of skin, and retain the essential oil fragrance for much longer than other forms of dilution. For example, a water-based body mist with essential oils would quickly evaporate on the skin.
Understanding base, middle, and top notes
When you’re mixing a diffuser blend, you might be tempted to combine all of your favourite scents, but essential oils tend to work best when they’re layered properly. These layers can be broken down into base, middle and top notes, with base notes lasting the longest, and top notes lasting the shortest amount of time. If you’ve ever noticed a scent combination smelling completely different by the end of the diffusing period, a few of the oils have probably evaporated entirely, leaving only the base note.
If you want to add long-lasting fragrance to your room, make sure your blend includes a base note. For a full breakdown of essential oil notes, and examples of which oils fit into each category, check out this blog post.
Turn down the heat
Warm or cool water diffusing is an effective way to fragrance a room, but be wary of oils getting too hot. Diffuser technology has come a long way since the traditional ceramic styles. Now, you can find diffuser-humidifier hybrids which use cool water, and won’t spoil the scent of your essential oils. Choosing one is a question of preference, but make sure you’re buying something which won’t get too hot.
Use oils on your clothing
If you’re wearing essential oils as a fragrance, apply them to your clothing instead of your skin. Regular handwashing and outdoor exposure quickly fade the fragrance, but when essential oils are applied to a material they tend to last until the next wash. Also, this is a great option for people with sensitive skin who still want to enjoy wearing their essential oils.
Do you have a trick for making your essential oils last longer? Maybe you’ve discovered some fragrance combinations that linger all day? We’d love to hear from you! Pop us an email or leave your comments on Instagram and Facebook.
Click here to shop our full collection of long lasting essential oils.
Hi Abbey, great article. How do you get the essential oil smell to last longer in a toilet bomb/ toilet fizzle?