HOW TO USE

A small bottle goes a long way.

Before you start

Essential oils are strong. Dilute before it touches skin — one drop stirred into a teaspoon of carrier oil or your own moisturizer is recommended. Patch test before use.

Keep it away from eyes. Citrus oils can leave skin sensitive to sunlight, so avoid sun after applying. Warm spice oils like cinnamon and clove in Fireside Invigorating Blend can irritate skin, and are better in a diffuser than on you.

Never ingest essential oils. Natural is not the same as edible. Keep them out of reach of children, and if you are pregnant, nursing, on medication, or share the house with pets, ask someone qualified before use.
In a diffuser

Infuse your space with gentle, soothing scent in minutes.

Add water , 3-6 drops of oil, and turn it on. Adjust for the size of the room and how much water the diffuser holds.

Four recipes to start with

  • Wind down — 3 drops Bulgarian Lavender, 2 drops Blue Lotus.
  • Morning — 3 drops Golden Stillness, 1 drop Peppermint.
  • Winter Relief — 3 drops Eucalyptus, 2 drops Peppermint, 2 drops Melissa. Sharp, cool and bright; the one for a house that has been shut up against the cold.
  • Settle in — 3 drops Amber Blend, 2 drops Benzoin.
Make a reed diffuser

Simple and fun to DIY your own.

What you need

  • A small glass bottle with a narrow neck. Narrow slows evaporation, and dark glass protects the oil.
  • Five to eight rattan reeds, about twice as tall as the bottle. Bamboo skewers work, but they are less porous and will not draw as well.
  • A light carrier oil — fractionated coconut, sweet almond or jojoba. Not olive; too thick.
  • Optionally a tablespoon of vodka or rubbing alcohol, which thins the mix and helps the scent climb.

How to assemble

  1. Pour in a quarter cup of carrier oil.
  2. Add the alcohol, if you are using it, and stir.
  3. Add 20 to 30 drops of oil. Swirl.
  4. Put the reeds in. Leave them an hour, then turn them over once.
  5. Flip them every few days after that.

Our favorite recipes

  • Warm — 20 drops Amber Blend, 10 drops Benzoin.
  • Bright — 20 drops Golden Stillness, 5 drops Peppermint.
  • Quiet — 20 drops Bulgarian Lavender, 8 drops Blue Lotus.
In your skincare

A single drop enriches your favorite skincare product with natural plant benefits.

Mix one drop into a teaspoon of whatever you already use — moisturizer, face oil, a plain carrier like jojoba. Mix it in your palm, then apply.

Blue Lotus is the one we love to use this way. Its high squalene content makes it deeply moisturizing.

Not around the eyes. Patch test anything new. Avoid citrus oils which cause skin sensitivity to sunlight and fireside which can sting.
In the bath or shower

Transform your daily routine into a luxurious spa like experience.

For the bath, stir three to five drops into a tablespoon of carrier oil, then into the tub.

In the shower, add two or three drops on the wall, out of the direct stream, and let the steam do the work.
Room and linen spray

A light mist to refresh fine fabrics, clear the air, and effortlessly elevate any room.

In a 100 mL spray bottle: add two tablespoons of witch hazel or plain vodka, 20 to 25 drops of oil, topped up with distilled water. Shake before every use.

Try a hidden corner before spraying anything you like. Silk is not worth the risk.
Massage and body oil

Nourish skin and ease tension with a silky, botanical glide.

Dilute to about 2% — twelve drops per 30 mL of carrier. Jojoba and sweet almond are the usual choices. Halve it for sensitive skin.

Leave the hot ones out. Fireside has cinnamon and clove in it and both bite. Citrus is better saved for the evening to avoid sun sensitivity.
Lesser known tips and tricks
  • A drop on a cotton ball, pushed into a car vent. The fan warms it and moves it, so the car smells like the oil for two or three days.
  • 3-4 drops on a wool dryer ball. Laundry comes out faintly scented without the waxy residue a dryer sheet leaves on the fabric, or in the machine.
  • One on the cardboard tube before the toilet roll goes on. Every turn pushes a little more scent out, so a small bathroom stays fresh with nothing on display.
  • A drop on the underside of a lampshade. The bulb warms it as the light stays on — a slow, quiet way to scent a room with no diffuser and nothing to plug in.
  • Two on a cotton pad at the back of a drawer. Clothes take the scent up over weeks, and it keeps a closed drawer from smelling like one.

More ways to use them than there are bottles on the shelf.

Shop all Start with the Everyday Essentials Set