Allergy Soothing Essential Oil Blend

If you're a seasonal allergy sufferer in the Northeast, there's a good chance that this spring has been a bit rough thus far. Both weather and medical specialists point fingers to seasonal weather patterns and climate change's impact on pollen, and forecast that this spring might be shorter than seasons past. Regardless, woes of stuffed noses, scratchy throats and throbbing headaches have been widespread amongst my family and friends, and my own sinuses have been suffering worse than they have in recent years.

In times like these, over-the-counter prescriptions tend to not be enough, and I have been doubling my typical water intake just to combat their drying side effect. I've started using my neti pot to soothe my nasal passages with a warm saline rinse, but was beyond thrilled this weekend when I remembered something my soon-to-be father-in-law taught me: peppermint oil is a fantastic nasal decongestant when inhaled externally. So when I found myself unable to inhale through my nose while on a hike in Upstate New York, I tried this little trick out and was able to clearly breathe in ten minutes flat.

I've brought my trick back home and built an essential oil blend to diffuse in our home. A combination of peppermint oil, and essential oils of lemon, lavender and marjoram (sweet oregano) can supplement your typical allergy remedies by soothing and encouraging clear airways.  Lavender essential oil is naturally antibacterial and anti-fungal, while the lemon essential oil is a great antioxidant and has rejuvenating properties. Marjoram essential oil has been historically used to treat sinus and respiratory ailments as it has expectorant qualities. Our diffuser now sits by my work station, and I've been breathing easier ever since.

Allergy Soothing Essential Oil Blend

4 drops peppermint essential oil

3 drops marjoram essential oil

2 drops lavender essential oil

2 drops lemon essential oil

For each blend, mix together in a dark glass bottle, keeping these proportions constant even if increased. When ready to use, fill your diffuser to the fill line with water, and add in 3-7 drops of the essential oil blend.

Clearing the Air

I've always been amazed at the ability of smell to transport you to a different place and time.

Cut open a lemon, and I'm instantly taken back to the Aeolian Islands off of Sicily, where lemons the size of footballs grew outside the house. We'd climb the trees to retrieve them en masse, and brought them home where they sat in a fragrant mountain on the kitchen table, waiting to be squeezed over fish or grilled vegetables.

Freshly cut garden roses remind me of my grandmother, who was a devotee of those saintly flowers, and how they symbolized life and growth.

And, a bundle of lavender transports me home, where my mother bought the dried herb in bulk, stuffing them in simple muslin bags and tucking them in our drawers, closets and laundry baskets.

So, it should be of little surprise that one of my favorite ways to elevate mood is with scent.

In our home, we've been diffusing essential oils using a Stadler Form diffuser. Essential oils are amazingly effective at both purifying the air and delivering relaxing notes, and there are a few concoctions in particular that I love for clean and calming tones.

Cleaning Blend

10 drops eucalyptus essential oil

5 drops tea tree essential oil

3 drops lemon essential oil

2 drops sweet orange essential oil

Calming Blend

10 drops lavender essential oil

3 drops bergamot essential oil

For each blend, mix together in a dark glass bottle, keeping these proportions constant even if increased. When ready to use, fill your diffuser to the fill line with water, and add in 3-7 drops of the essential oil blend.