While I’m ambivalent toward pumpkin spice lattes, the arrival of fall is not without its own rituals for me. The cooler temperatures and blowing wind mean it’s time to take out the sweaters, close the windows, and seal up the house for the season. Though doing so make me somewhat wistful, fall also means I get to take out the diffuser and fill my home with the wonderful scents of essential oils to get me through the cold, dark months of winter. Here are some of my favorites!

Lavender is easily one of the most well-known and loved of essential oils. Commonly used in a variety of bath and skincare products, lavender may also have a relaxing and calming effect on the nervous system. A few drops in a diffuser or a warm bath is one of my favorite ways to wind down at the end of the week. Are you or your children having trouble sleeping? Try one single drop of organic lavender oil on the soles of the feet and see if you don’t sleep like a baby.

With its sweet floral aroma, Ylang Ylang pairs wonderfully with lavender in a bath or diffuser. Its effects are also thought to be relaxing and calming. Colicky baby? Try a single drop of organic ylang ylang oil in the crook of your elbow to soothe and quiet baby.

Another well-known favorite is Peppermint. A single drop can be applied to the temples when you start to feel a headache coming on, placed in a diffuser to soothe irritated bronchial passages, or applied to a cotton ball to drive away mice. Organic peppermint oil can also be used with care as a flavoring in foods.

Helichrysum is a bit cost-prohibitive to use in a diffuser, but it is referred to in France as the fountain of youth and used in many anti-aging skincare products. Helichrysum is known to promote cellular regeneration, scar repair, and combat inflammation. A single drop a day of organic helichrysum on my face is my secret weapon of skincare (I won’t tell if you won’t!).

Any essential oil may be used in a diffuser, but it is important to know that only organic essential oils should come into contact with the skin. As essential oils have the highest concentration of chemical compounds found in plants, they also have the highest concentration of any pesticides with which they might be sprayed, although conventional essential oils are great for smelling and in homemade household cleaners.

Here’s to your heavenly-smelling home this fall and winter!

[written by Molly]