Using essential oils is a fantastic and effective method of supporting your family's health, and one of the most simple, cost-effective means is by making your own natural aroma-mists. The making of aromatherapy sprays and mists is great opportunity to nurture your family: Essential oils are well-known for their positive health benefits, and many scientific studies have demonstrated their effects. Simple aromatic usage has been shown to reduce stress, improve sleep and even sharpen mental acuity. Making essential oil sprays is something that you can do alone or with your older children as a project that is both fun to do, and can open a whole new world of natural health and wellness for your loved ones.

This little project is something you can do alone, or with older children in the family. Getting your loved ones involved will have two important benefits: First, they're likely to let you know which scents appeal to them the most. Often in aromatherapy, it is the scents we are most fond of that can have the strongest supporting effects for emotional health. Second, they're also more likely to use and enjoy the oils they've had a part in making. This not only will give them greater satisfaction with the sprays, but will likely open their eyes and minds a little bit more to the world of natural health and wellness - certainly an area where getting started young can have life-long benefits.

Just a few easily found items are required - 1 or 2 ounce dark glass bottles with pump spray tops are great containers. The dark color helps preserve the essential oils, and their small size makes them relatively durable, easily handled, and portable. An eye-dropper makes it easy to dispense the oils drop by drop (as the recipes call for 'drops' of each essential oil). Plastic ones are most appropriate if children are involved, as the droppers tend to be somewhat delicate. As for the 'carrier' of the essential oils, filtered or spring water is all you need; if you'd like to store the blends for longer than a couple of months, use 1/5th Witch Hazel (available at most natural foods stores and online) and 4/5ths water.

Then of course you'll need some essential oils. There is a huge difference in aromatic quality between oils available today - the finest ones will have very brilliant and alive aromas. They may cost a little more, but you'll be using only drops at a time, and the difference in the scents will have a significant impact on you and your family's enjoyment of your sprays. Oils of marginal quality will often make one smile a little and say 'huh, that smells nice', whereas exceptional oils usually get 'WOW', accompanied by a really big grin. Blends that smell spectacular will certainly get used more, and will likely have greater psychological and emotional therapeutic effects.

While the most of the commonly used essential oils will be very safe in this application, if children will be handling the pure essential oils, safety should be considered. The 'flowery' oils like Lavender and Chamomile are quite safe, as are more exotic scents such as Bulgarian Rose and Indian Sandalwood. Citrus oils and the 'needle' oils from evergreen trees can be sensitizing; direct application to the skin is not recommended - and if you select very pungent oils, particularly Cinnamon , Clove or Peppermint, application to the skin should be avoided altogether, and generally kept away from the younger ones. For everyone's safety, just instruct your formulators to not get any oil on them, and to never spray the mists on their bodies, nor near anyone else's eyes or face. If you have any questions or concerns about a particular oil, there are many resources available on the internet or in books about aromatherapy.

So, now you can create your misters! The basic formula is exceptionally simple: fill your small bottles almost to the top with water or 1:4 Witch Hazel and water mixture, then add the essential oils drop by drop. Once the oils are added, just tighten the cap and shake well until you no longer see the oil and water quickly separating when done. Don't worry if the oils DO still separate a little, this is natural - just shake gently before each use and you'll spritz quite enough aroma into your space. For the most simple formulas, just use a four to sixteen drops of any one essential oil per ounce of water. French Lavender, Geranium, Rose, Sandalwood and Chamomile are excellent choices, as are any of the evergreen oils, or the citrus oils. Steer toward smaller amounts of the essential oil if intending to use the formula with children.

If you'd like to make something a little more fancy for children and even infants, try two drops each of Lavender and Roman Chamomile in pure water. Both these oils are broadly appealing, and have very soothing effects on children. This recipe might even be used regularly as a sleep aid at night or at nap time.

For a more lively, uplifting aromatic, mix together your favorite citrus scents. Essential oils are pressed from all the citrus fruits - you'll find orange, lemon, lime, tangerine and grapefruit readily available. The aromas mix well together, and it is easy to adjust their ratios to your liking. Mandarin, a member of the tangerine family, has a certain soothing effect unique to this fruit, and again, works particularly well with children.

Finally, the evergreen oils are very popular as room fresheners. These are the essential oils distilled from the needles of Pine, Spruce, Balsam Fir and from Juniper Berries. Like the citrus oils, these all blend well together, and mixing them creates very complementary scents. Juniper Berry is especially lively and bright; Pine is a classic evergreen aroma, and Balsam Fir and Spruce are somewhat richer and more complex. Like the citrus oils too, these are uplifting aromas, though they seem to be uplifting and grounding at the same time.

Other excellent choices are Ylang Ylang (#1 for a more 'mature' scent, or 'complete' for a sweeter one), Jasmine Sambac, or even Patchouli if you're feeling a little more bold. Eucalyptus may be particularly effective for musty spaces, and is often used in spas for its invigorating aroma. Whatever oils you choose, you can always mix together very small amounts, counting the drops, until you're sure you like the blend, then add larger amounts to your spray mixture. You can even create a different blend for every room in your home. And by using pure essential oils, you'll be creating natural aromatics that have been used for centuries, with positive emotional, physical and spiritual health benefits for you and your family.