As stress levels in the UK continue to rise, the wellness industry is booming and — much like meditation, mysticism and natural beauty — aromatherapy is undergoing a makeover.
There’s a growing crop of easy-to-use products, new hi-tech formulas and ever-more appealing packaging, so it’s no surprise that sales of aromatherapy products are on the rise. Sales at Liberty — which has brands such as Aromatherapy Associates and Votary mixing exclusive blends for it — are up 15% in the past year. Space NK is seeing a similar upwards trend. “We have triple-digit growth from brands within the aromatherapy category,” says the buying director, Margaret Mitchell.
“There is a shift occurring,” says the aromatherapist Michelle Roques-O’Neil, founder of Roques O’Neil Therapie. “People are realising that taking care of your wellbeing is not indulgent but essential.”
So what exactly is aromatherapy? By definition, it is simply the therapeutic use of essential oils, and it’s not new; in fact, it dates back to the Egyptians. These oils can affect our emotions, energise our mood and even help to balance our hormones.
“Our sense of smell is linked to the deepest parts of our brain,” says Annee de Mamiel, aromatherapist and founder of De Mamiel. “When we inhale essential oils, they go beyond the olfactory system and the brain barrier into the limbic system. Here they work on a physical and emotional level to improve our general state of health and wellbeing.”
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While traditional aromatherapy focuses primarily on massage, baths and inhalations, modern variations allow you to feel the benefits withoutthe same time commitment. So whether it’s using smelling salts at your desk, giving yourself a relaxing facial massage before bed or scenting your home with healing aromas, a few minutes can now make all the difference.
Whether you have a minute or an hour, try these rituals to bring a little zen into your life
Morning ritual
Incorporating aromatherapy into your morning routine just got easier. The new Vitaclean Vitamin C and Essential Oils Filtered Shower Head (£60; vitacleanhq.com) adds an uplifting scent to your morning scrub to encourage relaxation and limit stress throughout the day. It spritzes vitamin C (a powerful antioxidant that protects from irritation, environmental pollutants and inflammation) onto hair and skin, neutralises chlorine and conserves water. Once out of the shower, apply De Mamiel Salvation Body Oil (£75; demamiel.com), which contains camellia, ylang ylang and rosehip to help you feel rested all day long.
Evening massage
Before bed, swap a scroll through Instagram for a candlelit massage (it’s not what you’re thinking), using a candle that’s packed with properties to soothe mind and body: light the candle, leave the wax to cool, then massage into skin. Prismologie Oud Massage Candle (£60; prismologie.com) contains coconut oil and wild mango butter to condition skin, and oud to calm your nerves, and Neom Tranquility Intensive Skin Treatment Candle (£36; neomorganics.com), part of its Scent to Sleep range, contains 19 essential oils to lull you off to sleep.
Bathroom zen
If holding crystals or smelling salts isn’t your thing, try Wild Medicine handmade quartz-infused soaps (£15 each; contentbeautywellbeing.com). The titanium quartz and tea tree are said to encourage feelings of confidence, self-awareness and focus, while the quartz pine and charcoal promote cleansing, balancing and healing. So you can now restore your inner zen over the washbasin. Another option is Therapie Boost Hair & Body Wash (£20; cultbeauty.co.uk), with eucalyptus, blood orange and rosemary to supercharge you for the day.
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Scent your home
If the misty fog from a diffuser makes you feel more like you’re in a fortune teller’s tent than your sitting room, reach for the new Aesop Composure Aromatique Room Spray (£37 each; aesop.com). The sleek glass bottles come in three scents to calm your mood and revive the senses. Choose from Istros, floral and smoky, Olous, citrus botanicals, or Cythera, woody and spicy — two to three pumps lasts for several hours. You could also try Tincture Iona Room Tincture (£25; contentbeautywellbeing.com), which has natural ingredients including lavender and rosemary, and camphor to ward off bugs.
Lia Jordan