Back to School Stress-Reducing Aromatherapy Blends
At the transition between Summer and Fall is a season I like to call the Back to School season! It’s those few stress-filled weeks of establishing new routines, meeting teachers, and organizing school supplies. Some of us are parents with kids returning to school. Others are college students heading off to a semester of higher education. All of us, adults and kids, can benefit from having on hand a few stress-relieving aromatherapy blends made from uplifting essential oils.
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In this Post:
How to survive the Back to School season with a positive mindset? The positive energetics in these THREE aromatherapy blends can help make the season stress-less.
⭐️Stress-Less Back to School Diffuser Blend Recipe
- 4 drops Sweet Orange essential oil (Citrus x sinensis)
- 2 drops Frankincense essential oil (Boswellia carteri)
- 1 drop Atlas Cedarwood essential oil (Cedrus atlantica)
- 1 drop Black Spruce essential oil (Picea mariana)
- 1 drop Cardamom essential oil (Elettaria cardamomum)
🌺See my Recommended Suppliers below
Diffusing an energetically uplifting aromatherapy blend at the beginning of every day can help the whole family start out on the right foot. Having a stock bottle on hand makes it easy to incorporate essential oils into your Stress-Less morning routine.
Get Stock Bottle Drop Counts
Here are the drop counts for a 5ml essential oil bottle. This will hold about 100 drops of essential oil (depending on the viscosity of the oil and the size of the reducer orifice).
Add your drops directly to the essential oil bottle. Then insert the reducer and cap tightly. Finally roll the bottle between the palms of your hands for at least 30 seconds. This allows the oils to fully blend with each other and it imparts a bit of your energy to the blend.
And remember: Affix a label right away!
Stress-Less Back to School Stock Bottle
- 44 drops Sweet Orange essential oil (Citrus sinensis)
- 22 drops Frankincense essential oil (Boswellia carteri)
- 11 drops Atlas Cedarwood essential oil (Cedrus atlantica)
- 11 drops Black Spruce essential oil (Picea mariana)
- 11 drops Cardamom essential oil (Elettaria cardamomum)
⭐️Stress-Less for KIDS! A Back to School Aromatherapy Inhaler Blend Recipe
An inhaler is the easiest ways to always have a supportive aromatherapy blend available when it’s needed. After weeks of summer fun, heading back to school can be especially stressful for grade-schoolers. So, I created this blend just for our K-6 kiddos. (And, hey, I personally like this one for myself, too. No shame if you make one for yourself!)
- Aromatherapy inhaler & wick
- 6 drops Sweet Orange essential oil (Citrus x sinensis)
- 2 drops Atlas Cedarwood essential oil (Cedrus atlantica)
- 2 drops Frankincense essential oil (Boswellia carteri)
- 2 drops Vanilla oleoresin (Vanilla planifolia)
Remember to stick a label on right away!
🌺See my Recommended Suppliers below
This is a beautiful inhaler to use just before heading off to school. It’s sweet and fresh and familiar. It will help even out energy and be a calming, yet uplifting, way to start the school day.
🛑NOTE: Many schools are hesitant to allow children to use aromatherapy inhalers on school grounds. However, you may be able to work with your child’s school/teacher to have it on-hand should your child need an energetic reset during the day.
I like using disposable aromatherapy inhalers for kids. First off, they’re inexpensive, so if they get lost it’s no big deal. And secondly, they come in so many fun colors! Replace at least monthly.
If you’re making inhalers for yourself, or another adult, try reusable inhalers that can easily be refreshed with the aromatherapy blends you’ve created.
Why These Aromatherapy Blends?
The vast majority of us, even young children, deal with some form of stress on a daily basis. Studies show that chronic stress can contribute to an inability to focus, difficulty with memory recall, increased irritability, and social detachment.(1)
Aromatherapy can promote feelings of well-being and positivity. The essential oils in these Stress-Less aromatherapy blends:
- provide an uplift to emotions,
- help calm the mind,
- and support a healthy immune system.
Sound good? Yep, I think so, too.
🌺See my Recommended Suppliers below
About the Essential Oils
Sweet Orange (Citrus x sinensis)
Like a glass of freshly squeezed OJ with breakfast, Sweet Orange is the star of these blends.
While it has a sweet, happy aroma, Sweet Orange is one of the “calming” citrus essential oils. I find it a lovely citrus aroma to star in morning aromatherapy blends. It provides a gentle lift to the spirit without being overly energizing.
[For comparison, Lime (Citrus x aurantifolia) is a highly energizing citrus essential oil!]
Sweet Orange is very rich in the phytochemical (plant chemical) d-limonene. This is what gives citrus essential oils their recognizable aroma. d-Limonene is also wonderful for easing anxiety.
“(Sweet Orange has) a feeling of jollity about it. It seems to carry with it some of the sunshine needed for its ripening.”(2)
Patricia Davis, Aromatherapy An A-Z (2005)
Kids really love the aroma of Sweet Orange. It’s definitely one to bring smiles to their faces.
Frankincense (Boswellia carteri)
The aroma of Frankincense is rich, with the resinous quality of freshly cut wood. It also has an exotic fruitiness that’s great with citrus aromas.
I love combining Frankincense with the softer citruses, especially Sweet Orange, Blood Orange (Citrus x sinensis sanguinelli), Mandarin (Citrus reticulata), and Bergamot (Citrus bergamia).
Inhaling Frankincense as a volatile oil or incense, expands the lungs and slows breathing. It’s intensely purifying to spirit and restorative to energy, making it a wonderful essential oil for stress blends.
Black Spruce (Picea mariana)
If you want a gentle conifer essential oil to help open the breath and clear the mind, Black Spruce is a good choice! Its green, fruity aroma can be penetrating. So, to enhance the fruitiness of the Sweet Orange in this aromatherapy blend, we’re using just a touch.
Black Spruce is one of my Desert Island Picks and I use it a lot in my day-to-day blends. A single drop on the floor of your shower, away from the water stream, is great for a decongesting steam!
Atlas Cedarwood (Cedrus atlantica)
Atlas Cedarwood has a sweet, smoky, somewhat balsamic (think balsamic vinegar) aroma. It has a breath-opening quality that helps stimulate the mind and uplift the spirit.
Closely related to the Cedar of Lebanon mentioned in the Bible, it’s been used since ancient times in medicine, incense, perfumery, and cosmetics. In fact, even today, Atlas Cedar is used in Tibetan incense.
Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum)
One of the classic “sweater weather” essential oils, Cardamom contributes a rich, warming presence to aromatherapy blends. It has a sweet-spicy aroma that many find energetically refreshing.
“Cardamom is included in the Tibetan preparation ‘Aquilaria A,’ whose medicated fumes are inhaled for stress-related conditions including…anxiety (and) nervous tension.”(3)
Julia Lawless, Aromatherapy and the Mind (1994)
I don’t generally recommend Cardamom for close inhalation for small children. The aroma and chemical makeup (specifically the phytochemical 1,8-cineole) can be a bit too powerful for their little systems. In a diffuser blend in small amounts, however, it adds a roundness and warmth that even children appreciate.
Vanilla planifolia
Not a true essential oil, Vanilla is an oleoresin (oleo = oil) extracted from the pods using an alcohol solvent or carbon dioxide (CO2).
With is sweet, comforting aroma, Vanilla is a beautiful ingredient to include in aromatherapy blends for children. It adds a cozy familiarity that’s like a warm hug in every sniff—just the thing for a little extra comfort as they head back to school.
The combination of Vanilla with one of the gentler citrus oils, like Sweet Orange, Mandarin, and Clementine (Citrus clementina), produces a delightful creamsicle-like aroma!
⭐️Bonus Dreamtime Aromatherapy Lotion
How you wrap up the day is just as important as how you start it! There’s nothing nicer than ushering in a restful sleep with a softly scented cream.
- 2 ounce glass or PET plastic jar
- 2 ounces fragrance-free lotion
- 6 drops Vanilla oleoresin (Vanilla planifolia)
- 8 drops Sweet Orange essential oil (Citrus x sinensis)
- 2 drops Frankincense essential oil (Boswellia carteri)
Combine all ingredients in the jar. Stir really well with a glass stir rod or spoon handle. Then tighten down the lid and shake well, but gently (gentle energy for a bedtime blend) to ensure it’s well-mixed. Finally, affix a label!
Apply a small amount to hands and body at bedtime. My kids have always loved back rubs at bedtime. This Stress-Less Bedtime Lotion is lovely way to incorporate a sleep-supporting, stress-reducing aromatherapy blend into a child’s bedtime routine.
Wishing you a great start to a wonder-filled school year!
References
- Kandola, A., Sharon, A. (2023). What is chronic stress and what are its common health impacts? MedicalNewsToday. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323324
- Davis, P. (2005). Aromatherapy an A-Z. Vermillion.
- Lawless, J. (1994). Aromatherapy and the mind. Thorsons.
Mom’s Back-to-School Aromatherapy Blends Shopping List
You can find all of the essential oils used in these aromatherapy blends in my favorites for Stress & Sleep on Amazon. Here are the suppliers I use for my Stress-Less blends:
- Aromatherapy Inhalers:
- Containers:
- Atlas Cedarwood essential oil (Cedrus atlantica):
- Aromatics International, organic💛
- Plant Therapy, organic (Direct and Amazon).
- Black Spruce essential oil (Picea mariana):
- Aromatics International, organic💛
- Plant Therapy, organic (Direct and Amazon).
- Cardamom essential oil (Elettaria cardamomum):
- Aromatics International, organic
- Plant Therapy, conventional (Direct and Amazon).
- Frankincense Carteri essential oil (Boswellia carteri):
- This is a precious species, threatened by over-harvesting, choose your supplier wisely
- Aromatics International, organic💛
- Plant Therapy, organic (Direct or Amazon).
- Sweet Orange essential oil (Citrus x sinensis):
- Aromatics International, organic
- Plant Therapy, organic (Direct and Amazon).
- Vanilla planifolia:
- Plant Therapy Vanilla Botanical Extract, for diffusion & skin care (Direct and Amazon)
- Edens Garden Vanilla oleoresin, conventional, thick, for skin & lip care (on Amazon)
- Aromatics International Vanilla oleoresin, organic, very thick, for herbal infusion.
This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It is for educational purposes only.
All recipes provided are for personal use and are not designed for re-sale or large-scale manufacturing.
Please consult your doctor, naturopath, herbal practitioner, or other qualified health professional for medical advice and before starting any herbal regimen, particularly if you are pregnant or nursing, have any existing medical conditions, or are taking any medications.
Chris P | Author, Certified Aromatherapist, Natural Skin Care Formulator
Chris (“Mom”) enjoys formulating bespoke aromatherapy, skin care, and herbal products to support her family, pets, friends, and clients. She also loves experimenting with recipes in the kitchen. An avid reader, writer, and lifetime learner, Chris enthusiastically explores research rabbit holes and then writes about her discoveries.💚 (Learn more >>)
