While there has been a resurgence in the popularity of aromatherapy, its history goes back centuries, from the Ancient Egyptians, who used fragrant essential oils like frankincense and myrrh for religious rituals and mummification, through the Middle Ages, when aromatic herbs warded off pests and epidemics.
While the use of these essential oils has never fully ceased, the cost advantages of using synthetics and modern manufacturing processes have refueled their use, as has increased availability.
Aromatherapy is especially popular during the winter months, when windows are closed, fireplaces are crackling and people are indoors. These scents create a cozy home atmosphere that brings comfort and feelings of well-being to those inside.
So which scent is best for your home environment, or your customers’ home environments?
Let’s look at twelve aromatherapy essential oils, along with their qualities and scent profiles. (Keep in mind that many of the benefits below are anecdotal rather than science-based.)
- Lavender
Lavender is one of the most studied and broadly used aromatherapy essential oils for stress, anxiety, relaxation and sleep support. Its complex, multilayered scent is soft and gentle.
Benefits: Stress reduction and anxiety relief; improves sleep quality, wound healing and calming; may help with joint pain and muscle aches.
- Peppermint
Peppermint is well known for its cool, crisp, refreshing scent and bioactive menthol content, which acts as a muscle relaxant and can increase alertness and cognitive performance.
Benefits: Digestive support (specifically, IBS symptom relief and GI discomfort); headache relief; sinus comfort; nausea relief; increases alertness.
- Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus essential oils, distilled primarily from the leaves of eucalyptus trees, are recognized for promoting respiratory comfort and for their antimicrobial properties. Their crisp, energizing scent is reminiscent of forest air.
Benefits: Respiratory support, including treatment for coughs; blood sugar reduction; pain relief, including joint relief; may help with oral health.
- Tea Tree
Tea tree essential oils are derived from the leaves of the Melaleuca alternifolia plant and have a broad spectrum of antimicrobial properties. Their sharp aroma conveys a sense of purity and clarity.
Benefits: Anti-inflammatory effects; acne and mild skin blemishes, including cold sores; fungal skin irritation such as athlete’s foot; dental plaque reduction.
- Lemon
Lemon and other citrus oils, such as orange and grapefruit, provide an uplifting scent that elevates moods and reduces anxiety, while also having cleansing properties.
Benefits: Mood improvement and anxiety reduction; nausea reduction, including relief from morning sickness; antifungal effects, including skin health, acne reduction, and wound healing; improved alertness and pain relief; may even reduce cold symptoms.
- Frankincense
Often referred to as “the king of oils,” frankincense has been used for thousands of years in healing and religious rituals; it has both calming and anti-inflammatory effects. Its aroma is considered grounding and uplifting.
Benefits: Reduces joint pain and inflammation, including relief from arthritis and asthma; may help improve oral health; stress relief; improves skin health; may also provide heart support, help with acne, liver protection and alleviate menstrual cramps.
- Chamomile
Roman chamomile contains apigenin, which may reduce anxiety and promote calm. The scent is gentle, floral and soothing, like a comforting bouquet of fresh tea blossoms.
Benefits: Promotes relaxation and sleep, including helping people with anxiety and depression; soothes skin; has anti-inflammatory effects; can alleviate mild digestive problems.
- Cinnamon
One of the most widely used spices in the world, cinnamon is a warm, spicy-sweet aromatic extract with antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities. Its aroma conjures memories of baking, especially around holiday time.
Benefits: Antimicrobial, antifungal and antibacterial support, including oral health; hair growth; anti-inflammatory benefits; cardiovascular protection; mood enhancement.
- Clove
Clove is spicy and warm. It is also rich in eugenol, which gives it antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Often used in winter blends, clove is ideal for sensory stimulation and soothing, as it adds an inviting, warm atmosphere to any room.
Benefits: Antioxidant-rich; supports dental comfort; has anti-diabetic and anti-cancer properties; soothes muscle aches; provides relief from mild gastrointestinal discomfort; enhances mood.
- Pine (or Fir Needle)
With its crisp, forest-like aroma, pine oil helps open airways and boosts mental clarity — ideal for combating winter sluggishness and stuffiness. Users describe its scent as crisp and balsamic, with a sharp, clear top note.
Benefits: Clears congestion and other cold and flu symptoms; relieves muscle and joint pain; provides anti-inflammatory support; energizes the mind; supports respiratory health.
- Ginger
Ginger is traditionally valued for digestive comfort, anti-inflammatory actions, muscle and circulation support and antimicrobial properties. The scent of ginger can brighten a room, especially on a snowy or dreary day.
Benefits: Nausea relief; mood comfort, including tension relief; anti-inflammatory effects; immune system support.
- Cedarwood
With its woodsy aroma and subtle smokiness, cedarwood creates a rustic, calming environment that reduces stress and supports sleep. Think of a quiet cabin with a lit fireplace and cozy blankets.
Benefits: Calming, grounding and sleep promotion; stress relief; enhances focus and mental clarity; wound healing; may reduce hair loss.
The Carow Difference
Brands in the essential oils and wellness space, along with their customers, choose scents for their therapeutic appeal. But delivering those benefits requires precise, reliable dosing. That’s where Carow comes in. Since 1987, we’ve provided dispensing solutions that set the bar for quality, dependability and reliability. With Carow, you can:
- Ensure the right dose every time — critical for high-potency oils like peppermint or tea tree.
- Have made-in-the-USA and warehoused-in-the-USA supply chain certainty, plus faster lead times.
- Maintain product integrity with tamper-evident, child-resistant closures.
- Be confident that we’ll stand behind our products with deep technical expertise.
- Work with the only U.S. manufacturer of the EuroDrop bottles, the best system for precise drop dispensing
Make sure your products have the packaging that helps them sustain and deliver the quality your customers demand — and the warm, healing and comforting qualities they want this winter. With Carow, you will dispense success, time and time again. Contact us for our dispensing insights on essential oils or to get started.
