Make a Linen Spray with Essential Oils and Relax

A relaxing linen spray can be this simple. Water and two essential oils, blended in a small spray bottle. One of those oils is so calming that it has earned the nickname Oil of Tranquility.

Can you guess which one? Here are your clues.

• It is distilled from the rootlets of a grassy plant.
• Its aroma sits deep in the blend, rich, earthy, and sweet, and perfumers reach for it often.
• On the island of Réunion, house blinds are woven from its grass. Spritz those blinds with water and the breeze cools the house naturally as it passes through.
• The oil is mild on the skin, and it calms the nervous system. It is among the most popular oils for relaxation.

It is vetiver! Vetiveria zizanoides gives us this deep, earthy oil, and it pairs beautifully with cedarwood.

Cedarwood is an interesting partner for a relaxing blend. Many conifer oils energize the emotions. They invigorate. Cedarwood is the softer one of the family. It still shares the benefits conifers are known for, supporting the respiratory system, easing congestion, boosting immunity, and helping to reduce infections. Its aroma is warm, woodsy, and comforting. Soothing and relaxing, which is just what a bedtime spray calls for.

Tranquil Cedar Linen Spray

Make this spray in a 1 oz (30 ml) glass spray bottle.

• 1 fl oz (30 ml) water
• 4 drops Vetiver essential oil (Vetiveria zizanoides)
• 8 drops Cedarwood essential oil (Juniperus virginiana)
• 1 ml Solubol dispersant (optional for a linen spray but needful if this turns into a body spray!)

Pour in the water, add your oils, and shake well so the oil disperses. If you would rather use solubol, the ratio is 4 drops of solubol to every 1 drop of essential oil. Solubol disperses the oils through the water. For a linen spray it is optional. If this recipe becomes a body spray, solubol is needed.

There is no preservative in this blend, so make it fresh every few weeks.

With solubol added, the same recipe works as a body spray or perfume. Spritzed on, it is sweet, warm, floral, and refreshing.

How to use it at bedtime

Spritz the spray on your blankets and under your pillow. Shake the bottle before every use. The essential oils do not stay dispersed through the water, so they separate between spritzes.

A linen spray is a lovely way to relax with essential oils without putting them on your skin. Both of these oils are base notes, the warm, woody, earthy aromas that soothe the nervous system and calm an overactive mind at night.

You will find the same two base notes in the Less Stress, More Rest sleep blend, a bedtime body oil. For the fuller answer on oils, methods, recipes, and safety for sleep, spend some time with the essential oils for sleep field guide.

Why more cedarwood than vetiver

There are 4 drops of Vetiver in this linen spray and 8 of Cedarwood. Vetiver's aroma is so deep and heavy that it can drown out lighter scents, Cedarwood included. Cedarwood is technically a base note too, but its aroma is quieter in the blend. Prefer more vetiver? Shift the ratio and keep the total near 12 drops.

Common questions

Can I spray it on my skin?

Only if you add solubol. With 4 drops of solubol per drop of essential oil, the blend disperses well enough to become a body spray or perfume.

How long does the spray keep?

There is no preservative in it, so plan to make it fresh every few weeks. Small batches are part of the fun.

Can I use more vetiver?

Yes. Shift the ratio toward vetiver if you love its deep aroma, and keep the total near 12 drops.

Learn to make blends like this

The Aromatherapy for Natural Living course teaches recipes like this one.