Cranky Day Blend
Super effective essential oil recipe for stress
For those days when you're tired, stressed and just plain cranky.
My Cranky Day Blend smells absolutely amazing. And whether you use it in a bath, an aromatherapy inhaler or a massage you (or your clients) will immediately feel more upbeat, and relaxed. It's perfect for those days when you feel tired, overwhelmed and just plain cranky!
In this post you'll learn
- 3 beautiful essential oils that quickly reduce stress and anxiety,
- An aromatherapy bath oil recipe,
- An aromatherapy inhaler recipe,
- How to store the products.
What essential oils are in the Cranky Day Blend?
Lavender essential oil (I call this the “Leonardo da Vinci” of essential oils because it's just freaking amazing at practically everything)
On an emotional level, Lavender balances the mood and emotions.
Bergamot essential oil (I called this the “Little Oil of Stress” because it's uplifting and calming at the same time)
Ylang Ylang essential oil (I call this the “Emotional Crutch” because it's fabulous for stress and anxiety particularly long-term stress and anxiety)
Ylang Ylang has three amazing powers. It balances adrenaline in the body, it controls heart rate, and it controls breathing rate. So Ylang Ylang acts on emotions in a very physical way.
How to use the Cranky Day Blend for stress
My favourite way to use these oils at home is in a bath, an aromatherapy inhaler or in a burner or diffuser.
How to use the Cranky Day Blend in a bath
1 drop of Lavender essential oil,
1 drop of Bergamot essential oil,
1 drop of Ylang Ylang essential oil.
A teaspoon and a half (7.5 ml) of milk or a vegetable oil such as Grapeseed or Olive Oil.
Mix the ingredients together, add a capful or two to the bath and relax for at least 15 to 20 minutes.
Cautions:- Don't use Lavender for pregnant women
Don't use Bergamot on skin that will be exposed to bright sunlight or a sunbed within 48 hours.
If you're thinking that the mention of milk must be a misprint, it's not. Essential oils need to be mixed in a fat based substance before being used on the skin, they don't dissolve in water.
Milk is a very handy base for essential oils in a bath because, unlike vegetable oil, it doesn't cling to the sides of the bath and need extra scrubbing to remove it. When I first heard the idea of using milk in a bath I thought the friend who told me was bonkers. I had visions of myself sitting in a bath full of milk like Cleopatra! But the milk completely dissolves in the bath and there's no smell from it.
The disadvantage of using milk is that you can only make up enough for one bath.
So choose milk if you don't want to scrub the bath afterwards, or a vegetable oil if you want to make up enough of the blend for several baths.
How to store your aromatherapy bath oil.
If you make the bath oil with vegetable oil as the base, you can store it for up to 3 months. To prolong the shelf life:-
Using an Aromatherapy inhaler
Aromatherapy inhalers are super powerful for stress and anxiety because the olfactory nerves at the top of the nose are directly connected to the limbic area of the brain which controls mood, emotion and memory.
They're super handy, you can carry them in your bag or pocket when you're out and about.
Aromatherapy inhalers often look like Vick's inhalers, although you can also get beautiful wooden or aluminium inhalers which you can reuse.
Inside the inhaler is a cotton pad. You put the undiluted essential oils on the cotton pad, put the pad in the inhaler and close the lid.
How to use the Cranky Day Blend in an aromatherapy inhaler.
4 drops of Lavender essential oil,
3 drops of Bergamot essential oil,
3 drops of Ylang Ylang essential oil.
Add the essential oils to the cotton pad of the inhaler, place it inside the inhaler and close the lid. Open the inhaler and waft it under your nose, inhaling slowly and deeply, whenever you feel stressed or anxious.
Despite the Vick's like shape, aromatherapy inhalers are not meant to be inserted into the nostrils.
Cautions:- Don't use Lavender for pregnant women
Don't use Bergamot on skin that will be exposed to bright sunlight or a sunbed within 48 hours.
How to store an aromatherapy inhaler.
Aromatherapy inhalers, like the bath and massage oil, will last for at least 3 months if they're stored in a cool dark place away from light and heat.
If you'd like to know more about aromatherapy inhalers, including some great recipes for sinusitis and headaches, check out my podcast episode, 3 reasons aromatherapy inhalers are a must-have in your aromatherapy kit
Using an aromatherapy burner or diffuser
Aromatherapy burners or diffusers are a great way to get essential oils around the room.
An aromatherapy burner is made of ceramic, it has a space for a tea light candle and a "well" just above which you fill with water and add the essential oils. Then light the tea light and enjoy!
Diffusers come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, to use them follow the manufacturer's instructions.
How to use the Cranky Day Blend in a burner or diffuser.
To the water in the "well" of the burner add 1 drop each of Lavender, Bergamot,and Ylang Ylang essential oil.
Don't be tempted to use more than 3 or 4 drops of essential oil, it won't enhance the benefit. You will probably find that you stop smelling the oils after a while, just like when you're cooking, and you don't smell the food after a while but someone who comes into the room will be able to smell it.
Cautions:- Don't use Lavender for pregnant women
Don't use Bergamot on skin that will be exposed to bright sunlight or a sunbed within 48 hours (but using it in a burner is fine)
Like to learn more about essential oils, including how to use them 100% safely and get some amazing recipes?
Download my Aromatherapy Quickstart Guide
I'm Jenny
After using essential oils for over 20 years and teaching for almost as long, I'm still excited at just how powerful they are.
Essential oils are so effective and so easy to use, and I'd love everyone to benefit from them, whether they are aromatherapists, holistic therapists or essential enthusiasts who want to use them for themselves, their families and their friends.
I have trained several hundred successful aromatherapists, created CPD courses which I've taught in person and online, and I'm the author of a book called " A step by step guide to using aromatherapy and essential oils for common ailments"
Nourishing the Respiratory System with Essential Oils
Welcome to the first part of a two-part series about nourishing the respiratory
Beyond Freshness – Powerful essential oil cleaning product that lifts the mood and protects against germs
Cypress Essential Oil – Blood, Sweat and Tears
This post is all about about Cypress essential oil and why I