31 Easy Winter & Holiday Essential Oil Diffuser Blend Recipes

This time of year, the sense of home and holiday cheer is SO tied in with the smells of the season.

• That pumpkin pie baking in the oven…
• The smell of hot cocoa rising from your mug after a hike through the snow….
• That fresh Christmas tree scent of a tree that was just brought in from outdoors….

It's also the season when viruses of all sorts love to spread the holiday cheer too.

Thus, since we're dedicated to holistic wellness and chemical-free, non-toxic living here at Nourishing Joy, it's only appropriate that along with joy-filled Christmas- and holiday-inspired essential oil diffuser blends, I share a few effective essential oils blends to help keep colds, flus, and other undesirables at bay (and to help us feel a bit more comfortable when we're feeling under the weather).

First of all, why essential oils? And why diffuse them?

Essential oils are potent compounds distilled from plants that stimulate various systems in the body when they are breathed in, rubbed on the skin, or consumed.

As we discuss much more at length in our Essential Oil Safety Fundamentals class, diffusing essential oils – or rather, the act of inhaling essential oils – is one of the most effective ways to affect the respiratory system, the immune system, the limbic system, and the systems that affect emotional and psychological well-being.

Thus, inhaling – as opposed to using the essential oils topically on the skin or ingesting them into your digestive system – is the best way to deal with the onslaught of viral particulates stampeding about this time of year as well as to boost your holiday mood through Christmas-inspired diffuser blends.

Basically, diffusing essential oils provides benefits for your home, your health, and your well-being.

Here's a quick run-down of just a few of the benefits of diffusing essential oils:

• Essential oils can make your home smell amazingly lovely.
• Essential oils can encourage relaxation.
• Essential oils can boost or improve your mood.
• Essential oils can set the stage to create a mood – whether that's the joy of fresh baked gingerbread or invoking calm on Christmas Eve.
• Essential oils can help purify the air in your home, whether that's to just provide a general clean atmosphere or to help keep illness from spreading.

Diffuser blends are like the best non-toxic, all-natural room spray you could ask for!

Why Essential Oil Scent Blends are “Greener” Than Conventional Air Fresheners and Scent Sprays

Not only do essential oil give a cleaner, more vibrant, realistic scent than artificial fragrances found in the commercial air fresheners and scent sprays that abound in every drug store, but they’re healthier too.

Commercial sprays and air fresheners tend to work in one of the three ways:

1. Provide a boatload of fragrance and simply overpower the other odors in the area. Some air fresheners are even designed to coat our nasal passages with an oily coat of fragrance so that’s all we smell. Artificial fragrance is heavily used, most certainly.

2. Mask or cover up other smells, not by providing a more powerful scent but by including ingredients that when atomized and inhaled, actually glom onto our smell receptors and block or dull our ability to detect odor. Weird, but true.

3. Break down the offensive odor at a molecular level to “purify” the room. (!)

All three of these rely on amazing chemistry, but sadly, it’s a chemical, artificial soup in which we stew when our air is filled with these toxins. These ingredients across the board are labeled on the Environmental Working Group’s most dangerous list of contaminants to which we can be exposed, causing everything from mild skin irritation and asthma to hormone disruption and cancer.

One study in 2005 [PDF] tested 74 air freshening products and measured the concentration of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) in the air after use. They reported that a total of more than 350 different chemicals and allergens were detected, including (but not limited to!) benzene, formaldehyde, styrene, and phthalates, all of which rate between a dangerous 8-10 on the EWG’s Skin Deep Database.

I’ll use my favorite holiday essential oil diffuser recipes instead, thank you very much!

Alternatives to Essential Oils: Other great ways to fill your home with scent – naturally

If you don’t have essential oils but still want to create a super-homey potpourri, either place some homemade mulling spices in some water on the stove (or in a slow cooker).

Or if you’re wanting to give potpourri as a simple gift, consider this Orange-Cranberry Potpourri, which is my absolute favorite potpourri blend, hands-down.

These recipes are super-simple and heartfelt gifts just right for this time of year.

OR…. if you don’t have a diffuser, you can turn any of these recipes into a room spray by adding the essential oils to 1/2 cup water (or vodka) mixed with 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (the baking soda helps suspend the essential oils in the water). Place in a spray bottle, shake well, and spritz whenever the need or mood arises…

How do you diffuse essential oils?

You’ve got a few options:

Use an electric diffuser

There are a number of brands of essential oil diffuser and many are quite reasonably priced. If you’re using a diffuser for intense therapeutic effects, you’ll want to do some research before you choose one, but this one is a good, basic, no-frills diffuser.

Ultrasonic diffusers such as this one or this one are the best choice if you diffuse regularly. They're particularly lovely because they disperse oils in a microfine vapor that allows them to be suspended in the air for extended periods of time and to be better inhaled, thus enhancing the scent and effectively filling the room with scent. They’re also super-easy to use.

And even MORE importantly, most ultrasonic diffusers allow for true intermittent diffusing, which is both safer for those in the room and more effective so your essential oils last longer.

Suspend them in water

Pour boiling water into a glass or ceramic bowl, then add your drops of essential oils and let the scent fill the room. This is surprisingly effective at dispersing scent, but I find I have to keep refilling the boiling water if I want it to last for several hours. Nonetheless, it's definitely the simplest and cheapest method to diffuse essential oils.

Use diffuser reeds

Diffuser reeds localize the scent more rather than fill the room, like a bouquet of flowers. This is a great method if you want to bring a smile to your face each time you walk past the hall table or while sitting on the couch talking with a friend.

To use reeds, place your oil in the reed bottle and let sit for 10-20 minutes. Then flip the reeds so the oily end is in the air. Continue to flip every hour or so for on-going scent.

20+ Holiday-Inspired Essential Oil Diffuser Recipes

As always, adjust according to personal preference and according to the brand of essential oils. I have an eclectic mix of brands in my house. There are many oils, such as cinnamon leaf, which tend to smell different from brand to brand. So again, just adjust according to what you like and according to what you have on hand!

1. Fireside Blend Essential Oil Diffuser Blend

• 3 drops cinnamon
• 2 drops sweet orange
• 2 drops allspice (optional)
• 1 drop clove bud
• 1 drop nutmeg

2. Gingerbread Essential Oil Diffuser Blend

• 5 drops ginger
• 4 drops clove bud
• 2 drops nutmeg
• 2 drops cinnamon

3. Christmas Tree Essential Oil Diffuser Blend

• 6 drops fir needle
• 3 drops cypress or spruce
• 1 drop sweet orange
• 2 drops nutmeg

4. Forest Boughs Essential Oil Diffuser Blend

Omit the wintergreen if using during pregnancy, with children under the age of 18, with pets in the house, if you are taking aspirin, if you have ANY blood disorder, if you have recently had surgery, or if you have any history of GERD, ulcers, epilepsy, or seizures.

• 6 drops fir needle
• 4 drops pine
• 3 drops cypress or spruce
• 1 drop wintergreen

5. A Walk in the Woods Essential Oil Diffuser Blend

• 4 drops frankincense
• 4 drops fir needle
• 4 drops cedarwood

6. Falling Leaves Essential Oil Diffuser Blend

• 6 drops clove bud
• 3 drop cinnamon
• 4 drops black pepper

7. The Winter Woods Essential Oil Diffuser Blend

• 4 drops cypress
• 2 drops sandalwood

8. Spiced Cider Essential Oil Diffuser Blend

• 5 drops ginger
• 4 drops orange
• 1 drop cinnamon
• 2 drops nutmeg or clove bud

9. Pumpkin Pie Essential Oil Diffuser Blend

Omit the cardamom with children under the age of 6.

• 4 drops cardamom
• 2 drops cinnamon
• 2 drops clove bud
• 1 drop nutmeg

10. Eggnog Essential Oil Diffuser Blend

• 8 drops nutmeg
• 2 drops vanilla
• 1 drop cinnamon
• 1 drop black pepper (optional)

11. Cinnamon-Orange Tea Essential Oil Diffuser Blend

• 5 drops wild orange
• 3 drops cinnamon

12. Candy Canes Essential Oil Diffuser Blend

Subtitute additional spearmint in place of peppermint for use with children under the age of 6.

• 4 drops peppermint
• 2 drops spearmint
• 4 drops sweet orange

13. Spiced Chai Essential Oil Diffuser Blend

Omit the cardamom for use with children under the age of 6.

• 5 drops cardamom
• 3 drops cinnamon
• 2 drops black pepper
• 2 drops clove bud
• 1 drop ginger

14. Mint Hot Chocolate Essential Oil Diffuser Blend

Since this recipe includes an absolute, double check to make sure using an absolute won’t void the warranty of your diffuser. Not for use with children under the age of 6.

• 6 drops cacao absolute
• 2 drops peppermint

15. Mulled Wine Essential Oil Diffuser Blend

• 3 drops sweet orange
• 3 drops mandarin
• 3 drops clove bud
• 1 drop cinnamon

16. Cinnamon & Spice Essential Oil Diffuser Blend

• 2 drops sweet orange
• 1 drop cinnamon
• 1 drop clove bud
• 1 drop ginger

17. Thanksgiving Stuffing Essential Oil Diffuser Blend

Not for use with children under the age of 10.

• 6 drops rosemary
• 4 drops sage
• 2 drop thyme
• 1 drop black pepper

18. After-the-Feast Digestive Diffuser Blend

• 6 drops ginger
• 4 drops Roman chamomile
• 2 drop lemongrass

19. Happy Holidays Essential Oil Diffuser Blend

Omit the wintergreen if using during pregnancy, with children under the age of 18, with pets in the house, if you are taking aspirin, if you have ANY blood disorder, if you have recently had surgery, or if you have any history of GERD, ulcers, epilepsy, or seizures.

• 2 drops fir needle or spruce
• 2 drops orange
• 1 drop wintergreen or peppermint

20. Sweater Weather Essential Oil Diffuser Blend

Not for use with children under the age of 10, unless you use Eucalyptus radiata or Eucalyptus globulus (in which case the blend is not for use with children under the age of 2) or Eucalyptus dives (in which case there is no age minimum required). Diffuse only briefly around young children.

• 3 drops eucalyptus
• 2 drops fir needle or spruce
• 2 drops juniper berry
• 1 drop vetiver (optional, but oh-so-lovely)

21. Gifts of the Magi Essential Oil Diffuser Blend

• 3 drops frankincense
• 3 drops myrrh
• 1 drop sandalwood

11 Winter Wellness Essential Oil Diffuser Recipes for Cold & Flu Season

1. ‘Tis the (Cold & Flu) Season Steam Blend

Substitute Cedarwood for children under the age of 10.

• 1 drop Eucalyptus
• 1 drop Fir Needle or Spruce
• 1 drop Sweet Orange

Pour hot, steaming water into a medium bowl and drip in oils. Tent a towel over your head and breathe steam deeply for several minutes.

2. Baby It's Cold Outside (So We're Stuck Inside) Air Purifying Diffuser Blend

Substitute Lemon for the Eucalyptus with children under the age of 10 and substitute spearmint for children under the age of 6.

• 2 drops Sweet Orange
• 2 drops Eucalyptus
• 2 drops Peppermint

3. Take a Breath Stress Management Essential Oil Diffuser Blend

• 5 drops Cedarwood
• 3 drops Bergamot or Neroli
• 3 drops Lavender
• 2 drops Jasmine

4. Anxiety Relief Essential Oil Diffuser Blend OR Personal Inhaler Blend

• 5 drops Spikenard or Sandalwood
• 5 drops Roman Chamomile
• 3 drops Bergamot Mint or Neroli
• 2 drops Patchouli

5. Immune Boost Essential Oil Diffuser Blend

Omit Cardamom if using with children under the age of 10.

• 3 drops Oregano
• 3 drops Thyme
• 3 drops Lemon
• 2 drops Cardamom

6. Brain Fog Relief Personal Inhaler Blend

Not for use with children under the age of 6.

• 6 drops Ravintsara
• 6 drops Black Spruce
• 3 drops Peppermint

Drip oils onto the wick of a personal aromatherapy inhaler. Use as often as necessary to feel the cobwebs lift.

7. Someone's Sneezing and Sniffling Purify the Air Essential Oil Diffuser Blend

Not for use with children under the age of 10.

• 3 drops Thyme
• 3 drops Eucalyptus
• 6 drops Lemon

8. All-Season-Long Purify the Air Essential Oil Diffuser Blend

• 5 drops Tea Tree
• 4 drops Clove Bud
• 2 drops Lemongrass

9. Purify-the-Air-While-Boosting-Your-Mood Cold Season Essential Oil Diffuser Blend

• 5 drops Lavender
• 5 drops Juniper Berry
• 5 drops Juniper or Fir Needle
• 5 drops Cypress

10. Cold & Cough Buster Essential Oil Diffuser Blend

This is based off the Cold & Cough Buster Stock Blend recipe at Aromatics International. Omit the Ravintsara for use with children under the age of 6.

• 4 drops Ravintsara
• 2 drops Juniper Berry
• 2 drops Black Spruce
• 2 drops Cypress

11. Breathe Deep for Tickly Coughs Essential Oil Diffuser Blend

When tickly coughs take over every time you try to talk, this beautiful blend is here to your rescue. Omit the Ravintsara for use with children under the age of 6.

• 8 drops Ravintsara
• 5 drops Fir Needle
• 3 drops Sweet Orange

For dry, tickly coughs, you might also find helpful relief with our Homemade Cough Syrup for Dry, Tickly Coughs or our kid-friendly Mexican Hot Chocolate Cough Syrup for Kids of All Ages.

Here's to a happy, healthy Christmas and winter season!