Planning Your Essential Oil Party | Complete Guide

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Essential Oil Party

Taking the first step out into a beautiful and fragrant garden is always a reminder that God made the best things in life to be free for all of His children to enjoy. The good news is that modern technology has made it incredibly convenient to harness plants’ wellness benefits by extracting their essential oils for aromatic and topical usage. Due to its growth in popularity, there is a rising trend of people hosting their own essential oil party to share the amazing benefits of aromatherapy with loved ones.

If you’re looking for a unique party idea, consider hosting an essential oil party and wow your guests with the soothing benefits of aromatherapy. In this article, we will look at the therapeutic benefits of essential oils and provide you with the complete guide to hosting and giving your guest an aromatic experience they won’t soon forget. Below is a plan to host your essential oil party:

  1. Invite a small group who love essential oils or interested in learning about them
  2. Determine the party theme based on the oil
  3. Don’t overdo it with too many oils
  4. Minimize alcohol consumption
  5. Maximize finger foods
  6. Incorporate music that fits the theme
  7. Use plenty of non-scented candles for ambiance effect
  8. Use diffusers that have a remote control
  9. Have plenty of activities and games
  10. Provide all the supplies for your guests
  11. Make sure invitations go out well in advance
  12. Turn your essential oil party into a history lesson

What are essential oils?

What is an essential oil?

Many of us have heard of essential oils, and that they have health benefits, but because they are widely considered an alternative form of medicinal treatment, it doesn’t get nearly the amount of publicity as it deserves. Essential oils are a form of naturally concentrated liquid that has been extracted from the chemical compounds of a plant, using done through a process of distillation or cold pressing.

These types of oils are dubbed as “essential” because the extracted liquid maintains the plant’s dominant health or fragrance characteristics. Once the fluid has been harvested, it’s combined with other types of oils or products for use in human applications such as massage oils, aromatherapy, and even household cleaning products. Here is a video that goes gives a good overview of essential oils.

How do essential oils work?

How do essential oils work?

Depending on the type of oil used and how it’s applied will invoke different reactions in the body. When using a diffuser, an aromatherapy device that uses water steam to evaporate the oil into the air, essential oils are known to affect the limbic system, which is a part of the human brain that helps regulate our emotions and memories.

Once the vapor is inhaled, the naturally occurring chemicals within the plant’s oils go to work and can have a stimulating hormonal effect on the body. While using a diffuser is usually the most efficient method for essential oils to enter the body, for topical uses such as massages, essential oils are absorbed directly through the skin.

Benefits of essential oils

Benefits of essential oils

There is some scientific debate over whether there is conclusive evidence that essential oils effectively treat certain types of medical conditions. However, for us Christians, we know that God gave us many plants and herbs that can heal our bodies naturally. Besides, just take a peek over at product reviews on Amazon or other sites about the effectiveness of using these oils to treat a whole range of acute and chronic conditions, including stress, menstrual cramps, labor pains, bronchitis, and digestive problems, to name a few. Here at BCW, we use rosemary essential oil in our office for its scent and also to help us with concentration and alertness. The results have been amazing!

The wellness benefits of essential oils will depend on the chemical properties of the plant being used, how it enters the body, and the condition you are attempting to relieve. For example, to help you relieve stress and anxiety while working in the office, we recommend using aromatherapy grade Lavender oil and a diffuser. This will allow the scent to permeate through the room. However, if you plan on getting a massage, using a massage grade oil would also be a great option. 

Are essential oils dangerous?

Are essential oils dangerous

According to the University of Minnesota, most essential oils are safe to use and have no harmful side effects if used according to the manufactures directions. However, there isn’t an extensive database of research studies that provide conclusive evidence that they can be dangerous under normal usage. Here are a few common sense things to keep an eye out for to make sure your essential oil party goes off without a hitch.

  • When hosting an essential oil party, you should consider asking your guest beforehand if they have any known allergies to any of the plants you plan on showcasing
  • Ask guest ahead of time if they have any respiratory conditions or taking medications that could negatively interact with certain plants or herbs
  • Make sure to follow the recommended dosage for each essential oil, including both topical and aromatherapy usage
  • Remember too much essential oil in a small timeframe can become ineffective or could cause some to feel unwell
  • Don’t apply essential oil directly to the skin unless you dilute the solution first
  • Never consume essential oils orally, regardless of how yummy they appear
  • Use high-quality essential oils with great reviews
  • If you serve alcohol, keep in mind that not all essential oils and alcohol will play nicely together and could cause some people to feel nauseous

Your essential oil party plan

Hosting your essential oil party

Sharing some of your favorite essential oils or exploring new ones with friends and family can be a rewarding experience, particularly if they find the practice of aromatherapy beneficial in their lives. However, like any party, it takes some planning to make sure people call you back weeks later, telling you how much they enjoyed the event. So we put together a complete guide that will help you set up a unique aromatic experience for guests to experience different oils.

However, if you plan to allow your guest to make their own oils during the event, the following section will provide you with everything you need.

1) Invite a small group who love essential oils or interested in learning about them

It is typically best to invite smaller groups of less than ten people to these types of aromatic parties. The reason is twofold:

  • For the aroma to take full effect, you want the scent to blanket the room, so in large spaces, it can be more challenging to provide an equal smell experience to all the guests in attendance. So smaller and more intimate settings would be preferred.
  • The second reason is that you want to interact with your guest as much as possible to see their facial expressions and gather their feedback on a particular scent and its effects on them.

2) Determine the party theme based on the oil

Much like having a party on other topics, consider the theme you want for your party and pick an oil that embodies it. For example, if you plan an essential oil party for your small office, you probably want to choose an energizing oil, like lemon or rosemary.

3) Don’t overdo it with too many oils

Even though you may want to explore many different types of oils and their benefits with your guest, the body can only take so much stimulation before the effects began to wear off and become counterproductive. We recommend using only one oil using a diffuser and one for topical applications such as hand massages. You will want to space these out so that their scents don’t overlap and provide your guest time to feel their effects. You can always have more parties and choose a different oil to demonstrate.

4) Minimize alcohol consumption

If you have guests that are entirely new to essential oils and aromatherapy, they may not know how a particular oil may affect them. In this case, we recommend keeping alcohol consumption to a minimum. This is because too much could cause them to feel nauseous, and alcohol could impair their ability to appreciate the oil’s holistic benefits.

5) Maximize finger foods

Have finger food for your guest at your essential oil party

We recommend not having a large buffet or heavy meals during an essential oil party. The reason is that the spirit of this gathering is an exploration of the senses. Try incorporating light finger foods such as exotic specialty cheeses, meats, veggies, dips, and sweets to give your guest stimulation across varying flavor profiles. Also, if you don’t already have one get a nice food serving try or mini banquet.

6) Incorporate music that fits the theme

Try to find music that coincides with the theme of oils you are demonstrating. For example, if you are using lavender essential oil as your primary diffused oil for its calming effects, play music that is also tranquil and relaxing.

7) Use plenty of non-scented candles for ambiance effect

This is optional, but having candles or a fireplace going during an event can only add to its ambiance, and your guests will also appreciate the touch

8) Use diffusers that have a remote control

Maybe it’s just us, but nothing is worse than being in the middle of a great conversation but needing to get up to turn something off or on. Many diffusers nowadays have remote controls that allow managing all their settings, including the vapor’s duration, the strength, and even the colors of the light bulbs inside. Also, if the oil scents begin to get a little too overwhelming, you can quickly turn it off without having to walk across the room.

9) Have plenty of activities and games

painting is a fantastic game idea for an essential oil party

What’s a party without plenty of activities. One of our favorite inspirational ideas is to set up a mini art easel and paintbrushes for each of your guests, and at the front of the room, have a reference painting. The goal of this game is for each guest to try to recreate the reference painting. Whoever can replicate the original artwork the best wins a door prize, which could be a new diffuser and a bottle of essential oil.

10) Provide all the supplies for your guests

In the past, we have seen that hosts have asked their guests to bring their own essential oils to share with the group. We would recommend that you provide all of the supplies needed. This way you can maintain quality control over the products and provide a unified experience for everyone.

11) Make sure invitations go out well in advance

When you plan a gathering, one of the primary concerns is that everyone who RSVP’d will be able to attend the day of the event. We have found that by sending out real invitations in the mail, people will usually make an extra effort to attend. Make sure to send out fancy invitations to your guest to make them feel special and build up anticipation for the event.

12) Turn your essential oil party into a history lesson

Essential oils have been used for centuries in all parts of the world and actually has a pretty interesting history. Start the event off by giving your guest a brief overview of the history of essential oils, the manufacturing process, and how these oils can be used to relieve a wide variety of conditions. If you have multiple oils on display, you might consider arranging the essential oils in groups by types such as citrus oils, florals, conifers, and spice.

Guest making their own essential oils during the party

Must-Have Essential Oil Party Supplies

If you plan on having your guest make their own essential oils during the party, below is a list of the supplies you will need:

  • Stash of essential oils in a variety of scents
  • Clean, sterile eye droppers
  • Tiny plastic funnels
  • Empty, dark-colored essential oil bottles
  • Carrier oils such as jojoba, coconut, olive, and sweet almond
  • Essential oils resource guides to help those who may need more knowledge about which oils are useful for specific remedies or purposes.
  • 4-oz. stainless steel squirt bottles
  • 8-oz. dark colored glass spray bottles
  • Witch Hazel
  • A few gallons of distilled water
  • Bottle labels and sharpies so guest can write their names

As the host, you can purchase all the supplies in bulk from places like Amazon or ask each guest to bring their own supplies. Be sure to buy dark-colored, 2-ml bottles with caps and orifice reducers. These will be useful for mixing blends, dividing larger amounts of oils, and storing. Glass is preferred over plastic because it is better for the environment, and plastic absorbs the oils. Dark-colored glass prevents the essential oil from exposure to UV rays, which destroy the oil’s organic compounds

Orifice reducers stay snug in the bottle opening and prevent oils from pouring out all at once. This can help avoid unintentional spills if the bottles tip over. It’s also handy for when you need to control how much oil you’re dropping out.

Our favorite essential oil recipes for parties

essential oil recipes

Get the blending time off to a great start by supplying guests with a few blending recipe cards to spark their creativity. You might provide recipes for room fresher spritz, a diffuser blend, and massage oil. Once everyone has had an opportunity to create blends from the available oils, you can provide a demonstration for the group on how to make a massage or body oil blend using a quick and simple recipe using about 60 drops of essential oil with carrier oil added to a stainless steel bottle with a squirt top.

Next, show guests how to make a homemade room spray. This can be made with a few simple ingredients like distilled water, 30 drops of essential oils, ¼ teaspoon of witch hazel, and an 8-ounce bottle. Below you’ll find a few summer essential oil blends to share with your guest or to try on your own.

Summer Essential Oil Diffuser Blend Recipes

Add these to your essential oils diffuser any time you’d like to indulge the senses and create a mood while purifying the air of your home, office, or other personal space. And don’t be afraid to create your own unique blends!

Sunny Morning 

  • 2 drops vetiver
  • 2 drops grapefruit
  • 3 drops rose geranium

Bug Off! Natural Insect Repellent  

  • 3 drops citronella or lemongrass oil
  • 2 drops peppermint
  • 2 drops clove

Summer Breeze

  • 2 drops coriander
  • 3 drops lavender
  • 3 drops rose geranium

Twisted Peppermint

  • 2 drops peppermint
  • 2 drops lemon
  • 2 drops lime

Citrus Burst

  • 1 drop orange
  • 2 drops lemon
  • 1 drop lime
  • 1 drop clove
  • 1 drop bergamot
  • 2 drops vetiver

Ice Cream Dream

  • 3 drops orange
  • 3 drops vanilla

Essential oil recipes for feet and hands

Essential oil recipes for feet and hands

Fabulous Foot Scrub Recipe

One of the big fashion trends for summer is sandals. And there’s no better time of the year to show those feet some extra TLC with a fabulous homemade foot scrub using natural ingredients.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 5 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup Epsom salts
  • 4 drops peppermint oil
  • 4 drops lemon oil
  • 4 drops rosemary oil

Combine all of the above ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Then transfer your scrub to a glass container with a lid.

When you’re ready to use your new foot scrub, clean your feet with soap and water. Next, fill a small basin with warm water. Apply your scrub to your feet and massage in gently, paying special attention to any rough spots. Rinse in warm water and pat dry.

Natural Hand Sanitizer Recipe

Be ready for all of summer’s messy moments when you’re out and about with this handy homemade sanitizer. And the best thing is that it’s chemical-free. Prep a batch of this to have on hand in your purse or bag for all your on-the-go cleanups.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 1-ounce spray bottle with cap
  • 3 Tablespoons witch hazel, try an alcohol-free brand
  • 4 drops peppermint oil
  • 2 drops vetiver oil
  • 2 drops eucalyptus oil
  • 4 drops lemon oil

An essential oil funnel or pipette makes it easy to add the essential oils and other ingredients into the spray bottle. Next, just add the lid and label.

Using Caution With Essential Oils

While essential oils are natural, it’s still important to exercise care and caution when using them. Some individuals may have adverse reactions to essential oils. For example, some individuals may react to phenol, a compound that is present in peppermint oil. Others may have skin sensitivity issues. And some oils like cold-pressed lime and grapefruit are phototoxic.

Essential oils used topically should be diluted with a carrier oil such as olive oil, jojoba, coconut oil, or almond oil. And if you’re pregnant, use extreme caution with essential oils. Check the label of each essential oil you purchase to be sure of its safety. It is also important to note that essential oils may not be appropriate for use with children depending on their age and the types of oil used.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a diffuser and a nebulizer?

An alternative to the traditional diffusers that use water is an essential oil nebulizer. According to Rain Shadow labs, “the main difference between a diffuser and a nebulizer is a diffuser uses evaporated water particles to transport the essential oil out into the air, unlike a nebulizer, which processes essential oils into an almost gas-like state.” Nebulizers are often considered the most potent type of essential oil diffuser.