30 Self-Care Ideas with Scent

30 Self-Care Ideas with Scent

Sue Faunt

If you are here, I know you love scents and smelling wonderful aromas. I thought it would be fun to combine scents and self-care. Here are 30 ways you can use scent with your self-care. I invite you to try them and if you do, please share and comment below on what you tried and how it helped you.

1. Grab your favorite scented bubble bath or bath bomb and take a long, hot bubble bath. Lock the door. Dim the lights. Light some aromatherapy candles. Listen to your favorite playlist. Breathe deep and relax.

2. Fire up your wax warmer and pick a wax tart scent to match the mood you want to create. If you need a wax warmer, try this one or this one.

3. Make your own DIY sugar scrub to exfoliate away dry skin with items you have in your pantry. Mix 3 ozs of sugar with 1 oz of any vegetable based oil (I like olive or coconut oil). If you have some essential or perfume oils, stir them in. Rub onto damp skin and rinse. You can also use this on chapped lips.

4. Get a matching shampoo and conditioner in your favorite scent for a little hair aromatherapy every time you shower.

5. Take a clothespin (I usually have some on hand to close up bags of chips and crackers), drip some oil on it and clip it to your car vent. Instant mobile spa.

6. Whenever I have achy muscles or feel run down, a detox bath with Epsom Salts always helps. Fill your bathtub, add in Epsom Salts (stir well to dissolve salts) and lavender essential oil.

7. I've discovered that SLS (Sulfate) free soap bars really helps prevent my skin from getting too itchy and dry (SLS has been linked to skin irritation). I like to get a scent that is similar too, but slightly different than my shampoo and conditioner scent for a delightful shower spa experience.

8. Due to weather changes, new medications or diet changes, my hair sometimes gets dried out. Use a scented dry oil spray to moisturize and smooth your hair follicles. I prefer to spray it on my bamboo hairbrush and brush through my hair. The result is soft hair that smells amazing.

9. Tired of dry, cracked heels and soles? Before bed, slather onto your feet your favorite scented body cream and put on cozy socks.

10. Use a hanging oil diffuser to scent your car and transform it into an instant scented mobile oasis. We spend so much time running errands and being busy, it helps to just take a few seconds to breath in your favorite scent while sitting at a stoplight for some instant calm.

11. There are many ways to use a scented massage oil for self-care. Promote relaxation with a quick neck massage. Add to a full, warm bath to moisturize dry skin. Apply after shower when your pores are open to really seal in moisture. 

12. Nestle in your favorite comfy chair with a great book and a scented candle burning nearby.

13. You'll love having this waterless oil diffuser by your bed. It's so easy, just fill the bottle with your favorite oil and hit the start button. It dispenses fragrance continuously or intermittently and has an automatic shut-off feature. Hello sweetly scented dreams.

14. We have all been sanitizing our hands like crazy due to COVID and some of the OTC scents are terrible, too flowery or just icky. Get an unscented hand sanitizer and stir in a few drops of your favorite perfume oil. So when you have to use it, you can like how it smells on your skin afterwards. It really is a treat.

15. Because of all the hand sanitizing, our hands are really getting dried out and flaky. Make sure to apply a scented hand cream after sanitizing. I know this is an extra step, but it keeps your nail bed and knuckles from becoming dried and cracked.

16. Fire up your oil diffuser with a calming blend and do a 10 minute yoga workout. There are a ton of them on YouTube and 10 minutes to re-balance is easy to do and so worth it.

17. Take some time for a scented manicure with the following tools; use a scented cuticle oil, push back cuticles, trim and file nails. Deep moisturize hands with shea butter cream.

18. Use your favorite scented everything spray for your pillow. This will signal to your busy brain that it's time to wind down and prepare for sleep. Plus it smells so relaxing.

19. My preferred exercise is hiking and climbing mountains, but home workouts are an easy quick way to get in some exercise when there's bad weather outside. I've been doing YouTube cardio videos. Spray an energizing scented room spray pre-workout, I find that anything with citrus gives me an instant boost.

20. Take a long hike in nature. Just getting outside and doing deep inhales of fresh air and embracing forest life can help boost your mood and re-balance your soul. Plus working up a little sweat can always help detox your body and the experts say a little Vitamin D is good for you, but wear your sunscreen.

21. Get a luxurious scented face mask to really treat your facial skin. Add a few under eye pads for extra hydration and rejuvenation.

22. Get a lava bead bracelet and scent it with your favorite oil. You can find so many beautiful designs on Etsy and help support small businesses.

23. It's always a delight to smell (and eat!) something cooking that you love, so cook up your most yummy smelling foods. I love the smell of cookies baking!

24. For those that have small bathtubs, try using shower steamers. They can transform a boring shower into a luxurious spa experience. Just drop one near the direct shower spray and your whole bathroom will fill with fragrance. They even have ones that fight sinus congestion and help you to breathe easier.

25. Did you know you can use our scented massage oil as a deep conditioning oil treatment for your hair? Brush out your hair, then put oil in your palm and run it over and through your hair. Massage into your scalp. Cover your hair with a shower cap or towel and wait 20 minutes. Rinse clean, shampoo if you feel you need it, and enjoy soft, silky tresses.

26. You can use the the everything spray for a quick hair perfume. I like to use it after I've used dry shampoo for those days you don't have time to wash your hair. Spray it on your brush, not directly on your hair, then brush it through your hair.

27. Share the love and send someone a little scented gift. It can be a simple handmade sachet or bath salts, Pinterest has about a gadjillion ideas. Make it a fun project with the family. Everyone loves getting something that smells good.

28. When you change your sheets, spray your pillows and sheets with your favorite scented spray. There's nothing better than slipping into clean, sweetly scented sheets for sweetly scented dreams.

29. I always find I get a little more creative if there is a fragrance in the air. I love to have an earthy scent diffusing in my oil warmer when I'm doing any kind of planning, such as filling in my planner for the week or journaling.

30. With all the life changes happening quickly, there is alot of stress in our lives. I've started using the Calm app to help with sleep, but it also has a meditation section for people (like me) that have an extremely hard time calming down my busy mind to open up space to let in new ideas and thoughts. Spraying a little scent has helped me get in the zone, if I'm trying to meditate, I go with a calming scent. If I'm planning and brainstorming, and need to be in a focus mindset, it's always an energizing, more citrusy scent.

I hope this list has given you some actionable tips to use scent as self-care and bring more calm and peace into your lives. Please feel free to share this blog post and if you do try them, leave a comment below.

Stay Healthy & Stay Safe,
Sue

PS-This blog post does contain Amazon Affiliate Links and I get a tiny commission if you click and buy from any of these links. These are things I have actually bought and tested which is why I'm recommending them. Thank you!

Add a comment

* Comments must be approved before being displayed.