Have you noticed how much everyone is talking about affordability this year? The cost of living has been rising, and there seems to be a lot of anxiety about money. It's a good year to consider doing more DIY gifts. Not only are handmade gifts more affordable, but making something with your own hands is a very special way to honour someone. The planning and time that go into handmade gifts make them very meaningful.
Essential oils are very easy to turn into a huge variety of gifts, so this month I'm dropping ideas here for you, in case you need inspiration. As always, I am sharing METHOD rather than recipe, because with a method you can use whatever oils you like, or what you have on hand, to create your very own masterpiece.
First up -- because my grown up sons all have beards, and because men are typically very difficult to buy for -- Beard Oil!
In this recipe you will see reference to "top note," "middle note" and "base note" essential oils. This classification refers to the aromatic properties of an essential oil -- basically, how quickly they disperse into the air. Top note oils are light and disperse quickly. Think citrus oils especially. Middle note oils are heavier and linger a little longer before dispersing. Many wood and herb oils are middle notes. Base note oils are thicker and take much longer to disperse. You will find that they take a long time to dispense out of the bottle. Sandalwood, Vetiver and Myrrh are good examples of base note oils. Blending all three categories of essential oils together produces a unique aroma with "high" notes that capture the nose first, and leaving a pleasant, lingering aroma from the base note oils.
Here are some suggestions of "manly" smelling oils for each category of essential oils:
Top notes: Lemon, Bergamot, Petigrain, Grapefruit, Peppermint, Spearmint, Tea Tree, Basil, Balsam Fir, Siberian Fir
Middle notes: Lavender, Roman Chamomile, Douglas Fir, Black Pepper, Juniper Berry, Cypress,
Base notes: Cedarwood, Vetiver, Sandalwood, Copaiba, Vanilla, Frankincense, Myrrh, Patchouli
What if you don't want to make something, or you can't make something yourself? Don't worry, dōTERRA has your back! A product that works really well as a beard oil is the Root to Tip Serum. While this award-winning product was designed for the hair on your head, it works perfectly for beards as well... it smells fantastic, and gives a beautiful shine as it softens hair.
Not all men have beards, of course. So, if a man on your list is clean shaven, here is a method for making handmade shaving cream.
Once again, you will see many tree oils listed as suggestions. Tree oils tend to be excellent for use on the skin, and they also tend to have a fresh, outdoorsy aroma that men love.
After shave lotion is designed to soothe the skin as well as -- let's face it! -- to smell good. Here is a recipe for making aftershave. It's a good idea to use essential oils that are soothing to the skin, because the razor leaves micro abrasions behind. Lavender, Cedarwood and Frankincense are my top picks for soothing skin, but I wouldn't say no to Copaiba or Tea Tree! You can use a spray bottle as described in the recipe, or a bottle with a medicine dropper top or an orifice reducer in it. Your recipient just needs to be able to dispense a small amount into the hands to pat over the skin after shaving.
Check your collection of essential oils and carrier oils, find some beautiful (or practical) glass containers, and set aside a few hours to have fun crafting something unique and special for your gifting this year.
Are you missing a few oils to make the recipe you want? Log in to your dōTERRA account to place an order. If you don't have an account yet, let's fix that! Get 25% off plus loads of other benefits with a wholesale account.
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