How to Make the Best DIY Essential Oil Blend for Every Season

Rachel Wermager

Certain scents can completely change your mood. Lavender can instill feelings of calmness, lemon can promote productivity, citrus can help you feel more energized—the list goes on and on. Using essential oils is just one way to benefit from the emotional and physical effects of aromatherapy.

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Essential oils are concentrated plant extracts that are often used for aromatherapy. "Essential oils are more than just a replacement for your favorite candle," says Emily Wright, the founding executive at doTERRA. "Each essential oil has a unique chemistry that can influence different emotional and chemical responses in the body—thus supporting a healthy lifestyle." Wright says the key is to "select essential oils that are pure and potent" in order to yield the maximum benefit.

Related: The Ultimate Guide to Home Fragrances

People often use essential oils with a diffuser, which is a small machine that vaporizes drops of essential oils and water into a fragrant mist that fills your home with your favorite aroma. You can find fairly cheap (and stylish) options for essential oil diffusers on Amazon—some even double as humidifiers. Just be sure to follow the manufacturer instructions for your model. If you don't have a diffuser, you can get a similar aromatherapy experience by adding a few drops of your favorite essential oils to distilled water in a spray bottle and using as room spray.

To find the best essential oil blends to scent your home for every season, we reached out to the experts at essential oil companies Young Living and doTerra. Find out which fragrances they recommend pairing for each season.

Summer Essential Oil Blend: Orange + Lemongrass + Eucalyptus + Peppermint

Invite the warm, sun-kissed scents of summer indoors with this seasonal selection of essential oils. A mix of citrus notes, florals, and green herbs will make your home smell like summer. You’ll need four essential oils to combine in your diffuser: orange (three drops), lemongrass (three drops), eucalyptus blue (one drop), and peppermint (one drop).

Fall Essential Oil Blend: Bergamot + Lemon + Elemi + Wintergreen

Autumn aromas are cozy and comforting, and the right essential oil combination can make your space smell refreshing and crisp like the perfect fall morning. Young Living suggests grabbing your bergamot essential oil (four drops) and pairing it with lemon (three drops), elemi (two drops), and sharp wintergreen (two drops).

Winter Essential Oil Blend: Myrrh + Sandalwood + Cypress + Hyssop

During the holidays, evoke the feeling of togetherness with a mix of myrrh (six drops), royal Hawaiian sandalwood (six drops), cypress (four drops) and hyssop (one drop). When these essential oils come together, it creates an uplifting and relaxing scent perfect for holiday gatherings. Alternatively, doTerra experts suggest combining frankincense (three drops), sweet juniper berry (two drops), cinnamon bark (two drops), tangy wild orange (two drops), and a zing of lime (three drops).

Spring Essential Oil Blend: Ylang-Ylang + Geranium + Elemi

After being stuck inside all winter, it’s time to let in the fresh scents of spring. And nothing says springtime quite like the aromas of blooming flowers. Pair lavender (three drops)—which happens to be the top-selling essential oil at Young Living—with the floral scents of ylang-ylang (three drops) and geranium (two drops), then ground the floral aroma with elemi (two drops).

Editor's Tip: Some essential oils can be irritating when applied directly to the skin; dilute first and test in a small area. Others can be toxic to pets, so speak to your veterinarian before using with or around your dogs or cats.