Love is in the air and everywhere you look you see shades of red, pink and white. Stuffed animals and sugar laden chocolates fill the shelves of every store, but you want something special for your Valentine this year, something they will never forget.

Have you considered essential oils?

You can incorporate them into many different avenues of life, but Valentine’s Day offers some excellent options for showing someone how much you love them through your gift of touch. This can be as simple as a relaxing hand or foot massage or as invigorating as a full body massage.

There is no need to fear, it does not matter if you have experience in this area or not. Touch in and of itself is healing, but when you combine it with quality essential oils, it can be that much better. Touch can convey anything from friendship to erotic love. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and we are going to focus on essential oils that can evoke feelings of romantic love.

Throughout history we see people using oils and scents to evoke feelings of romance. When we inhale, various molecules in the air stimulate our olfactory system.  This in turn, regulates our emotions by releasing and modulating our hormones.  Different smells will stimulate different emotions; among which are passion and attraction.  Essential oils have been known to be libido enhancers since the time of Cleopatra.

It is said that the Egyptians were the first people to make use of scented oils in all aspects of their life. The most famous of them all being Cleopatra. It is even said that she would scent the sails of her barge as she drifted down the Nile with such aphrodisiac oils as rose, jasmine, and patchouli.

Cleopatra, with all her knowledge of cosmetics and beauty, even opened up her own Spa, as we would call it today. There are ruins that show it had a waiting room with stone benches as well as several treatment rooms. Around 50 BC Cleopatra is said to have written a book called Cleopatra Gynaeciarum Libri, which unfortunately has been lost, but other references say contained recipes for essential oil combinations and beauty products.

Let us not forget the most famous love passage of all: Song of Solomon. You can barely get through five verses before you see him describing something’s fragrance. Everything throughout the book is full of fragrance, from the Shulammite woman’s hair, to her body, to his body, and to their bed… you get the idea.

So how can you have a fragrant Valentine’s Day?

Let’s explore some great options, whether you are single and hoping to meet that special someone or married for 50 years. Let us see how essential oils can spice up your Valentine’s Day.

In order to encourage an atmosphere of romance and love, it is important that both parties feel relaxed and calm. It is because of this that you will see that most aphrodisiac oils also have relaxing and calming properties, both to the senses as well as the physical body. According to a blog on aromatherapy, “In order to raise our libido, we have to first raise our body temperature. The aphrodisiac essential oils are mostly warm, rich aromas, such as those that come from spices and certain flowers. Aphrodisiac aromatherapy can be tricky. It may take calculation. What one person loves, another might find ghastly, but on a very basic level aromatherapy is a natural aphrodisiac that works to calm, soothe, stimulate and reduce stress, or negative energy. Because impotence and frigidity is most often associated with stress, emotion and psychology, plants that work to calm and soothe while actively stimulating hormonal production and reducing stress and anxiety are key elements in an active and healthy sex life. Flower aromas can have strong psychedelic effect if not used appropriately but in moderation it is mild and aids in sexual health by improving the mental and physical aspect of the one smelling it. Some flowers though can have both an aphrodisiac effect through its aroma and/or via its connotation with lust, beauty, and pleasure.”

Individual essential oils that have been cited to arouse passion in men include: rose, jasmine, neroli and ylang ylang.  Blends from Young Living Essential Oils that contain these individual oils include:  Sensation, Inner Child, Joy, and Lady Sclareol.

Rose essential oil would have to be at the top of the list. A good quality Rose essential oil is steam distilled from the petals and does not use solvents. It takes 22 pounds of rose petals to produce one 5 mL bottle of Young Living’s Rose essential oil! This should also explain why rose essential oil is one of the most expensive oils, and why queens like Cleopatra used it. Rose is especially healing to the skin and because of its intensely sweet and intoxicating aroma, making it an excellent aphrodisiac. In this case, less is more!

After rose we would find Jasmine. Jasmine is not actually an essential oil, but an “essence” because of its Absolute extraction from the flower. The flowers must be picked at night and collected before sunrise, or much of the fragrance from the flower will have evaporated. The quality of the blossoms will also be compromised if they are crushed. Jasmine is nicknamed “Queen of the Night” and “Moonlight of the grove.” It has a seductive and uplifting scent. It has many qualities that both sooth and stimulate as it works to promote emotional and hormonal balance. Medicinally it can be used as an antidepressant and skin disorders. It can be used in teas, incense or as a perfume.

Ylang Ylang would be third on this list. It is also steam distilled from the flowers. Ylang Ylang means “Flower of flowers” and has been used throughout history to cover the beds of newlywed couples on their wedding night! Ylang Ylang is vaso-dilating (opens your veins) and is good for hypertension and depression. It is a rich, flowery scent that influences both male and female energies. It soothes anxiety, releases tension and enhances relationships. It has a long-lasting, warm scent and works well as a perfume.

Lady Sclareol is a blend of oils that together formulate a seductive and alluring scent that is also good for the skin. It enhances the feminine nature by improving mood and raising estrogen levels. Use this essential blend for massage or diffuse into the air; it creates a wonderful and tantalizing perfume as it promotes feelings of excitement and romance.

Individual oils that raise a woman’s eyebrow include:  patchouli, spruce, Idaho balsam fir, ylang ylang and sandalwood.  Blends from Young Living Essential Oils that contain these individual oils include:  Valor, Australian Blue, Gathering and Highest Potential.

Valor combines oils that have been used to empower the physical and the spiritual bodies. It is my husband’s favorite blend and he also wears it as a deodorant! This blend may have effect on muscle, bones, skin and the nervous system, as well as building confidence. It can be used from the bottoms of your feet, up along the spine and onto the temples, and is magnetic as cologne.

Australian Blue is blended with a base of blue cypress, a part of the aboriginal pharmacopoeia for thousands of years that creates an exotic, tropical scent that is grounding and stabilizing, yet uplifting and inspiring. It helps relieve pain and inflammation while balancing emotions and inspiring feelings of empowerment. Diffuse or wear as cologne.

Sacred Mountain is a blend of ylang ylang, Spruce, Fir, and Cedarwood. It can be worn as cologne or diffused into the air. It promotes emotional balance, feelings of strength, empowerment and grounding while also producing feelings of protection.

Sandalwood has properties that are similar to frankincense, making it valuable for multiple uses. It is high in sesquiterpenes that stimulate the pineal gland and the limbic region of the brain, the center of emotions. Among its attributes are the uses as an antidepressant and an aphrodisiac. It affects emotional balance, physical balance through muscles and bones, nervous system and skin. Diffuse or apply topically.

In addition to the essential oil blend, Young Living came out with a “Sensation” line of products. Included in this line are Sensation Bath & Shower Gel (SLS free), Sensation Hand & Body Lotion, and Sensation Massage Oil (which can also be used intimately). This blend was created to enhance love and increase desire and would make an excellent addition to your next romantic massage experience.

Regardless of how you decide to spend your Valentine’s Day, take a little time to incorporate some essential oils into your special day. If you have any questions about any of the oils listed above, feel free to contact me either through my blog or on Facebook. Have a wonderfully ‘scentsationsal’ Valentine’s Day!

Naturally yours,

This post was originally featured on the Bulk Herb Store Blog.

If you are interested in purchasing oils for your Valentine, check out my post on how to buy here.