Saturday, April 21, 2018

Essential Oil Education

One of my favorite things to do as an RC is try out new programs for my residents, both as a way to mix things up for me, and introduce new and fun educational opportunities for them. This year, I implemented a new program I called "DIY Air Fresheners" in which we made our own scent pods for our rooms, using a few simple ingredients. 

The program was somewhat twofold, as we utilized essential oils and baking soda in small mason jars to create our air fresheners. They not only helped the students create fun ways to help their rooms smell good, but it also helped them learn the benefits and uses of essential oils. Several of them (such as bergamot and chamomile) have stress relieving advantages, while others like lavender can help with sleep. Things such as orange and lemon are great for energy, while eucalyptus, peppermint and rosemary can help with pain.

Given the often stressful nature of IMSA, the girls seemed to really enjoy getting to choose oils based off of not only their preferences in scent, but also their individual needs. Some students came in already experts in essential oils, like Sophomore Bella Huynh-Pham, who has her own oil diffuser, and were eager to create their own scent pod. Others had never really had interaction with the oils, but both ends of the spectrum seemed to enjoy getting to create their own pod to fit their needs.

Take a look at some of the pictures below, and next time you sense your child's room at home starting to smell a little, "funky" consider creating your own scent pods with them at home as well! I'll add the recipe below the photos.

Bella proudly displays her air freshener



  
Juniors Alice & Eva try to coordinate their pods, so that the scents compliment each other in their room




All you need to do is use 4 oz mason jars, with 1/4 cup of baking soda in each. Then select the essential oil blend you'd like to use in it! Use 10-12 drops of each oil, and mix them together. Remove the flat metal lid, and trace it onto a piece of colored paper. Put the paper where the lid was, and screw the band on over the paper. Carefully poke a few holes into the paper with a pencil, and put it wherever in the room you'd like the scent to be strongest!! For best scent results, refresh the air freshener with a few drops of your oils every few months :)

Here's my own concoction; I blended lavender & bergamot, and placed it in the RC office (we tend to need as much stress relieving energy in there as possible, so hopefully it'll work its magic next time one of our girls inevitably asks a not so intelligent question....)






See you soon! (Smelling oh-so-wonderfully when we do),
-- Robyn & the lovely ladies of 02A ❤ 

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