Recently, I virtually attended a class that explored the relationship between love, romance, and essential oils.  The facilitator was so knowledgeable that I invited her to share with you!

Essential oils may or may not be of interest to you.  Either way, please read with an open mind.  You never know when a new resource may help spark your libido.

Please welcome, Catherine Robinson, our guest presenter.  I’m so grateful for the time she has taken to share with us today.  Let’s hear from Catherine:

I recently offered a class on using essential oils to spice up your bedroom life and am excited to share here!   I fell in love with Essential Oils (EOs) a couple of years back and and in learning how to use them came across the idea of incorporating them into our bedroom life.  I believe a happy healthy marriage includes a happy healthy sex life! In spite of my husband having gone two rounds with testicular cancer and life-threatening blood clots we make every effort to connect often with each other intimately.  We learned that EOs can stimulate the senses, relax and help you connect with your partner.

If you’ve used EOs before but never thought to add them to your bedroom, I hope this post will launch you in a wonderful direction.  If you’ve never used EOs then I hope you’re inspired to research them and incorporate them into your life.

When using EOs it’s best to not overload your senses by trying them all at once. Pick one at a time. Most scents used to arouse our senses are heavy and potent. If you combine several and don’t like the results you probably won’t be able to pick out which oil you don’t enjoy. I tell friends when incorporating EOs into your life that “less is more”.

While essential oils have health benefits, I’ve chosen these specifically for their scent and the effect they have on emotions.  Ever have a smell come to you and be instantly transported to another place or time?  A memory so deeply a part of you that a simple smell can trigger it is called scent memory, and one of the purposes of using EOs in the bedroom are to help create scent memories.

By using EOs to enhance intimacy with your partner, you create an emotional “smell trigger” and will find that smelling those scents, even outside the bedroom, can help put you in the mood.

There are many different ways to use EOs, such as a perfume to stimulate your partner’s senses, preferably in locations that invite them to explore further, a bath or in massage oil however even simply inhaling EOs can stimulate your mind and activate feelings of sensuality.

Keep in mind that everyone is different; what appeals to you as a woman may not appeal to your husband.  The key is to find oils that are pleasing to both partners! EOs most often associated with aphrodisiacs are Rose, Jasmine, Ylang Ylang, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Geranium, Neroli,  Myrrh, Bergamot and Orange.  However, don’t feel you must only use oils commonly associated with romance and love, if it is an alluring scent to you then incorporate that smell too.

So how do we use them? 

Let’s start in the bedroom.  While love-making can happen anywhere, many couples prefer the privacy and comfort of their own bedroom.  Set the stage early in the day. Clear the clutter, change the sheets and spritz them them lightly with an aromatic spray. Place some unscented candles in a safe spot and make sure your lighter or matches are nearby. Find your favorite music and set it up ready to play when the time is right.

At the end of your day sneak away and finish your mood setting by lighting the candles, flipping the switch on your music and lightly re-spraying your linens. Not too much, you don’t want the sheets to be damp, or the smell to be overpowering. Subtlety is key here.

Linen Spray: In a 4 oz. glass spray bottle add 6 drops Jasmine, 6 drops Ylang Ylang and 14 Orange to 3 oz distilled water. Gently shake before use to disperse oils into the water.

And who doesn’t love to relax and unwind in a hot bath? Baths are even better if the tub is big enough for two! Soft music playing in the background will help your mind let go and relax. Using a warm bath as a way to “close” the door on the day moves you out of your head and into your body.

Bath Salts: 4 to 6 drops EOs to 1/2 cup of epsom salts. Rose is an especially nice oil for this! Mix your EOs and epsom salts together before adding to the water to help the oils disperse better.

Your hands are so important in so many ways, outside the bedroom and certainly inside too. Even a simple thing like holding hands as you drift off to sleep is a beautiful way to connect with your love. Connecting with a back massage is a sensual way to communicate love and desire. Using massage oil with EOs is a pleasant way to offer love to each other. Don’t limit massage to the back, let your hands roam all over, paying attention to indications of pleasure!

Sensual Massage Oil: Mix up to 10 drops EOs with 2 oz carrier oil.  Good combos are 5 drops Ylang Ylang and 5 Orange, or 2 drops each Sandalwood and Jasmine plus 4 drops Bergamot.

Apply a few drops to your hands, and then to your love’s back, or other areas. Remember a sensual massage is all about calm, nurturing strokes. The goal is to relax and arouse, not work out muscle spasms.

EOs are best stored in glass bottles away from heat and light. Use quality carrier oils such as coconut oil or sweet almond, what you put on your body is absorbed!

*While many EOs are beneficial during pregnancy and nursing some should be avoided so please do your own research.

Interested in reading more about scent memories?

CalmHealthySexy:  Essential Oils and Sensuality

Guest Author Bio:

My name is Catherine Robinson and I’ve been married to the love of my life, Chris, for 26 years.  I’m so in love with EOs I’m pursuing certification in aromatherapy.  I use, love and promote Young Living essential oils.  If you’d like to know more please contact me at taketwooils@gmail.com or find me on Facebook.

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Life outside the OysterBed7 update:

Our home in NC is under contract and should close by the end of May.  Since I have been searching for a new home in FL since August, we quickly found a good fit to purchase.  We should close on it by June 15, Lord willing.  It’s been 9 months of transition.  Without God’s continual presence, I would have had a major meltdown.

I can’t wait to get settled.

In the meantime, my middle son had back surgery this week.  I am lending a hand for a few days of his recovery. Please pray for him.  His back is kind of a mess either due to congenital weakness or an injury.  We’re not sure which.

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