3 Simple Sprays for the Autumn // Creating a Natural Home

One of the easiest switches we made when I began to become more aware of the kind of chemicals we were using in everyday life was to start making my own sprays. Essential Oil sprays are so easy to make, take zero skill and actually function much more effectively than their synthetic counterparts! They also happen to be completely free of respiratory triggers, skin irritants and hormone disruptors, so it was a no brainer really!

The basic recipe for a spray is super simple - witch hazel, essential oils and distilled water. You'll change up which essential oils you use, depending on what you're trying to create, but in short, this basic spray recipe has become the easiest replace for so many things - bathroom sprays, body sprays, room sprays, pillow sprays, linen sprays, bug sprays, detangler sprays, cleaning sprays and so much more!

So I thought I'd share the base recipe with you all, and then share three sprays that we particularly like to use in the autumn season!

Once you've grabbed a 50ml spray bottle (I usually choose amber glass as the spray will last longer if kept cool and dark), you can go ahead and add a splash of witch hazel. Witch hazel is a powerful plant with medicinal properties, but it also acts as a partial emulsifier (it is not as effective as something like vodka, but is effective enough for the purposes we are using in these sprays!) I usually add a tablespoon or so to my spray bottle before adding my oils. Once you've added your essential oils, you can just fill it to the top with distilled or cooled boiled water... and voila! You have a spray that is ready to go!

So how do you know which oils to use? And how much oil is needed?

Here are three of my FAVOURITE sprays to use throughout the autumn season!

Cosy Autumn Room Spray: 

There is something lovely about the scents of those baked spices in the autumn! Orange, Clove and Bergamot is one of my favourite blends in the diffuser in October and November, but even if you don't have a diffuser, a gorgeous Cosy Autumn Room spray is a simple make.

Once you've made it, simply spray it on your soft furnishings. Don't panic if you can smell the witch hazel dominating as you spray... once it hits those soft furnishings, the witch hazel scent will diminish and you'll be left with the lovely scent of autumn!

Glow Facial Toning Spray:

This is the season where our skin takes the biggest beating and can get super dry. Taking care of our body's biggest organ is crucial - and your face often takes the biggest weather hits. I love making all our skincare products, but this simple toning spray is a lovely addition to your nighttime skin routine, and frankincense, lavender and tea tree are all natural skin loving oils that will nourish and cleanse. Just make sure you choose alcohol free witch hazel for the gentlest approach! Just spray onto your face after cleansing and leave to dry in (then afterwards apply your gorgeous homemade glow serum - that'll be another blog post!)

Cleaning with essential oils was one of the simplest switches we made... and is one I will never go back on! There is so much peace of mind in cleaning around your children with homemade cleaners which truly work, are budget friendly and contain zero nasties! I love that I can do everything now with just one bottle! If you don't have Thieves Cleaner, you can switch it out for distilled white vinegar - though I warn you, it doesn't smell as nice (if you want hooked up with Thieves Household Cleaner - just shout - plant-based, toxin free, christmas scented concentrate cleaner that will last you a year and cost you 50p a bottle!) The added essential oils are unnecessary on the cleaning front, but add a nice autumnal twist (and clove has been shown to have amazing anti-bacterial properties) and a little clove and orange scent never went amiss!

As I said, there are so many other ways we use sprays around our home - but these three are my go to's in this season! Which one do you think you'd like to try first??