Just Add Oils to Your Back-to-School Tools (Including 7 Diffuser Blends)

Summer is almost over, and the school year is about to start. As you start gathering your pencils, notebooks, textbooks, and other school supplies, consider gathering some aromatherapy supplies as well. Essential oils can be very beneficial for students and teachers and can enhance the learning experience. In fact, studies have shown that essential oils can help increase memory, enhance concentration, promote calmness, boost energy, and fight bugs.

Even just smelling the scent of an essential oil can affect emotions and improve mental clarity. One study showed that “when essential oils are diffused while studying and smelled during a test, test scores may increase by as much as 50%. Different essential oils should be used for different tests, but the same essential oil should be used during the test as was used while studying for that particular test. The smell of the essential oil may help bring back the memory of what was studied.”

Modern Essentials lists the following oils to help with memory: rosemary, peppermint, frankincense, basil, clove, lemon, juniper berry, cedarwood, ginger, grapefruit, lime, bergamot, rose, dill, lavender, lemongrass, and petitgrain.

Want to give it a try? Here’s how: pick a single oil or an oil blend to inhale while you are studying for your test or attending class. You could even label the oil(s) you choose with a class subject. Every time you study that subject, diffuse those oils or place them in a nasal inhaler and periodically breathe in the scent as you study. During the test, pull out the nasal inhaler again and breathe the scent again when you need a little memory boost.

Nasal inhalers make it easy to take the scent of oils with you wherever you go. They even allow you to breathe in the scent without making others around you smell the oil as well. We’ve created 7 essential oil diffuser blends that can also be used in nasal inhalers. Simply drop the oils on the wick; then insert the wick into the inhaler, and push the base in to close it. Place the inhaler close to your nose, and inhale the aroma.

Each of the following diffuser blend recipes can be doubled and placed in a nasal inhaler:

Another alternative to nasal inhalers are Whispi® diffusers. You can also make the above blends in a small bottle, then put 1–2 drops of the blend on aromatherapy jewelry. A key chain case is a great way to store and transport your oils—it even has a carabiner to attach to your backpack.

Want to learn more? We’ve put together several other posts on how essential oils can be useful at school. Follow the links below to see these helpful hints:
Backpack Essentials for Students
Backpack Essentials for Teachers
Back to School Tip #1: Stinky Locker?
Back to School Tip #2: School Lunch?
Back to School Tip #3: Multiple Choice?
Back to School Tip #4: First-Period Chemistry?
Better Focus Diffuser Blend

How do you use essential oils at school? What essential oil tools do you use to enhance learning? We’d love to hear your experiences!