The nip of cold air in the morning beckons you to throw on your favorite chunky nit scarf. Your eyes delight as you notice the leaves change into shades of gold and red. Every coffee shop you go to wants to sell you something with pumpkin spice. Yep, it’s fall, and all of your senses are probably in heaven. Well, all except one. If you live in the city, it can be difficult to get your daily dose of fall scents. Forests with rich cedar scents, the smell of wood burning in the fireplace and even that dewy, fall morning aroma can be hard to come by when it is drowned out by the smell of car exhausts and whatever is coming out of that subway grate. Instead of letting the city diminish your total fall experience, use essential oil blends to activate those olfactory pleasure censors with some uniquely autumn delights.

Essential oils are concentrated liquids containing plant oil extracts. The aromatic compounds in essential oils promote relaxation and can even bring to mind warm memories. Did you know that the sense of smell is a more powerful memory trigger than any other sense? Much of that has to do with brain anatomy. When you smell, the scent is processed by your olfactory bulb, which runs from the nose and along the underside of the brain. This location—unlike the locations attributed with senses like touch or sight—is directly connected to the hippocampus and amygdala, which are largely responsible for memory and emotion. That’s why, when you take a whiff of vanilla oil, it sends you back to grandma’s kitchen and gives that fuzzy feeling you used to have while helping her bake cookies as a kid. Through these essential oil blends, we can intentionally rouse some of those happy fall memories and simultaneously soothe the stress we have built up during the day.

T I P // Check your diffuser’s instructions. You may need to alter the drop dosages depending on how your diffuser works.

A Walk Through the Pines…

Let this blend transport you to the forest. You can almost hear the birds chirping and twigs cracking beneath your feet and you breathe in those sweet, woody scents. Inhale, and relax.

• 3 drops frankincense
• 3 drops fir
• 2 drops juniper berry
• 2 drops bergamot

Grandma’s Kitchen…

This honeyed blend of spices is like getting a warm hug from grandma. Forget comfort food, this is a comfort smell! The vanilla and cinnamon will take you back to those simpler days, when all you had to worry about was saving room in your stomach for grandma’s baked deserts.

• 3 drops vanilla
• 2 drops orange
• 1 drop cinnamon
• 1 drop clove

Warming Up with Spiced Tea…

Escape the cold outside, and tuck in for the night with this cozy collection of smells. Pair this blend with a hot chai tea or some chamomile for optimal levels of stress relief. As the rain pitter patters against the window pane, release all of the day’s anxieties and warm the soul with positive thoughts.

• 4 drops sweet orange
• 3 drops lemon
• 3 drop fir

Morning Dew…

Give yourself a brisk wake up with this mix for making happy mornings. A tinge of wood, with a touch mint will induce nostalgic memories of camping, without the hassle of actually camping. Win, win! The only draw back to this blend is that it may stir up some wanderlust to breathe in that crisp alpine air for real. Sorry about that.

• 5 drops fir
• 2 drops wintergreen
• 1 drop rosemary
• 2 drops cajeput
• 1 drop cedarwood

Pumpkin Spice Latte…

We have to. The pumpkin spice latte has become synonymous with all things fall. If you can’t enough of this delectable and oh-so-temporary treat, give your home the pumpkin spice treatment.

• 2 drops ginger
• 2 drops cassia
• 1 drop clove
• 1 drop vanilla
• 2 drops cardamom