Pursuing and maintaining a healthy relationship with ourselves is the first step toward optimizing physical health and mental wellness. Building self-esteem from the heart, helps us believe in ourselves and fosters a mood of positivity and an everlasting vibrance. Self-esteem-building practices ultimately help build connections with those around us and enhance our everyday lives to encourage a stronger spirit and mentality where we let go of pettiness and selfishness.

The Essence Of Worthy Self-Care

A self-care practice means taking the time to do things to live well and improve both your physical and mental health. Self-care supports our mental and physical natures by combating stress and anxiety, alleviating depression, improving coping skills, fostering resilience to better manage stress and even improving one’s immune health and energy levels. Self-care includes activities such as socializing with friends and volunteering for events that benefit others as well as going for long walks or practicing yoga, meditation, breathing techniques and other physical exercises. (1)

Combining the above natural and complementary remedies with aromatherapy can bring about a positive outlook and help drive out the funk of nervous tension, anxiety and stress in one life. The best essential oils to build inner strength and infuse positive vibes in your routines can be found in Edens Garden Voted Best Smelling essential oil blend (formerly known as Shine). It’s a blend that guides individuals to embrace their inherent sparkle and well-being.

Exploring The Aromatic Allure

Voted Best Smelling blend contains the perfect balance of essential oils giving you pure happiness in a bottle. Comparable to DoTERRAs Elevation blend but at a fraction of the cost, it is a radiant mix partially due to Lavandin essential oil and Lavender essential oil, centered and fortified by sweet and sensual Sandalwood and sunny Tangerine both of which extend confidence and certainty. These oils are surrounded by Melissa and Ylang Ylang, which help garner strength to improve emotional health by reducing anxiety and insecurity. 

Elemi grounds this blend with its musky and earthy glow to construct the courage and tenacity one needs to move on. Osmanthus and Lemon-Myrtle round out the edges and add to the sparkle and sunshine of this lovely blend to further reduce nervous tension and diffuse anxiety and stress levels.

Energizing and revitalizing, Voted Best Smelling lends a hand when moods swing low. It is soft and sweet, without being overly perfumed. Floral, without an overwhelming fragrance. The earthy grounding oils of Sandalwood and Elemi give the blend an earthy muskiness to help create a perfect balance of floral, citrus, wood and herbal oils. 

Voted Best Smelling is there when you need it to create a positive atmosphere, uplift the spirit when feelings are low, to set your mind at ease and to lighten the dourest of moods. It's a light at the end of the tunnel type of aroma that will bring notice from those around you due to the happiness it creates with its captivatingly subtle aromatics.  

The Power Of Energizing Aromatherapy

Part of healing the mind and body and inspiring confidence in oneself is the need to put yourself out there and believe that you are a strong and vital part of a community. Taking small steps and adding one practice at a time rather than doing too much all at once can improve emotional health and balance your mind and body when looking to better your self-esteem. Our best advice is to experiment with different practices to find what works best for you such as diffusing Voted Best Smelling when nervous tension strikes and following deep breathing exercises to stimulate the vagus nerve and quell anxiety. (2)

The essential oils in this blend specifically target changing the aura in your home or workspace to guide your spirit and kindle the flame of self-worth and by decreasing stress levels, this oil has an effect on cortisol levels. This simple and small act will usher in clean energy that can revitalize any stagnancy of mind or mood. 

Below is a breakdown of the best aromatherapy oils we have included in this blend that are responsible for creating a new outlook and revitalizing the spirit. 

• Lavandin and Lavender oil have the main components Linalool and Linalyl acetate which are well-known natural aromatic compounds that have been shown to act against anxiety disorder and depressive moods as well as to improve sleep quality and cognitive function. These constituents are also well-studied for their ability to reduce stress, anxiety and nervousness making them especially adept at significantly revitalizing the body, heart and mind. Lavender and Lavandin can be used freely without worry about issues of dependence, tolerance, or withdrawal. (3,4)
• Melissa aka Lemon Balm is unconditionally captivating and deeply restorative. Floral oils in general are geared toward strengthening and comforting the heart and Melissa essential oil is no exception. It is an excellent oil to lean on to improve mood especially when experiencing loss and suffering from grief. (5)
• Tangerine: The main component of Tangerine is Limonene which, like many other limonene-centric essential oils, has the ability to uplift the mood, reduce anxiety and alleviate depression. (6,7)
• Ylang Ylang has a strong aroma that can be a put-off for some on its own but only a little is needed to fortify a blend for its anti-anxiolytic qualities that regulate serotonin levels and improve social abilities as well as cognition and mood. Topical use has shown Ylang Ylang to relax blood pressure and improve mood in those with depressive tendencies. (8)
• Research is somewhat lacking on Elemi essential oil but its constituents can help give us an understanding of it. The compounds Limonene and a-phellandrene however, have uplifting and anti-depressive abilities, energizing while providing warmth and inner peace. It's known to be nurturing and relieves depressive sentiments. It is especially useful when in need of taking deep reparative breaths. (9)
• While there is a lack of research on Osmanthus, this oil is reported to have various bioactivities including free radical scavenging and neuroprotection. (10)
• While it is recommended to use Lemon Myrtle in low doses, its oil is both herbal and citric that purifies and cleanses the body such as with acne or when ailments of the respiratory system take hold. Its Geranial and Neral content reinforces a relaxed state of mind and at the same time brings serenity to the environment just when you most need the rest. (11,12)

Award-Winning Excellence

Besides being one of Edens Garden bestselling essential oil blends it was also voted by essential oil users as one of Edens Garden top essential oil blends. Among them, it has inspired confidence without cockiness and emits positive energy to motivate and believe in oneself. 

Others have stated that it uplifts their spirits and curbs the sensation of depression that begins to set in, especially in the winter months. They have confided in us that it also serves to deepen breathing to relax nervous and anxious tension when stress is heightened in their lives. We are not surprised to have learned, that one user even touted that co-workers would stop by her desk and ask what smelled so good. We here at Edens Garden truly adore and rely ourselves on this monumental aromatherapy oil blend too. 

Elevating Self-Care With Aromatherapy

Essential oils are simple to incorporate into daily life. From bath salts to topical treatments and use in a diffuser, we have some ideas for you so that each and every day your life hums smoothly along. Voted Best Smelling is an OK for Kids 2+ blend but when used around children under the age of 10 it is recommended to err on the side of caution as with most essential oils used around and with young ones, maximum dilution should be kept at 1%. This translates to 5-6 drops per ounce of carrier oil or unscented lotion when used topically.

• Diffuse with your choice of diffuser in a well-ventilated area. A general instruction is to add 10 drops of Voted Best Smelling essential oils to 100 ml of water in your diffuser, but we suggest that you refer to the instructions of your device and depending on its size, adjust the number of drops of essential oils.
• Beaded diffuser jewelry: the Capri and the Cayman beaded durable bracelets are made of Howlite, Tibetan Agate and Lava stones and are versatile to wear with nearly any outfit.
• Bath blend: for a spa-like atmosphere, run a warm bath and add to it the following when fully blended: In a bowl, add 6 drops of Voted Best Smelling to 2 cups of Epsom salts, ½ cup baking soda and 2 tablespoons of Castile soap. Once the bath is ready, pour the salt blend and swirl with your hand to dissolve the salts. Light a candle or use an ambient light to set the mood and put some calming music on your Bluetooth speaker. Soak up the goodness for 15-20 minutes.
• To add to the spa experience at home, make a topical blend with a carrier oil and use it with aromatherapy massage techniques. To make a blend, choose your carrier choice. We recommend Jojoba oil since it doesn't stain clothing or linens and matches the skin's sebum or Grapeseed oil which is incredibly nourishing to the skin. Blend 15-18 drops of Voted Best Smelling into 1 oz of carrier oil.  
• Bathroom Spray: Mix 40 drops of Voted Best Smelling essential oil and 4 teaspoons 190-proof grain alcohol in a 4 oz spray bottle fitted with a spritzer and shake well, let this mixture sit overnight or optimally for 24 hours. After that time, fill the rest of your bottle with distilled water. Shake well and after flushing, spray 3-5 times into the toilet bowl and around the bathroom to freshen the air.
• On-the-Go Use: There are some simple and small devices to take with you anywhere you go such as this essential oil inhaler and the Mio Mist diffuser. Fill them according to device instructions.

Edens Garden has many expertly crafted essential oil blends that tackle a number of issues and work well as diffuser blends. We stand behind every blend we carry as therapeutic, unadulterated and natural plant alternative remedies.

SOURCES

1. NIMH: Caring for Your Mental Health https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/caring-for-your-mental-health#:~:text=Self%2Dcare%20means%20taking%20the,illness%2C%20and%20increase%20your%20energy
2. Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercises and Your Vagus Nerve
3. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201705/diaphragmatic-breathing-exercises-and-your-vagus-nerve 
4. Linalool as a Therapeutic and Medicinal Tool in Depression Treatment: A Review https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9886818/
5. Essential Oil of Lavender in Anxiety Disorders: Ready for Prime Time? https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6007527/
6. Lemon Balm https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/herb/lemon-balm#:~:text=In%20another%20double%2Dblind%2C%20placebo,significantly%20increased%20calmness%20and%20alertness.
7. Antidepressant-Like Effect of Essential Oils From Citrus reticulata https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1934578X221093916?icid=int.sj-full-text.similar-articles.1 
8. Effects of Tangerine Essential Oil on Brain Waves, Moods, and Sleep Onset Latency https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7587980/
9. Relaxing Effect of Ylang Ylang Oil on Humans After Transdermal Absorption https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16807875/
10. The Bioactivity and Health Benefits of Alpha-Phellandrene https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/30109
11. Analysis of the main active ingredients and bioactivities of essential oil from Osmanthus fragrans Var. thunbergii using a complex network approach
12. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5745743/#:~:text=The%20extracts%20of%20Osmanthus%20fragrans,inflammation%2C%20neuroprotection%20and%20antitumor%20effects
13. Lemon Myrtle Essential Oil https://www.aromaweb.com/essential-oils/lemon-myrtle-essential-oil.php
14. Chemical Composition, Antioxidant, Antibacterial, and Antibiofilm Activities of Backhousia citriodora Essential Oil https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9370046/