orget the corny adverts – nothing gives you that nostalgic, festive feeling than the smell of an open fire, a warm mulled wine or some freshly baked mince pies.
In fact, our sense of smell has the power to instantly change our feelings, mood and behaviour in a way no other sense can. This is because scent travels directly to the limbic system, a region of the brain related to emotion and memory. It’s what the multi-billion Euro perfume industry is built around – every fragrance is designed to elicit an emotion: from desire to power, vitality to relaxation.
Similarly, there are thousands of festively scented products on the market that promise to give us that warm, cosy Christmas feeling, but not all are created alike.
Karl Murray, Founder and Director of Kotanical, was a practising Kinesiologist when he learned about the therapeutical benefits of essential oils. He is now Ireland’s first premium essential oil distiller – teaching himself how to grow an incredible 20,000 peppermint plants to bring the very first Irish-produced essential oil to the market.
One of Karl’s primary motivations when he set up Kotanical in 2017 was to improve the availability of good quality essential oils on the market, which are easily mistaken for the cheap, chemical-laden fragrance oils that fill so many of the candles, diffusers and plug-ins in our homes today.
Kotanical’s newest scent “Christmas” (RRP €20 / £18.75) is a limited-edition blend of warming, premium-grade essential oils that not only smell magical but are beneficial to both your health and your mood.
Clove
The warming scent of Clove oil is so synonymous with Christmas it would be hard to imagine a blend without it. It is also brilliant in helping to alleviate the symptoms of seasonal coughs and colds.
Cinnamon
This wonderful spice helps to create a cosy, calming environment whilst providing a myriad of health benefits; from stimulating the immune system to improving circulation.
Wild Orange
The citrusy and uplifting smell of wild orange balances out the spices beautifully, energises your mind and body and helps to purify the air around you.
Kotancial also stock a range of award-winning, hand-crafted stone diffusers that present as a sleek piece of home décor. This easy to use, plug-in-and-play piece is designed to enhance the ambience of your space, with additional features such as an LED light adding a candle-like glow to the room. The perfect Christmas gift!
How To Add The Christmas Blend To Your Diffuser:
- Be sure to switch the diffuser off.
- Remove the plastic lid and cover.
- Pour 100ml of water into the tank.
- Add only 3-5 tiny droplets of the Christmas blend.
- Place both the diffuser’s plastic lid and cover on again.
- Be sure to switch the diffuser back on.
- Pick your favourite setting.
Hand-crafted Stone Diffusers – €59.99
Essential Oil Range – €10 – £53/€61
Essential Oil Roll-On Blends -€22
Diffuser & Essential Oil Bundles -€138
All products are available to buy directly via the Kotanical website: www.kotanical.ie.