When I first read about creating odor prints for babies, I knew it was something I wanted to try to do for my little ones.
Smells are all around us, and they can trigger memories.
I can remember the smell of mothballs in my grandmother’s closet when I was little. It still makes my nose curl. I can remember the lady with the strong floral perfume that would hug me every Sunday morning at church. I remember the smell of my mom cooking a big, country breakfast for our family every Christmas morning. I remember the college classmate that smelled like cigarettes every day she came into class… and I also remember the one that always smelled so nicely of Patchouli and Tangerine essential oils. Smells trigger memories, positive and negative.
When my first little guy came along, I was prepared. I had learned about odor prints, and I knew what I wanted ours to be. I wanted him to always feel safe and relaxed at home, so naturally, I chose lavender because it’s safe for babies, it’s calming, and it helps them sleep.
I would bath him in lavender scented soap and then give him a massage with lavender scented oil. I’d wash his clothes with a detergent that had lavender essential oils added. Since natural laundry detergents don’t leave much of a smell, I’d spritz his bedding with some lavender essence water before putting him to bed. Because of using it consistently in his night-time routine, he now associates the smell of lavender with rest and relaxation.
I’ve done this with each of my kiddos. To this day I can wash their blankies and spray on some lavender scented spray I’ve made, and they’ll just cuddle right up with it and settle down. I love it!
So let me ask you… do you have an odor print in your home?
If so great, but if not, don’t wait any longer. Pick a scent that you love and start today.
You don’t have to use that scent always, but you should use it consistently. Plus your scent can change depending upon what it is you’re doing. When I clean my house I think of lemon because I use lemon essential oils in my cleaning products. To me it smells good and clean. My kids can smell lemon and they think of cleaning the house, but when they go to bed at night and smell the lavender on their sheets, they instantly relax and settle down because they know it’s time for bed. Different scents bring on different associated meanings.
If my house doesn’t smell like apples and cinnamon during Christmas, it’s just not Christmas. Lavender for laundry and relaxing is great!
I love it Renee! Thanks for commenting!
This is very cool! I’ve never heard of this idea, but am very intrigued by it. Do you know any other resources where I can read more about odor prints? Thanks!
I’m not sure if any other blogs talk about it, but I first heard about it here in this book and it really took hold for me.
I’ve never thought (or heard) of this, but I’m really liking the idea. I think Lavender would be a great “odor print”. And yes, definitely Lemon (or Thieves) for cleaning. 🙂
Yes… I love lemon when I’m cleaning, but I’ve just now started using a cleaning blend that I’m really liking too. When I want to sleep or relax, I automatically think of lavender. During the holidays, I wanna smell cinnamon or cloves in my house. I like having odor prints for different things to help me remember whatever I’m doing. I need to come up with a “signature scent” to where as a natural perfume so I have an odor print that my kids and hubbie will remember. I think that would be nice! Thanks for your comment Heather!
Hello…great idea. Could you share your lavender recipe spray with me pls?
Thx…
Most times I’ll use a lavender hydrosol Elle… just a spritz or two on each pillow is enough.
Thanks for that article, love it.
In our house, pine is for cleaning, lavender for babies and neroli for us 🙂 Basil is a must whenever I feel down, sunday nights for instance!
I’d love a recipe for lavender spray too as I live in France and can’t find the organice hydrosols.
Thanks for sharing Mathilde! When it comes to lavender spritzers you can use 1 tablespoon of lavender flowers, 1 cup of witch hazel, and 6-10 drops of lavender essential oil. It works great!
This article was great! I absolutely agree with you that certain smells trigger memories of people, places, or events in life, whether good or bad! My friends growing up always told me that my parents house smelled like love. That has always stuck with me. Good smells are such a motivator, a stress-reliever, or an invigorator. So why not take advantage of that and use certain oils to fill our homes and lives with great scents! I hadn’t thought of making spritzers to deodorize bedding and furniture…I’ll have to try this!! 🙂
Thanks for sharing Jean!
Pretty! This is an wonderful article. Many thanks for supplying these details.
I had a large abcess on my leg and was using essential oils to treat it. (I use doTERRA) After a few days I went to a walk in clinic. The doctor said “I dont know what youre doing but whatever it is is working. I can see wherr its shrinking it.” She didnt feel it would be necessary to drain it. But, being impatient, i asked her to just drain it. A HUGE mistake. Thr infection got works about half of my lower leg began turning red and hot. I pulled the packing out, poured lavender and Frankincense into the abcess and in 6 hours all redness was gone. In 2 days it was healed.
Wow Melissa! I’m so glad that went well for you! Thanks for sharing your story. Lavender and Frankincense are two must-have oils in my house too!
I’ve just started to investigate the use of essential oils in fragrancing my home, I stumbled across your site and am intrigued by the idea of an odour print. I have two small dogs and would love an odour print that also eliminates their smells. Neroli, fig, jasmine and lavender are all scents that I like but having never blended them before, to make a room fragrance, I’m struggling. Any advice on suitable fragrances would be much appreciated. Thanks, love this site xx
An odor print can be any smell of your choosing. To me, it changes depending upon what we’re doing and where we’re at. Like I said in the post, when my babies sleep I want them to smell lavender and to remember peace and comfort when they smell that smell as they get older. When we’re doing schoolwork I want them to smell something that stimulates their memory. When they wake up in the morning I love the smell of anything citrus because it just gets you going. I can’t really tell you how to blend oils since all oils will create a different smell when put together, and I don’t know what you like or what you intend to use it for. Just get some basic oils and start using them. Figure out what you like and when you like those smells. Eventually your favorites will reveal themselves to you! Good luck!
What do you use for schoolwork / stimulating memory? I need something for that, or for focus and concentration.
I’m loving Plant Therapy’s A+ Attention Wendy! I just diffuse it during school time. It’s worked well for us so far!
I really love this article! I always want my home to have an inviting scent when I walk in (which usually means I try to always clean and have oils going to counteract pets and boys!). For our house, we use Murchison-Hume fig spray, I have several essential oil blends (like lemon and peppermint) for cleaning, and I love cinnamon bark and sweet orange mixed. During the holidays I’ll often have a saucepot simmering on the stove with an apple studded with cloves, and some cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla mixed with some orange juice and water – it smells like baking and “holiday time”. I’ve had a hard time finding a good essential oil diffuser that works longer than a day or two – do you have any recommendations?
I like having the different scents for different seasons too Rosalea. I prefer to use my EO diffuser – my MIL got me a young living one, and I love it. I use it with cheaper EOs though since YL ones are expensive, but I can let it run off and on all day to keep the house smelling nice. My SIL uses a cheaper diffuser in her home and they work great for her. She has a few throughout her house all running at the same time.
My husband loves Rose EO and burns it often in our diffusers, but because he thinks more is better, he often has a mix of four or five oils — which to me makes it hard to distinguish what’s cookin’. I’m learning more and more about EOs and blending over time. Personally, I was smitten by the smell of patchouli when I first met it back in the seventies. I know it’s not popular with everyone, but I’ve worn it off and on for years — my daughter now does the same, and her kids love it — they say the house “smells like Nan”. I love invading their house through their sense of smell. 🙂
Thanks for sharing, Sherri! I’m a huge fan of patchouli essential oil!
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This article isn’t clear as to Why a home odor print is important… So, why is it important?
Odor prints, whether they’re for your home or other places, help link memories and emotions. Having an odor print in your home, especially when your children are young, can help trigger memories of home when they are older and smell that particular smell again.