Making your bedroom feel inviting and restful has as much to do with how it smells as how it looks. You might reach for a favorite candle or add a diffuser, but according to fragrance experts, some of the most effective ways to freshen your space are surprisingly simple and entirely natural.
While we’ve all filled vases with fresh blooms to brighten our nightstands and shelves, there’s an even easier, more affordable way to bring the freshness of the outdoors inside.
Adding sprigs of fresh rosemary is a simple, little-known way to make a bedroom smell like a luxurious hotel suite, without the luxury price tag.
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‘One of the easiest and most affordable ways to scent a room is by adding fresh rosemary sprigs into a jar of water,’ says Jennifer Pressimone, Holistic Clinical Aromatherapist and Founder of JennScents. ‘It is a non-electric option with nothing to turn on or off, and no stimulating lights or humming sound,’ unlike even the best essential oil diffusers. ‘Just the pure fresh herbal scent of rosemary that brings nature inside and has a visual aesthetic appeal.’
As Jennifer points out, it’s also a gentler scented option than, say, candles, and is therefore better suited to those with strong fragrance sensitivities. It costs very little to try, too.
‘Most people associate rosemary as a culinary spice in the kitchen,’ she continues. ‘It brings fond memories of making certain food dishes with family, and it puts a genuine smile on your face.’
And, in terms of non-toxic ways to make your home smell nice, you couldn’t get more natural. ‘It’s just basic ingredients you have on hand, which is the part I care the most about,’ adds Michelle Simmons, Home Fragrance Expert and Founder and CEO of Slow North. ‘”Fragrance” on a label can legally hide hundreds of ingredients under that one word,’ she warns.
The Benefits of the Aroma of Rosemary
Rosemary has a fresh scent that sharpens focus and soothes you to sleep.
(Image credit: Future /PEARSON LYLE MANAGEMENT LTD (EMMA LEE))
The benefits of adding this humble herb to your sleep space extend far beyond helping avoid any bedroom scenting mistakes.
‘Rosemary is best known to support focus, concentration, and alertness,’ explains Jennifer. ‘Research studies show it has promising circulatory benefits to sharpen memory and mental clarity.
‘I also find it helpful to clear up sinus congestion, enhance deep breathing, and boost energy.’
Despite its ability to make you feel energized and revitalized, rosemary has also been found to help you sleep better, too. In a study of 63 participants, inhaling the herb, coupled with lavender, was observed to improve cognitive function, sleep quality, and reduce anxiety levels. So, you could always add lavender alongside the rosemary (or grow your own lavender indoors in your bedroom).
How to Prepare a Jar of Rosemary and Water
It couldn’t be any easier to introduce fresh rosemary to your bedroom ideas. Of course, you can just add some sprigs to a vase, but to really make the most of this fragrant herb, Jennifer shares her method:
‘Choose a four-ounce or eight-ounce glass jar with a cap,’ she says, like these Mason Jars with Airtight Silver Lids, available at Amazon. ‘Fill the jar about three-quarters full of water and add in four to six fresh rosemary sprigs.’ Michelle recommends rolling them between your palms until you can smell them on your hands beforehand, to better release the oils. ‘Cap the jar and let it sit on a countertop for one to two hours so the rosemary can infuse into the water.’
Then, when you want to enjoy the scent, simply open the jar and leave it open on the counter or table. ‘Keep out of direct sunlight to preserve the fresh scent longer,’ she adds.
For a brighter, more vibrant scent, Michelle also recommends adding a strip of lemon peel. Citrus may be a mood-boosting aroma typically associated with spring, but there’s no reason not to bring those same notes into fall.
What to Shop
If you’d like to try this natural way to scent your space, you can shop some essentials you’ll need, along with some of my tried-and-tested best home fragrance recommendations, below.
All prices were correct at the time of publication.
These top-rated mason jars are BPA-free, dishwasher-safe, and reusable. Beyond scenting your space, they’ll keep canned food sealed for up to 18 months.
Keeping a live rosemary plant in your backyard or on a windowsill will ensure you always have fresh, fragrant sprigs to place in your bedroom.
Rosemary Focaccia & Olive Oil Candle
Put a twist on rosemary scenting with this focaccia candle, which has notes of salted butter, olive oil, and herbal rosemary.
Linnea Lavender Rosemary Candle
This candle contains both those notes mentioned for a better sleep. It’s made with soy wax and hand-poured in the USA.
For just shy of $2.50, this fresh rosemary is just enough to test fragrancing your bedroom space with it, without the commitment.
Rosemary stems will look pretty reflected in a glass vase like this one. The medium size is compact enough for smaller spaces.
Meet the Experts
Jennifer is a Holistic Clinical Aromatherapist and the Founder of JennScents, where she formulates essential oil blends and teaches aromatherapy through JennScents Aromaversity. She is also the Author of the JennScents Holistic Aromatherapy Comprehensive Guide and has been empowering others with holistic wellness for over 24 years, specializing in the scent-emotion connection behind mind and body health.
Michelle is the Founder and CEO of Slow North, an Austin home fragrance company she has run since 2015. Slow North makes candles with soy wax and 100 per cent essential oils, with no synthetic fragrance. She also writes about home fragrance and low-tox living.
Switch out your rosemary for other aromatic herbs throughout the year to experiment with what’s in season.
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