Relaxing Pillow Mist for a Calm Mind & Better Sleep

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Pillow Mist

This easy to make pillow mist is the perfect way to unwind after a long day. Spray it on pillows and sheets and let the natural ingredients do their job.

I’ve always been a good sleeper. It takes me just a few minutes to fall asleep and stay that way until morning. Until lately.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot has changed. We’ve changed our routine completely, started schooling at home, had extra demands from work and children. If I’m honest, it is overwhelming.

All of this is wreaking havoc on my sleep. I find myself lying awake for hours, trying to calm my mind. I’ve tried cutting caffeine, limiting screen time, and fasting before bed but not a lot has much help. So I’ve been working on something to help me calm down before bed: a pillow mist filled with some calming and grounding essential oils.

Making a Pillow Mist

Making a pillow mist is a lot like making a DIY Air Freshener Spray. You combine essential oils in high proof grain alcohol, which acts as a medium to safely disperse the essential oils. Then you add distilled water to this mixture.

It’s very important to use alcohol in this recipe as water and essential oils do not mix. Think of your favorite salad dressing. When you combine olive oil and vinegar, the two will separate, even if it takes a little while. The same is true with essential oils and water.

High proof alcohol, in the right concentrations, is able to preserve and solubilize essential oils. For a great in-depth article on the science behind this, I highly recommend reading this article by the Tisserand Institute on the “Effective Use of Alcohol for Aromatic Blending.

For this pillow mist recipe, I did use 151 proof Everclear and it worked just fine. I let the oils sit for 24 hours in the alcohol, which I do feel helped them fully solubilize. Rose Absolute and Vetiver are somewhat thicker oils, so you will want to make sure they are fully solubilized before adding to water.

Soothing Essential Oils for Sleep

For this recipe, I chose a unique blend of oils for relaxation, grounding, and sleep. They come together to form a lovely floral citrus aroma that gently surrounds me as I drift off to sleep.

Rose Absolute

When I was making this pillow mist blend, my first instinct was to choose Rose Absolute. While somewhat expensive, this precious floral oil is excellent in times of stress or emotional distress. It also helps with grieving and processing emotions. A 2017 review done on clinical studies of Rose absolute confirmed its anxiety-relieving properties (Mohebitabar, et al. 2017).

Ylang Ylang

Another floral essential oil that has been noted for its anxiety-relieving properties is Ylang Ylang. This oil also has sedating properties, particularly for the central nervous system. It’s deep and rich aroma blends so well with Rose absolute and seems to linger about my bedroom even into the morning.

Sweet Orange

Sweet orange makes up a good bit of this pillow mist blend, but its main job is to help round out the intense floral aromas by adding some light, sweet top notes. But don’t let it fool you: Sweet Orange is also a very calming oil as evidenced in this 2012 study.

Vetiver

Lastly, this blend is grounded with Vetiver, a deep, earthy smelling essential oil produced from the roots of the plant. Vetiver does not smell great on its own, but when blended with such rich florals and bright citrus, it gives a sense of stability.

Pillow Mist

Pillow Mist Recipe

This easy to make pillow mist is the perfect way to unwind after a long day. Spray it on pillows and sheets and let the natural ingredients do their job.
Prep Time
15 minutes
Active Time
5 minutes
Blending Time
1 day
Total Time
1 day 20 minutes
Servings
6 ounces
Estimated Cost
$1

Equipment

  • Amber spray bottle (6 ounces or larger)
  • Mason Jar

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Begin making your pillow mist by measuring 2 ounces of high proof grain alcohol into a mason jar, dropping in the essential oils, and stirring with a clean utensil (I used a glass stir rod).

  2. Cap tightly and allow the essential oils to blend for 24 hours.
  3. After 24 hours, check to see that all the essential oils have fully dispersed. The solution will be a light orange color and you won’t be able to see any individual drops of essential oils.
  4. Using a funnel, pour the alcohol mixture into the spray bottle and fill with 4 ounces of distilled water.
  5. Cap with sprayer and shake well
  6. Spray pillows and bed linens before bed.

Notes

This recipe is not intended to use on skin. It is safe for most fabrics, but always test a small area before spraying all over.

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Have you been using pillow mist or something else to help calm your mind during these trying times?

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About Katie Vance

Katie is a wife, mother, aromatherapist, and lover of all things DIY. She offers consultations and gives simple aromatherapy advice at Katie Vance, Aromatherapy Simplified. You can also find Katie on Facebook.

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