Kia ora e te whānau Wondelust, Hello to you all from good old New Zealand (no we're not part of Austrailia, lol :) ;) ). I often make a joke about how I am allergic to relaxing due to my allergies to both Lavender and Chamomile (Echinaesha too, but thats just due to my asthma). I also suffer with year round hayfever so a lot of floral smells are out too (Geranium is a definite no). I have been looking into oil blends to help with health and well-being (likes of sleep, anxiety, etc.) and just general all round nice smells for the home. Unfourtunately, a lot of these blends have Lavender, Chamomile, and various strong floral notes which I react too, could I please have some help in regards to substitutions in regards to what I am allergic too so I can still benefit from the likes of aromatherepy within my practice and wiccan path.
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I'm not someone who uses aroma therapy or oils so please take this with a grain of salt...
I would recommend either making your own out of things you don't react to or seeing if you can find pure (one ingredient) oils and mixing your own even if you don't extract the oil yourself. Though on the subject of DIY I read an interesting how to that used the herbs you want and your Crock-Pot to extract the oil. I'll see if I can find it in my history and link it in another comment.
As for substitution... First I would go with memory and intuition, what smells bring you comfort? Like cooking smells and such? Like cinimon cookies or even chicken noodle soup. Or look up herbal uses and try their oils for the smell. Afterall the correspondences are the same even if we are using a different sence.
Sorry if this isn't what you were looking for... Keep us informed and I will look for that link!
Thanks a lot, I will look into it
https://www.ehow.com/how_12055425_make-homemade-essential-oils-crockpot.html
This isn't the exact article but the instructions are the same.
There's so much to relaxation that even the most scientific studies of it tend to appear magickal at times... Here are some ideas to help you achieve the results you'd like without having to worry about allergens and/or finances... (IMPORTANT: Please check with a trained professional re: allergens before trying any of the botanicals I mention!)
It may be that just having "cleaner" or "fresher" or "less stale" air will help with relaxation... some non-florals I'd suggest trying are pine, cedar, and eucalyptus. Something as simple as a few small twigs of still-green pine, or a bowl with eucalyptus leaves, can completely change the feel of the air in a room, especially if it's a small space.
Now, if you like the smell/taste of the air just before, during, and just after thunderstorms, then some folks may suggest adding ozone. I'd recommend against this, because it is a VERY powerful oxidant and can damage pretty much any tissues in your respiratory system and extended exposure can have some nasty neurological effects. Instead of ozone (it used to be possible to buy ozone generators, don't know if that's still true), you might want to try placing a few shallow bowls of salt in a small area, or even 1-2 of the easily-available "salt lamps" (most frequently Himalayan pink salt) -- since salt releases negative ions, this can change the electrical charge in the air in a small space. This can not only make the air feel cleaner, under certain circumstances can lead to dust being pulled from the air electrostatically so you're breathing in fewer particulate pollutants that may be making you subconsciously feel less relaxed.
You can also look into the colors around you; pale blues, yellows, and greens have been shown to have a relaxing effect. In a small-to-medium size room, just having one clearly visible "accent wall" painted in one of these colors while the others remain white can make it a more relaxing space.
Finally -- and this is something that's proven nearly impossible for me -- clutter has repeatedy proven to be a stressor even at deep subconscious levels. It's one thing to have a random assortment of plants & crystals around (unsurprisingly, that can actually be calming!), or a bunch of tools and other items on an altar with no particular arrangement, but a space that's filled with stuff, all flat surfaces covered with things, few open areas, and all kinds of visual clutter can increase one's stress levels without the problem being obvious. (There's a reason that so many Asian-style spas & meditation spaces are so basic and uncluttered.) Make sure you have at least one area in your house where you don't see All Kinds Of Stuff Piled Up Everywhere(tm) or other visual clutter, and take a few minutes each day to just sit & let your eyes enjoy the little patch of peace. :-)
I hope some of this helps... (I'm working on that last point myself!)