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February 1, 2026

Happy Sunday!

And Yay! It's February!

January honestly feels stressful to me. That whole "new year, new you" thing makes me a little cray! And I'm also still recovering from the busyness of October, November, and December, aren't you?

Even though February is still deep in winter, it still feels kind of sparkly. Refreshing and hopeful. And we're actually getting some sun today, so there's that! 🥰

#FeelingThankful

I don't talk about carrier oils very much, and honestly, I should. When herbalists and aromatherapists consider creating formulations for clients, the base lipid oil in a product plays a much bigger role than most of us realize.

Consider making an herbal oil infusion, like my Comfrey Salve for pains and healing. The base oil is something to consider for its own properties it lends to the formulation. Especially when I create a skincare serum, the carrier oils I choose are the part that makes it effective for skin health!

I want to invite you to a special free workshop that my friend, Susan Parker (author of Power of the Seed) is doing for us next week! She'll be going over carrier oils for aromatherapy.

So, if you create with essential oils or are interested in creating the best lipid serums (or salves) with lipid oils, this is going to be a wonderful addition to your knowledge base! You can register HERE or in the link below.

​The Other Half of Aromatherapy: Working with Carrier Oils​

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February Diffuser Blends

In honor of the fact that it's the very first day of February today, I'm sharing some diffuser blends with you that are perfect for this time of year. These are easy to make, and I'm using essential oils (or options) that are not expensive. In fact, if you have a little collection of essential oils, you may already have these!

Just drop these into your diffuser and enjoy instant loveliness in your home or other space!

Vanilla Joy

2 to 4 drops vanilla extract (Yep! Vanilla extract---there is no such thing as vanilla essential oil, and the oleoresin and absolute options are beyond expensive!) Be sure it's alcohol based with no sweeteners or additives.

3 drops bergamot (Citrus bergamia) essential oil

1 to 2 drops patchouli (Pogostemon cablin) essential oil

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Bright Morning

4 drops peppermint (Mentha x piperita) essential oil

4 drops bergamot (Citrus bergamia) essential oil

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Uplifting Sweet Heart Blend

4 drops bergamot (Citrus bergamia) essential oil

1 drop lemon (Citrus limon) essential oil

1 drop grapefruit (Citrus paradisii) essential oil

2 drops patchouli (Pogostemon cablin) essential oil

NOTES:

Some people don't enjoy patchouli like I do, so some great substitutes are sandalwood, vetiver, amyris, and cedarwood atlas. These add depth and a touch of sweetness.

The citrus essential oils are jam-packed with limonene, a chemical constituent that goes to work in your body to support your immune system by helping your body create white blood cells. So, if you're feeling like something's coming on like a cold or flu, citrus essential oils are great choices for your diffuser!

You may also enjoy these videos for February:

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and my (article) for two chais, including Rosy Chocolate Chai is perfect for right now!

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Encouragement and Inspiration

"Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier." --Mother Teresa

When I’m frustrated and feeling generally crabby, the last thing I want is someone’s cheery “happy talk.” Sometimes (and this is hard to admit out loud) I’d rather keep my bad mood, curl up in it, and have a little private pity party. And it’s tempting to tell myself, My attitude only affects me… right?

Not quite.

A sour attitude and a critical spirit don’t stay contained. They spread—like an unpleasant smell—to anyone who gets close. When I’m like that, I can pull other people down to my level. And let’s be real: it’s not a good look or "feel".

But here’s the hopeful, best part: the opposite is just as true.

When I choose to guard my attitude—when I make a real effort to meet people with love, kindness, and patience—that spreads too. Send a big smile someone's way!

What a gift that is. What a joy to carry a presence that is uplifting and cheerful into the room.

And what an honor it is to reflect the love of God in ordinary moments, with the people right in front of me.

When I let God’s love flow through me, I can be like a sweet fragrance to others—so they’re better off, even in a small way, just because they crossed paths with me.

You may think I'm crazy, but I actually have alarms set on my phone to go off periodically to remind me to check my thoughts, energy, and "vibe." What am I bringing?

Because that affects all I come into contact with...

"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma." --Ephesians 5:1-2

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Do you have my free Guide to Blending Herbs and Oils for Love? It's 53 pages of herbal and essential oil materia medica, some science on aphrodisiac properties of these herbs and oils, and some wonderful formulations to enjoy this month of February or anytime. If you're married, it may be a wonderful resource. If you're not married, well, there are some skincare formulations I've included as well as the materia medica and aromatic medica that will still be very helpful in your herbalism practice.

I should mention that I once received a snarky and ignorant comment one time for my use of the word "sensuous" somewhere in the book.

As a Christian, I guess this person thought my use of the word was an evil thing, but that is probably an indication of where their own mind and thoughts are.

Sensuous is defined as: relating to or affecting the senses rather than the intellect, at least in the way I use it. Especially with aromatherapy, where we engage our sense of smell, our essential oils can be wonderfully helpful for enhancing mood, helping to release anxiety and worry, and much more.

God created us with our senses for many reasons! Not only do they help us survive, they are a source of pleasure for us, and this is extraordinarily helpful for helping us manage our mind and thoughts as God tells us to do. (Romans 12:2) This is one of the reasons I just love aromatherapy SO much, along with my medicinal herbs.

I hope you have the best and most beautiful day, today!

Hugs, Health, and Herbs,

Heidi

P.S. I've had quite a few people reach out to me about wanting to join this new student cohort for Ditch the Drugstore. We're only a week in, so it's not too late if you want to hop in.

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This week's note is sponsored by the Confident Herbalist Tribe!​

If you're ready to learn serious herbalism in community, you'll love the Tribe. Thousands of pages of researched texts, masterclasses and specialty herbalism courses, live chats with me each week, and lots more is included inside the Confident Herbalist Tribe.

PLUS, you get to choose your own Herbal Pilgrimage Path so your experience in The Confident Herbalist Tribe is exactly perfect for your learning style, level of experience, wants, and needs!

The Confident Herbalist Tribe is officially closed right now, and will be open for enrollment later this month!