Aromatherapy isn't just for massages and bath tubs. It can also work wonders in a hot tub, where relaxing and healing scents made from essential oils combine with heat, water and motion to relax and reinvigorate tired muscles. It's simple to make your own hot tub fragrance, but you will need about two weeks to let the scent steep. You can make several different scents to use for different purposes. For example, lavender-based scents are great for relaxation, while scents with mint will help stimulate your mind and body.
Choosing a Scent
Since hot tubs and jacuzzis generally have a strong smell of chlorine, it's important to consider how the scent will combine with the smell of the chlorine before adding it to the water. Many floral scents are overpowered by the chlorine, while musky scents sometimes become unpleasant.
- Since hot tubs and jacuzzis generally have a strong smell of chlorine, it's important to consider how the scent will combine with the smell of the chlorine before adding it to the water.
Some of the more popular choices of fragrances for adding to hot tubs include citrus-based and clean-smelling fragrances such as lemon oil, wintergreen or vanilla. Floral scents that are strong enough to stand up to use in a hot tub include lavender, sweet geranium and rose.
If you're unsure whether a particular scent will smell good in a hot tub, place about a litre of water from the hot tub into a plastic container and add a drop or two of essential oil. Mix well and let it stand for a short time and then smell it to see if it produces a pleasing scent.
Creating the Hot Tub Fragrance
Make the hot tub fragrance by steeping the essential oil you've chosen in a mixture of vodka and distilled water. Simply mix 1/4 cup unflavored vodka with two cups of distilled water and 10-15 drops of essential oil in a clean container with an airtight lid. Seal tightly and place in a cool, dark place for about two weeks.
You can also create your own hot tub fragrances by steeping pleasant-smelling, non-irritating, flower petals in the vodka and distilled water. Add at least one cup of petals, such as rose petals, to the mixture and let stand for two weeks. Filter out and discard the petals at the end of two weeks.
Add the fragrance to the hot tub about 1/2 cup at a time, until you reach the desired amount of scent.
- Make the hot tub fragrance by steeping the essential oil you've chosen in a mixture of vodka and distilled water.
- Add the fragrance to the hot tub about 1/2 cup at a time, until you reach the desired amount of scent.
Recipes
Once you've figured out what scents are most pleasing, experiment by combining various essential oils to create different fragrances. Use perfume and soap recipes as a basis, and adjust amounts and oils as desired to create the hot tub fragrances that are most pleasing to you.