by Annie Vischer
I have a few things that are always beside my bed, without fail. A full glass of water, hand cream, my book of the moment and Aromatherapy Associates Lavender & Peppermint Bath & Shower Oil (£40.00). It’s one of my ultimate must-haves.
It does have a particularly nostalgic hold over me. If ever I couldn’t sleep as a child, whether it was because of nightmares, a cold, or seeing a scary film, I’d get a drop of lavender oil on my pillow and a Liberty lavender filled peg lady to hold. It calmed and soothed, and I was out like a light. My mother has always, for as long as I can remember, dropped drops of lavender oil into her baths, and the scent would float around the house whenever she was relaxing.
Aromatherapy Associates combine lavender with peppermint to add a freshness and a lightness to its scent. Peppermint it appears, also pulls from my memory bank. We always had a flourishing mint plant in the garden at home in the country, right by the door so we’d catch a gorgeous whiff of it during summer, arriving back from whatever sports match, drama rehearsal, riding lesson or plain old day at school we’d been attending. At one point my mother gave me an aromatherapy oil with a rollerball applicator that was predominantly peppermint. I used it religiously before bed, to compliment my sleep, not induce it, because I loved the light and mellow fragrance so much. And the rollerball was a total novelty.
There’s something about the oil itself being transparent too. Like a magical sort of water. As well as using in the bath and shower, I’ll apply a little to my pulse points before bed sometimes. I associate it with deep sleeps, unwinding and relaxing, so its effect could well be purely placebo, but it’s glorious so who am I to question it?