How to Choose an Essential Oil Gift Set They'll Actually Use
An essential oil gift set looks lovely under the tree. But if it does not fit the way someone actually scents their home, it can end up at the back of a drawer, still sealed, by next Christmas.
You do not need to be an expert to choose well. A few quick questions about the person you are buying for will point you to the right set, and help you avoid the gifts that cause problems at home, such as a diffuser set for a house with a cat.
The quick answer
Choose by how they will use it first, and by scent second.
- They own an electric diffuser: an essential oil set is an easy fit.
- They make candles, wax melts, soap or reed diffusers: a fragrance oil set gives them more scents to work with.
- They have no diffuser and no scent hobby: check how they would use it before you buy.
- Their home has cats, a baby, a pregnancy or asthma: ask first, or choose a different gift.
- You are unsure of their taste: pick the scent family they already wear or buy, such as citrus, fresh, floral or warm and spicy.
Jump to: Four questions to ask | Essential or fragrance oils | Which set suits which person | Household checks | FAQ
Four questions to ask before you buy
Answer these four and the right set usually becomes clear. If you are not sure, ask a partner, housemate or friend who knows their home.
1. How do they scent their home now?
This matters more than anything else. A set only gets used if they have an easy way to enjoy it.
- They use an electric diffuser. Many electric diffusers take a few drops of oil in water, so a set of 10ml essential oils slots straight into their routine. Fragrance oils are different: some diffusers allow them and some do not, so check what their diffuser allows first.
- They like making things. Candle, wax melt, soap and reed diffuser makers often prefer fragrance oils because there are so many more scents to choose from. Makers usually check each oil's IFRA certificate to see how much they can use, and our guide to reading an IFRA certificate is a handy one to pass on.
- They have no diffuser at all. Oils can still be used, and our guide to using essential and fragrance oils without a diffuser has simple ideas. But if they are not the sort to experiment, a set may sit unopened. In that case, ask what they would really like.
2. Which scents do they already love?
Look at what they choose for themselves. Their perfume or aftershave, the candles and reed diffusers they buy, even their favourite shower gel will tell you more than any gift list.
Most people lean towards one or two scent families: bright citrus, clean and fresh, soft floral, or warm and spicy. Choose a set from a family they already enjoy and you are far more likely to see it used.
3. Who do they live with?
Cats, a new baby or young children, a pregnancy, or someone with asthma can all change what makes a good gift. If any of these apply, read the household checks below before you buy.
4. Do they like trying new scents?
A five-bottle set is ideal for someone who loves variety. If they always reach for the same scent, a bottle of their favourite may be the more thoughtful gift, and it will not leave four bottles they never open.
Essential oil set or fragrance oil set?
Choose essential oils for natural plant scents, and fragrance oils for a wider range of made scents. Neither is better. They suit different people and different uses.
- Essential oils come from plants, such as citrus peel, herbs, flowers and woods, and they smell like the plant they come from. They suit someone who likes natural scents and uses an electric diffuser.
- Fragrance oils are blended to smell like almost anything, from cookies and coffee to candy canes and fresh linen. Makers love them for candles, wax melts and soap. In a diffuser, use them only if the diffuser's maker allows it.
Both are concentrated. Neither should go on skin undiluted or ever be swallowed, and both belong out of reach of children and pets. Our guide to fragrance oils explained covers the differences in more depth.
Which set suits which person?
Here is a simple way to match a set to the person. Each set below holds five 10ml bottles, and the scents are listed so you can spot any they dislike.
- The Christmas fan who loves warm, spicy and woody scents: the Christmas Essential Oil Set, with cinnamon, orange, cedarwood and bergamot, plus a frankincense dilute.
- The festive maker, or anyone who loves nostalgic Christmas smells: the Christmas Time fragrance oil set, with Christmas Spice, Christmas Tree, Candy Cane, Christmas Cookie and Cinnamon Apple.
- The citrus lover who picks zesty perfumes and bright, lemony scents: the Citrus Essential Oil Set, with bergamot, lemon, grapefruit, lime and orange.
- The fresh-and-clean fan who likes spa-style, minty or herbal scents: the Fresh Essential Oil Set, with lavender, peppermint, tea tree, eucalyptus and lemon verbena.
- The flower lover who wears floral perfume: the Flower Essential Oil Set, with lavender, rose geranium and ylang ylang, plus dilutes of jasmine and chamomile.
- The coffee-shop regular with a sweet tooth: the Coffee Shop fragrance oil set, with Cherry Bakewell, Coffee, Chocolate, Christmas Cookie and Vanilla Latte.
Check the household before you buy
Essential oils are natural, but natural does not mean right for every home. These are the situations where it pays to ask first.
Homes with cats and other pets
Cats Protection and the PDSA both say most essential oils are toxic to cats. Cats Protection advises that ultrasonic and nebulising essential oil diffusers should be avoided in homes with cats, and both charities say oils should be stored where cats cannot reach them. The PDSA also points out that cats can lick up reed diffuser liquid. So for a cat owner, a diffuser set may be the wrong gift, however lovely it looks.
If a cat may have been exposed to an oil, both charities say to contact a vet straight away, even if the cat seems fine. Dogs and other pets need care too: our pet safety guide explains more, and the owner's vet is the best person to ask.
Homes with babies and young children
The Child Accident Prevention Trust lists aromatherapy oils among the products that can be dangerous if young children swallow them. Its general advice is to store risky products up high or locked away, keep them in their original containers, and never rely on child-resistant caps, which only buy time. If there is a baby or toddler at home, think about where the set will live before you give it. Our guide to essential oils around babies and children has more detail.
If they are pregnant
Let them choose. The UK Teratology Information Service says undiluted oils should not be put on the skin or swallowed, and that anyone unsure about essential oils in pregnancy should speak to their midwife or another healthcare professional. A different present lets them decide in their own time. Our guide to essential oils in pregnancy explains more.
Asthma or sensitivity to strong smells
Asthma + Lung UK says essential oils contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can trigger symptoms for some people with asthma and other lung conditions. If they, or someone they live with, have asthma or often find strong scents too much, ask before you buy. Our guide to essential oil allergies explains how reactions can show up.
Safety note for every set: read the label and use as directed. Never use oils undiluted on skin and never swallow them. Keep bottles capped and out of reach of children and pets, ventilate the room when you use them, and stop if anything causes irritation.
Gift-set mistakes to avoid
Most gift-set disappointments come from a handful of easy-to-avoid slips.
- Buying for the box, not the person. A pretty set of scents they dislike will not get used. Start with their taste.
- Assuming they own a diffuser. Check first, or choose a set they can enjoy in other ways.
- Choosing by promises. Buy a set because they will enjoy the scents. Essential oils make a lovely home fragrance gift, but they are not a treatment, so keep health promises off the gift tag.
- Decanting into fancy bottles. Repackaging oils for a homemade look loses the label, with its directions and warnings. Keep them in their original bottles.
- Leaving it by a radiator or the tree lights. Heat and sunlight are not kind to oils, so keep the gift somewhere cool and shaded until it is opened.
How to wrap and hand over the set
A little thought at the wrapping stage makes the set easy to enjoy from day one.
- Keep the bottles upright and the caps tight. Wrap the box so it sits the right way up, and store it somewhere cool until the big day.
- Add a "start here" note. Suggest the one or two scents to try first, based on what you know they like.
- Include the basics. A friendly line such as "read the label, use as directed and keep out of reach of children and pets" is helpful, not fussy.
- Tell them how to store it. Cool, dark and tightly capped. Our guide to whether essential oils go off explains how to keep bottles at their best.
Frequently asked questions
Are essential oils a good gift?
They can be, for someone who already enjoys home fragrance and has a way to use them. They are less suitable for homes with cats, or for anyone who finds strong scents hard to be around, unless you ask first.
Do you need a diffuser to use an essential oil gift set?
No, but a diffuser is the easiest way to enjoy one. There are other simple ways to use oils at home, so check how the person would like to use theirs before you buy.
What is the difference between an essential oil set and a fragrance oil set?
Essential oils come from plants and smell like the plant they come from. Fragrance oils are blended to create a wider range of scents, such as cookies, coffee or fresh linen, and are popular with candle and soap makers.
Can I give essential oils to someone with a cat?
Ask first. Cats Protection advises avoiding ultrasonic and nebulising essential oil diffusers in homes with cats, and oils should always be stored out of a cat's reach.
Is an essential oil set a good gift for someone who is pregnant?
Let them decide. The UK Teratology Information Service suggests speaking to a midwife or other healthcare professional if unsure about essential oils in pregnancy, so a different present may be kinder.
How should I store the set until it is opened?
Upright, sealed and somewhere cool and dark, away from radiators, sunny windowsills and tree lights, and out of reach of children and pets.
References
- Cats Protection: Are essential oils dangerous to cats? Diffusers in homes with cats, storage and what to do after exposure.
- PDSA: Cats and essential oils. Keeping cats away from diffusers and reed diffuser liquid, storage and when to call the vet.
- Child Accident Prevention Trust: Poisoning prevention tips. Aromatherapy oils, safe storage and child-resistant caps.
- UK Teratology Information Service (bumps): Essential oils. Using essential oils in pregnancy.
- Asthma + Lung UK: Complementary therapies for asthma, COPD and other lung conditions. Essential oils, VOCs and asthma symptoms.
Related reads
Once you know how they will use it and which scents they love, the choice gets much easier. Browse all our essential oil sets and fragrance oil sets, and tuck in a note with the scent to try first.