DIY Festive Scents for the Holiday SeasonBY KAREN ASP  |  DEC 5, 2014

To fill your home with festive scents this season, give store-bought air fresheners a pass—many contain phthalates, chemicals that can cause hormonal abnormalities, birth defects, and reproductive issues, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Instead, make your own.

How To Make Your Own Air FreshenersChoose a four-ounce amber glass bottle (dark glass protects the oils from light) that has an atomizer top and tube (available at sunburstbottle.com). Fill the bottle with distilled water to just below the neck, and then add three to four drops of pure essential oil and spritz away, even on linens, says Margo L. Hanson, a massage-therapist supervisor at Topnotch Resort in Stowe, Vermont, who makes aromatherapy blends from essential oils for the spa.

Aromatherapy Scents to TryTo open the senses, use one drop of eucalyptus and two to three drops of white thyme. Or try one drop each of peppermint and pine and two drops of rosewood to remind you of snowy woods.