Smokeless Smudging: How to Create Your Own Smudge Spray

DIY Smokeless Smudge Spray

BENEFITS OF USING SMUDGING SPRAY OVER BURNING SMUDGE STICKS OR WANDS

If you are a spiritual person then you have probably heard the terms smudging and/or energy cleansing. If you are religious then you have probably heard of holy water, blessed oil and resins used for incense like Frankincense and Myrrh. These are all tools that are used to get rid of negative, unwanted energy and attachments  that can interfere with our greatest and highest good, the way we feel and the way we think.

When it comes to smudging, most people think of burning certain woods, resins and herbs to clear the space of negative energies and attachments.

However, for people who suffer from allergies and asthma, smudging in this way can trigger allergic reactions. Itchy eyes, coughing, eczema, trouble breathing and etc. If you do energy work like I do, or have several clients that you work with, cleansing energy is a must. Now, smudging isn’t the only way to cleanse energy within ourselves or in the spaces that we are in but it is nice to be able to have the option to smudge. There are times when I will use sound to cleanse my space via a singing bowl or a steel drum. There are also bells that ring at certain frequencies that can be used for this purpose as well. Sometimes though, I still want to be able to use the benefits of certain plants, herbs, flowers and woods to cleanse unwanted energy and call in my ancestors. The dilemma that I was having was that I was having allergic reactions when I would smudge due to the smoke that is produced by burning herbs, woods and plants.

One day, when I was purchasing essential oils online, I came across a smokeless way to smudge. The essential oil vendor that I was using also sold products called hydrosols. Hydrosols are floral waters that are a bi-product of essential oils. During the process of extracting essential oils from plants, Hydrosols are extracted from the plants as well via a process called hydr- distillation. The essential oil produced from distilling a plant is very concentrated and contains more properties of the plant than hydrosols do. They often have to be diluted before using on the skin because they are so strong. The Hydrosol produced from the distillation process is much less potent and is mostly water but contains a small amount of the essential oil produced from the plant. It is a lot milder than the essential oil, it typically is aromatic and smells similar to the plant but it is safe to use undiluted on the skin. Rose water is an example of a hydrosol. So back to the story, as I was looking through the selection of hydrosols on the vendor’s website, I saw that they had White Sage hydrosol and they mentioned that it could be used in the place of burning sage leaves to cleanse energy in the room. I was super excited and I purchased it. Then I went on to find a Palo Santo hydrosol but was unable to find one. I prefer Palo Santo to White Sage so I was very disappointed that they did not have one and I couldn’t find one from a vendor that I trusted.

However, I did have Palo Santo essential oil. So I decided to make my own smudge spray using Palo Santo essential oil. Since I make home fragrance and skincare products, I already had all of these ingredients. You can find most of these ingredients at any health and wellness store and even the grocery store. You will want to make sure you are purchasing your ingredients from a reputable vendor and you will want to purchase undiluted essential oils if you can. If you see more than one ingredient on the back of the essential oil bottle, then it is not pure and it is diluted with a carrier oil. Therefore it will not be as potent.

To make smudging spray the way that I make it, you will need the following:

1. An Emulsifier- This is an agent that helps liquids bind together. We will be using water in this recipe and since oil does not mix or dissolve in water, we will need an agent to help them mix together. The following ingredients can be used as emulsifiers:
   • Alcohol [High Proof Vodka (100-151 proof), Grain Alcohol(Everclear), Perfumer’s Alcohol (clear and unscented)High Percentage Isopropyl Alcohol (90% or higher, this is the least preferred since it has a stronger smell). Alcohol also helps to disperse the scent into the air. If you use Isopropyl or rubbing alcohol, you may have to let your spray sit for a few weeks until the alcohol smell dissipates.]
   • Witch Hazel
   • Salt (Sea Salt, Epsom Salt, Himalayan Pink Salt, etc). Sometimes I will add a tablespoon of salt along with one of the liquid emulsifiers. Salt can cleanse the air and it seems to make the scent last longer in my opinion.

2. Water

   • Distilled Water
   • Bottled Water
   • Hydrosol or Floral Water

   I have used regular water from the sink at times which is fine. Most people prefer to boil tap water before using it to make sure impurities are removed.

3. Essential Oils- you will want to use essential oils that are good for cleansing energy, grounding and creating calming environments. You can use one essential oil or you can use a combination of them. Some essential oils that are good for smudging spray are:

   • Palo Santo- AKA Holy Wood-Cleanses negative energy but attracts positive energy
   • White Sage- Cleanses ALL energy (Palo Santo removes negative energy only), improves cognition, anti-bacterial
   • Mugwort- Stimulates dreams (lucid, prophetic)
   • Frankincense- Purifies & cleanses sacred spaces, increases spiritual awareness, helps with anxiety & depression-anti-bacterial
   • Myrrh- Clears negative energy, strengthens spiritual connection
   • Lavender- Psychic protection, cleanses negative energy, increases intuition, promotes tranquility and calming environment
   • Hyssop- AKA Holy Herb- purifies & cleanses sacred spaces, promotes opening heart, supports respiratory system, soothes coughs
   • Buddha Wood-Increases peace ,helps with mindfulness, grounding, reduces stress
   • Camphor- Purifies air & removes negative energy, healing, helps with breathing
   • Peppermint- Increases consciousness, protection, decreases mental fatigue, helps alleviate headaches
   • Oud/Agarwood- Higher frequency than most woods, cleanses negative energies, stress reliever, antimicrobial
   • Rosemary- Purifies & protects, anti-bacterial, increases memory recall
   • Cinnamon– Clears negative energy, protection, attracts money & good fortune
   • Benzoin- Clears stagnation-attracts prosperity-clears negative energy
   • Amber- Healing, protection, stimulates creativity & intellect

   And many, many more. Different cultures use different types of plants and herbs for smudging so go with an essential oil from a plant that you would typically smudge with in your culture or religion. There are some plants that you may not be able to find an essential oil for, or the oil may be extremely pricey due to the difficulty involved with extracting the oil from the plant. For example, Rose Oil and Oud/Agarwood oil are extremely expensive. You can purchase cheaper, diluted versions of these oils if you would like to.

   Essential oils are natural, unlike fragrance oils that have chemicals added to them, so it is often a better option for those with allergies or people that prefer natural products. They have healing properties, calming properties, cleansing properties and some have anti-bacterial or anti-viral properties. The amount of drops of oil that you will use for your recipe may vary depending on the type of oil that you are using. Some oils have a stronger, longer lasting smell than others. This is because of something called fragrance notes. Oils are categorized into top notes, middle notes and base notes based on how quickly they evaporate. The longer it takes an oil to evaporate, the longer the smell lingers in the air. You may have noticed that scents that are made with woodsy scents or food like scents last longer than citrus scents. That is because most citrus oils are top notes and they evaporate faster than woodsy type scents which are often times bottom notes.

INGREDIENT MEASUREMENTS

I like to make 16 oz smudge spray so I don’t have to make it as often. However, most recipes that you will find online will only go up to 4 oz.

Since people may want to make different sizes of spray. The best ratio of alcohol (or the emulsifier of your choice) that I would advise would be 1 part alcohol (or other emulsifier) to 1 part water, which is the same thing as using equal parts of both. For ex. If you use 2 oz of alcohol then you will use 2 oz of water.

Or, if you want to use less alcohol, you can use 1 part alcohol to 2 parts of water. For example, if you use 1 oz of alcohol then you would use 2 oz of water.

I go back and forth between them both. I haven’t noticed a huge difference between the two.

As far as the essential oil ratio, you will want to use 30-60 drops of essential oils. It really just depends on the amount of spray you are making and how potent you want it to be. I prefer to use the higher end. You will want to make it to your liking…add some drops…shake it up, smell it and determine if you need more or not.

*tip- use a dark, glass bottle if you can. Some essential oils are too potent for plastic bottles and dark colored bottles will help to preserve the oils in your spray longer as they can be broken down by sunlight. You can still use a plastic spray bottle if you want to though, since the oils will be diluted by the water and emulsifier, it will be fine.

HOW TO MAKE THE SMUDGING SPRAY

INGREDIENTS:

1. Emulsifier (High Proof Vodka, Grain Alcohol, Witch Hazel or Sea Salt)
2. Water (Distilled, Bottled, Boiled Tap Water or         Hydrosol/Floral Water)
3. Essential Oils
4. 1 Spray Bottle- Size of your choice- use dark glass bottle if you can

Directions: Feel free to pray over your mixture or add your intentions as you are making it.

1. Add your emulsifier to your bottle using the ratio that you have chosen. If you are making a 16 oz bottle like I am, use 8 oz of your emulsifier, I typically use vodka or perfumer’s alcohol.

If you are using salt as your emulsifier, add the water to the bottle first and then add about 1 tablespoon of salt.

* It helps if the water is warm as the salt will dissolve faster. 
* If you are making a small bottle, like 2 oz for ex…you may want to use 1 teaspoon vs 1 table spoon.

2. Add your essential oils. Since I am making a 16 oz bottle of spray, I typically use about 50-60 drops. Put the top on your bottle and shake up your mixture.

3. Add your water using the ratio that you have chosen. If you are making a 16 oz bottle like I am, use 8 oz of water

4. Put the top back on and mix up your spray. Now your spray is ready to use. If you used rubbing alcohol then you may want to wait for about a week before using your spray so it doesn’t have a strong alcohol spray. I have made this with rubbing alcohol a few times and I use it right away because I am not patient enough to wait lol. I use enough essential oils to cover the smell good enough.

I hope you enjoy using your new smudging spray. Feel free to let us know in the comment section if you made the spray. If you tweeked the ingredients or what essential oil combination you used.

-Ciarra

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