What Are Fragrance Oils and How Do You Use Them at Home?
Fragrance oils are a simple way to enjoy scent at home, and they give you a little more flexibility than many other home fragrance formats. Because they are concentrated, only a small amount is needed, and you can adjust the fragrance strength to suit your room and the device you are using.
At The Plant Workshop, our fragrance oils are bottled in small batches in our workshop on the West Coast of the Scottish Highlands. We have started the collection with five of our most-loved fragrances, giving you another way to bring familiar Plant Workshop scents into your home.
What are fragrance oils?
Fragrance oils are concentrated scented oils created for home fragrance use. Unlike a candle, which releases fragrance as the wax warms, or a reed diffuser, which scents a room continuously, fragrance oil is added in small amounts to a suitable device such as an oil burner or compatible electric aroma diffuser.
This makes fragrance oil particularly useful when you want more control. You can choose when to fragrance a room, change scents more easily, and adjust the amount you use depending on the size of the space and how strong you would like the fragrance to feel.
How do you use fragrance oils at home?
Always follow the instructions supplied with your burner or diffuser, as different devices are designed to work in different ways. In general, fragrance oils should be used sparingly because they are highly concentrated.
- Oil burners: add the fragrance oil according to the instructions supplied with your burner.
- Compatible electric aroma diffusers: check that your device is suitable for fragrance oils before use and follow the manufacturer's guidance.
- Start with a small amount: you can always add a little more if you would prefer a stronger fragrance.
- Change fragrance with the mood: oils make it easy to choose a different scent for different rooms, times of day or seasons.
Fragrance oils are for home fragrance use only. They should not be applied directly to the skin or ingested, and they should always be stored upright in a cool, dry place away from heat, open flames, children and pets.
How are fragrance oils different from candles and reed diffusers?
Each home fragrance format creates a slightly different experience. A scented candle combines fragrance with the warmth and atmosphere of a flame. A reed diffuser releases fragrance gradually throughout the day without needing to be switched on or lit.
Fragrance oils are more immediate. You decide when to use them and how much fragrance to add, making them a useful option for anyone who likes to vary the scent of their home regularly. There is no need to choose only one format either. Many of our fragrances are available across candles, reed diffusers and oils, so you can use the same scent in different ways throughout your home.
Which fragrance oil should you choose?
We have launched our fragrance oil collection with five signature scents, each with a different character.
- Northumberland Street is warm and atmospheric, with aromatic spice, rich amber, patchouli and soft leather.
- Oud is deep and opulent, built around smoky agarwood, golden amber and clove spice.
- Tobacco & Vanilla is warm and comforting, pairing sweet tobacco leaf with smooth bourbon vanilla and warming spices.
- Bog Myrtle has a wild, earthy character inspired by Scottish botanicals, with sweet gale and mossy green notes.
- Vetiver is sophisticated and earthy, combining Haitian vetiver with bright grapefruit and woody depth.
If you already have a favourite Plant Workshop candle or diffuser, starting with the matching oil is an easy choice. If you are choosing something new, think about the atmosphere you want to create. Richer woody and amber fragrances can feel warm and enveloping, while greener or brighter scents can bring a fresher character to a room.
Can you mix fragrance oils?
We recommend enjoying each fragrance as it has been created, particularly when trying it for the first time. Every Plant Workshop fragrance has been blended to have its own balance and character. Using one scent at a time also makes it easier to judge the strength and decide how much is right for your space.
If you like changing fragrance throughout the day or between rooms, fragrance oils make that easy without having to commit to one scent continuously.
Why we introduced fragrance oils
Fragrance oils are something our customers have been asking us for for a long time. We wanted to introduce them in a way that felt consistent with the rest of The Plant Workshop collection, so we began with a small selection of fragrances that are already firm favourites.
Each 15ml bottle is filled in small batches in our Scottish Highlands workshop. The current collection includes Northumberland Street, Oud, Tobacco & Vanilla, Bog Myrtle and Vetiver, with seasonal and limited-edition fragrances joining the range at selected times of year.
Discover The Plant Workshop fragrance oil collection
If you would like to try them for yourself, explore our full Fragrance Oils collection. You can also browse our Seasonal Editions to see which limited fragrances are currently available across the wider collection.
As with all home fragrance products, use fragrance oils only as directed and always follow the instructions supplied with your chosen burner or diffuser.