It is well and truly winter outside, which means you can often be left feeling the chill for hours, even when you are in a warm environment. To save shivering, there are some fantastic essential oils that help to warm your skin, ease cold muscles and fill your house with festive fragrance.

Cinnamon

This is an oil that many people associate with Christmas. It has a beautifully spicy and earthy fragrance that is very distinctive and can be smelt for hours. This oil can help to warm the skin, but also create a comforting atmosphere in your home.

As it is incredibly strong, cinnamon oil should not be used on its own, even as a room fragrance. Instead, mix it with a carrier oil - such as jojoba oil - and other scents like sweet orange oil. This will avoid any irritation to your skin or nose and still give you the beautifully warming effect.

You can put it in an oil burner, use it as a bath oil or try a massage- a particularly good technique if you are performing exercise in winter.

Ginger

Ginger oil can smell very different depending upon the process that is used to distill it and the quality of the root that was used in the oil. The stronger scent your oil, the better quality it is and the longer it will last you.

This oil has a slightly fresher smell to it than cinnamon, which can lead to a lighter fragrance. However, the warming sensation is still the same.

While you can use the oil in a burner, for the best results use it in a bath. Ginger oil helps to improve circulation, which is important if you want to warm up. Soaking in a bath that contains the oil - try mixing it with a citrus oil for a sweeter smell - will help to get your blood pumping. This will warm your extremities, ease muscles and joints and help brighten your complexion.

Peppermint

You may think that peppermint is no good for warming the skin because it has a cooling sensation, but this can be beneficial in cold weather.

The oil helps to stimulate circulation, which warms you up, but also cools the surface of your skin. In hot weather this can cool you don't a lot, but when it is cold out having a lower surface temperature means that any warm air feels incredibly hot. This means it is a great quick fix for when you are feeling incredibly cold.

Peppermint oil is also very refreshing, meaning it is perfect for early mornings when you are going to have to go out in the cold.

Black pepper

You may think that black pepper oil is going to be an incredibly spicy scent but it is actually a nice fresh fragrance with a hint of warming spice. Black pepper oil can be strong smelling in its purest form, but when it is mixed with other fragrances and a carrier oil - as it should be for use on your skin - it becomes much more refined.

It is particularly good for massages as it helps to decrease bruising and improve circulation while deeply warming the skin. It is perfect for working out aches and pains and any stiffness that is often associated with cold weather.

As black pepper oil has a wholesome scent, it will help to rejuvenate you while also being very comforting. Try mixing it with other festive fragrances to put in an oil burner for a great pick me and wholesome fragrance this winter.