Aromatherapy Awareness Week: Honouring the Power of Scent and Celebrating New Zealand's Native Oils

International Aromatherapy Awareness Week, held each June, celebrates the therapeutic use of essential oils and promotes safe, informed aromatherapy practice. It’s a time to reflect on how aromatic plants support physical health, emotional wellbeing, and mental clarity—and to reconnect with the natural world through the healing power of scent.

Aromatherapy works through both inhalation and absorption. When we inhale essential oils, they interact with the limbic system, the part of the brain that governs emotion, memory, and mood. When applied topically—properly diluted in a nut or seed oil—essential oils penetrate the skin and influence inflammation, circulation, and tissue regeneration. Their effects are both physiological and emotional, making them useful for calming the nervous system, supporting sleep, easing muscular discomfort, lifting mood, and caring for the skin.

At Zurma, Aromatherapy Awareness Week is an opportunity to celebrate the distinct and powerful essential oils grown here in Aotearoa. New Zealand’s native and locally cultivated plants yield oils with unique chemical profiles shaped by our pristine soil, strong sun, and coastal air. These oils are not just effective—they carry the signature of this land.

Here are six New Zealand essential oils we’re proud to feature:

Lavender NZ (Pacific Blue)
Grown and distilled in the South Island, Lavender Pacific Blue has a clean, floral aroma with low camphor content, making it exceptionally gentle. It’s ideal for anxiety, insomnia, and skin irritations such as minor burns or eczema. A staple in both clinical and everyday aromatherapy, this lavender is a favourite for sleep mists, bath soaks, and skincare. View Lavender NZ →

Lavender Violet Intrigue (NZ Essential Oil)
This special New Zealand-distilled Lavender Violet Intrigue is an exceptionally rare cultivar, known for its deeper, more resinous and almost violet-like profile. It offers all the calming benefits of lavender with a more mysterious and grounded aromatic character. Use it in blends for deep rest, meditation, or emotional tension where standard lavender feels too airy. View Violet Intrigue →

Mānuka Essential Oil
Harvested from the East Cape, our Mānuka oil is high in triketones—powerful antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory compounds. Mānuka supports healing for fungal skin conditions, acne, and minor wounds. It also has a calming, earthy aroma that blends beautifully with cedar, frankincense, or citrus oils for emotional steadiness. View Mānuka Oil →

Tea Tree NZ (Certified Organic)
Our Tea Tree is grown and distilled in New Zealand and certified organic. It has a fresh, sharp scent and offers excellent support for immune defence, skin infections, and clearing congested airways. Compared to its Australian cousin, NZ tea tree has a cleaner, more balanced profile and is ideal for diffuser use or topical blends (properly diluted). View Tea Tree NZ →

Douglas Fir NZ
Distilled from the fresh green needles of New Zealand forests, Douglas Fir is bright and citrusy with a grounding coniferous depth. It is rich in bornyl acetate, a calming ester found in many forest oils, making it wonderful for supporting focus, reducing stress, and clearing the breath. Use in diffusers, shower blends, or to energetically refresh a space. View Douglas Fir NZ →

Kānuka (Certified Organic)
Soft, green, and subtly sweet, Kānuka is often seen as a gentler companion to mānuka. It’s anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial, but also calming to the nervous system and gentle on reactive skin. Kānuka is ideal in massage oils, compresses, or as part of skincare for irritated or breakout-prone complexions. View Kānuka Oil →

As you mark Aromatherapy Awareness Week, consider what oils grow near you. New Zealand’s essential oils are uniquely suited to the environment and energies of this place—offering both therapeutic strength and a sense of local identity. Whether you’re using them in the diffuser, in a bath, or in a skin blend, these oils allow you to connect with the land while caring for your wellbeing.