The Wellness Journal · Yoga & Ritual
What Is an Aromatherapy Eye Pillow? A Simple Definition, Benefits and How to Choose One
An aromatherapy eye pillow is a small, weighted pillow designed to rest gently over closed eyes. It is typically filled with buckwheat hulls or linseed for a soft, conforming weight, and infused with dried herbs or essential oils, most commonly lavender and chamomile, which release a calming scent as it warms against the skin. If you have ever been in a yoga class and had one placed over your eyes during Savasana, you already know the effect. Here is exactly what it is, how it works, and what to look for when choosing one.
What It Is
What is an Aromatherapy Eye Pillow?
An aromatherapy eye pillow is a small, weighted pillow designed to rest gently over the eyes. It is typically filled with a natural material, buckwheat hulls, linseed or flaxseed, that gives it a soft, conforming weight. It is infused with dried herbs or essential oils, most commonly lavender and chamomile, which release a calming scent when warmed by the skin.
Unlike a standard sleep mask, an aromatherapy eye pillow is not primarily about blocking light. It is about the combination of gentle pressure, darkness and scent working together, which many people find genuinely calming.
How It Works
Why an Eye Pillow Feels So Calming
The gentle weight of an eye pillow resting on the closed eyes is widely felt to be soothing and grounding, part of why the sensation is so immediately calming for many people.
At the same time, the darkness created by the pillow reduces visual stimulation, one of the more significant everyday sources of mental noise. And the lavender released by the warmth of the skin adds a gentle, familiar scent, lavender having a long history of use in aromatherapy for calm and relaxation. To explore lavender in more depth, read our guide to lavender, one of the most researched essential oils in the world.
Weight, darkness and scent, working together. This combination is why the effect of an eye pillow tends to feel more pronounced than any single element alone.
"I never teach a class without an eye pillow. The moment students place them over their eyes in Savasana, the quality of stillness in the room changes completely." — Laura Colucci, Yoga Teacher & Founder
The Spritz Wellness Aromatherapy Eye Pillow, designed to deepen Savasana through gentle weight and calming scent
When to Use It
When to Use an Aromatherapy Eye Pillow
Eye pillows are most loved in these moments:
Savasana
The final resting pose of yoga. An eye pillow transforms Savasana from a moment of fidgeting into genuine, settled rest. See our guide to what Savasana is and why it matters.
Meditation
The reduced visual stimulation makes settling the mind noticeably easier for many people. Particularly helpful if you find yourself distracted during seated meditation.
Before Sleep
Place over the eyes as part of an evening sleep ritual, alongside a lavender pillow spray. The combination becomes a familiar cue that it is time to rest.
Yin Yoga
Particularly lovely in long-held yin poses and restorative postures. Read our guide to yin yoga and why it's the most underrated style of yoga.
Rest & Recovery
For tension headaches, eye strain or simply needing to decompress, place over the eyes for ten minutes whenever the day has been too much.
How to Choose
What to Look for in an Eye Pillow
Not all eye pillows are equal. Here is what matters:
Filling: Buckwheat hulls and linseed are among the best natural fillings, they conform to the face, retain warmth and create a consistent gentle weight. Synthetic fillings tend to feel plasticky and do not hold warmth in the same way.
Scent: Look for genuine essential oils, lavender and chamomile are among the most widely valued for relaxation. Synthetic fragrances can cause irritation for sensitive skin and lack the same natural quality.
Fabric: A beautiful, soft cover makes a difference to how much you want to reach for it. The Spritz Wellness eye pillows are made in distinctive Liberty London prints, designed to be as pleasurable to look at as they are to use.
Size and weight: The pillow should cover the eyes and rest on the brow bone without being heavy enough to feel oppressive. The Spritz Wellness eye pillow is designed precisely for this, weighted enough to feel grounding, light enough to be comfortable throughout a full Savasana.
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Take the Quiz Shop Eye Pillows Shop Yoga RangeFrequently Asked Questions
What is an aromatherapy eye pillow?
A small, weighted pillow filled with a natural material like buckwheat hulls or linseed, infused with calming herbs or essential oils such as lavender and chamomile, designed to rest gently over closed eyes.
What is the difference between an eye pillow and an eye mask?
An eye mask is primarily designed to block light, usually with a strap for sleep or travel. An eye pillow is unweighted for wear during activity but rests freely over the eyes while lying down, combining gentle weight, darkness and scent.
What is an eye pillow filled with?
Most natural eye pillows are filled with buckwheat hulls or linseed, sometimes flaxseed, combined with dried lavender and chamomile for scent.
When should you use an eye pillow?
Popular moments include Savasana at the end of a yoga practice, seated meditation, as part of an evening sleep ritual, or simply to rest tired eyes during the day.
Laura Colucci is a yoga teacher based in London and West Sussex, founder of The Nook yoga studio, and the creator of the Spritz Wellness range.
