Out of the Blues: nature’s antidote to the darkest time of the year

Explore our new and limited-edition Out of the Blues collection 

Even though January comes at the same time each year, we’re somehow always woefully unprepared for it; the post-holiday slump, the lack of sunlight, the pressure of the new year’s goals and resolutions, the long road ahead before the spring equinox. Try as we might, January can just feel, well, hard.

This year at Saje, we wanted to explore a new category of products designed to help us feel lighter, brighter and more emotionally balanced as we navigate this tough time of year, which is why we’re thrilled to share that we’re launching an extremely limited collection of products called Out of the Blues as both a diffuser blend and a roll-on, in support of relief from the winter sadness, sometimes referred to as Blue Monday. 

What is Blue Monday?

Blue Monday is a cultural phenomenon, that started in the UK back around 2005, a term first coined by a travel company in an effort to encourage people to buy more trips to warm destinations. Despite its beginnings in marketing, what has followed since then has been an opportunity to more openly and vulnerably discuss mental and emotional health and well-being, and a collective effort to normalize really common feelings of melancholy and sadness at a tough time of year for many.  

Blue Monday is typically acknowledged as the 3rd Monday of January, which means in 2026 it will fall on Monday, January 19. One of the most well-respected centers for mental health support in Canada, known as CAMH, shares the following as part of an article on Blue Monday: “There is no scientific basis for why the third Monday in January has been deemed Blue Monday. It actually came about as a marketing gimmick by a travel company a decade ago. But the reason it has caught on in the public imagination, especially in Canada, is that it rings true.”  

CAMH Psychologist Dr. Katy Kamkar shares the following as steps we can take each day to help combat the winter blues; "Daily meaningful activities like getting proper sleep, maintaining a healthy diet, being physically active, setting up a budget to manage your spending habits, these are all practical, achievable goals that can make you feel more balanced.”  

Saje introduces for the first time, Out of the Blues 

Here at Saje, we believe in helping our community to remedy real life. Whether its challenges related to stress or sleep, or in this case, seasonal sadness, we create 100% natural products with ingredients known and studied for their ability to encourage ease, relief, levity and joy. When we noticed how many people in our community experience this time of year as heavy and emotionally demanding, we felt called to create something new. We’re excited to introduce our community to Out of the Blues, in both diffuser blend and roll-on formats, to support mental well-being and emotional balance through the remainder of the winter and beyond. 

Out of the Blues is a novel formula, made with a unique pairing of ingredients like patchouli, ylang ylang, copaiba, orange and the signature ingredient in the blend, German chamomile, also known as blue chamomile, for the slight blue hue it adds to the formula. Let’s dive deeper into the individual ingredients below: 

Patchouli is a rich, warm and earthy essential oil, prized for its deeply harmonizing, grounding and balancing effects. It’s commonly included in preparations meant to quiet the outer world, helping to balance the mood, ease stress and encourage reflection.

Ylang Ylang is musky, richly floral, complex and warming; it’s a sensual oil that is known for its ability to help a person explore self-love. This oil supports feelings of being heart-centered, connected, and deeply rooted. 

Copaiba is warm, softly woody, resinous and balsamic, and is used emotionally because it is known to be grounding, stabilizing and supportive of mental resilience. The oil is renowned for being calming, helping to encourage a centered and more neutral feeling during heightened emotional periods, like grief, stress and overwhelm.

Orange is sweet, light, bright and juicy, and even as a citrus, orange is known to be surprisingly tranquil. Some of the key benefits it offers mentally and emotionally are joy, optimism, levity and creativity. Orange helps support emotional shifts and encourages positive transition.

The star of the show, German chamomile, known more commonly as blue chamomile, is sweet, herbal, straw-like and with notes of apple. Like all chamomiles, it does have deeply calmative properties, and we used it in this formulation because of the way it can soothe an overactive mind and for the way it helps the body feel balanced.

How do I use the Out of the Blues products?

We created both a roll-on and a diffuser blend format so that you have options in how, when and where to use the products. Products that are breathed in through inhalation tend to have the quickest impact on creating a shift in how we feel, because they are sensed the quickest by our brains. That means turning on your diffuser of choice adding 10-15 drops of the blend and breathing deeply as desired. We recommend keeping your diffuser close to where you’ll be spending time, like near your at-home desk for example, for maximum benefit. 

Frequently asked questions 

Q: What makes Out of the Blues unique? 

A: We’re using a novel formula of ingredients well-studied for having calmative and relaxant benefits for the body and mind. This is the first time at Saje that we have crafted products designed specifically for mindfulness in this specific way; our aim was in part to raise awareness and encourage open communication related to mental health and overall mental and emotional well-being at a time when many feel low. Supporting ourselves 100% naturally empowers many to make good choices for their mind, body and space. 

Q: Who is Out of the Blues for?  

A: Out of the Blues is for anyone who is attracted to its gender neutral and inclusive aroma of sweet citrus, herbal and background notes that are earthy and floral. For anyone looking to feel grounded, emotionally balanced, nurtured and empowered, we encourage you to check out this new and limited-edition blend.  

Q: When is the best time to use the Out of the Blues products? 

A: Because the Out of the Blues formula was created to provide emotional uplift and to offer an aromatic experience that is gentle and nourishing to the body and mind, these products are suited for both daytime or nighttime, according to your preference.  

Q: Can I use both the roll-on and diffuser blend at the same time?  

A: Yes! We like a layering approach to using the Out of the Blues products that creates both environmental and personal wellness. All of our products are designed to be used according to your needs and preference; for example, you can tailor the number of drops you add to your diffuser in accordance with whether you prefer a gentler or more potent aromatic experience, and you can choose to apply the roll-on to areas like pulse points on the wrists, temples and elbow creases in a way that feels intuitive and beneficial for you.