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Do you want to start blending essential oils, but don’t know where to begin? If so, then this blog post is for you! Here, we will discuss the basics of blending essential oils. You’ll learn about how to understand the categories of oils and what notes are in a scent. Finally, I’ll give an example of how to blend some essential oils together.
Table of Contents
Why blending essential oils is popular
When entering any spa or aromatherapy facility, the instant scent of essential oils is tantalizing. You are immediately drawn to the allure of relaxation and inner peace. The healing properties found within these aromatic oils are powerful and effective.
As early as 4500 B.C.E., the use of essential oils as a means of healing was utilized by the ancient Egyptians. Kyphi, for example, was a compilation of 16 different oils that were blended together for cosmetic or medicinal purposes. Today, the use of blending or “stacking” essential oils for optimal benefit is widely used.
Why there’s some science to blending essential oils
However, despite the recorded benefits of blending essential oils, it is important to note that these compounds are medicinal in nature. They contain chemical compounds that could be reactive when mixed incorrectly.
Therefore, the caution used when combining different types of medications should also be practised when stacking essential oils.
According to the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy, essential oils do pose possible chemical reactions, but overall, they are “safe to use for the purpose intended in a domestic/ professional or clinical environment.” Many common symptoms of essential oil irritation are skin rashes, swollen or eye redness, and headaches.
If you are considering utilising essential oils in your wellness routine, it is important to note the possible risk factors and application processes so as to obtain positive results. When essential oils are blended, they are typically used for fragrance or beauty purposes.
What are the basic categories of oils?
Essential oils typically fall under nine specific categories that align with their notes. Those categories are:
- Floral
- Woodsy
- Earthy
- Herbaceous
- Mint
- Spicy
- Oriental
- Citrus
It is imperative to narrow down your desired aroma and begin compatible research. Usually, oils that belong to the same category pair well with each other, however, there are no specific limitations towards cross testing categories.
For example, floral scents can be paired with woodsy ones. Oriental and spicy notes also blend well together. This requires some personal testing that will really get your creative juices flowing!
Understanding ‘notes’ in essential oils
Notes are the key elements of an essential oil that create its composition. The specific note and power behind it can make a tremendous difference in how your blend comes out. It can be likened to the “energy” of the oil.
Notes can be divided into three categories: top, middle, and base.
- Top Notes evaporate quickly with a short half-life. They may initially have a strong aroma, but as the day progresses, their smell fades away. Citrus and spicy notes typically fade away quickly.
- Base notes take quite a while to evaporate and can remain extremely pungent as time goes on. These are the warm, cozy, and woodsy smells that have a deep body.
- Middle notes implement a harmonious balance between the top and base notes. A middle note may be soft aromas like lavender or sage that work to bring the aromas together perfectly.
When creating the perfect blend, implementing balance and closely considering your oils will make your fragrance personalised. In addition, your aroma won’t fade out after a few minutes. You will instead have a long-lasting, unique blend that tells a story.
Choosing essential oil to blend by effect
The third way of approaching choosing the essential oils to blend is about what the effect you are seeking might be.
Some oils are associated with particular effects. If you are looking for a calming oil blend, you might choose from ones such as lavender, mandarin, ylang ylang, patchouli or sandalwood.
Or for an anti-anxiety blend, you might pick oils such as marjoram, lemon balm, black pepper or bergamot.
Energising
Rosemary, Clary sage, Bergamot, Lemongrass, Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Spearmint, Tea tree, Cypress, Pine, Lemon, Basil, Grapefruit, Ginger
Calming
Lavender, Geranium, Mandarin, Bergamot, Ylang Ylang, Neroli, Jasmine, Melissa , Palmarosa, Patchouli, Petitgrain, Sandalwood
Detoxifying
Peppermint, Juniper, Grapefruit, Rosemary, Laurel, Mandarin, Lemon, Patchouli, Hyssop, Helichrysum
Anti-anxiety
Lavender, Geranium, Roman Chamomile, Marjoram, Sandalwood, Valerian, Bergamot, Jasmine, Black Pepper, Tangerine, Orange, Melissa or Lemon Balm
How to blend essential oils
Blending essential oils is a fun way to explore the world of aromatherapy, or simply add an extra level of enjoyment as you relax in your own home. But blending isn’t just for when you’re feeling tense or down- it can also be used during rest and recovery periods to help enhance wellness. Essential oil blending is very simple, and all it requires is a little knowledge of those basics.
Getting started
The blending process begins with choosing which oils you want to use, reading about their properties on your essential oil reference guide, then finding out what notes are found in that specific scent.
For example: if I am blending rosemary essential oil, lavender essential oil and frankincense essential oil, I would want to know what the notes are: which oils have a woody aroma? Which ones contain citrus scents?
- Frankincense contains a spicy scent and is considered the base note.
- Lavender has floral undertones that make it great for blending with other rosemary or citrus oils such as bergamot, neroli and geranium.
- Rosemary has a woody aroma with undertones of citrus that makes it a great base for blending oils such as lemon or spearmint.
Starting to blend
In the blending process you want to work from the bottom up (starting with your smell preference), then start at the top note and move down throughout the blending process.
Example: If I have rosemary, lavender and frankincense, then my blending order would be as follows: Cedarwood (base note), Rosemary + Lavender, Frankincense + Rosemary+Lavender
Understanding the notes of an oil is important in this step to make sure you’re blending the oils correctly.
- Cedarwood is woody and earthy with citrus undertones, so as a rule of thumb, it would be a good blending base for our rosemary+lavender+frankincense oil because both lavender and frankincense have some aspects of cedarwood in them.
- Rosemary has floral notes in addition to its woody and citrus notes, so it would be a blending base for our lavender+frankincense oils.
- Lavender has floral undertones that make it great for blending with other rosemary or citrus oils such as bergamot, neroli and geranium.
- Frankincense is spicy/woody with some citrus undertones, so it would be a blending base for our lavender+rosemary oils.
Cooking up a blend
The blending order is the same as using cooking spices: you start with your “base” and add in each time to build up flavour until all of the ingredients are used throughout.
Many people start with one drop of each then start to see as they add more oils, how it smells. You might waste a few oils getting the right blend but once you have it, write it down and you can reuse it whenever you want.
You may also need to add a few drops of carrier oil, depending on how you plan to use the blended oil that you’ve created. Don’t forget to store it in dark glass bottles so ensure it has a longer lifespan too!
Essential oil blends for beginners
We hope that this blog post has helped you get started blending essential oils. We encourage you to be creative and experiment with blending different combinations of oils until you find what smells best for your mood or occasion. Remember, blending is simply a way to explore the world of aromatherapy in an enjoyable way- it doesn’t have to just be used when we’re feeling down!
