How To Create Your Own Aromatic Blends
An essential oil blend can be created for therapeutic effect, the beauty of a fragrance - or both. A synergistic effect is possible when the essential oils work together harmoniously. You do not need to be an expert in the use of essential oils to create blends. I have outlined below some basic information that may be useful to you as you journey into the creativity of blending .
When creating a blend
You will want to consider the purpose of the blend, the desired therapeutic effect, the type of fragrance desired, and the concepts of a balanced blend
You will want to familiarize yourself with the fragrance and effect of essential oils.
Breathe the aroma note how it makes you feel calm, uplifted, focused, sensual. Note the scent is it light, fresh, strong, sweet, green, other.
To test the aroma of the an individual essential oil you can breathe directly from the bottle - swirl the essential oil in the bottle to stir up the molecules first or place a drop on an unscented tissue, blotter paper or other porous type paper and breathe.
You may experience olfactory overload if you are testing the aroma of different essential oils. You will no longer be able to smell them! This is common. You can restore your sense of smell by smelling coffee beans, or the simplest - your armpit. It’s true - it works and it’s always with you!
When blending for therapeutic effect
* Determine essential oils that may be useful
* List essential oils in priority order when several effects are desired (this can be used to determine the number of drops of each essential oil you will use)
* Test the fragrance as described above
Some pointers for creating a balanced blend
There is no limit on how many essential oils you can use in your blend. Many blends for therapeutic effect contain only 3 to 4 essential oils - yet Shalimar contains 13 and Aramis contains 14! Essential oils blend harmoniously with essential oils in the same family. Here are some family classifications:
* Labiatae: basil, clary sage, lavender, marjoram, peppermint, rosemary
* Rutacea: bergamot, lemon, orange
* Coniferae: cedarwood, juniper
Essential oils have different rates of volatility and evaporation and perfumiers have placed essential oils into these categories:
* top note: fresh, light, fast evaporation first scent you are aware of in a blend
* middle note: evaporates slower - it is considered the body of the fragrance
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