Blending essential oils can be easy and great fun!
Blending simply means the mixing together of essential oils and carrier oils.
To get the best results you may need to do some research and
experimenting............and don't necessarily expect to get it right
every single time! The journey can sometimes be just as important as the
end result. By experimenting you will discover more about the
properties of the individual oils and, most importantly, how they work
together.
You will find that there are particular essential oils that you really like and some blends that you really love! One of my favourite oils is black pepper, and in the past I have tried to mix it with just about every other essential oil I have. Sometimes it works really well..........and other times I just don't like the result!
As you have probably experienced, certain aromas suit some people and not others. For instance, I really like spicy, earthy and citrus smells, whereas you may prefer floral scents.
You need to find your own end aroma and the best way to do this is by blending your selected essential oils in different combinations.
This depends on why you want to make the blend.
Is it for personal use? To fragrance a room? For therapeutic purposes? Do you want to use your blend for an aromatherapy massage?
Your reason will help determine which oils you choose to blend, and how you blend them.
Here are some basics to help you decide.
Different oils have different rates of evaporation. Most essential oils fall into one of three categories depending on their volatility.
Of course, this is not set in stone. Some oils do cross over between the notes and can be described, for example as 'top middle'.
When you are blending essential oils, it often works best when you use an oil from each note.
A 3:2:1
ratio is a good place to begin - three parts top note to two parts
middle note to one part base note. It is best to use up to three
different essential oils. If you use too many then the oils may
have an antagonistic effect on each other and the benefits of the
therapeutic actions will be reduced. I normally use a blend of three but
often two is sufficient and sometimes even one individual oil will do
the job!
Another way of classifying essential oils is under the following headings: spicy, floral, citrus, woody, green, and resins. Essential oils in the same category generally blend well together. In other words citrus blends well with citrus etc.
Floral oils are probably the easiest to blend, so this would be a good starting point.
When blending essential oils they can produce effects which are more
than the combined effects of the individual oils. Some oils blend
together better than others and have an enhancing effect together. This
is called synergy. For example, adding lavender to chamomile enhances its anti-inflammatory properties.
So.......the very best essential oil blends are those that bring out the best properties of each individual oil.
Remember this is only a guide! It is your end aroma and only you know exactly what you are looking for.
In an aromatherapy massage it is usual to use two or three essential oils blended together with a carrier oil. My preferred carrier for aromatherapy massage is sweet almond oil as it is quite light. If I am massaging someone with dry or ageing skin I would probably mix in some avocado oil as well. The carrier oils all add to the blend!
To start with, the basic equipment you will need is a clear glass or plastic measuring container, marked in millilitres, and a glass rod for stirring. If you can find a glass or china dish marked in millilitres that works very well too! The carrier oil (or oils) are measured into the container or dish, and the drops of essential oil added. You can then stir the mixture with the glass rod and it is ready.
Try not to mix too much oil as you will end up wasting it!
The amount of oil needed will vary depending on various factors such as size of person, condition of skin, area being massaged etc. A good rule of thumb for a full body massage is to allow 10 ml for a small person, 14 ml for a medium person and up to 20 ml for a large person.
For a body massage the essential oils should form 2% to 3% of the blend. This sounds like it is going to be a difficult calculation and just as difficult to measure accurately! However, the essential oils are measured in drops.
2% in 10 ml of carrier oil is 5 drops. Just halve the number of milliltres of carrier oil and this gives you the number of drops. For example:
The maximum number of drops that should be used for a massage is 10 drops whatever the amount of carrier oil used.
For a facial massage, the blend should be half the strength of that used for the body - 1% of the blend.
Things to consider when blending essential oils for a massage........
For a whole body massage, once a week is good, and twice a week should be an absolute maximum for regular treatment.
You may want to mix an aromatic blend ...... for baths, fragrancing a room, colognes or for some other idea that you may have had!
The main goal here, of course, is the aroma.
You may have aching muscles from a day in the garden.......or a headache.......or perhaps you just feel really stressed at the moment. The focus here is to choose your oils carefully with a particular problem in mind and to create a blend to help. Of course, the aroma of the blend should still be considered as this effects moods and emotions.
When blending essential oils it is a good idea to keep a record of mixes that you like. It is very frustrating when you have found a wonderful aroma.........but just can't quite remember which oils you used and in what quantities!
Likewise, if a blend turns out to be pungent, or irritating to the skin you will want to make sure you don't make the same mistake again.
It is fascinating choosing and blending essential oils for use in aromatherapy and with experience, and practice, the most effective mix for your particular requirement can be worked out!
Remember......keep researching, keep experimenting and have fun!