Mixing Your Own Aromatherapy Oils
Six secrets for blending essential oil recipes
There are so many options for mixing your own aromatherapy oils that it can be easy to get overwhelmed by all the choices.
Not to worry - with these six secrets for mixing aromatherapy oils,
you can quickly learn how to blend essential oils and then...
Confidently begin blending essential oil lotions and potions for any mood or moment.
Secret #1: Get Into Groups
Here's a helpful starting point for mixing your own aromatherapy oils. Essential oil scents fall into five general groups:
- Floral - such as lavender, geranium, jasmine and rose
- Citrus - such as lemon, grapefruit, orange and bergamot
- Spicy - such as cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and pepper
- Woody - such as cedarwood, rosewood, patchouli and sandalwood
- Green (or Herbaceous) - such as peppermint, chamomile, eucalyptus and rosemary
Knowing your basic groups can help guide you in mixing essential oils.
Citrus oils generally blend well with spicy oils. Citrus and floral also often work well together.
Woody and floral is usually a good combination, and green and citrus are good too.
Here's a quick trick for figuring out how to blend essential ois: If you're not sure about a blend, take the caps off the bottles, hold them together in a tight group and waft the combination under your nose.
Secret #2: Start Small
Start by buying one or two essential oils from each group.
For instance, you could begin with lavender, bergamot, cinnamon, rosewood and peppermint.
Then try adding rose geranium (smells more flowery than regular geranium,) lemon, cedarwood, patchouli and eucalyptus.
Pick more essential oils from the groups with the scents you prefer.
Grow your collection slowly, adding essential oils as you come across new aromatherapy recipes you want to try.
Handy Hint: Make small batches when you're just starting out.
Once you know what works, you can go bigger.
Secret #3: Stick With Simple
Mixing your own aromatherapy oils can be as simple as sprinkling lavender and lemon on a dusting cloth.
Or adding a few drops of geranium and bergamot to a warm bath at night. It doesn't have to be rocket science.
Try these ideas for blending essential oils in your everyday life:
- Add 5 to 10 drops each lemon and lavender to your unscented laundry detergent for sweet-smelling clothes.
(Using fabric softener or dryer sheets will cover up the aroma - replace the fabric softener with white vinegar and hang your laundry outside to dry.)
- Make your own essential oil bath or body blend by combining three drops of your three favorite essential oils in two tablespoons of oil.
(Plain vegetable oil will work, but grapeseed, sweet almond and sesame are nicer.) Use the blend as a body oil, bath oil or massage oil.
- Create a refreshing room spray: Boil some water and let it cool.
Pour it into a spray bottle and add 5 drops each lemon, peppermint and eucalyptus.
Coincidentally, this aromatherapy recipe is also a disinfectant. Perfect for sickrooms!
Secret #4: The Rule of Three
This one is really easy: When mixing your own aromatherapy oils, don't use more than three essential oils in one blend.
Yes, it's true that lots of recipes, especially commercial blends, use many scents in one product, but a simple fact is that three essential oils together work just right.
Your nose can still smell all three, but at the same time they create a beautiful harmony.
Secret #5: Learn a Little - Be Sensible About Safety
Each essential oil has its own particular properties, not only in terms of scent, but also in terms of therapeutic effect and safety considerations.
It's good to learn at least the basic safety information.
Some essential oils are skin irritants (cinnamon and thyme, for example.)
Most of the citrus oils are photo-toxic, which means you can get sunburned if you're exposed to sunlight after applying them to your skin.
And did you know that too much lavender can be stimulating rather than relaxing?
Or that sandalwood, patchouli and frankincense are among a whole list of oils that are exceptionally healing to the skin?
There's a whole world of interesting essential oil facts out there, and part of the fun of mixing your own aromatherapy oils is learning what they're good for. Take the time to enjoy the research!
Secret #6: Follow Your Nose!
In the end, it boils down to you. What do you like? What does your nose tell you is a good combination for blending essential oils? Or a bad one?
Your mood, your hormones, even the time of year can affect how you feel about a certain aromatherapy blend on any given day.
Trust yourself! If you've learned some basic safety and therapeutic guidelines, you can't go too far wrong.
Benefits of Mixing Your Own Aromatherapy Oils
Every time you use your aromatherapy blend, you're boosting your immune system, balancing your nervous system and generally improving your health.
Click here to learn more about how aromatherapy works.
That's what makes the world of mixing your own aromatherapy oils so exciting - every day you can try something new, and it will always be good for you.
Because every oil is part of earth's gift to us.
What Next?
Why not check out some related pages, and then GET MIXING!!!
Bath & Body Oils are some of the easiest aromatherapy recipes
you can make, along with Bath Salts
and Massage Oils.
Check them out for an easy way to begin your essential oils adventure.
Essential Oil Use Chart
A quick reference guide to choosing and blending essential oils for conditions ranging from acne to weight loss. Includes recipes.
Essential Oil Profiles
Information on individual essential oils, from uses and characteristics to blending essential oil notes and safety cautions.
Go to Aromatherapy Recipes Homepage from Mixing Your Own Aromatherapy Oils
Or look for recipes with a certain essential oil in them by using the search box below.
Lavender for example... Simply type in "lavender" (without the quotes) and hit Search.
Every page on this website that includes the word Lavender will pop up.
Poke through them and decide what recipe you want to try first. Have fun!
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