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Essential Oil Blending Basics

Essential Oil Blending Basics

One of the easiest and most rewarding ways to create a healthier and more sustainable home is to make your own room sprays

I won't go on about the ridiculousness of commercial room deodorizers and instead focus on how easy it is to make your own - and with a small kit of essential oils and a bit of sniff knowledge, you can literally have a home chest of smells for every occasion. 

The basics worth knowing

If you want your chosen essential oil blend to be balanced and to last, you need a mix of top, middle and base notes. While you sniff an overall blend when you have mixed a few essential oils together, there is actually an order to the way they emerge. What you smell in the first few minutes will not be the same as what you smell a half hour later.

Top Notes

Top Notes are the first you smell first when you breathe in a blend. This is because the are made of tiny, light molecules that evaporate quickly. These top note scents are often described as cheerful, bright, light, refreshing. Citrus oils fall into the category of top notes.

Middle notes

Middle notes give a blend their main body and you will recognise them because they are generally the most popular scents. Middle notes do not evaporate as quickly as top notes and stay around after the top notes have gone. Lavender is an example of a middle note.

Base Notes

Base notes have heavy molecules that are slower to emerge and take much longer to evaporate. Base notes add depth and richness to a blend as well as acting as an anchor for the blend. Sandalwood and Patchouli are both examples of base notes. 

Blending oils

Ideally your essential oil blend for a spray, personal scent or diffuser, will contain a top, middle and base note, allowing for a balanced blend that is pleasing to the senses. The recommended ratio is 30:50:20 (Top:Middle:Base), so simply count your drops in this pattern. 

Notes list of common essential oils

Here is a list of common essential oils, with their note standing and a description of their scent from Complete Guide to Essential Oils on Wikibooks.


OIL NOTE SCENT
Cedarwood Base Woody
Frankincense Base Sweet/Spicy/Woody
Patchouli Base Spicy / Woody
Sandalwood Base Sweet / Woody
Tumeric Base Herbal / Woody
Vanilla Base Sweet
Camphor Middle Minty / Herbal
Cardamon Middle Spicy
Carrot Seed Middle Sweet
Chamomile Middle Floral
Cinnamon Middle Spicy
Citronella Middle Citrus / Herbal
Clary Sage Middle Herbal / Sweet
Clove Middle Spicy
Coriander Spciy Spicy / Herbal
Cyprus Middle Woody
Dill Middle Herbal
Fir Needle Middle/td>
Woody
Geranium Middle Floral
Geranium - Rose Middle Floral / Sweet
Jasmine Middle Floral
Juniper Berry Middle Woody
May Chang Middle Citrus
Oregano Middle Spicy
Rose Middle Floral
Rosemary Middle Herbal
Rosewood Middle Floral / Spicy
Tea Tree Middle Herbal
Tuberose Middle Sweet
Ginger Middle / Base Spicy
Myrrh Middle / Base Spicy
Ylang Ylang Middle / Base Floral
Marjoram Middle / Top Herbal
Thyme Middle / Top Herbal
Anise Top spicy
Basil Top Herbal
Bergamot Top Herbal
Eucalyptus Top Woody
Eucalyptus Radiata Top Woody / Herbal
Grapefruit Top Citrus
Lemon Top Citrus
Lemongrass Top Citrus
Lemon Myrtle Top Citrus
Lime Top Citrus
Mandarin Top Citrus
Neroli Top Floral
Orange - Bitter or Sweet Top Citrus
Peppermint Top
Petitgrain Top Floral / Woody
Pine Top Woody
Ravensara Top Herbal
Spearmint Top Minty
Tangerine Top Citrus
Fennel Top Herbal / Spicy
Lavender Top / Middle Floral
Lemon Eucalyptus Top / Middle Citrus / Woody
Manuka Top / Middle Herbal
Myrtle Top / Middle Citrus
Nutmeg Top / Middle Spicy
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