Tips for Blending Essential Oils: 101
The world of essential oils can be intimidating… until you just get started.
There are a lot of opinions on the internet and in the essential oil and aromatherapy world. That means there are a lot of different methods out there for blending, but there isn’t just one right way to do it. There’s a lot of room to play and learn once you choose a place to begin.
Here are a few of the methods you might see people use to create blends.
Fragrance Aromatherapy- for smell (with added health benefits if using a high quality oil)
Chemistry- for pharmacological effects to improve health
Traditional Chinese Medicine Elements- for mind, body, and environmental harmony
Supporting body systems- for targeting and strengthening specific body processes
You are free to choose one and experiment to see what you like. While there is a lot of science behind it, it is still very much an art, as well.
The first step, no matter which method you choose is to begin with a high quality, tested essential oil that is transparent with its sourcing and distilling methods, as well as its purity and potency test results. doTERRA has great documentation of all of these important quality markers on their sourcing site, sourcetoyou.com.
The Methods
I’ll break down each method of blending and why you might want to use it. Then you can choose which one makes the most sense to you!
Blending for Fragrance
Blending for fragrance is simply choosing oils based on their smell and how they harmonize together. This method of choosing essential oils to diffuse or even blend for application is based on the 3 main notes of fragrances; top or head notes, middle or heart notes, and base or root notes. Top notes have less molecular weight to them, meaning they have a light, fresh scent like Lemon and evaporate very quickly. Base notes are the heaviest and last the longest. These smells are often sweet or earthy and even smell heavy, like Vetiver. You will need less of this note since the smell lasts the longest.
To make a harmonized blend, you would choose oils from each note. I like to put a drop of each on a strip of paper or index card and test the oils together before adding them to the diffuser. Here is a free guide I created on the steps of creating your own fragrance blends and a recording of a workshop I did with my essential oil community.
Try this: for a sweet and soothing fragrance blend
Base Note- 1 drop Vetiver
Middle Note- 2 drops Siberian Fir or Douglas Fir
Top Note- 3 drops Wild Orange
Watch the Perfume Blending Workshop
This hands on workshop was recorded live as I delivered it to my essential oil community. It is about an hour long, so add it to your YouTube watch list to come back to when you have your oil collection handy.
Blending for Chemistry
Blending for chemistry can be very specific and complex or quite simple for beginners, just depending on how deep you want to go with it. A lot of modern medicine research is based specifically on chemistry. DoTERRA has a great beginner guide that covers each chemistry group, the benefits, and the oils in each one. There are roughly eight main chemistry groups with subgroups in each one. Each single essential oil has its own unique combination of chemical constituents (or ingredients from nature), and therefore each one has its own specific benefits. Many oils overlap in benefits, but no two oils are exactly the same. When blending for chemistry, you don’t actually have to do chemistry. Just look at the benefits of the particular oil and add the ones you want. These blends might smell more medicinal if you’re choosing them based solely on benefits.
Try this in the diffuser: for energy and uplifting based on simple chemistry groups
Monoterpene (uplifting): 2 drops Bergamot
Alcohol (energizing): 2 drops Peppermint
Aldehyde (restoring): 2 drops Lemongrass
Traditional Chinese Medicine Elements
This one takes into account the complex interconnectedness of all of the body systems, the current seasons and environment, and the specific “flavors” and elements of herbs or essential oils. It’s not exactly practical for a beginner to craft blends from scratch using this method without some understanding of the flow within the body that can get out of balance and how Chinese Medicine defines specific imbalances, such as excess heat or wind or maybe deficient metal. A simple blood test doesn’t show these kinds of excesses and deficiencies. They’re determined by examining many layers of symptoms and signs in the body, emotions, and behaviors. This method is a lot of fun and has almost endless applications if you do decide to learn it though! Desiree Mangandog, an acupuncturist and doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine, has a book releasing later this year that will be a great beginner guide to using essential oils based on the Chinese elements. If this interests you, you might want to sign up on the waitlist for this coming book, Elements of Emotion.
Try this: great for sleep and focus; balances the “wood element” or energy in the liver
1 drop Vetiver
1 drops Cedarwood
2 drops Roman Chamomile
1 drop Bergamot
Supporting Body Systems
doTERRA bases most of its research on the effectiveness of essential oils based on their chemistry and how they are proven to interact with each body system. A well supported body finds its own balance. There are great resources on doTERRA’s website to breakdown each body system and exactly which oils are proven to support them. If you’re creating a blend to help you breathe better during allergy season, you would start with the respiratory system. If you want to sleep better or focus, you might begin with the nervous system or even the digestive system as it is also directly connected to the brain. Depending on the system you’re supporting, you may choose to apply oils topically for the most direct contant rather than diffusing.
Try this: for supporting the respiratory system; opening and relaxing airways
2 drops Lemon
2 drops Cardamom
2 drops Peppermint
(the doTERRA Breathe blend combines these oils and several others for a great, ready to diffuse, respiratory blend)
Which method sounds the most interesting to you?
Which one would you enjoy learning more about as you continue creating blends and playing with your essential oils? The important thing is that you just get started because THAT is how you learn! Have fun. Explore. Enjoy the process of creating your own methods!
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