For many people, this is the most creative and fun part of aromatherapy. Here is where you coordinate your senses to create a bit of magic. I love to paint, and I find that the pleasure of creating unique essential oil blends is similar to the pleasure of painting. The whole experience of blending essential oils echoes the tactile delight of choosing my pigments, thinning them with linseed oil or turpentine — the carrier — and blending colors to create a unique palette that I can use to express my creative vision.
When I first began to make my own blends, I had some early successes, and I definitely made my share of expensive messes. Over the years both results have taught me a lot about working with oils. I’ve learned that in order to create a cohesive blend I must start with a need, a specific purpose. I ask myself, “What am I making the blend for?” “Who am I making it for?” and “What does she need?”
When I teach, beginning students are usually very eager to experiment with the many different essential oils. Although it might be fun to arbitrarily pick and choose oils, adding a pungent scent here to a yummy scent there, the results of such casual blending are often an expensive disappointment. I urge students to ask themselves, “What do I wish to accomplish with this blend?” If they begin with a clear idea, with a need to fulfill, they can be guided by the properties of the essential oils, and begin their blending in the true spirit of aromatherapy. I recommend starting off with simple blends, using no more than three oils in each formula.
When you are creating an original blend, three crucial factors to consider are proportion, property, and intensity.
Proportion refers to the relative quantity of each ingredient. To achieve correct proportioning, you will need to know how to figure a percentage formula.
Property refers to the action of each of the oils in your blend. You should choose oils for their complementary action as well as their scent.
Intensity refers to the relative strength of an essential oil’s scent. Some oils can be overpowering when used in very small quantities. Refer to the Odor Intensity Guide.
Most of these pieces of equipment can be found at a store that sells essential oils, or a medical supply shop.
Bottles. You will need bottles of different sizes, including several glass bottles that will hold 4 ounces (120 ml). If you are uncomfortable using glass in the bathroom — around a tile tub or shower, for instance — plastic will do for short-term storage of your blends. Plastic, however, will absorb the essential oils over time. You can observe this process when the plastic begins to droop after several months.
Mixing Bowls. You can use glass or ceramic mixing bowls. Glass laboratory beakers are ideal for mixing.
Measuring Devices. Use glass laboratory pipettes or eyedroppers for metering drops. A glass measuring cup marked with ounces will work fine for measuring larger quantities.
Stirring Sticks. I usually use wooden chopsticks. Glass rods work well also.
Essential Oils. You should have several all-purpose oils to begin your blending exercises.
Carrier Oils. Almond is an excellent choice as an all-purpose carrier oil.
You’ll need a variety of bottles, bowls, and measuring devices to blend essential oils.
Have all your materials ready. Prepare a clean, uncluttered work space. Create some uninterrupted time. Plan to avoid distractions while you are working. Don’t take phone calls or visit with friends while you’re blending. The task deserves your undivided attention.
The percentage formula will help you determine the appropriate relative quantities of the ingredients in your blend. It requires a little bit of math, so it might be helpful to keep a calculator handy.
Using the metric (milliliter) system, 1 milliliter equals 20 drops, and 30 milliliters equal 1 ounce. To determine how many drops of essential oil you will need to add to your carrier to create a specific percent solution, you need to first determine the amount of the carrier oil.
For example, using the equivalents I just listed, you can determine that your 1 ounce of carrier is equivalent to 600 drops. If you wish to create a 2 percent solution, multiply 600 by 2 percent (0.02), and you will find that a total of 12 drops of essential oil added to 1 ounce of carrier will create a 2 percent solution. Quantities for a 5 percent solution can be determined by multiplying the 600 drops by 5 percent (0.05), arriving at 30 drops of essential oil to 1 ounce of carrier. It’s really that simple!
Count drops carefully, and consistently record how many drops of each essential oil you use. Experiment with proportions. Keep a card file on your blends. It is a tragedy to make a wonderful blend and lose it because you didn’t write it down.
In this exercise you will make a basic massage oil. The ingredients are all gentle oils that blend well, so you really can’t go wrong. This blend will make a very gentle and comforting oil. A massage with this oil, for instance, might be soothing for a sick child.
As you introduce your essential oils to the carrier, be sure to mix well, by either shaking or stirring, after the addition of each oil. Count your drops carefully, adding a total of 20 to 30 drops of the four essential oils to your carrier. Adjust the proportions to suit your own taste. Note that the chamomile is very intense and must be used in a lesser proportion than the other oils or it will overpower your blend.
20 drops = 1 ml
30 ml = 1 oz.
To determine the number of drops in your carrier, use this formula:
Total ml carrier x 20 drops per ml = carrier drops
For example:
1 oz. = 30 ml x 20 drops = 600 drops
4 oz. = 120 ml x 20 drops = 2,400 drops
To determine number of essential oil (EO) drops, use this formula:
Total carrier drops x percent = drops to add
For example:
To make a 2% solution using 1 oz. of carrier, multiply
600 drops x 2% = 12 drops of EO
To make a 4% solution using 4 oz. of carrier multiply
2,400 drops x 4% = 96 drops of EO
In this exercise you will make a diuretic, detoxifying massage oil to use on cellulite or during weight loss. It would also be appropriate for massage to relieve the discomfort of fluid retention that often accompanies premenstrual syndrome, colds, flu, or overindulgence in food or drink.
As you introduce your essential oils to the carrier, be sure to mix well, by either shaking or stirring, after the addition of each oil. Count your drops carefully, adding a total of 20 to 30 drops of the three essential oils to your carrier. Adjust the proportions to suit your taste.
In this exercise you will make a soothing, analgesic massage oil. It would be appropriate for massage to relieve muscle aches and pains that might follow a particularly intense workout. This is a much stronger oil and would not be appropriate to use on young children.
You will start with just 1 ounce (30 ml) of a carrier oil of your choice, and add a total of 24 drops of essential oil to make a 4 percent solution. Remember to mix well, either shaking or stirring, after the addition of each oil. Count your drops carefully, and adjust the proportions to suit your taste. Note that the chamomile is very intense and must be used in a lesser proportion than the other oils or it will overpower your blend.
Caution: If you, or anyone who will use this oil, are subject to seizures or have high blood pressure, substitute lavender for rosemary in this blend.
In this exercise you will blend four oils of your own choice, selected for their scent and action, to make a relaxing and nurturing massage oil. Start with 1 ounce (30 ml) of carrier — almond or grapeseed oil — and add a total of 24 drops of essential oil to make a 4 percent solution.
If you would like a stronger blend, you can add more essential oil. If you would like it milder, you can dilute it by carefully adding more carrier. The strength of the blend and proportions of the essential oils are purely matters of personal preference.
Caution: Always be aware of the possible and probable actions of any oils you add to your blend.
White flower oil, a popular Chinese liniment, is traditionally made with eucalyptus, camphor, peppermint, cinnamon, clove, and lavender. Select four of these oils and experiment with relative proportions to create your own stimulating massage oil blend. This will be a strong oil, warming and analgesic, to relieve tired, sore muscles and promote healthy circulation.
Start with 1 ounce (30 ml) of carrier — almond or grapeseed oil — and add a total of 30 drops of essential oil to make a 5 percent solution.
If you would like a stronger blend, you can add more essential oil. If you would like it milder, you can dilute it by carefully adding more carrier. The strength of the blend and proportions of the essential oils are purely matters of personal preference.
Caution: This massage oil will not be suitable for use on children. Always be aware of the possible and probable actions of any oils you add to your blend.
When something has achieved synergy, it has become greater than the sum of its parts. Synergy is the reason we create blends. As specific, complementary essential oils merge in a blend, their actions are enhanced; the oils, working in unison, create a more powerful effect.
In this exercise you will make a mild massage oil (less than 1 percent solution) to be used during pregnancy. Select three oils from those listed in chapter 13 as safe for use during gestation. You might choose to blend a soothing and comforting massage oil, a spiritually uplifting body oil for use with creative visualization, or an oil to moisturize the skin and allay the development of stretch marks. By limiting your choice to the supersafe, user-friendly oils listed as safe for pregnancy, you really can’t go wrong.
Start with 4 ounces (120 ml) of almond oil for your carrier. Be sure to shake or stir as you introduce each essential oil to the carrier. Count drops carefully, adding a total of 20 to 30 drops of the three essential oils. Adjust the proportions to suit your own taste.
In this exercise you will make a simple massage blend suitable for a child. Choose two of the following oils for your blend: lavender, geranium, sandalwood, chamomile, mandarin, neroli, rose, ylang ylang, honey, mimosa. These are all gentle oils that blend well and will combine to make a very soothing massage oil.
Start with 1 ounce (30 ml) of grapeseed oil as a carrier. As you introduce each essential oil, stir or shake to mix well. You will add a total of 12 drops of essential oil to make a 2 percent solution. Count your drops carefully. Note that if you use chamomile, its intensity is overpowering unless it is used in a much smaller relative proportion.
In this exercise you will embark on a more complex blending adventure. Taking into account the top, middle, and bass notes, you will create a basic body/massage oil blend using two of the essential oils from each group. Start with 4 ounces (120 ml) of your favorite carrier oil and add a total of 60 drops of the essential oils you chose for top, middle, and bass notes (for a 3 percent solution). Begin by adding your bass notes, mixing after the introduction of each individual oil. Follow with middles and then top notes.
Bass. Select two of the following essential oils to create your bass note: myrrh, patchouli, labdanum, benzoin, Peru balsam.
Middle. Select two of the following essential oils to create your middle note: lemon, orange, lime, bergamot, petitgrain, grapefruit.
Top. Select two of the following essential oils to create your top note: ylang ylang, lavender, bois de rose, rose geranium, palmarosa, chamomile.
In this blending exercise you will make a perfumed body oil. Start with 4 ounces (120 ml) of your favorite carrier oil and add a total of 60 drops of essential oils chosen from the top, middle, and bass notes listed below. Begin by adding your bass notes, mixing after the introduction of each individual oil. Follow with middles and then top notes. This exercise will broaden your ability to create balanced formulas with a wider range of oils.
Bass. Choose one of these essential oils to create your bass note: sandalwood, vanilla, amber, patchouli.
Middle. Use all five of these essential oils to create your middle note: bergamot, lemon, orange, lavender, rosemary.
Top. Select one of the following essential oils to create your top note: neroli, rose, jasmine, ylang ylang, cassia.
Resins can be a challenge to work with. Due to their extreme viscosity and tendency to solidify (even distilled resins seek to return to their solid state), resins are difficult to measure. Jojoba oil is a good diluent to thin down resins for use in body and massage oils and oil-based perfumes. Resins also dissolve easily in alcohol.
Warm your resins to thin their consistency and make them easier to work with. Heat about 1 cup (235 ml) of water in a small saucepan. Set your bottle of resin in the warm water, with the cap removed or loosened. In a few minutes the resin will be warmed and of a thinner consistency. Mix 1 part resin to 4 parts of carrier for a sufficient dilute. After gently heating the carrier, the resin can be mixed in by shaking or stirring.
Using the basic format you followed in the blending exercises, you can extend your exploration into more complex formulas. The blend you formulated in Exercise #9 can also be blended with a fine-grade alcohol instead of the carrier oil to make a classic eau de Cologne.
Make an original blend in tribute to Mary Magdalene, patron saint of perfumery, and the archetypal anointer. Begin with 1 ounce (30 ml) of foraha as a carrier oil. Use a bass blend of sandalwood, spikenard, ud, frankincense, and myrrh. Add five middle notes and three top notes of your own choice. Blend in a total of 20 drops of essential oils to make a rich, heady, heavily scented anointing oil.
Making this fluffy facial cream can best be compared with making homemade mayonnaise. Measurements, temperature, and timing are crucial. It either works or it doesn’t and there’s no room for repair when it doesn’t work. But don’t be intimidated. It’s a fairly simple process, and just like mayonnaise, after a few batches you’ll be a pro.
This luxurious face cream should last six months. Refrigerate in warm climates.
Tip: If your mixture stubbornly refuses to emulsify, your water is probably too cold, or your oil mixture too hot. Whipping this cream by hand works better than using an electric beater. If you don’t succeed on your first try, don’t be afraid to try again. Like making piecrust, it takes a bit of experience to get a feel for your ingredients, and once you’ve succeeded you’ll be thrilled with the results.
You can experiment with the same formula using different floral waters and essential oils. For example, carrot seed oil makes a wonderful cream for aging complexions.
The idea of rating odors by their intensity was developed by a cosmetic chemist named Poucher, who worked in London in the 1950s. He was considered by his contemporaries to be the ultimate authority on cosmetic formulation. He proposed rating odors on a scale of 1 to 10 — 1 being the mildest, most fleeting scent, and 10 being the strongest, most permeating scent. This odor intensity guide functions as a tool to help develop well-balanced blends. By considering the intensity ratings of different oils, you can see that you will need more drops of some oils and fewer drops of others to achieve balance. A well-balanced aromatherapy blend, like a music ensemble, should have no single element overpowering the whole. For example: A blend of 10 drops of lavender, 10 drops of bergamot, and 1 drop of blue chamomile will not be well balanced. The chamomile, even in such a small amount, will be overpowering.
Remember, the best guide to blending is your own nose. Develop your sensitivity by working with good-quality oils. Avoid synthetics; they will decrease your nose’s sensitivity, as will cigarette smoke.
| Essential Oil | Intensity Rating |
| Angelica | 6 |
| Basil | 7 |
| Benzoin | 4 |
| Bergamot | 4 |
| Black pepper | 7 |
| Blue chamomile | 9 |
| Roman chamomile | 6 |
| Camphor | 5 |
| Cardamom | 9 |
| Cinnamon bark | 10 |
| Clary sage | 5 |
| Cypress | 4 |
| Eucalyptus | 8 |
| Fennel | 6 |
| Frankincense | 7 |
| Geranium | 6 |
| Hyssop | 6 |
| Jasmine | 7 |
| Juniper | 5 |
| Lavender | 4 |
| Lemon | 3 |
| Marjoram | 5 |
| Melissa | 7 |
| Myrrh | 6 |
| Neroli | 5 |
| Orange | 5 |
| Oregano | 9 |
| Patchouli | 5 |
| Pennyroyal | 7 |
| Peppermint | 7 |
| Petitgrain | 9 |
| Rose | 7 |
| Rosemary | 6 |
| Sandalwood | 5 |
| Spikenard | 6 |
| Tea tree | 6 |
| Thyme | 7 |
| Vetiver | 7 |
| Ylang ylang | 6 |
If you are a gardener or have access to freshly harvested herbs and flowers, you really should try cold-extracting some of your own oil blends. Cold extraction is one of the simplest ways of extracting aromatic oils from plants. It consists of soaking aromatic plants in vegetable oil until their scent has infused the oil. The infused oil can be strained and more plants added, repeating the process until the oil has become sufficiently scented.
I first learned the process from California hippie herbalists in the 1970s. We called it “sun infusion.” We collected empty gallon-size pickle and mayonnaise jars, carefully boiled the jars to sterilize them, added handfuls of fresh chamomile flowers, and then filled them with almond oil. We set the jars outdoors in a warm sunny spot. After 10 days, we strained the concoction, and with luck we had a wonderfully fragrant massage oil.
I’ve learned a lot since those early adventures with infusion. I now know that running the jars through a hot dishwasher is also an effective means of sterilization. And I’ve learned the importance of drying the jars thoroughly. One drop of contaminated water at this stage can introduce bacteria, ruining your whole batch of oil. It is also a good idea to carefully blot your plants dry on paper towels or clean cotton towels. I’ve learned to cover the mouth of the jar with a few layers of cheesecloth and secure it with a rubber band. The cheesecloth shields the oil from insects and debris, yet allows the mixture to breathe.
Infused oils are made by using a carrier oil such as almond oil to draw out the essence from the plant material itself.
Lavender or rose can make a wonderful infused oil that is soothing and kind to delicate skin. Place about 2 cups (550 ml) of dried flowers or several handfuls of fresh blossoms in a large sterile jar and cover with almond or grapeseed oil. Two weeks later, strain and decant your scented oil. If you keep your infused oil cool or refrigerated, it can last for up to a year.
In Hawaii I learned how the intensity of the tropical sun can speed up the infusion process. On my first trip to Maui I tried infusing pikake and plumeria blossoms in coconut oil. After just a few hours on the lanai, my delicate blend smelled like rotting compost. I eventually infused a wild ginger and spider lily concoction in grapeseed oil that was very good. I learned that two hours was the maximum infusion time in tropical heat, or when using very delicate tropical flowers.
Once you’ve mastered making an infused oil, you can experiment with different theories of how to select the ingredients for your own formulas. There are a broad range of formulary guidelines and theories to choose from, including:
Scientific method — See what others have done, study recipes in books.
Intuitive method — Use your intuitive feelings.
Astrological — Refer to the planetary influences on specific plants.
Radiesthesia — Pendulum dowsing.
Kinesiology — Muscle testing.