A scent blend works like a short piece of music: a bright opening, a middle that holds it together, and a low note that stays. Perfumers call these top, middle and base notes. A blend with one of each smells rounder than a single oil.
The three notes
| Note | Feels like | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Top | Bright, quick to rise, fades first | Orange, lemon, bergamot, peppermint |
| Middle | Round, the body of the blend | Lavender, geranium, rosemary, Roman chamomile |
| Base | Deep, slow, lingers | Cedar Atlas, vetiver, patchouli, frankincense |
A simple way to blend
- Pick one oil from each note, or two from the middle.
- Use drops in a ratio of about 2 top : 2 middle : 1 base, for 5 drops in total. Base notes are strong, so go light.
- Smell the blend before you switch the diffuser on. If one oil dominates, add a drop of the others.
- Write down the drops you used so you can repeat or adjust it.
Keep the total within the diffuser guide's 3 to 5 drops per 100 ml of water; mixing does not mean adding more.
Starter blends (5 drops, 100 ml of water)
- Evening wind-down: 2 lavender, 2 Roman chamomile, 1 vetiver. Soft, herbal and slightly earthy.
- Morning room: 2 sweet orange, 2 rosemary, 1 cedar atlas. Bright and woody.
- Quiet library: 2 geranium, 2 lavender, 1 frankincense. Floral, calm and resinous.
- Fresh air: 2 bergamot, 2 peppermint, 1 black spruce. Sharp and green.
What to avoid when mixing
- Oils that are unsafe for who is in the house: see the babies and pets guides.
- Strong oils in a large share: clove, cinnamon and thyme are best left out or limited to a single drop.
- Old oils: check the date and the smell first.
Blending for skin is a different job with a different method: use the dilution calculator.
Sources
- Tisserand Institute, safety and learning resources
- Tisserand R, Young R. Essential Oil Safety, 2nd ed. Churchill Livingstone, 2014
More guides
- Dilution calculator
- Dilution and the patch test
- Babies, children and essential oils
- Pets and essential oils
- Oils and sun exposure
- Storage and shelf life
- Choosing a carrier oil
- Using a diffuser safely
- How to read our label
Questions about an oil or a blend? aura.elixir@outlook.com