Mixing your own aromatherapy oils is like going on a sensory adventure. You sniff out fabulous new scents, discovering zippy blends that step up your energy and pep up your mood. Or deeply relaxing blends that draw you down into a sense of calm and comfort. The landscape of our energy and well-being is just as interesting as the landscape of our planet - just... a lot smaller.
There are so many aromatherapy blends, recipes and essential oils available that it can be easy to get overwhelmed by all the choices. Not to worry - with these six secrets for mixing your own aromatherapy oils, you can confidently make your own essential oil blends 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 your blending efforts.
Citrus oils generally go 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.
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 tricks for adding aromatherapy blends to 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.
Two important points: Do not drink essential oils! Only apply externally, and dilute for use on the skin.
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?
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.
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 not only part of our personal landscape, but also part of earth's gift to us.
I invite you to visit my website, http://www.easy-aromatherapy-recipes.com to see some yummy aromatherapy diffuser blends. They're a quick, easy way to start mixing your own aromatherapy oils right away.
You'll also find dozens of other simple, fun-to-make aromatherapy recipes you can use to take care of yourself and your family. Recipes to help you sleep better... lose weight... relieve stress... ease pain... improve your skin... and much more.
To your health!
From Kyley Zimmerman
Disclaimer: All information is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to treat, prevent, diagnose, or cure any condition.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
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