Essential Oil Blending 101: The Basics You Need to Know

Essential oil blends are the perfect way to add a personalised touch to your perfume and home fragrance collection while embracing your creative side. You may have yet to find your go-to blend of oils that match your daily mood and would like to mix your own. Our latest blog post presents a comprehensive guide to at-home essential oil mixes using our premium oils here at Otimo Beauty.

The benefits of blending essential oils

Creating your own essential oil blends is a great way to add a signature feel to your home and daily fragrance. They even make wonderful gifts for friends and family! Having your own collection of home blends means that you have essential oils to reach for no matter your mood. Whether you want a pick-me-up or you’re looking to relax and unwind, the right blend of oils will help get you there.

Your essential oil blend chart

When mixing essential oils, this is done first by categorising oils according to effect, fragrance and note. Following these essential oil blending charts makes it easier to create complimentary blends and pair oils together effectively:

Blending essential oils by the effect

The first thing to consider when crafting your blend is the effect certain oils may have on your mood. For example, some may make you feel relaxed or energised. Our Lemon Essential Oil is perfect for a perky start to the morning, whereas the Lavender Essential Oil (40/42) works well for sleepy, bedtime blends.

Blending essential oils by the fragrance

The fragrance given off by your essential oil blend is also important, whether you’re looking to add a few drops to a home diffuser or wear the blend as a perfume. Some oil fragrances complement each other better than others, so this is something to be conscious of and may take a bit of experimenting on your part. Most oils fit into the following categories in terms of fragrance: Citrus, Floral, Herbal, Spicy and Woody. For example, our Rosemary (Camphor) Essential Oil has a herbal fragrance that typically pairs well with a spicy scent like our Peppermint Mentha Arvensis (Cornmint Oil.) A top tip would be to start simple, with only two or three oils. It can be tempting to get carried away with an extensive blend, but this can often leave you with an overwhelming and confusing fragrance.

Blending essential oils by the note

The final way to blend up some fantastic essential oil combinations is to consider the note of the oil. Different essential oils have varying evaporation speeds depending on their note, so using oils with a mix of notes means the smell of your blend will morph and change over time. This is really helpful when blending oil to be worn as perfume! Essential oil fragrances that fade the quickest are known as “top notes”, followed by “middle notes” and finally “base notes” which stick around the longest. Floral oils like our Orange Sweet Essential Oil tend to be top notes, which works well blended with a middle note oil like the Tea Tree Essential Oil or something like Ylang Yalng with a base note that sticks around longer. A good rule to follow when considering amounts with your oil notes blend is 30% top, 50% middle and 20% base.

How to mix essential oils at home

If you’ve never blended your own essential oils at home before, there are a few rules to follow to help get you off to a flying start. While a lot of at-home blending can be trial and error to begin with, by following a few of our tips you’re certain to put yourself in the best position possible.

How many drops of oil should I use in my blend?

The amount of drops you’ll need for your blend depends completely on its purpose. For example, if you’re creating a blend to be used in soap or body lotion this will require more than a small roll-on perfume. For context, a bar of soap would use 40-60 drops of an essential oil blend and a diffuser needs up to 10 drops per 100ml of water to remain potent in the air.

The blending process

Once you have picked your perfect blend and identified how many drops per oil you’ll need you can begin the blending process. Add your drops to a small amber bottle (this will block out the light to keep your oil potent.) Make sure to keep smelling and testing your mix as you go. This will help you assess if more of a specific oil is needed, but keep in mind the fragrance can and will change over time. It’s basically as simple as that! Ensure to leave your blend for at least 48 hours to rest and infuse before you start using it.

Our top tips for great essential oil combinations

Essential oil blending is a super simple process, the steps just take a little fine-tuning for flawless blends. Make sure to check out our top tips below before starting your own blending journey:

1. Always plan your blend ahead! Most of the time just “winging it” with essential oil blending leads to some very bad concoctions indeed. Make sure you know exactly what you want to achieve before you start mixing.
2. Let your blend rest well before use. This gives the oils a chance to infuse together meaning the best payoff for you possible.
3. Always store your oil blend in a dark bottle and away from the light. This protects the potency of the oils and means they aren’t spoiled by exposure to direct sunlight.
4. Make sure to avoid using essential oils directly on bare skin as this can cause discomfort and irritation. Blend the oils with another carrier oil if you plan on using the blend for massages or as a fragrant perfume.

So there you have it, your easy at-home guide for essential oil blends. Don’t forget to head over to Otimo Beauty to stock up on all of your essential oils, and happy blending!