Essential Oils can be mixed together to give added benefits and individual blends. 

Even though there are many recipes to be found in most Aromatherapy literature, and you can buy ready-mixed blends, there is nothing like creating your own unique blend. This gives you the freedom to invent a blend that will be totally relevent for what you need, and to your own taste. 

Essential Oils can cancel each other out and clash with each other. You will learn with experimentation, but a few basic tips are:

• Some Citrus oils tend not to mix well with each other.
  
• Strong smelling essences tend to be unpleasant when combined.
  
• Lavender and Jasmine will mix well with all other Essential Oils.
  

Keep your blends simple, using no more than 3-4 different oils. To test the combination before mixing, place a drop of each oil onto separate tissues, hold together in a fan shape and gently wave under your nose, inhaling.

The top 10 Essential Oils for mixing are:

Bergamot, Chamomile, Frankinsence, Geranium, Jasmine, Lavender, Neroli, Rose, Sandalwood and Ylang Ylang.

PERFUMERY NOTE VALUES

Essential Oils all have a different note value, Top, Middle or Bottom, depending on the rate at which they evaporate and therefore how long the fragrance and properties last (many properties will continue to effect long since the scent has worn off!), and how quickly the properties of the oil take effect.

The Top Note oils give immediate and noticable effects and tend to have a lighter fragrance, eg. You will notice Eucalyptus clearing your head, or Lemon refreshing you. They are the shortest lasting oils, their fragrance and effect lasting between 3-24 hours. They are usually the most uplifting and stimulating of essential oils. 

The Middle Notes are the second lasting oils in fragrance and effect, lasting between 2-3 days. They effect the bodily functions and are less potent than the Top notes.

Base Notes are mellower fragrances and have a deeper, less immediate effect on you. eg. You will eventually feel less stress and relaxed when using Patchouli, although this may not make as noticeable a difference as a Top note oil as it takes time to take affect and calm the mind. These are the longest lasting oils, lasting up to 1 week. These essential oils effect the mind and emotions.

It is always a good idea to have one Base Note Oil in your blend with a mix of Top and Middle Notes. A blend consisting entirely of Top notes may clash and lack depth, and more than one Base Note may be too overpowering and clash.

There is a lot to consider when wanting to try out different blends but you may like to break the rules and experiment. We all have individual tastes and this information is only intended as a guide. Be bold and brave and let your imagination run wild!

MIXING RATIOS

It depends on how the oil are being used. Please see the relevant information pages. If you are making larger amounts of blends it is handy to know that approx 20 drops of essential oil is equivalent to 1ml. The maximum ratio is about 3% essential oil. Therefore you would add no more than 3ml (or 60 drops) essential oil to 100ml of base or carrier oil. Although it maybe easier when blending smaller amounts to half the number of mls to get the number of drops to use and this way you will ensure the ratio is below the maximum strength (eg 25 drops for 50ml base, or 1 drop per 2mls). The general rule for facial use is half the strength. If only using 1 oil you will not need to use as much.

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