Blending Essential Oils

Should I use each essential oil on its own or should I mix them?



That is question that gets asked often.



The simple answer is that you can do both!



Essential oils can work well on their own but it is true that the effects of essential oils can be boosted by combining them.



Mixing 2 or more essential oils can also create wonderful new aromas. That is one of the reasons why I have created my own range of blends, to offer the benefits of these blends to those who do not want to get into blending themselves.



Likewise there is nothing wrong with using a single essential oil if that is what you prefer. Often the properties or aroma of a single oil are exactly what we are looking for, so why complicate matters! But sometimes we can benefit from a blend of essential oils and the different effects that brings.



When we blend essential oils we are taking advantage of a property that essential oils possess, called "synergy". Synergy means that combinations of essential oils can have an effect greater than the sum of their parts. A bit like making 1 + 1 = 5!



Individual essential oils have a certain amount of innate synergy through the interaction between the unique combinations of chemical components that make up each essential oil. But the effect can be further enhanced by combining different essential oils.



Other benefits of blending are aesthetic. Some oils may not smell as attractive on their own, but add wonderful character and depth, when combined with other essential oils.



Combining essential oils can also help the aroma of the more highly volatile top note oils last longer by combining them with the more slowly evaporating middle and base note oils.



So while you do not have to combine essential oils into blends, there can be great advantages in doing so.





Other common questions asked are, how do I blend essential oils? and, which essential oils go together?



So in future articles I will look further into how to go about creating essential oil blends for different purposes, how to decide which oils will go together and much more.



Wendy Mackay is a qualified Aromatherapist and member of the International Aromatherapy and Aromatic Medicine Association (IAAMA). Wendy and her husband David run Essence of Wellbeing a successful Aromatherapy & Massage Supply and Pure Natural Skin Care business, based in Mornington on the beautiful Mornington Peninsula in Victoria Australia.



Other Articles and Essence of Wellbeing products can be viewed at http://aromatherapyandnaturalskincare.com.au