Blending Fragrance Oils

From India Ink (Yasmine Galenorn)

Blending fragrance oils is a little bit like cooking—you have to mix the right scents for the final product to be good. If you put in too much of one or too little of another, the balance will be off. And each flower or plant contains magical qualities according to folklore, so you'll want to take into account what you want the fragrance to invoke. I studied this subject a great deal when I wrote my nonfiction, and found my research perfect for this mystery series!

Glossary:
To blend basic fragrance oils, you'll need to know these definitions. Never consume fragrance oils unless they state specifically that they are safe for internal consumption, and even then, double check.

Essential Oils: Pure oil distilled from the flower or plant essence.
Synthetic Oils: Synthetic versions of essential oils.
Top Note: The prominent scent in a fragrance, the one you'll notice immediately but it wears off quickly.
Middle Note: The middle note tends to emerge slower than the top note and it will last longer. More subtle than the top note.
Base Note: The base note is heavier than the top or middle notes, it lasts a long time and forms the foundation for the fragrance.
Foundation: The oil into which you blend the fragrance oils. Almond and apricot oils are commonly used, and they impart very little scent to the overall fragrance.

Equipment:
To blend a basic fragrance oil, you will need the following:

Clean eyedropper
Glass bottle and lid (usually ¼ ounce sizes are used). Make sure this is clean and free of dust or oils
Foundation oil (apricot or almond)
Essential and/or synthetic oils
Rubbing alcohol
Cotton balls
Dried herbs or flower petals
Gem chips (optional)
A notebook and pen (to write down your recipes)
A good handbook like Scott Cunningham's Complete Book of Incenses, Oils & Brews, or Valerie Worwood's The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy

Synthetic or Essential? Which Should I use?

There's quite a debate over essential and synthetic oils among aromatherapists. No one really argues against the idea that essential oils are preferable to synthetic, but the fact is simple: some essential oils can be so costly that unless you're working for very specific magical purposes, or unless you can't handle synthetics, you're not going to be able to afford them. With jasmine essential oil running from $50-$70 for an eighth of an ounce, not many hobby aromatherapists are going to feel comfortable taking a chance on making a mistake. So synthetics—good synthetics—are acceptable in these cases unless you honestly feel you must have the absolute oil. My philosophy is: use the essential (or absolute) oils whenever possible. Many are affordable and their fragrance is true. Use the synthetics when the essentials are just too pricey.

To Blend An Oil:
Realize that it will take some experimenting to get the knack for figuring out how many drops of each oil to add to your fragrance blend and be prepared for a few failures.

1. Decide what you want the oil to be: a fragrance (floral, citrus, spicy, breezy, etc.), or geared toward invoking a certain quality or essence into your life (i.e.: attracting love, clearing the mind, restful sleep, etc.).
2. Research the qualities of the plants and flowers for those that align with the oil you want to create.
3. Choose 3-5 essential/synthetic oils that you think will smell good together, making sure at least one of them fits the criteria of base note, and at least one fits the definition of middle note. Usually strongly scented flower oils will be top note oils.
4. When using the eyedropper, wipe with a paper towel that has a few drops of rubbing alcohol on it between using on each different oil.
5. Using the eyedropper, add 20-30 drops of the base note oil(s). Take a long, slow whiff of that oil, get to know the scent.
6. Next, using the eyedropper, add 15-20 drops of the middle note oil(s). Gently swirl the bottle and again, take a slow whiff and let the scent settle into your psyche. Doing this with each addition of a new oil will help you understand the evolution of the fragrance.
7. Lastly, using the eyedropper, add 3-10 drops of each of the top note oils. Again, gently swirl and smell.
8. You may want to adjust the number of drops as you go—you might find you want a few more of the base note to even out a strong top note, or that the middle note needs shoring up.
9. Remember: you can always add another drop, but once you're blending the oils, you can't take drops away, so it's best to start with a minimum number and work up.
10. Once you've got a fragrance you like, add either almond or apricot oil to fill the bottle to ¾ full.
11. Add a few pinches of dried herb or flower petals to match the oil, and if you like, a gemstone chip that contains similar qualities to the energy you're trying to create. For example: use garnet and rose quartz for beauty, love, and attraction oils. Use peridot or malachite for prosperity oils. Use clear quartz or aquamarine for clarity or restful sleep oils. I buy gemstone chip necklaces—usually inexpensive, and just cut the cord and put the chips in a bottle and use them as I need them for sachets or oils or stone pouches.
12. Tightly close the lid and shake well. Store in cool, dark place where the light won't shine directly on the fragrance oil. You can use them—a drop or two at a time—on your wrists, or you can add the oil to sachets or dreaming pillows or even a drop or two on a handkerchief tucked in your purse or your pocket
13. Remember: if you have allergies, make sure you avoid using oils that are derived from plants you are allergic to.
    

A Sample Oil Recipe:

Here's a recipe I created a few years ago that I like a lot and that has gone over big with my readers.

Intoxication #2

This is a wonderful fragrance oil that will make you smell delicious. I've had so many compliments on it.

25 drops dark musk oil
20 drops peach oil
8 drops vanilla oil
Scant ¼ ounce apricot oil
¼" piece of cinnamon stick
2 garnet chips (optional)


Blend oils in this order: dark musk, peach, vanilla, apricot according to above directions. Add cinnamon stick and garnet chips to bottle. Cap and shake, and store in dark place. Do not consume.

More from India Ink

Scent to Her Grave: A refreshing debut: first in the new Bath and Body mystery series. Includes beauty and spa tips!

From custom blended oils to relaxing spa services, the store Venus Envy takes care of all the beauty needs of Gull Harbor, Washington. Behind the counter is Persia Vanderbilt, a woman with a nose for mixing scents--and a mind for solving murder.

(A Bath and Body Mystery)
Berkley (Prime Crime) , October 2005
Featuring: Persia Vanderbilt
272 pages ISBN: 0425205339
Paperback
$6.99

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