An Aromatherapy Recipe for Success: 5 Guidelines for Blending Essential Oils

As any beginner knows, it takes time to become familiar with even a few basic aromatherapy essential oils. Learning to recognize even a handful of scents and remembering their properties and therapeutic uses is challenging at first. But as you gradually begin to assimilate information and accumulate personal experience, the amazing variety of essential oil blends becomes more and more intriguing.

Practically every aromatherapy shop sells its own specially crafted essential oil blends. Some are aimed at alleviating stress, promoting relaxation, or inspiring romance. Still others are designed to aid in healing and entice spiritual awakening. As you begin to recognize the essential oils listed as the blends’ ingredients, you may begin to feel a creative urge to craft your own unique recipes.

Have you already begun experimenting with blends by using more than one oil in your diffuser or inhaler? The art of crafting a truly inspired aromatherapy recipe requires slightly more effort and skill. When you’re ready to experiment with aromatherapy recipe blends, consider adopting the following 5 guidelines:

1. Obtain a quality aromatherapy guide. For safety’s sake, you should be aware of any and all essential oil potential side effects and possible hazards. Pay particular attention to guidelines regarding typical essential oil allergies. Your guide should also offer suggestions and guidelines for appropriate essential oils to blend.
2. Purchase professional blending tools to ensure safety and avoid contaminating your essential oils. An aromatherapy blending kit should contain nearly all of the materials you will need to get started. Take care to clean your blending tools to avoid contamination.
3. Take careful written notes of every step of your blending process. Note the order in which you’ve completed steps as well as the precise elements of each aromatherapy recipe you concoct. To make the most of trial and error, it is just as important to record what doesn’t work as to preserve the recipes of successful blends!
4. Practice crafting tried and true aromatherapy recipe blends before becoming too creative. It takes time to learn to distinguish the subtle effects blending essential oils can have. A drop or two of an essential oil can dramatically affect the properties and aroma of a blend.
5. Take a conservative initial approach to creative aromatherapy recipe blending. Save yourself time and money by blending only those essential oils you are familiar with or that you repeatedly see used in recipes. Unless you enjoy the luxury of an unlimited budget, experiment with obscure essential oils sparingly, if at all.