Create Your Own Oasis with a Personal Aromatherapy Blend

You can learn a lot by cooking with your own unique recipes. Whether you start from scratch or modify a favorite dish, it’s always an adventure when you get creative in the kitchen. Sometimes you hit on a perfect blend of spices and ingredients. Other times the pot is best dumped down the garbage disposal! Crafting your own aromatherapy blends can be an equally entertaining pursuit.

Cover the Basics Before You Blend

Similar to creative cooking, the more experience you have with aromatherapy “ingredients,” the more likely you’ll succeed with your blend. It takes time to learn the variety of effects essential oils can produce. The unique properties of each oil are often subtle as well as complex. Take the time to fully experience essential oils before you start blending them.

Learn the strengths and weaknesses of a variety of essential oils, and determine the effects they produce. The joy of discovery is a fundamental part of practicing aromatherapy. It’s not necessary to be an expert, but a close familiarity with a few favorite essential oils and perhaps one or two exotics can help you create a successful blend.

Be Cautiously Creative

Whether or not you’re new to aromatherapy, a quality guide to essential oils helps tremendously when you’re ready to experiment. If you’ve been practicing aromatherapy for some time, consider purchasing a more detailed book which includes some recipe blends. Many guides contain suggestions for mixing, or include “works well with” information as part of each essential oil’s description. Such advice can point you in the right direction when you’re ready to try your hand at a personalized blend.

Some oils simply will not work well together for a variety of reasons. Some scents clash, while others compliment. You could create a blend that’s inappropriate or unsafe for your intended purpose. Avoid wasting your time and valuable oils on concoctions that are doomed to fail. Be smart as well as safe by seeking professional guidance before you blend.

Make Way for Your Masterpiece

Once you’ve had some essential oil experience and reviewed some expert advice, it’s time to have some fun creating your own aromatherapy blend. Naturally, you’ll want to use only natural, quality oils. Create your blend in a clean, dry bottle and be sure to avoid contaminating pure oils. Consider the following when you’re ready to blend, relax, and enjoy the process!

• Healing, invigorating or relaxing? Decide what you are hoping to achieve with your aromatherapy blend, and decide on the final form it will take (bath salts, massage oil, etc.).
  


• Personal preferences are of the utmost importance when creating a personalized essential oil blend. Avoid adding only what you “should,” and focus instead on what you prefer. The key is to emphasize your favorite essential oils in combinations that enhance what you like.
  


• Trust your intuition. If you have some experience and you are taking blending seriously, use your instincts to your advantage.
  


• Take your time. You may discover an aromatherapy blend that suits you perfectly during your first trial. On the other hand, it could take several (or more) tries to achieve the ideal balance.
  


• Keep a record of your efforts and enjoy modifying your recipes to suit your individual needs.