Blending Oils

Blending Oils

One of the fun parts of exploring essential oils is creating blends for your own specific needs. Once you know how to apply essential oils you can experiment with your own combinations with these tips for blending essential oils.

Creating your own essential oil blends isn’t difficult, but it does take some time and experimentation to find what works for you. Each person’s body is unique and may require different amounts or different oils to achieve similar results. But there are some basic tips for blending essential oils.

Tips for developing your personal blends

The following advice will help you get started creating your own mixtures and help you narrow down your choices. This can feel like an overwhelming step but it doesn’t have to be with these few simple guidelines:

Start with a carrier oil

As I’ve stated in previous posts, dilution is highly recommended with essential oils (fill out the form below for a free printable dilution chart). Depending on the type of blend you are creating, whether it’s an everyday blend or a therapeutic blend for occasional use, you will want to start with a carrier oil.

  • For an everyday blend, start with 2-3 drops per teaspoon of carrier oil (for adults) or 1 drop for every teaspoon (for children)
  • For therapeutic, short-term use (not recommended for children or the elderly), try a 10-20% dilution (10-20 drops per teaspoon of oil
  • For a massage blend, 50 drops to 4 0z carrier oil is sufficient
    Use a reference guide

An essential oils reference guide (like this one) is a great help in narrowing down your options. Decide what kind of blend you’d like to create (is it for a specific health need or for emotional support?) and narrow it down by using the reference guide.

Most reference books will have specific recommendations for a variety of personal uses. Generally the oils and blends are placed in a recommended order. By combining a few from the list, you can create your own personal blend for that specific need.

Oils that ‘play nice’

One general guideline to consider, when deciding which oils to blend, is that if two oils are from the same botanical family they will work well together. Oils with similar constituents will also blend well.

Take a sniff test

Also consider the ‘notes’ of the oil. Some are fruity, others are woodsy or floral. When you’ve narrowed down your list of essential oil choices consider how they will smell together and what scents you prefer.

Creating your own essential oil blend requires some experimenting and trial-and-error until you find what works for you. But there are a few steps you can follow to make things a little bit easier.

Decide what type of blend you’d like to create

The first step in creating your own essential oil blend is to decide what result you’d like to achieve.

For example, I have very dry skin in the winter so I’d like to create a blend that I can apply to keep my skin soft and hydrated.

Use your reference guide

Once you know what you’d like to create, you’ll want to use a reference guide (Google works too, but a reference guide is a great resource to have on-hand. I really like this one).

So let’s take our dry skin example. Look up ‘dry skin’ in the reference guide and make a list of the recommended oils:

  • Rosewood
  • Geranium
  • Lavender
  • Roman Chamomile
  • Davana
  • Jasmine
  • Lemon
  • Neroli
  • Patchouli
  • Sandalwood

Oils are listed in a recommended color-coded order in the guide. The first color-coded list is placed in recommended order and the second list is a selection of other recommended oils.

There are also notations beside each oil (A, T, or I – for aromatic, topical, or internal use). Since I am planning to create a topical blend, I look at only those oils marked with a ‘T’.

Choose 2 oils to test

Look through the list of recommended oils for any that you already own (it’s always great to start with what you already have!) or you can decide to purchase a few. Start with 2 oils from the recommendations in the reference guide.

I like to choose two that I think will smell nice together. Perhaps Lavender (a floral scent) will work nicely with Lemon (a citrus scent).

Choose one oil, dilute it with a carrier oil and apply to the area of concern (fill out the form below for a free printable dilution chart). Watch for any changes. If you see positive results, then you’ve found an oil that will work for you. If you see little or no change, repeat this step with another oil.

This step may take a few days, depending on what you are hoping to achieve.

Test your blend

Once you’ve found a few oils that work well for what you need, try layering them. Dilute and apply one oil and then apply the other. As in the previous step, note the results.

Also, make note of the scent. Do you like it? Dislike it? Olfactory senses are involved in this process as well and you want to create a blend that is pleasing to your senses.

Once you’ve decided on the two oils that you like, it’s time to mix them up.

Create your blend

In a dark colored bottle (I like to wash out and keep my empty essential oil bottles just for this reason) combine your carrier oil and the essential oils you’ve chosen. Top with an orifice reducer or roller top. Keep them tightly closed and stored in a cool, dark location to protect their efficacy.

Classic blends for busy people

This collection of blends is a fantastic place to start when you’re just getting started creating your own blends. They are easy to put together and diluted enough that they are fine for everyday use.

First you’ll want to get your empty bottle and figure out your dilution ratio (see below).

Then, measure out the drops of essential oil needed by dripping right into the empty bottle. (I like to reuse empty 15 ml essential oil bottles, which hold about 3 teaspoons of liquid).

After you’ve measured out your drops of oil, fill the remainder of the bottle with carrier oil, then top with an orifice reducer or roller-ball. Don’t forget to add a label!

For everyday blends like these, I like to dilute quite a bit so they are safe for everyone (except babies – extra caution is necessary with little ones).

How to dilute your oils

The first step is to figure out your dilution ratio. For children or those with sensitive skin stick with a 1% dilution. For adults a 2-3% dilution is fine for everyday use. (Fill out the form below for a free printable dilution chart.)

If you are using a 15 ml essential oil bottle that means:

1% dilution: 3 drops essential oil

2-3% dilution: 6-10 drops essential oil

Once you know your dilution ratio, you can start mixing up your blends!

10 Everyday Blends
  • Restful sleep: Lavender, Cedarwood, Peace & Calming
  • Awake & Alert: Peppermint & Citrus Fresh
  • Peaceful feelings: Lavender & Ylang Ylang
  • Calming: Orange & Lavender
  • Confidence boost: Jasmine & Sandalwood
  • Clarity: Cedarwood & Frankincense
  • Happiness: Lemon & Frankincense
  • Energy: Peppermint & Lemon
  • Focus & Memory: Rosemary & Sage Lavender
  • Uplifting: Lemon & Orange
Applying your new blends

These everyday blends can be applied wherever you prefer. A few ideas: temples, bottom of feet, behind your ears, or on your wrists.