Creating Your Own Essential Oil Formulas

Creating your own unique essential oil formulas is a true art form. For many of us, creating and blending our own formulas is the heart of aromatherapy. There are two basics to keep in mind: Will the formula be effective for its intended use? Will the formula appeal to the olfactory senses? A good essential oil formula will do both. Although there are no hard and fast rules for creating your own blend, following these guidelines will enable you to create formulas with greater success and less practice.

Whether you are creating your formula for use in massage, the bath, a cosmetic recipe or a household product, you need knowledge about basic blending techniques. If you are not knowledgeable about basic blending techniques, please refer to “Essential Oil Blending Basics” and get some blending experience before attempting to create your own unique essential oil formula.

In order to ensure your formula will be effective for its intended use, you must know what effect each essential oil will have on the body and the mind. Refer to the posts under the Essential Oil Properties category, or consult your own resources. Even if you are blending the formula for scent alone, it is crucial that you understand the oils’ properties as well as any associated cautions.

Once you have chosen essential oils suitable for your intended purpose, you need to determine each oil’s scent classification, and be conversant with it’s blending companions. Not all reference material indicates scent classification, or agrees on exactly what these are, which is why I developed my own classification resource. Note that you do not have to adhere strictly to the list of blending companions; these are guidelines only.

Before you begin the actual blending, it’s a good idea to know how many drops of essential oil formula will be needed in the recipe you will be making. For example, a basic lotion or cream recipe may require 30-50 drops of essential oil formula, a one-time use bath formula will require 10. Knowing how many drops your recipe requires is very helpful for the new blender.

In addition to the basic blending equipment as outlined in Essential Oil Blending Basics, you will need blotting paper or coffee filters, and coffee (preferably fresh unground beans) to clear your nose.

Once you have determined a list of essential oils you want to experiment with, and have gathered your equipment, it’s time to start blending. This can be very intimidating for the first time blender, which is why I suggest working out your formula on paper first. Keep a notebook dedicated to your aromatherapy formulas. It’s important to take detailed notes on the process so you know what worked and what didn’t, and exactly how many drops you used. DO NOT rely on memory. There is nothing so frustrating as creating a delightful essential oil blend and then not being able to remember how many drops you used in your formula.

One at a time, place a single drop of each essential oil you intend to use (its good to begin with five or six “possibles”) on your blotter paper. As you sniff, try to imagine how the oil will blend with the others scent-wise. As much as possible, try to get a feel for the formula you are about to create.

Once you are ready to start combining oils in a bottle, I suggest beginning with a single drop of each essential oil, and then building from there, drop by drop. Sniff after each addition and keep notes, using the coffee aroma to clear your olfactory nerves. A typical blending session lasts 15 to 30 minutes before olfactory exhaustion sets in. Take a one or two hour break and go back to the project refreshed.

Creating your own unique essential oil formulas takes some practice. If you keep at it, in a few weeks you will understand the various oils’ scent properties and the process will be more rewarding and less time consuming.

Happy blending!