top, middle, base

[Guest guest]

Hello to all the newbies - what wonderful people we have here!

Zo wrote

 

< I was wondering if somebody might be able to tell

me alittle more about the top, middle, base notes that are assigned to

essential oils. Why is the subject controversial?>

 

I don't know why it should be controversial, except in that some people might

disagree on the note of some oils. But then, every batch is different. I've had

a

black pepper that's a base note, and a black pepper that's a middle note,

according

to my nose. Likewise, lemongrass and clary sage are often described as being

top

notes, but I think they're more middle. Perhaps we could say middle-to-top or

even

top-to-middle, to confuse the issue further.

 

We use this terminology because we don't have much in the way of a vocabulary

for

describing smells. It's a way of classifying them. When I first learned

aromatherapy, it was the only way I came across of differentiating between the

oils

and making it easier to learn them. Nowadays I prefer to classify them into

types

like spices, citrus, woods, flowers, herbs and gums - again, just a way of

learning.

 

 

The notes refer to how quickly the essential oil will evaporate when exposed to

air, which in turn refers to their chemical make-up. The top notes are the

quickest

(eg lemon, grapefruit) and these have an uplifting effect on us and are often

stimulating. The middle notes (eg lavender, marjoram) evaporate less quickly

and

affect our metabolism. The base notes (eg jasmine, benzoin) are slower to

evaporate

and are all sedative. These also 'hold down' the evaporation rate of the higher

notes, and so are useful in blends as a fixative.

 

The first book I ever read on aromatherapy was Shirley Price's 'Practical

Aromatherapy'; there she does classify the oils into their notes.

 

Taking notes into consideration is useful when making blends - a blend of all

top

notes wouldn't last long and might be over-stimlating; a blend of all base

notes

might send you to sleep and/or give you a headache; a blend of all middle

notes

might be boring as it lacks the spark of a top note and the depth of a base

note.

You could use more base notes for an evening bath, and more top notes for a

morning

bath. So I guess it's all about blending. The rule of thumb is to make a blend

containing a balance of all three notes - one of those rules you learn in class,

then adapt as the mood takes you.

Helen in Cape Town