Blending tips...

[Guest guest]

Hi Cindy! You asked for some info about blending, and I took these

posts from our aromatherapy message board. They cointain very useful

and detailed information. You can save the page to your computer and

read later, with calm, or print it, because it's a loooooooong

message (I wouldn't advice staying online the time to read it all,

but I suppose you already know that )

 

Anyway, hope this is helpful to you!

 

Have fun!

 

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Blending tips by Sharron:

 

To make up a blend of anything we must follow certain dilution

rates...For babies this would be 1% for children 12+ you can go to

2%...you kind of have to figure out when to let them have the 2%

cause some kids are 10 and they are the size of 14 years olds...but

less is always better...it only takes a little to make a difference

 

Here is how you figure out dilution rates:

 

 

ml oz Tbsp Cups Drops 2.5% Kids 1% 5%

5 1/6 1tsp --- 100 2-3 1-2 5

10 1/3 2tsp --- 200 5 2-3 10

15 1/2 1 --- 300 7-8 3-4 15

30 1 2 1/8 600 15 7 30

60 2 4 1/4 1200 30 15 60

125 4 8 1/2 24 tsp 60 30 125

So this is how the chart works...If you have a 5 ml bottle you would

add your carrier (Yes jojoba is wonderful but expensive)..then to the

carrier you would add your drops...for a child this would only be 1-2

drops so say for instance you are making the chamomile/lavender

blend, then you would just add 1 drop of each for a total of 2

drops...If you are making the blend for an Adult you would place 2-3

drops and if you want it stronger you could go up to 5 drops but no

more than this...5 drops is a STRONG blend and doesn't necessarily

mean it will work better...with aromatherapy usually less is

better...Take Laveneder for example, in small doses it is a relaxant

but in larger doses it becomes a stimulant...We DON " T want to

stimulate our kids...this will defeat the purpose of the blend:)

 

If we want to make a larger blend...say a bottle of spritzer..We

could use a 4oz (125ml) bottle of water and add 30 drops total of

chamomile/lavender as in 15 of each...If you prefer more chamomile

you could add 20 chamomile and 10 lavender...play with it and find

what works for you...of course, if you are making it up for Adult

just increase the number of drops to 60

 

These measurements aren't exact but close enough for our purpose of

blending

 

While we are on the subject of blending, if you have a more exotic

blend, say with 4 oils, you would need to make the synergy first in a

separate bottle and add 1-2 drops of the synergy to you carrier oil

in the other bottle.

 

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" The ancient healing art " blending tips...

 

An essential oil blend can be created for therapeutic effect, the

beauty of a fragrance - or both. A synergistic effect is possible

when the essential oils work together harmoniously. You do not need

to be an expert in the use of essential oils to create blends.

We've

outlined below some basic information that may be useful to you as

you journey into the creativity of blending ...

 

When creating a blend you will want to consider:

1) the purpose of the blend;

2) the desired therapeutic effect and / or

3) the type of fragrance desired; 4) the concepts of a balanced blend

 

You will want to familiarize yourself with the fragrance and effect

of essential oils. Breathe the aroma and note how it makes you feel -

calm, uplifted, focused, sensual, other; note the scent - is it

light, fresh, strong, sweet, green, other...

 

To test the aroma of the an individual essential oil you can breathe

directly from the bottle - swirl the essential oil in the bottle to

stir up the molecules first or place a drop on an unscented tissue,

blotter paper or other porous type paper and breathe. You may

experience olfactory overload if you are testing the aroma of

different essential oils. You will no longer be able to smell them!

This is common. You can restore your sense of smell by smelling

coffee beans, or the simplest - your armpit. It's true - it works

and

it's always with you!

 

When blending for therapeutic effect:

1) Determine essential oils that may be useful.

2) List essential oils in priority order when several effects are

desired (this can be used to determine the number of drops of each

essential oil you will use)

3) Test the fragrance as described above.

 

Some pointers for creating a balanced blend: there is no limit on how

many essential oils you can use in your blend. Many blends for

therapeutic effect contain only 3 to 4 essential oils - yet Shalimar

contains 13 and Aramis contains 14! Essential oils blend harmoniously

with essential oils in the same family. Here are some family

classifications:

 

Labiatae: basil, clary sage, lavender, marjoram, peppermint, rosemary

 

Rutacea: bergamot, lemon, orange

 

Coniferae: cedarwood, juniper

 

 

Essential oils have different rates of volatility and evaporation and

perfumiers have placed essential oils into these categories:

 

top note: fresh, light, fast evaporation - first scent you are aware

of in a blend

 

middle note: evaporates slower - it is considered the body of the

fragrance

 

base note: the fragrance is rich, emerges slowly and lingers. You can

balance the fragrance of your blend by including top, middle and base

notes. You may have experienced this layering effect in wearing a

perfume or cologne - where the scent changed over time. Whether an

essential oil is top, middle or base can be subjective and is

influenced by person, growing season, distilling method and more.

 

 

You may want to use essential oils with a strong fragrance sparingly -

such as peppermint or basil. Lavender may be useful for toning down

strong scented oils. You can add just a drop or two of any essential

oil to create an appealing fragrance in your blend.

 

Blended essential oils will merge over time and the fragrance may

change. You can leave the blend for a day, then return and test the

fragrance ... it may be perfect!

 

As you experiment with your blend creations keep a log of the number

of drops you use of each essential oil in the blend, the fragrance -

both your initial experience and the fragrance after time has passed

and the therapeutic effect. You may be surprised to find that

you've

created a masterpiece - and you will be able to duplicate it!

 

 

To blend with a carrier oil or not to blend with a carrier oil ...

some thoughts:

 

Determine how you want to use your blend. Anytime you want to apply

the blend directly to your skin - you will want to add a carrier oil.

Due to the high concentration of pure essential oils you only need a

few drops and a few drops won't cover much territory when

applying it

to your skin. It is also helpful to add essential oils to a carrier

oil for use in a bath. Essential oils are not water soluble and some

essential oils can irritate the skin in an undiluted form. Note:

Chris suggested adding them to milk for bath use. I think it's a

wonderful idea!

 

Nebulizer type diffusers may clog with carrier oils. This is a case

for not using carrier oil.

 

The amount of carrier oil you add to the essential oils will be

determined by how you will use the blend. There are a variety of oils

suitable for use as carrier oils. These listed below contain

vitamins, minerals and protein and are good for all skin types.

 

 

Sweet almond oil, Grapeseed oil, Hazelnut oil, Safflower oil,

Sunflower oil

 

 

Useful supplies for creating a blend include a clean glass bottle -

essential oils are volatile and evaporate on contact with air - it is

best to mix them in a closed container rather than a cup or bowl;

a separate dropper for each essential oil - and one for the blend

(most droppers can be taken apart for cleaning if you would like to

re-use them later);

Carrier oil - if that is desired

 

Now that you've got some basic information - you are ready to

create

a blend!

 

1) Add the desired number of drops of each essential oil to the bottle

2) Start with equal amounts and increase them 1 at a time if you are

unsure about quantity

3) Shake the bottle to mix the oils and test the fragrance and effect

4) Carrier oil is added last - when you are ready to use your blend

 

 

Have fun .. and remember - there is no bad blend!