Aug 1, 2007

Achieving a Balanced Scent with Essential Oil

Increasingly, aromatherapy is one of the most fashionable types of alternative medicine in the world today. Perhaps one of the reasons it is so popular is that it is quite helpful for a number of different applications. In the world of medicine, there are a number of different applications. Women use it to ease labor pains on a regular. You don't have to be sick to benefit from aromatherapy, though. It can simply help you to focus your mind. It can improve your memory, improve your mood, it can even invigorate you after a long night. Making your own essential oil combinations can help you to take your daily aromatherapy rituals one step further.

If you intend to make essential oil combinations of your own, you must first understand a number of things related to essential oils. First, essential oils are classified according to notes. Top notes, on a general basis, are essential oils that tend to evaporate rather quickly. For the most part, essential oils that are classified as top notes tend to have anti-viral properties. Top notes are almost always quite fresh. They usually have properties that make them seem uplifting. They are also lighter scents than most. If you go to purchase essential oils that have been classified as top notes, they are usually quite inexpensive. They act very quickly. They usually have very little substance, and the first whiff of a top note essential oil will give you a good impression of the oil itself. Top notes do not last as long as some others. Middle notes tend to be most helpful in giving a sense of body to whatever essential oils blend they are being used in. They do a good job of balancing the blends, which is one of the reasons they are so popular.

For the most part, when you go to smell an essential oils blend, the middle notes will not always hit you at once. It may take a few minutes before you even notice them in any essential oils blend. Middle notes are warmer style fragrances. They have soft overtones that make them perfect for blending. Essential oils that are called base notes tend to be heavier than any other notes. They have a very solidified scent. Base notes stay present for a much longer period of time than any other oil, and they can truly help to slow down the level of evaporation most other essential oils experience. These are very intense experiences. Their rich nature tends to be relaxing for most, and they also tend to be the most expensive of all aromatherapy essential oils. In order to achieve a perfect scent balance, there are several things you should keep in mind. Remember that top notes hit hard to begin with, but leave quickly. Try balancing them evenly with a blend of middle notes and base notes. Remember that you want your final blend to be emotionally enjoyable.

You can start your first essential oils blending experience by choosing a combination of essential oils that you like and use on a regular basis. It is important to remember to choose at least one top note, one middle note, and one base note. While you can just choose a combination of scents that you think would work well together, if you are unsure about these kinds of things, stick with the basic notes formula. It will be a process of experimentation and learning no matter what you do at this stage. Grab a small glass jar for your next step. Dip a cotton swab into the first essential oil. Put it in your glass jar. Do this again for each essential oil that you have chosen. Don't forget to write them down as you add them. Once you have placed all of your swabs in one jar, leave it for a few minutes. Come back and smell it. Does it work for you? If so, you are ready to put the lid on the jar and leave it for several hours. Open it and smell it again. If you still like it, you are ready to blend the oils. Once you have blended equal parts of each essential oil in an airtight container, put the lid on it and leave it for at least forty-eight hours. When you reopen the jar, you will have the scent you created.

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