The Key to Making a Great Fragrance

An aromatherapy oil's fragrance is often known as its 'note'. The key to making a great fragrance is striking the perfect balance between the notes.

Aromatherapy is all about smell and with practice you will learn to recognize a fragrance even if you can't pick which plant the oil is from. For instance, you will be able to tell a citrus aroma from a floral one; a woody fragrance from a minty one. The smell is determined by the chemicals an oil contains. As similar smelling oils often contain similar chemicals, they also tend to have similar properties.

Aromas are sometimes called 'notes', and oils are divided into 'top, 'middle' and 'base' notes. Knowing an oil's note is important when mixing oils together. A good blend - such as most perfumes - usually contains a mix of three notes, the proportions changing depending on what the blend is for. In addition, an oil may contain more than one note - ylang ylang contains traces of all three notes, and is often considered the perfect fragrance.

When making up a fragrance, whether it's for use as a perfume or in a vaporizer, use between four and seven oils per blend.

Decide which type of blend you want, for example refreshing, and then choose notes with these properties to form the main part of the blend.

Mix the blend with carrier oil if you plan to use it on your skin and allow 30ml or carrier per 10 drops of essential oil.

Following is a guide for using 'notes' in various blend types:

• Refreshing blend: 5 drops top note, 4 drops middle note and 1 drop base note.
• Relaxing blend: 1 drop top note, 6 drops middle note and 3 drops base note.
• Sensual blend: 1 drop top note, 4 drops middle note and 5 drops base note.
• Balancing blend: 2 drops top note, 5 drops middle note and 3 drops base note.
• Invigorating blend: 8 drops top note, 1 drop middle note and 1 drop base note.

Aromatherapy oils can be divided into top, middle and base notes. In general, aromatherapy oils with the same 'note' to their fragrance have similar healing or mood-based properties.

AROMATHERAPY TOP NOTES