Blending Your Practical Potions
Overview–
Your animated helper will give you an overview of this lesson on introductory blending. Please take some time to listen to her suggestions. Then, hop over to the Ship’s Blending Lab. Bring your notebook. When you settle, read the chapter, watch the videos and download your journal and glossary.
There will be exercises suggested in the videos and journal exercises to get you started in blending.
Introduction to Potions and Perfumery
Few activities are more fun than mixing essential oils to create a potion! As an aromatherapist, I am biased, to be sure, but each oil tantalizes my imagination and creates scentual pleasure.
Each oil, perfect unto itself, becomes something different when married to another scent. Blending allows you to combine the oils you love to create a unique fragrance. Sometimes, it is heavenly; other times, it is an odour only a mother could love. Yet, it is a truly creative experience. Blending allows you to express your tastes and personality and have a lot of enjoyment.
It takes time, tools, and interest to get started in blending. You must assemble your essential oils, blending medium, be it vodka, camellia, jojoba oil or FCO (Fractionated coconut oil), bottles, labels, paper or a laptop to record your recipes, modifications, and more. You will also need a dedicated space to experiment.
There are few limits in blending other than using the oils safely. There are guidelines, to be sure, but I prefer to be open and imaginative rather than be a perfectionist about this. Too much analysis or criticism of the creation can ruin the pleasure.
Function First For Aromatherapists?
As an aromatherapist, you usually prioritize the blend’s function over its beauty. For example, you may be asked to create a blend for someone with emotional needs, such as stress. How do you use effective oils while still creating a nice-smelling blend? You may also be asked to make a pain-relieving oil for sore muscles. Aromatherapists focus on the blend’s purpose and efficiency; even then, it will be used and appreciated much more if it smells pleasing.
For therapeutic blends, you need to consider the symptoms you wish to treat, the underlying causes of the disorder, and the psychological and emotional factors involved.
FIRSTLY, define the oil’s Purpose. To create a calm emotional state, use only relaxing oils; to energize, use stimulating oils. Please don’t create a therapeutic blend with conflicting purposes. Complementary purposes like relaxing and uplifting (e.g., lavender and bergamot) are acceptable. A combination that contained calming and stimulating essential oils would be fraught with contradictory purposes, e.g., rosemary and Roman chamomile.
Once you define the purpose of your blend, you need to determine how you will deliver it- inhalation, diffuser, applied to the body, bath lotion, skincare, etc.
Diffuser blends are made from straight essential oil mixtures (neat) or oils and water. In another lesson, we covered how to make bath blends in a medium of cream, carrier oil, or Epsom salts.
Making therapeutic blends that smell good is a great skill, but learning natural perfumery is different again.
When creating perfumery, we deliberately change our focus.
We now use our blending skills to create blends for purely aesthetic reasons. We now leave function behind and create only what we love the smell of. But maybe this, too, is healing.
Perfumery-
Perfumery is a topic for advanced aromatherapy, but here is a sneak peek to get you started.
To start, use less expensive oils and small quantities. Using large amounts of precious oils in trial blends results in disappointing waste. In earlier segments, we mentioned that one way to be thrifty is to use scent strips. Put a drop of each essential oil on an individual scent strip. Let each strip dry, then put the strips together to get a whiff of the overall tone of the blend. If you don’t like one part of the blend, you can remove that oil without a lot of wasted product.
We will cover the topic of blending thoroughly in advanced aromatherapy, but here are a few more thoughts to ponder for now.
Essential oils are classified into three main categories according to their evaporation rate. The quicker they evaporate, the more rapidly they hit your nostrils. We have yet to cover all the essential oils discussed here, but they will come in the advanced course.
Top Notes:
Essential oils that evaporate the most quickly are called top notes. Orange, lemon, grapefruit, and spearmint are top notes. Top notes are often used in a diffuser; they draw us into a blend.
Mid Notes:
These are the oils that round out the blend. They combine the top and bottom notes, are harmonious, and integrate the blend. Lavender, rose geranium, and palmarosa are mid or heart notes.
Bottom Notes:
Base notes are the slowest to evaporate. They hold your blend together and give it depth. They last the longest on your skin. Patchouli, sandalwood, and vetiver are three classic bottom notes.
A good blend often contains a top, mid and bottom note.
How to Blend for Natural Perfumery:
A Few Supplies:
You can choose your blending medium. There are three good choices for the amateur blender:
Jojoba oil is an excellent carrier for perfumery, as it is prolonged to become rancid. Some natural perfumers use Camellia. Fractionated coconut oil is also really great and has become my new preference! I also use MCT coconut oil and use the terms interchangeably. However, they do differ.
The main difference between Fractionated Coconut Oil and MCT Oil is its composition and processing. Fractionated Coconut Oil is a fraction of the whole coconut oil, predominantly made up of medium-chain fatty acids. MCT Oil is more refined to contain specific medium-chain triglycerides, often from a combination of coconut and palm kernel oils.
Fractionated Coconut Oil and MCT Oil can be used in perfumery as carrier oils. They are excellent choices because of their light texture, lack of strong scent, and ability to blend well with essential oils. Their quick absorption and non-greasy finish make them ideal for skin applications, ensuring the fragrance is delivered effectively without leaving an oily residue.
Vodka is used for spraying perfumes. 190-proof vodka is the least offensive of the alcohols in terms of odour.
Bottles- https://www.bestbottles.com/
If you make an alcohol-based perfume, you may find that a Spray Bottle with a gentle mist distributes it best. This is in the style of English and French perfumers.
Oil-based perfumes do well in bottles that can be dabbed on. Older-style apothecary bottles are ideal, as are Boston-round aromatherapy bottles with labels.
You may also find 1 ml pipettes handy, which you can find online at amazon.ca.
Natural Perfumes:
The essential oil concentration in vodka, jojoba, or coconut FCO is 10% essential oil to 90% dilutant for a reasonably mild blend. 20% essential oil to medium will give you a more robust scent, especially when using jojoba as the base. Jojoba brings out a scent’s base notes but dampens the overall odour intensity.
The ratio of base to the middle to the top to the base is approximate. Base 40: Mid 30: Top 30 for an alcohol blend. For Jojoba or MCT coconut oil blend, it is suggested to increase the top notes, as the carrier dulls them a little. Thus, Base 25: Mid 30:Top 45 or Base 20: Mid 30:Top 55 may be even better. Perfumers are notorious for playing with these ratios. It is important to get a mix you like and keep track of it.
Keep the concept of scent or odour intensity in your mind. Note the odour potency value of each oil. It is listed in your notes. Not all essential oils have an equally strong odour. You cannot blend one sweet orange drop with one drop of cinnamon bark and get a scent equally representative of each essential oil. Cinnamon bark is much stronger and will dominate. This means to get a balanced scent, use much less of the more dominating tone. This topic is more advanced, but experience is needed, so keep experimenting and discovering.
Blending Lab Introductory
Video 1- Define the Purpose of Your Blend
Blending Introductory
Video 2- Make Your True Essence
So remember-
When creating natural perfumes within your aromatherapy practice, it’s essential to understand the interplay of top, middle, and base notes in crafting a scent. The initial aroma, carried by top notes like citrus or light florals, sets the stage but quickly transitions to the perfume’s heart, embodied by the middle notes. These are often richer, like spicy or robust floral scents, which subtly give way to the base notes, the deep, grounding essences that anchor and prolong the fragrance. This layered composition ensures our perfume evolves and endures over time.
Regarding the therapeutic dimension. Your choice of essential oils should be deliberate, aiming to blend the essential oil’s unique benefits into a synergistic mix that smells wonderful and enhances well-being. For instance, when targeting stress relief, we might combine the soothing essence of lavender with the stabilizing presence of vetiver, crafting a perfume that’s as beneficial as aromatic.
Precision has its advantages. We generally adhere to a 2-20% dilution rule for our essential oils in a carrier, ensuring the blend’s efficacy while safeguarding against irritation. It’s about finding that sweet spot where aroma and therapy meet without compromising safety.
And finally, embrace the creative process. Perfumery is an art form where your personal touch transforms into a blend. Experiment, document your creations, and let your intuition guide you. This approach will enhance your skill and deepen your connection to the craft, allowing you to create perfumes that resonate on a personal level and uphold therapeutic integrity.
Attars
Attars are ancient perfumes made from pure essential oil. They were generally made in India and used in the Arab market. They predate alcohol-based perfumes, which were more of a European concept. Historically, the base of attars was often sandalwood. They are very concentrated and can be expensive to make, but a little goes a long way. They are much stronger than our aromatherapy blends, but many of the oils in these perfumes have been used safely through time. Always patch test before using and check for personal sensitivities.
Indian Attars are made less for function and more for aesthetic purposes. Middle Eastern Mukhallats are very similar. The medicine becomes pleasure and enjoyment.
Attars- Video
The ingredients in Attars may have been distilled together as a perfume or as part of a blend. So, each batch would have been relatively unique, depending on the flowers, resins, roots, barks, and spices used. When we make attars, we use separate oils to create them. Sandalwood makes a superb base, as it is receptive to other scents and smooths out rough edges. But, it is hard to get, so other bases such as Amyris, Atlas Cedar, Vetiver or Patchouli may be used, depending on your preference.
The 1/3 top, mid, and base ratio applies when constructing an attar. However, these ratios are often played with depending on the blender. It is very common to create an attar with a 50% base to make it last longer. In that case, the top is often reduced to 20% and the mid note to 30%. Like many perfumes, it smells better the longer it sits.
Here is a recipe for a common attar, but you may play with the notes as you like. Make small batches at a time, as the blend is very pricey and concentrated.
For a 3 ml Batch, Use 1 ml each of your chosen top, mid, and base notes. You may mix ingredients, such as 1/2 ml of bitter orange and 1/2 ml of bergamot, for 1 ml of top notes. This is a generic recipe that you can adapt as you like. It is not unusual to go as high as 50% with the base to increase the scent’s endurance.
Formula for the Attars in the Video
First Blend-
9 MLS total
3 MLS bergamot
3 MLS rose geranium
3 MLS amyris
Second Blend
3 MLS total
1 ml bergamot
.05 ml rose, .05 ml jasmine
1 ml sandalwood
Ancient Attar- Proportions
1/3 bitter orange, bergamot, petitgrain or your preferred top note. (Distilled Bergamot will be preferable to cold pressed, as it will not cause photosynthesis). Remember, you can use a mixture of top notes, but ensure they equal 1/3 of the total blend.
1/3 rose, jasmine, rose geranium. These are suggested mid notes, but use whichever mid notes you prefer. You can blend a variety if you keep your preferred mid notes to 1/3 of the total blend.
1/3 sandalwood, atlas cedarwood, Amyris or your preferred base notes.
Make very small batches of attar to keep the costs reasonable. Roll the bottle in your hands after creation to warm it. Then, let the blend rest for a week before you adjust your recipe, playing with the top, mid, and base notes to better suit your preference and pocketbook. Write down your exact recipe. Give it a name and date. Label your bottle. Put the mixture into a dabber bottle suited to attar-style perfumery.
Remember to share your findings and creations with your Practical Potions Facebook Group. Enjoy your deep dive into making natural perfume blends.
Please review the downloads to get your Practical Potion Journal notes and recipes.