Blending essential oils can be tricky and it requires practice. I learned long time ago that it is a good idea to write down the recipes of the blends so you remember the great ones. 

Blend Equalizers

If your blend is not smooth and has some sharp edges then it's a good idea to consider using blend equalizers. Blend equalizers are the essential oils that will smooth out the sharp edges in a blend. According to Battaglia, Lavabre says the essential oils of sweet orange, Spanish marjoram, fir, tangerine, pine and rosewood are considered equalizers. If your blend contains cineole rich essential oils Lavabre suggests that fir and pine needle are ideal to use.

Blend equalizers will balance the blend and this will make the blend flow harmoniously. The equalizers' main purpose is to hold the blend together without having any or very little effect on the blend's personality. Battaglia says equalizers  can be used in large amounts, if blend modifiers are also used then equalizers can be used up to 50%.

Blend Modifiers

If you realize that your blend is flat and uninteresting then it may be a good idea to add a drop of a modifier. Blend modifiers will contribute to its unique personality as well as give the blend a lift. Some modifiers are cinnamon, peppermint, clove, vetiver, cistus and German Chamomile. Even when used in small amounts the modifiers can influence the overall aroma of the blend, so it is suggested by Battaglia to use them sparingly. Don't use more than 3%.

Blend Enhancers

Blend enhancers can slightly modify a blend without overpowering it. They have a pleasant aroma and Battaglia says they can be used up to 50%. Geranium, bergamot, clary sage, cedarwood, lavender, may chang, spruce, lime, lemon, lavender, palmarosa, jasmine, myrrh, rose otto, neroli are considered blend enhancers according to Battaglia.

Natural Extenders

When you use expensive essential oils such as rose, jasmine and neroli you want to take advantage of their exquisite aroma. Battaglia says that Lavabre recommends using natural extenders to make the blend more affordable. The natural enhancers should be compatible with the expensive essential oils of course. 

Battaglia shares a formula that shows how it is possible to maintain the equisite rosy aroma of a blend by adding two less expensive essential oils with rosy and floral aroma. Battaglia chooses to add the less expensive essential oils of rosewood and palmarosa  as natural extenders to a rose absolute blend. He is using patchouli as a base note which has a rich, sweet and earthy aroma.

Palmarosa 10%

rose absolute 20%

rosewood 60%

patchouli 10%

 Essential oils are expensive and it is annoying when you create blends that don't turn out so well. Hopefully the tips mentioned above will be useful. Happy Blending!

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Blending essential oils is not always easy and it is also very subjective. Fortunately, there are some tips that are useful and can help you create a pleasing and balanced blend.

First of all you need to familiarize yourself with the top, middle, and base notes. Battaglia agrees with Lavabre, who suggests the following ratio:

top notes: 20-30%

midddle notes: 40-80%

base notes: 10-25%

Battaglia used to believe in a different ratio but he writes that Lavabre's ratio works perfectly for aromatherapy.

For a detailed list of the essential oils and if they are top, middle, or base notes, read my post Make Your Own Perfume:

It is important that the blend you make doesn't brake up into three stages that smells differently, you don't want them to leave the others behind. If the essential oil blend falls apart it is not formulated very well. 

So how should  a well balanced blend be like? Battaglia says a well balanced blend has a top note that retains some of the middle note, and the base note retains some of the middle note. The changes during the evaporatio process will be very smooth.

What are some things you can do to fix your blend?

If you have formulated a blend with the top note too far removed from the middle note then you can bring the blend into harmony by adding an essential oil with softer quality that vibrates from the middle towards the top. Rose otto, neroli or clary sage can be used.

If you formulated a blend where the base note is way too pronounced and doesn't have any connection to the middle note, then you have to lift the blend with an essential oil that is brighter and resonates from the middle to the base. Geranium, lavender, rosewood, or ylang yland are suitable.

If you formulated a blend with mostly top notes then you should consider adding rosewood or sandalwood to the blend. 

Learn about blend equalizers, blend modifiers, blend enhancers and natural extenders  here.

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We love lotion bars in our family and they have always been a big hit when we have given them to friends. A lotion bar is a great alternative to a liquid water-based body lotion. I make them for the whole family, and they make great gifts during the holidays. A body lotion bar contains oil and is solid, which makes it ideal for children to use.

My 13 year old daughter Paola made her own solid perfume as one of her products to sell to raise money for girl camp. Solid perfume is a great alternative to regular perfume, and it is easy to bring without having to worry about breaking a glass bottle. I don't allow my daughter to wear regular store-bought perfume since regular perfume contains hormone disrupting chemicals. Do you know that fragrance products targeting teenage girls contain many secret chemicals not listed on the labels? These hidden chemicals can be found in fragrance products from Hannah Montana's Secret Celebrity and Britney Spear's Curious to Calvin Klein's Eternity and Abercrombie's Fitch Fierce. 

These secret chemicals not listed on the labels contain chemicals that can disrupt hormones or trigger allergic reactions. It is not a good idea to expose growing and not fully developed girls to fragrances that disrupt hormones.  Fortunately, essential oils can be used to make quick and easy perfumes and other body care products that not only smell wonderfully, but also posses powerful healing properties.

Paola decided to use the a calming blend since she loves the fragrance so much. It is very suitable for a teenage girl that tends to be a little moody from time to time. It is also a very potent blend so many drops go a long way. 

The essential oils in this blend are:

Tangerine (Citrus nobilis), orange (Citrus aurantium), ylang ylang (Cananga odorata), patchouli (Pogostemon cablin) and blue tansy (Tanacetum annuum)

Ingredients:

Bees Wax

Carrier Oil (sweet almond oil, grapeseed, jojoba, or olive oil) We used apricot seed and it was fine.

Container. We bought some from Abundant Health

How to

Blend equal parts of bees wax and carrier oil and melt in a double boiler. About 2 tsp grated bees wax and 2 tsp carrier oil are needed for one lip balm container. Paola made a bigger batch, but the important thing to remember is to use equal parts bees wax and carrier oil. 

You roughly need 40-50 drops of essential oils per 1 tsp of solid perfume. Paola removed the mixture from the stove and quickly mixed drops of the calming blend into the melted mixture right before she poured it into the containers. She also dropped some extra drops on top of each small container before the mixture began to harden. She mixed it with a tiny spoon.

Paola had some leftover mixture so she poured it into some lids and just covered once hardened. You can use all kinds of containers. Next time we are going to make perfumes we will use tins or small glass containers instead of plastic.  Make sure that you mix all the essential oils prior to melting the ingredients, once melted you need to pour quickly before it hardens. Check out my blending guide for tips on how to blend essential oils for perfumes.