Page 14 - ESSENTIAL OIL THERAPY MANUAL

Blending Oils
CREATING AND CHOOSING OILS FOR A BLEND
When creating an essential oil blend research has shown that the use of no more then three different oils creates optimal synergy (Tisserand, 2020). Synergy refers to the capability of each essential oils chemical constituents to compliment each other and create a therapeutic effect greater then those of each individual oil (...). Before choosing your oils, consider what benefits you are hoping to achieve with your blend (Tisserand, 2020). Based on your decision identify oils whose therapeutic properties correlate with your expectations and don’t pose any risks to the client with respect to potential contraindications (Tisserand, 2020). Before blending remove the caps from the chosen essential oils, hold them together and smell the aroma to determine if it is appealing. If possible, include the client in this step, if the aroma is not appealing to the client change the oils until you find a blend that they enjoy. When we smell an aroma that we like, it will ultimately be of greater benefit (Tisserand, 2020).
Once you have determined which oils you want to use as well as your desired dilution you can determine how many drops of each oil you will include. Certain essential oils such as geranium, patchouli and neroli have a very strong aroma that can take over a blend. It is recommended that these oils comprise a lower concentration. When blending it is helpful to create a small sample to determine appropriate essential oil ratios. For example, when developing a sleep/relaxation blend the oils chosen were Roman Chamomile, Sweet Orange and Lavender for their properties surrounding rest and relaxation. The building of the blend started with a 1:1:1 ratio (1 drop of each essential oil), In the process, it was evident that lavender was quite strong and so the ratio was adjusted instead to a 2:2:1 ratio (roman chamomile: sweet orange: lavender). Blending is a skill that you gain more confidence in with increased exposure to essential oils and experience.
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