This & That
Guide to Building Essential Oil Blends
Mar
Make perfect scents with a purpose: our guide to expertly pairing essential oils for aromatherapeutic experiences.
Essential Oils are Like Party Guests
Everyone loves a great party – and essential oils with their distinct profiles and properties are just like the attendees at your scent-sational soiree! The perfect combination of lively types and subtle types help create a balanced atmosphere from start to finish. Some oils are big characters: bright and loud and fresh like pink grapefruit – while others are grounding and sultry like amber or vanilla. These profile contrasts can actually compliment each other and even mingle to develop a whole new blended experience.
Color also plays an important role in envisioning your essential oil blend. Latika owner, Mazzi Peled, says she will “imagine what hues and tones best represent the feeling or effect” that she is hoping to achieve. Scents like lavender evoke a soft and calming emotion that Mazzi pairs with cool purples and blues. Sharp citrus scents like orange and bergamot match exciting bright colors like yellow and lime that invigorate. Imagine what color palette the guests at your party might be wearing and take inspiration from that vision.
Just like party guests, scents arrive and depart at different rates. The busy working parent who has to be up early the next day to run 6 miles will probably leave early – just like eucalyptus starts energetically but fades more quickly. A friend recently returned from a relaxing island vacation might linger a while longer with a few stories from their travels – just as sandalwood relieves stress and creates a connection to the natural world around you.
Inside our Black Hatchet
Grit Beard Oil Blend
For the purpose of this guide, we’ll be walking you through the essential oil blend found in our one of our best-selling products from the Black Hatchet men’s care line. The Grit Shave & Beard Oil is a refreshing, earthy blend of Tea Tree, Patchouli and Mint essential oils, selected for their antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. Read on to learn how we carefully constructed this fan favorite.
Step 1. Establish the purpose of your blend.
Imagine you are throwing a party and you need to pick a theme. Building the perfect oil blend is combining the atmosphere of aroma with the active benefits of molecules.
In the case of Grit, we started with oils that function as a calming base to any face care routine and won’t irritate skin or follicles. Properties that prevent infection or inflammation are a bonus in the event of razor burn or shaving nicks.
Our ideal smell leans clean – a natural and refreshing scent that can be worn in the office and also outside, say an afternoon date at the park.
2. Determine how much oil to produce.
Part of building the perfect blend comes down to basic math. The fewer oils you combine – the greater amount of each oil will compose the blend. The more oils you add to your blend – the smaller amount of each distinct aroma will appear in the product and the therapeutic effects may be less potent.
Measurement is also key depending on whether your product is in liquid, gel, cream or bar soap form. Products that contain too much oil may not hold together properly or be applied as intended.
At Latika, our owner & aromatherapist expert Mazzi Peled advises using just 3-4 oils so that the blend is not overwhelmed or muddled by too many extraneous factors.
3. Select a Top Note.
Choosing your top note is like casting the star of party. It’s the scent you’ll notice first when you arrive – the freshest and most effervescent profile.
Citrus also makes a great top note as it is light, bright and uplifting.
The most noticeable scent in Grit that you’ll perceive at first is Mint. Although it may feel like a punch of cool and clean winter air, Mint can mellow and soften as it dissipates rather quickly.
Despite having a big and show-stopping personality – the top note tends not to stick around very long. Maybe it has another party to attend?
Photo by Travis Colbert on Unsplash
4. Select a Middle Note.
Ever had a party guest you didn’t know very well but who ended up becoming a great friend? The middle note is the acquaintance who spices up the affair and changes the tone.
Grit’s middle note is a real winner – tea tree! This warm, spicy and camphoraceous smell is unexpected but familiar. Tea Tree channels more of the clean, woodsy smell of a freshly mowed lawn.
In terms of holistic benefits, Tea Tree is effective against bacteria, fungi, and viruses and stimulates the immune system.
5. Select a Base Note.
Our base essential oil is everyone’s longest friend Patchouli. Earthy, calming and grounding.
Though they may not be the loudest or most excitable – Patchouli is a great comfort and even offers to help with dishes after dinner.
This base note ties together Black Hatchet’s unique blend with a long-lasting scent that nurtures the face and beard.
6. Test your blend.
The most important tip to any good host – enjoy the party!
Mix and mingle with your selected oils and experience how the fragrance layers and transforms.
Maybe there’s a guest you really wish you’d gotten to shmooze with longer – add more! Or perhaps someone who’s incessent need to tap their glass to make a toast drove you nuts – use less.
Experimentation is the part of the curious joy of blending essential oils!
We encourage you to explore the benefits of essential oils in your everyday life and find blends that spark a self-care moment. Feel free to reach us with any product use questions at info@latikabodyessentials.com!
Follow @latikaskincare on TikTok for even more satisfying bath & skincare how-to videos!
