It’s a well known fact that aromas are able to trigger emotions and memories. Our sense of smell is directly tied to our long-term memories and emotions by the olfactory lobe. In other words, inhaling pleasant scents can do you much good, and choosing the ones that you find satisfying can be an interesting process of experimenting and testing a handful of different essential oils. If you’re someone who has no idea about essential oils and what to look for, I’m going to list a few fundamentals of essential oils and aromatherapy.
For starters, it’s important to differentiate pure essential oils and mixed oil blends although both have positive effects on the health and well-being of people. You can purchase a few pure essential oils and mix them together to make a brand new oil. Keep in mind that this is still an experimental process and that you will come across results that you may or may not like. Nevertheless, it’s important to keep a creative mind and keep experimenting.
When it comes to blending oils together, those that belong to the same group usually fit well together, but don’t limit yourself, continue experimenting. A few “groups” under which oils are categorized are: woody oils, floral oils, oriental oils, minty and spicy oils. Furthermore, oils also have notes. Pure essential oils have one note, while blends have multiple. The three main notes that blended notes are composed of are the following:
- Top Note – The first noticeable impression in a blend, usually the characteristic feature of the oil. It has the sharpest tone but it doesn’t last long.
- Middle Note (Body) – Essential oils that have a middle note last longer than top note oils. They’re usually referred to as the heart of the aroma and last about one or two hours.
- Base Note (Fixative) – This note appears at a much later stage than the first two. It’s the note that gives the blend the “staying” power. It usually appears after a few hours, maybe even after a whole day after it’s been released. This note is also called “the dry out note”, and it determines the lasting ability of the essential oil mix.
Pure essential oils provide only one note, but that note is usually strong and is long-lasting. So if you are looking for a particular aroma for the entire duration of the smell, pure oils are the right way to go.
To summarize, both blended and pure oils can be extremely helpful and set the mood in a room. Depending on the fact whether you want to have a single strong smell throughout their entire duration, or want to experience a mix of smells that will alter the mood throughout the day, you should decide on which type of oil you want to buy.