Welcome to the letter B post in my #AtoZChallenge, in which I discuss aromatherapy and natural healing. Today, I will discuss the principles of aromatherapeutic blending.
Most people who know a bit about essential oils, will know that they often aren’t used singly, but rather in combination. That is, when I first bought essential oils, I used single oils only, because I was clueless about blending. Besides, being blind, I found it hard to count the number of drops I put in my diffuser, so I would just give the bottle a shake and hope something came out.
Now, I rarely if ever use single oils in my diffuser or in my homemade skincare products. However, you may be wondering, why not? What is the advantage of using essential oils in combination?
The simple answer might be that, just as with perfume, combinations of essential oils smell better (when done correctly) than the single scent. However, experience also shows that one oil can complement or strengthen another’s therapeutic benefits. This is called synergy.
According to Jennifer Peace Rhind, the author of Aromatherapeutic Blending: Essential Oils in Synergy, the first known example of synergistic blending of plant components dates back to ancient Egypt, around 1500 BC. The Egyptians used combinations of myrrh and frankincense. So did traditional Chinese healers when treating blood stagnation and inflammation.
Indeed, the author says, synergistic effectiveness of different essential oils has been proven in the lab, at least in some contexts. She said that a combination of frankincense and myrrh was shown to have significantly better antimicrobial properties than either alone.
Similarly, ayurvedic medicine uses combinations of herbs in its traditional treatment of illnesses. Jennifer Peace Rhind says that, indeed, the combination of for example ginger and long pepper has shown to have synergistic benefits. This might be because compounds in one prevent breakdown and enhance absorption of the other.
The first person to describe the effects of aromatic essences on anxiety and depression was Paolo Rovesti in the 1970s. He, however, also noted that combinations of oils work better than one oil on its own.
One of the reasons for this could be that single essential oils when not diluted often have a very strong odor. This may be experienced as unpleasant. When combined, though, essential oils’ odor may be more pleasant. If nothing else, essential oil blends are more pleasing to the senses than single oils and, as a result, contribute to mental wellbeing. After all, no-one is going to feel better when smelling an odor they don’t like!
So is there any evidence for synergy? Well, insofar as there is evidence for aromatherapy, that is. It seems there is, if for no other reason, then because essential oils are themselves a mixture of compounds. Peace Rhind cites a study in which various components of lavender essential oils were proven to work together against anxiety in animals.
Interestingly, essential oil blending is much more complex than the simple idea that certain oils promote one another’s effects. After all, Peace Rhind says, certain oils work together (synergy) at certain doses but work against each other (antagonism) at other doses. The author explains a way of plotting the effectiveness of essential oil blends in a graph. I won’t get into this though, as I barely understand it myself.
Finding the right combinations of oils is a challenge too. Thanks for this interesting post!
Quilting Patchwork & Appliqué
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It definitely can be a challenge! Thank you for visiting again.
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This is interesting, I was wondering how i would get the right amount of drops in the defuser. Do you have any tips on using the defuser and which one is best?
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Thanks for stopping by again. I will get into diffusers in my letter D post, but most diffusers have their advantages and disadvantages. I also had to get one I could easily operate, being blind.
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I look forward to reading it.
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I learnt something new today. Thanks to your post.
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I’m glad you did. Thanks for commenting!
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What a great topic for the A-to-Z!
This was an interesting read. I never realized that blending frankincense and myrrh would enhance their antimicrobial properties; it’s fascinating how multifaceted a single tiny piece of history becomes when you start to unearth its layers.
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Thanks. I never knew this bit about frankincense and myrrh either until I started reading up in prep for this post. It makes sense though.
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I enjoyed this post! I bought some essential oils for my diffuser and have not used them yet. I’ll try blending them for different effects. Maybe I’ll research a little about which ones to blend for better health. Thank you 🌸
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Thanks for sharing. I am so glad you got some essential oils. There are tons of diffuser blends out there on the Internet.
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I work for an NGO that brings storytelling to foster homes. An aromatherapist made us a special “story scent”, a combination of various oils, that we use to create the quiet and relaxed mood for listening to a bedtime story. The kids love it 🙂
The Multicolored Diary
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Oh, that’s so awesome! I’m so happy you shared this. Thanks!
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Wow, that’s very interesting, what does it include? I think my cousins would love it for their unruly kids 🙂
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I never dare to blend essential oils as I can’t be sure whether it would work or not due my lack of knowledge. I do like the ones that are already blended when I buy them, my current favourite is a blend of lemon, orange, lemongrass, peppermint, rosemary, clove bud – it’s very refreshing!
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I totally get that! Yes, those oils are all energizing essential oils, so I get why the blend would be refreshing.
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