A beginners guide to Aromatherapy.

Hello folks, we're doing something a little bit different this entry. We're going to look at aromatherapy or using nice plants for a variety of different things.

What is aromatherapy? 

In short it's using a variety of essentially oils to make you look and feel better. This is done by using a combination of different oils in order to achieve a variety of different results (better sleep pattern, stress relief, confidence, etc.).

So how do you get started? 

I like to believe that any beginner to aromatherapy needs the following:

• A simple diffuser: I personally recommend Luscreal's diffuser which is available on Amazon for £12.99. 
• Aromatherapy oils (obviously): Lagunamoon's set of 16 oils costs £18.99 and is a brilliant set to get started with. 
• A notebook & pen: To record the recipe for your favourite blends. 

A good diffuser is a must for aromatherapy. Picture description, picture of a  room diffuser with a blue light. Picture source: Amazon

These three items are for your most basic kit. If you want to use your blends in a bath or on your skin then you'll need two other items. 

• A carrier oil: This is a very low/no fragrances oil that you mix with your blends. Mystic Moments have a very large bottle (500ml) of Almond Oil for £5.95. Almond is almost very good as moisturising your skin so it's a double bonus. 
• Some form of storage: These are jar/bottles that are going to allow you store your blends. I like Suxnos's roller bottles. They cost £10.90 for 6 bottles and allow you to easily roll your blends on the go.  

Storage is a must have if you plan to use oils on your skin. Picture Description: 6 bottles lined up in a triangle shape. Picture Source: Amazon.

So once you have your basics, it is now time for the fun stuff.

What is blending?

 This is where we take a variety of oils and mix them up. It is important that when you create a blend, you bare in mind 3 different factors:

Factor 1: Families

There are 7 main families when it comes to aromatherapy. Typically you can blend oils of the same family together or complementary families. The 7 families are:

• Citrus: Think lemon, grapefruit, orange and Beaumont oils. These are really good for high energy/good mood blends however they can make you more vulnerable in the sun so bare this in mind when using your blends. Citrus families like to blend with floral families and spice families best. 
• Mint: Think peppermint, spearmint, etc. These oils are really good to use if you're ill because of their mentol properties. They like to blend with citrus, woodsy, herbaceous and earth oils best. 
• Woodsy: Think pine, ceder and anything you'd find from a tree. This family likes to blend with all the families so you can't go wrong. 
• Floral: Think rose, lavender, jasmine or any other type of flower. They like citrus (lemon and lavender is a great starting point), spicy and woody oils. 
• Medical oils: Tea Tree, Eucalyptus etc. Like the mint families, these are great for if you are ill. They quite like citrus and mint families from personal experience. 
• Spicy: This is your nutmegs, cinnamons, etc. This family is a really good one to try now that we are getting colder. They like earthy, floral and citrus oils best but it is important that you use these oils sparingly. They can very easily overpower a blend. 
• Earthy: A bit of unique family as their oils tend to be harder to find. For this family you are looking for your Patchouli, Oakmoss, etc. They quite like to be blended with spicy, citrus and floral families and like spicy can overpower. 

Factor 2: Your notes

Have you every noticed that when you try a perfume, it can smell differently 3-4 hours later compared to your first application? This is because of something call notes.

The science behind this is that different oils have different boiling points (the point where they turn into a gas and you're able to smell them). This essentially means that you'll smell different oils during different points of the day.

When blending for the first time, it is worth looking at the 15-40-45 rule. This means that 15% of your made is made from top notes, 40% is made with middle notes and then the last 45% is made with base notes.

You can very easily sort these oils by family and/or base note. Picture description: 16 small bottles in a line. Picture Source: Amazon

For example, let's take the Lagunamoon set I recommended earlier. I decide I want something calming for my bedroom so decide to make a blend based on lavender.

Firstly, lavender comes from the floral family. This means we can blend it with citrus, woody, earthy spicy families and floral families. Secondly lavender is a middle note.

Now we know this information, we can start looking at blends. For a basic diffuser blend you need around about 20 drops per refill. This means each drop of oil is 5% of a blend, ideal for our calculations.

This means that 3 drops need to be top notes, 8 drops need to be middle notes and then the last 9 drops need to be middle notes.

 Bergamot is a really good oil to blend with lavender. It belongs in the citrus family and is really good oil to use if your mood is low or if you are anxious. It is also a top-note oil which complements our lavender middle note perfectly.

For my base notes, I'm actually going to use two oils. Patchouli, an oil that actually belongs in two families (spice and earthy) and is a really good stress reliever. Whilst Frankincense is a woody oil that can go with pretty much everything.

So for my relaxing bedtime blend, I would use:

• 3 drops of bergamot oil.
• 8 drops of lavender oil. 
• 4 drops of patchouli oil. 
• 5 drops of frankincense oil. 

You are more than welcome to adjust this to suit your preference but that was a basic example on how to use notes when you blend. 

Essential Oils has a really good list that outlines what oils fall into what note category. 

Factor 3: How you want to feel?

This one is very self explanatory. Difference oil combinations cause a difference in mood. You are most likely going to have a different blend to calm your nerves compared to a massage blend for your night of passion. 

Loving Essential Oils has a very basic guide to creating 8 different mood blends which is an ideal entry point if it's your first time. 

Where are the best places to go?

For buying material:

• Amazon: Stocks everything from bottles to oil and for very good value. Also with prime, you can receive 24 hour delivery.
• Groupon: Wait for the right time and you can get a good set of 5 oils from the same family for very cheap. I've paid £6 for 5 floral oils including delivery. 

Good places to go for blend inspiration:

• Loving Essential Oils: Has some really good blends to inspire you.
• Mind Body Green: Has a variety of different ways to use your blends. 
• Aromatherapy Associates: A good one stop shop for everything aromatherapy based. 

So there you have it. A basic guide to aromatherapy. Now have some fun making your own blends and comment with your personal favourites. 

Until next time, remember you are beautiful.

Kelly