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A Question from Marian Pritchad (Facebook)
“Neem
or in fact any product you can add oils to which will support, compliment or
better still enhance the oil or mix of oils. I'd like to know of the type of
base that doesn't mean that the oil floats on top when rested if that's
possible? Be nice if smells didn't collide to become overpowering!”
This is quite a broad topic to answer so I’m going to break it down a little bit. Would be good if we ask Marian about the benefits she wants the blend to have to give us somewhere to start from!
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Creating a Successful Massage Oil Blend
When
using your own essential oils to create a body massage oil blend, there are a
few basics to keep in mind. Firstly it is important not to exceed the
recommended maximum volume of essential oils you add. For a body oil you should
use no more than 4% essential oil, and only 2% for a facial oil. The
conversions below will help you to decide the right amount to add:
There
are around 20 drops of essential oil per 1ml
4%
Essential Oil Blend
1
Teaspoon Base oil add 4 Drops or Essential Oil
100ml
Base Oil add 4ml (or 80 drops) of Essential Oil
2%
Essential Oil Blend
1
Teaspoon Base oil add 2 Drops or Essential Oil
100ml
Base Oil add 2ml (or 40 drops) of Essential Oil
Adding
too much essential oil can not only cause irritation to the skin, but it can
also result in the essential oil ‘splitting’ from the base and sitting on top
of it instead of blending in. Don’t forget that in aromatherapy, less is very
often more!
The
next thing to do is to choose the right base for you. This really depends on
what you want your oil to do for you. Sweet Almond is a really good all-rounder,
suitable for all skin types and does not leave an oily residue. For dry skin
types you might like to try Apricot or Avocado which are more nourishing and
for oilier skin types a lighter oil like Fractionated Coconut would be a good
choice.
There
are also other oil which are normally added at 10% to give added benefits to
your blend. Here are a few suggestions:
Argan
– Anti-Aging
Rosehip
– To improve the appearance of scars and blemishes
Wheatgerm
– For very dry and mature skin types
Calendula
– For irritated skin conditions like eczema
Jojoba – To deeply moisturise and nourish
Neem – For itching and psoriasis (be warned, this one has a
very strong smell that does not appeal to everyone!)
*****************
Once you have the perfect base it is time to look at which
essential oils to add to make sure your oil smells fabulous. To begin with I
would recommend choosing only 3 oils and always make a small amount of your
blend up to begin with. Using more than 3 oils can result in a blend that is
too overpowering in the beginning, but as you become more accomplished you will
learn to create more complex mixes. It’s a good idea to keep a notebook with
the blends you have tried and what you thought about them to help you perfect
the blend next time.
When choosing your three oils there are four main things to
consider:
1 Making
sure you have a mix of Top, Middle and Base note oils
2 Making
sure that the oils you choose have the properties you are looking for, for
example lemon would be a poor choice for dry skin types but great for oilier
skin.
3 Make
sure that the individual oils compliment each other – if you take a look at our
data sheets, this will give you some suggestions for each individual oil.
4 Most
importantly of all, make sure that you like the smell!
Once you have created a blend you are happy with, be sure to
mix the oils well and then do a test patch on a small area of your inner arm.
If there is no reaction after 24 hours then you are safe to continue using the
oil on the rest of your body.
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