blending by aroma families

Blending is like cooking – 30% science and 70% art. Too little salt, the flavours remain locked and the dish bland; too much salt...well, we all know what that means. Then, there’s the fact that certain ingredients simply do not go well together. I remember once, when I was 13 and the designated family cook, I loved cinnamon rolls and wondered if vegetables would taste better if I added some cinnamon to it. And so, I did. The result was horrible.

Fortunately, essential oils, unlike flavours, are more forgiving. Generally, essential oils don’t immediately produce foul scents when added together. Still, if an essential oil doesn’t agree with the blend and spoils the composition, it’s best to start over. So, how do we know if one essential oil works well with another? One way is to identify which aroma family it belongs.

All essences fall under one or more of the following aroma families:

the Major Groups:

1. Woody – Woody scents bring to mind the ligneous trunks of freshly cut trees: deep & mellow, often described as brown as opposed to green. 
2. Herbaceous – Herbaceous scents are fresh & green, like the herbs from which they are extracted.
3. Citrus – Citrus scents are typical of the fruits from which the oils are extracted: tart & sparkling. 
4. Floral – Floral scents are reminiscent of the flowers from which the oil is extracted: intensely radiant & energetic.
5. Earthy – Resinous, also known as Resinous, scents evoke the aroma rising from the ground deep within the forest: ancient & rich.
6. Spicy – Spicy scents are sharp & alluring, evoking images of the Far East.

the Minor Groups

1. Minty – Minty scents are typical of the mint family: clean & cooling. 
2. Camphorous – Camphorous, also known as Medicinal, scents resembles concoctions of herbal remedies: heavy & musty.
3. Oriental – Oriental scents are generally ascribed to Spicy or Floral aromas, either of the Middle and Far East or the tropics: sensual & intoxicating.

Sub-Grouping by Aroma Character

Essential oils, however, have complex aromas that cannot be ascribed to a single aroma family. In fact, most, if not all, essential oils have scents belonging to several families. Moreover, the English language has very limited vocabulary describing aromas. The following list of vocabulary just goes to show how inadequate and challenging words are when it comes to describing the ethereal, ephemeral qualities of aromas:

• Balsamic – These essential oils tend to have a rich and warm, earthy quality usually representing the plant and tree balsams.
• Bitter – Essential oils which have a bitter aroma usually are strong, sharp and pungent.
• Bittersweet – An aroma that can be both bitter, or pungent as well as having a sweet over or under tone.
• Camphorous – Essential oils with camphorous aromas are clear, clean and purifying. They are known to be excellent for the respiratory system like Eucalyptus and Laurel Leaf.
• Citrus – Citrus essential oils are known to be fresh and slightly sour, typical of the fruit rinds from which they are extracted.
• Coniferous – Essential oils that are described as coniferous tend to be from either a Pine, Spruce or Fir background. They can evoke the smell of either needles or cones from these trees.
• Cool – Essential oils that have cooling aromas are typical in the mint family. They help us feel refreshed and rejuvenated and tend to reduce heat on all levels.
• Earthy – Essential oils that have earthy, or resinous, scents are reminiscent of being deep in a forest and the scent that the forest floor emits.
• Floral – Floral scents remind us of the flowers from which the oil is extracted. They tend to be sweet and bright with an intense energy.
• Fresh – Oils that are categorized as having a fresh aroma are clean, crisp open air scent.
• Fruity – Essential oils with a fruity aroma typically describe the fruit from which they are derived. They can be either have a sweet or sour aroma.
• Green – also herbaceous, are scents that resemble freshly cut grass.
• Herbaceous – Herbaceous essential oils are green, earthy scents from the herbs they are extracted. Examples of herbaceous essential oils are thyme, basil and marjoram.
• Medicinal – Medicinal essential oils can be camphorous or can have a therapeutic aroma. Essential oils that tend to have a medicinal scent are Clove, and two oils from the Melaleuca family,Tea tree and Rosalina.
• Minty – Minty essential oils are typically in the mint family. They tend to be clearing and cooling.
• Musky – These oils have a slightly heavy and deep aroma. They tend to be sensual and earthy.
• Oriental – Oriental or Exotic essential oils typically are associated with tropical, floral scents. They are quite intoxicating and sensual.
• Pungent – Pungent essential oils are strong, and sharp. They are not shy or quiet oils. They make their presence known. 
• Resinous – Resinous essential oils are deep and rich. They carry an almost spiritual quality helping to heal.
• Rich – Essential oils with a rich scent are typically deep and full. Their scents linger and penetrate.
• Sensual – Sensual aromas tend to be exotic in nature.
• Soft – Some essential oils are categorized as having a soft, gentle, calming aroma.
• Spicy – Spicy essential oils are typically exotic, warm and quite aromatic.
• Strong – The aroma is clear and loud.
• Sweet – Sweet essential oils are sometimes floral oils such as Rose and Jasmine but can also be fruit oils such as Blood Orange.
• Warm – Warm essential oils create a sense of nurturing and safety. They are deeply comforting.
• Woody – Woody essential oils evoke the scent of freshly cut trees. Some scents are labeled green, but woody would be described as being brown.

blending Principles

The simplest way to achieve a harmonious accord is by blending essentials oils belonging to the same aroma family. Otherwise, the following principles apply:

1. Woody blends with all other families
2. Herbaceous blends with woody & minty
3. Citrus blends with floral, woody, minty, spicy & oriental
4. Floral blends with woody, spicy, citrus & oriental
5. Earthy blends with woody & minty
6. Spicy blends with floral, woody, citrus & oriental
7. Minty blends with woody, earthy, herbaceous & citrus
8. Camphorous blends with woody
9. Oriental blends with floral, woody, spicy & citrus

Phew! That was a lot of information. If there’s any erroneous information, please free to comment or write to me at thescentuary.mbox@gmail.com. Finally, I would like to credit the list that appeared in the Sub-Grouping to StillPoint Aromatics. Last but not least, the icons are made by Freepik.