what makes a synergy blend?

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There’re two approaches to essential oil blending:

1. aromatic; and 
2. therapeutic.

In the aromatic approach, the main purpose is to create a universally pleasing fragrance which can involve hundreds of essences in a single blend. But that is not the only purpose for this approach. Furthermore, combinations and permutations are virtually infinite and too mind-boggling to even contemplate.

In contrast, blending for Aromatherapy requires not more than five essences. That’s not to say that it’s simpler or less demanding. In fact, it requires the same amount of discipline and expertise to create a blend that not only draws out but also amplifies the healing powers in each of the essence involved while still maintaining an appealing aroma. After all, who would want to apply something that smells obnoxious to the body ? That’s right, I’m talking about synergy which is the focus in this post.

What is synergy?

First of all, in aromatherapy, the word “synergy” means the working together of two or more essential oils that result in an “effect greater than the sum of their individual effects.” (Penny Keay)

To illustrate this, I’ll use the HAA! blend in one of my earlier posts. Let’s say you need to treat an open wound by preventing it from being infected. You can either use Lavender or Tea Tree essential oil on its own since both of them are powerfully anti-septic. Now, suppose you blend them on a 1:1 ratio use it, not only would you discover that the wound heals much faster but you also end up using lesser amount of essential oils to achieve the same result. In other words, the combination of Lavender and Tea Tree essential oils yields a synergy blend for the treatment of wounds.

How to make a synergy blend?

Fortunately for us, Aromatherapy is based on ancient folk wisdom that had endured centuries of trial and error from which many formulations emerged that had been tried, tested and proven effective. That’s why they were passed down generation after generation. Besides, common sense will tell you that if a family’s secret recipe doesn’t work, why even bother passing it down in the first place? Don’t forget that, before the advent of science and capitalism, ancient civilisations depended on the sharing of wisdom for the sole purpose of preserving the human race instead of personal monetary gains or making profit from others. But I am digressing.

So, how does one go about making a synergy blend? In aromatherapy, there’re several principles to consider when attempting to make a synergy blend. Here’s what I’ve been able to find on the Internet.

1. An essential oil is itself a synergy – by this it means that the organic structure in an essential oil is already a harmonious composition among its components, for instance, the main constituents of Tea Tree essential oil are alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, sabinene, myrcene, alpha-hellandrene, alpha-terpinene, limonene, cineole, gamma-terpinene, para-cymene, terpinolene, linalool, terpinenol and alpha-terpineol. Now, all these are already in synergy necessary to sustaining and reproducing life. Oshadi has a detailed explanation on how it works.
2. According to bio-chemical constituents – referring again to the HAA! synergy blend, both Lavender and Tea Tree essential oils share similar qualities due to these bio-chemicals: alpha-pinene, limonene, cineole, linalool and terpinenol. Blending them will boost these attributes.
3. Same plant family – synergy can also be achieved when blending essential oils belonging to the same family. For example, you can blend different species of pine, such as pinus nigra, pinus mugo and pinus sylvestris to yield a much stronger disinfectant or insecticide.
4. Parts of the same plant – another approach is to blend together the essential oils extracted from different parts of the same plant, for instance Ho wood and Ho leaf, to heighten the therapeutic effect on certain conditions like arthritis or insomnia. This principle is similar to (3).
5. Same scent category – yet another way is to blend together essential oils belonging to the same scent category, tea tree (lemon-scented) blends better with eucalyptus (citrodora) than eucalyptus (globulus). Similarly, a synergy blend of rosemary, hops and peppermint would make for a better shampoo to strengthen hair follicles.
6. Holistic approach – aromatherapists often adopt a holistic approach, unlike allopathic medicine, when assessing a symptom. The aim is to concurrently treat other related symptoms in the process of getting to the root of the problem. A good example can be found here. 
7. Ancient wisdom – as I’ve mentioned earlier, why reinvent the wheel when all you need to do is spend some time on research to find the most appropriate recipe or formulation? Some contemporary practitioners also share their knowledge freely on the Internet – a spirit, in my humble opinion, that we should all emulate.

How can I tell if my blend is synergistic?

Provided that there're no adverse effects like allergies or sensitisation, a synergy blend would, more often than not but not necessarily limited to, wind up smelling great. Also, you’ll notice that a synergy blend not only works well but also works fast.

Do take note, however, that what works well for you may not be as effective on others since the synergy blend interacts with the individual’s unique bio-chemical makeup.

It takes time, effort and lots of practice to gain experience in blending. A final reminder: record everything that you do, even mistakes that you’ve made, for you don’t want to waste time and resources on repeating them.

There, I hope this has been useful to you. Enjoy and if you wish to share your blending experiences and experiments, post them at thescensualworldproject!