Blending Tips — Good Scents to Mix with Lavender

By Caryn Gehlmann

If you’re new to blending, my first recommendation is to download my free guide where I walk you through it. My second recommendation is to get started by blending with lavender essential oil. You might wonder, “what are some good scents to mix with lavender?” Have I got some great news for you!

Lavender is one of the most versatile essential oils you can find and it blends well with almost any other scent! When you pay attention to scent notes, you’ll find lavender adds a clean, vibrant scent to other florals, it softens spicy or woodsy scents, and it adds a little herbal essence to citruses.

As I shared in a previous post, lavender is a superstar when it comes to achieving emotional balance. And what’s interesting is it can be used to either shift your mood up or down, depending on your state of mind at the time and the essential oils you combine with lavender! Blending creates synergy between two or more essential oils working together. Combined, they accomplish more than their individual impact. It’s kind of like baking or cooking, it’s the combination of ingredients that makes for a whole new experience.

An example of this is two of e3’s most popular blends that include lavender — Nerve Calming and Pick Me Up.

e3’s Nerve Calming Blend adds essential oils that are designed to relax breathing, relax the muscles, calm the mind, and uplift the spirits to promote a sense of composure and peace:

Bergamot, FCF: Immune support, mild depression, stress, anxiety, nervousness, mood swings, apathy.
Chamomile, Roman: Muscle aches, headaches, PMS, nerve pain, stress, tension, anxiety, anger, fear, sleeplessness, worry, shock, impatience.
Lavender: Tense breathing, muscle aches, headaches, stress, nervous tension, anxiety, nervous exhaustion, mood swings, anger, sleeplessness.
Lemongrass: Muscle aches, jet lag, immune support, stress, anxiety, nervous exhaustion, mild depression.
Marjoram, Sweet: Muscle aches, PMS, tense breathing, nerve pain, headaches, stress, tension, irritability, trauma, mild depression, restlessness, sleeplessness.
Petitgrain: Tense breathing, immune support, stress, anxiety, tension, nervous exhaustion, panic, sleeplessness, mild depression.

e3’s Pick Me Up includes essential oils that uplift the spirits and reduce fatigue:

Bergamot, FCF: Immune support, mild depression, stress, anxiety, nervousness, mood swings, apathy.
Lavender: Stress, tense breathing, nervous tension, anxiety, nervous exhaustion, mood swings, anger.
Lemon: Immune support, mental fog, mental clarity, mild depression.
Lemongrass: Stress, anxiety, nervous exhaustion, mental fatigue, mental fog, mild depression.
Melissa: Rapid breathing, anxiety, mild depression, tension, fear, crisis, shock, anger.
Orange, Sweet: Nervous tension, mild depression, worry, mental fatigue.
Peppermint: Mental fatigue, mental fog, anger, nervous stress, mild depression, shock.

Do you see how these two blends are similar? They both have Lavender, Bergamot FCF, and Lemongrass in them, which are good essential oils for stress and fatigue. How are they different? Nerve Calming includes essential oils that are a little more calming and soothing, while Pick Me Up has essential oils that are more energizing and invigorating.

But to know for sure if these blends have the intended result you have to listen to your nose. Please don’t forget that we all have different reactions to scent and so what one person finds relaxing might be too intense or even downright annoying. Take it slow when you’re blending, which leads me to my third and final aromatherapy blending recommendation — start blending with just two essential oils.

The e3 blends I just shared with you are extremely complex and getting the right ratio takes experience. So when you’re just starting try with a simpler blend. Most essential oils can be categorized into three scent notes top, middle, or base notes. Scent notes describe the volatility or rate at which the essential oil evaporates.

Good scents to mix with lavender for our DIYers…

Here are three simple lavender blends you can get started with that will introduce you to all three scent notes:

#1 Lavender and One Top Scent Note

Top notes often have a fresh, uplifting aroma. Top aroma note options that go well with lavender include Orange, Tangerine, Lemongrass, Lime, Mandarin, Bergamot, Eucalyptus, and Peppermint.

Ideas: Lavender & Bergamot will create a light, bright blend. Lavender & Peppermint will have a stronger scent and is a great option for headaches.

#2 Lavender and One Middle Scent Note

Lavender is considered a middle note which is why it’s so good at creating the body of the blend to “round out” or “bring together” other scents. However, it can also blend well with other middle aroma note options such as Geranium, Rosemary, Chamomile, Clary Sage, Neroli, and Ylang-ylang.

Ideas: Lavender & Chamomile make for a relaxing, bedtime blend. Lavender & Neroli can be a lovely, floral signature scent for all-natural perfume.

#3 Lavender and One Base Scent Note

Base scent notes are deep, warm, and help make the blends last longer by adding a fixative quality. Lavender combines beautifully with base aroma notes such as Cedarwood, Frankincense, Jasmine, Myrrh, Patchouli, Rose Absolute, Sandalwood, and Vetiver.

Ideas: Lavender & Frankincense is a powerhouse combo that promotes relaxation and inner peace, and is great for skincare! If you’re really looking to relax, try Lavender & Vetiver, for a rich, earthy aroma that will help you wind down after a long day.

What do you do with your blend after you create it? Get ideas on our Application Methods page.

Have fun blending! Review the June 2021 Newsletter and keep an eye on Events on e3’s Facebook page for aromatherapy blending classes I’m teaching. And don’t forget to download The Art & Science of Blending Essential Oils which includes worksheets to capture your notes to track your progress. And remember, our team of clinical aromatherapists is available to answer your questions!