When I make a therapeutic aromatic blend, I have people give me three words – things like “Peace” or “Vitality”…

I used “Light”, “Calm” and “Balance” for this blend, since I think these are things we all need in this modern culture.

Lavender – Lavandula officinalis

Part of plant used: flowers and tops, extracted by Distillation.
Mint family plant, scent is fresh, green, floral, sweet, herbaceous.
Chemical constituents: linalyl acetate, linalol.
Actions: balancing, soothes and acts as a tonic, calming, alleviates fears.
Notes: Lavender is one of our most useful essential oils (a high-quality therapeutic grade should be in every medicine cabinet), with wide-ranging uses including curing burns (an amazing cytophylactic), treating inflammation, killing microbes, and is both rejuvenating and sedative through complex action on the nervous system.

Laurel – Laurus nobilis

Part of plant used: leaves, extracted by Distillation.
Lauraceae or Bay family plant, scent is spicy, sweet, warm, cinnamony, Christmas-like.
Chemical constituents: cineol, linalol, terpenyl acetate, geraniol, pinene, <-phelladrene.
Actions: pain relief, tonic, stimulates circulation, fortifying for nervous tension or exhaustion, uplifting and warming.
Notes: A resinous evergreen for staying power in the fragrance, and depth.

Jasmine – Jasminum officinale

Part of plant used: flowers picked at night, extracted by solvent or Enfleurage.
Oleaceae or olive family plant, scent is rich, floral, fruity, heady, exotic.
Chemical constituents: benzyl acetate, linalol, benzyalol, cis-jasmine, methyljasmonate.
Actions: aphrodisiac, antidepressant, sedative, an important Polynesian therapeutic for women. soothes skin, increases elasticity, softens scar tissue and dry sensitive areas. Calming and warming.
Notes: Big, bright and floral; well-known and evokes strong memories.

Grapefruit – Citrus paradisi

Part of plant used: zest, extraction method is expeller pressed and steam distilled
Citrus/ Rutaceae family plant, scent is bright, fleeting, clean, fruity, resiny.
Chemical constituents: geraniol, linalool, citral, limonene, pinene, decanal, octanal.
Actions: stimulant, disinfectant, tonic to liver, balancing effect, eases stiffness and fatigue, kills microbes, helpful to skin: tightens and reduces cellulite, reduces water retention, uplifting, reviving, reduces migranes by balancing central nervous system.
Notes: Citrus = light! The blend will smell strongly of this at first, and as it is worn, becomes more complex as the grapefruit wears down and the richer scents with more staying power emerge out from under its brightness.

Frankincense – Boswellia thurifera, B. carteii

Part of plant used: trunk of tree, extracted distilled gum, white resin.
Burseraceae family plant, scent is clean, earthy, woody, fresh, complex.
Chemical constituents: 1-<-pinene, dipentene, cadinene.
Actions: Healing all around, calming and soothing, useful during meditation, useful in treating states of anxiety and tension, excellent for dry skin.
Notes: An ancient oil used for centuries in sacred spaces, brings balance and deepens the blend.

Clary Sage – Salvia sclarea

Part of plant used: flowering tops, extracted by Distillation.
Mint family plant, scent is sweet, nutty, floral and earthy.
Chemical constituents: linalyl acetate, sclareol, linalool, cineole, slavone.
Actions: Balancing, sedative/nerve tonic, esp. when nervous system is exhausted, calming and good for mental fatigue and stress, especially when caused by nervous burnout. Grounding, centering, sense-enhancing.
Notes: An especially great oil for women, hormonal balancing. Adds a ‘green-ness’ to the blend.