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Leila & San

Essential Oil 'Notes'

Updated: Oct 9, 2023

When I am blending essential oils I usually blend by instinct and by my sense of smell and I always encourage our customers to choose their oil blend using their senses rather than choosing the blend according to the therapeutic benefits of the oils.





I usually find that people naturally choose the blend that they need at that time.



Essential oils are often described by their "note". The three categories of classification are top note, middle note and base note, and these terms relate to the rate at which they evaporate - or how long the fragrance will last.


Top Notes

Top Notes are the most stimulating and uplifting oils. They are strongly scented, but the perfume lasts only for approximately 3 - 24 hours. Top Notes normally evaporate very quickly. They tend to be light, fresh and uplifting in nature and are usually inexpensive. Top notes are highly volatile, fast acting, and give the first impression of the blend. However, they are not very long lasting.


Middle Notes

Middle Notes are the next longest lasting, at about 2 - 3 days, and affect the metabolic and body functions. The perfume is less potent than that of top note oils. The bulk of essential oils are considered middle notes and normally give body to the blend and have a balancing effect. The aroma of middle notes is not always immediately evident and may take a couple of minutes to establish their scent. They are normally warm and soft fragrances.



Base Notes

Base Notes are the slowest oils to evaporate, lasting up to one week. They have a sweet, soothing scent and a relaxing, comforting effect on the body. Essential oils that are classified as base notes are normally very heavy and their fragrance is very solid. It will be present for a long time and slows down the evaporation of the other oils. These fragrances are normally intense and heady. They are normally rich and relaxing in nature and are typically the most expensive of all oils.

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