Essential Oils Blending Guide and Chart

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Essential oils are a powerful addition to salon, spa and holistic treatments – but the magic really happens when they’re blended correctly. The right combination can elevate a facial, transform a massage, support scalp health, and create a memorable sensory experience your clients will want to return for.

This SalonServe guide is designed as a practical, treatment-room-friendly reference to help you blend essential oils safely, confidently and effectively. You’ll find dilution charts, carrier oil selection tips, grouping methods, and a ready-to-use properties table to speed up your blend decisions during services.

Why Essential Oils Need Mixing

While single essential oils can be beneficial, professional treatment results are usually best achieved through blending.

Here’s why blending matters in salon and spa settings:

Better therapeutic synergy
Different oils bring different benefits. Combining them creates a more complete treatment outcome – for example, pairing a calming oil with a circulation booster for massage.

Improved aroma balance
Single oils can smell sharp or flat. Blends create a layered, rounded aroma that feels more luxurious and professional.

Longer scent life
Layered blends (top + middle + base notes) last longer on skin and in the treatment room atmosphere.

Greater skin and scalp compatibility
Blending allows you to soften stronger oils with gentler ones – improving tolerance and safety.

More targeted results
You can tailor blends for relaxation, energising, scalp stimulation, blemish care, or muscle relief, instead of relying on one-note solutions.

How to Group Essential Oils for Blending

Grouping oils helps you build consistent, repeatable blends – especially useful when training staff or standardising treatments.

There are three simple grouping systems professionals use:

1. By Note Type (Scent Structure)

This helps create aroma balance and longevity.

Note Type	Characteristics	Examples
Top Notes	Fresh, light, first impression	Lemon, Grapefruit, Eucalyptus
Middle Notes	Body of the blend	Lavender, Rosemary, Geranium
Base Notes	Deep, grounding, long-lasting	Sandalwood, Patchouli, Frankincense

Quick blend rule:
Top + Middle + Base = balanced professional aroma

2. By Aroma Family

This helps maintain scent harmony.

Aroma Family	Examples
Citrus	Lemon, Orange, Grapefruit
Floral	Lavender, Geranium, Ylang Ylang
Herbal	Rosemary, Clary Sage
Woody	Sandalwood, Cedarwood
Medicinal	Tea Tree, Eucalyptus
Spice	Clove, Cinnamon

Pro tip: Stay mostly within one or two aroma families for client-friendly blends.

3. By Properties (Treatment Goal)

This is ideal for service-based blending.

Goal	Oils
Calming	Lavender, Chamomile, Frankincense
Energising	Citrus oils, Rosemary, Peppermint
Clarifying	Tea Tree, Lemon, Eucalyptus
Balancing Skin	Geranium, Lavender
Scalp Stimulating	Rosemary, Peppermint

How to Select a Carrier Oil to Blend with Essential Oils

Carrier oils dilute essential oils and deliver them safely to skin and scalp. Choosing the right one improves absorption, finish and client comfort.

SalonServe carrier oils are ideal bases for professional blending.

Choose by Treatment Type

Facials	Massage	Deep Treatments & Hair
Grapeseed oil Jojoba oil Lightweight, non-greasy finish	Sweet almond oil Apricot kernel oil Balanced slip and absorption	Argan oil Avocado oil Longer working time and intensive conditioning

Also Consider:

• Absorption speed
• Skin type
• Nut allergies
• Aroma neutrality
• Shelf life

Essential Oil Blend Strength Chart

Dilution controls safety and effectiveness. More is not better – correct percentages deliver results without irritation.

Use this quick-reference chart when creating blends.

Professional Dilution Guide (Per 30ml Carrier Oil)

Use Case	Dilution %	Drops per 30 ml Carrier
Facial oil	0.5–1%	3–6 drops
Hair & scalp oils	1–2%	6–12 drops
Massage oils	2–3%	12–18 drops
Roller blends	5–10%	30–60 drops

Quick rule: Facial = lowest dilution. Massage = moderate. Spot or roller use = stronger.

Quick Blend Ratio Template (Aroma Structure)

Use this simple structure when designing new blends:

Blend Formula Template (Total 12 Drops Example)

• Top Notes: 4 drops

• Middle Notes: 5 drops

• Base Notes: 3 drops

Adjust but keep the structure for balance.

Essential Oil Properties Chart for Salon Professionals

Use this table as a fast decision tool when selecting oils during treatments.

Essential Oil	Aroma	Note Type	Salon Uses	Recommended Carrier Oil
Basil	Herbal/Spice	Top	Focus inhalations, foot soaks	Grapeseed
Bay	Spice	Middle	Men’s grooming, post-shave	Sweet Almond
Benzoin	Resin/Sweet	Base	Facial massage, creams	Jojoba
Bergamot	Citrus	Top	Facial steam, diffuser	Grapeseed
Black Pepper	Spice	Middle	Deep tissue massage	Sweet Almond
Chamomile	Floral/Herbal	Middle	Sensitive facials, eye care	Jojoba
Cedarwood	Woody	Base	Hair serums, barber blends	Argan
Citronella	Citrus/Fresh	Top	Outdoor treatments	Grapeseed
Cinnamon	Spice	Base	Foot soaks only	Sweet Almond
Clary Sage	Herbal	Middle	Relax massage	Jojoba
Clove	Spice	Base	Muscle rubs	Sweet Almond
Coriander	Herbal	Middle	Detox massage	Sweet Almond
Cypress	Woody	Middle	Leg & lymph massage	Grapeseed
Eucalyptus	Medicinal	Top	Steam, foot care	Grapeseed
Fennel	Herbal/Sweet	Middle	Body wraps	Sweet Almond
Frankincense	Resin/Woody	Base	Mature facials	Jojoba
Geranium	Floral	Middle	Facial & scalp care	Jojoba
Ginger	Spice	Middle	Muscle massage	Sweet Almond
Grapefruit	Citrus	Top	Body polish, steam	Grapeseed
Hyssop	Herbal	Middle	Invigorating blends	Sweet Almond
Jasmine Absolute	Floral	Base	Luxury facials	Jojoba
Juniperberry	Fresh/Woody	Middle	Cellulite massage	Grapeseed
Lemon	Citrus	Top	Skin & scalp care	Grapeseed
Lemongrass	Citrus/Herbal	Top	Foot & scalp	Grapeseed
Lime	Citrus	Top	Detox blends	Grapeseed
Mandarin	Citrus	Top	Maternity blends	Jojoba
Marigold (Calendula)	Herbal	Middle	Post-wax care	Jojoba
Marjoram	Herbal	Middle	Stress massage	Sweet Almond
Melissa Blend	Citrus/Herbal	Top	Facial massage	Jojoba
Neroli	Floral	Middle	Premium facials	Jojoba
Nutmeg	Spice	Middle	Warming oils	Sweet Almond
Origanum	Herbal	Middle	Sanitising blends	Grapeseed
Orange Sweet	Citrus	Top	Scrubs, diffuser	Sweet Almond
Palmarosa	Floral	Middle	Facial oils	Jojoba
Patchouli	Earthy	Base	Skin serums	Jojoba
Petitgrain	Green/Citrus	Middle	Scalp care	Grapeseed
Pine	Woody/Fresh	Top	Foot & room blends	Grapeseed
Peppermint	Mint	Top	Foot & scalp	Grapeseed
Rose Absolute	Floral	Base	Luxury facials	Jojoba
Rose Geranium	Floral	Middle	Massage & facial	Jojoba
Rosewood	Woody/Floral	Middle	Anti-ageing	Jojoba
Rosemary	Herbal	Middle	Hair growth blends	Jojoba
Sage	Herbal	Middle	Oily scalp	Grapeseed
Sandalwood	Woody	Base	Mature skin	Argan
Spearmint	Mint	Top	Foot & scalp	Grapeseed
Tea Tree	Medicinal	Middle	Acne & foot care	Grapeseed
Thyme	Herbal	Middle	Purifying blends	Sweet Almond
Valerian	Earthy	Base	Sleep rituals	Sweet Almond
Verbena	Citrus	Top	Summer facials	Grapeseed
Vetiver	Earthy	Base	Grounding massage	Argan
Wintergreen	Mint	Top	Sports massage	Sweet Almond
Ylang Ylang	Floral	Base	Massage & facial	Jojoba

Explore Essential Oils

Example Ready-to-Use Salon Blend Ideas

Relaxing Massage Blend

• Lavender — 6 drops
• Frankincense — 4 drops
• Sweet Orange — 4 drops
• 30ml Sweet Almond carrier

Scalp Stimulating Blend

• Rosemary — 6 drops
• Peppermint — 3 drops
• Tea Tree — 3 drops
• 30ml Jojoba carrier

Clarifying Facial Blend

• Lavender — 3 drops
• Geranium — 2 drops
• Lemon — 1 drop
• 30ml Grapeseed carrier

Professional Safety Reminders

Always follow professional blending standards:

• Patch test new blends
• Never apply neat essential oils to skin
• Avoid eyes and mucous membranes
• Check contraindications (pregnancy, medical conditions)
• Use lower dilutions for facial work
• Store blends in dark glass bottles
• Label all custom blends clearly

Pre-Blended Massage Oils – We’ve Already Done the Work for You

If blending essential oils feels daunting, or you simply don’t have the time between appointments, don’t worry – SalonServe has you covered. Our range of pre-blended massage oils is carefully crafted by professionals, combining the perfect essential oils with the right carrier oils for safe, effective, and beautifully balanced results.

We’ve done the mixing for you, so you can enjoy all the benefits of expertly blended oils without any guesswork – perfect for busy salons, spas, and holistic practices.

Explore Pre-Blended Massage Oils