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Updated on January 27, 2020
Last updated on January 27, 2020 Our editors have independently chosen the products listed on this page. If you purchase something mentioned in this article, we may When Sara Panton needs a pick-me-up, she walks past the bar and whips up a co*cktail of essential oils instead. The co-founder and CEO of Vancouver-based oil company Vitruvi is a pro at mixing, matching, and diffusing essential oils to help balance out every mood. "Diffusing is a neat way to say I want to take command of this living room, or I want to take control of the energy of my bedroom," Panton told mbg when she stopped by our office earlier this week to celebrate the launch of her new book, Essential Well-Being: A Modern Guide to Using Essential Oils in Beauty, Body, and Home Rituals. From this perspective, diffusing oils can be a creative act of self-care—an opportunity to mix your own scent medicine and have fun doing it.
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Get your lavender and lemon ready, because here are some of Panton's top tips for blending your way to more energy, a sharper mind, and deeper sleep.How to get started blending essential oils at home.
A few essential oils that blend well together.
While you can always diffuse one oil at a time, combining oils is a fun way to make your own bespoke, custom blend—and the potential combos are pretty much limitless. "You can create an aroma that's as dynamic and unique as a luxury candle, in a really natural way," Panton says.
When it comes to choosing essential oils to add to your custom blend, approach it like a layering game. First, there's the top note—the one that will hit the nose right away. That will be a citrus oil like sweet orange or lemon, or a strong astringent scent like bergamot and spearmint. Then, you'll want to add on a middle note—one that is slightly less strong—like a lavender, ginger, or eucalyptus. Finally, you can layer on a base note—the subtlest one that will linger in the air the longest. Think sandalwood, vetiver, or rose.
Diffusing one top, middle, and base oil together is a quick way to make a well-rounded blend, and Panton adds that woodsy and floral essential oils, as well as herbal and citrus ones, pretty much always smell good together. But there really aren't many hard-and-fast rules, she adds, so have fun with it and see what scent combinations smell the best to you.
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How much oil to blend at a time.
If you're new to crafting your own blends, Panton recommends combining with no more than three essential oils at a time until you get the hang of it. Twenty to 30 drops is a good amount to diffuse at one time (she's noticed that a lot of people don't add enough oils to their blends!), and the number of drops per oil will depend on how strong its scent is. More intense top notes like peppermint won't need as many drops as, say, a frankincense, to come through in your blend, for example.
How to clean out your diffuser.
While blending is more of an art than a science, Panton says that there are a few rules to keep in mind when you're diffusing. One: You shouldn't leave your blend sitting in a diffuser overnight because the oils will oxidize and start to smell funny. Instead, be sure to clean your diffuser's inner reservoir out with water and a cloth every time you use it. You should also give it a good deep-clean every so often by putting a tablespoon of white vinegar and water in your machine and letting it run for a few hours. ("I usually like to run some errands when this is happening because it doesn't smell great," smiles Panton.)
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Some essential oil combos that are refreshing for fall.
If you're ready to hit the ground (air?) running with your oil diffusions, some of Panton's favorite scents for fall include frankincense, rosemary, and bergamot. This time of year, she also likes to lean on essential oils' antimicrobial power1 to help keep her indoor air fresh and clean. "Coming into cold and flu season, I use oils more like air care. I'll use things that might smell a little more medicinal—like a peppermint or a tea tree with a lemon—around the time of year when people are getting sick."
How to turn diffusing oils into a self-care ritual.
There's hardly ever a bad time to diffuse oils, but Panton has found two moments in particular when the practice can be really helpful: The afternoon slump around 3 p.m. and right after you get home from work. "At 3 p.m. I like to diffuse something as I'm drinking another espresso. It's usually the final push of the day," she says. She likens energizing, mind-sharpening scents like minty peppermints and spearmints to "a mouthwash for your brain." Then, when you get home, diffusing cleansing scents like Palo Santo, frankincense, or cedarwood can help you drop any negative energy you picked up during the day at the door.
First thing in the morning and right before bed are also moments poised for scent ritual. "I love putting my diffuser on about an hour before I'm going asleep. Then I close the bedroom door and do all my evening rituals, then I walk into the bedroom, and I know all I'm going to do is go to sleep," Panton adds.
But really, she says, any time you want to leave a sweet mark on your surroundings is the perfect one to get blending: "Thinking about the intentionality around it is half of the magic."
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