Aromatherapy Notes

You may hear about the concept of aromatherapy notes. "Note" comes from perfumery, where the evaporation rate of essential oils are categorized as notes. The speed at which a fragrance evaporates depends on its specific weight and energy.

• Top note – quick evaporation. Top notes tend to be light, fresh, and uplifting. Examples are bergamot, eucalyptus, lemon, orange, peppermint, and pine.
  
  
• Middle note – average rate of evaporation. Middle notes are often warm and soft fragrances. Examples are chamomile, geranium, juniper, lavender, and rosemary.
  
  
• Base note – slow evaporation. Base notes are often intense and heady. Examples are cedarwood, clove, patchouli, and sandalwood.

The character or impression of an essential oil changes as it evaporates into the air over time. If you want to compare the evaporation rate of different essential oils, make a few smelling strips out of any absorbent white paper or natural undyed material. Put a drop of a different essential oil on three strips, and come back to sniff the strips over a period of time to see how the aromas change.

Knowing about aromatherapy notes is useful when blending essential oils. You generally want to avoid mixing oils that all have the same note. Many people consider a good blend to be one that contains each of the three notes, but there are no hard and fast rules.