Essential Branch

Tool

Essential Oil Blend Builder

Pick up to six oils and set the drops for each. See the note balance, how much carrier oil to add for 1, 2 or 3%, which oils pair well, and every safety flag that applies.

Two small amber glass bottles and a glass dropper with a black bulb on a pine table.

Oils by note

A balanced blend usually starts at about 30% top notes, 50% middle notes and 20% base notes, counted in drops.

Note Oils
Top note Balsam fir , Bergamot , Citronella , Eucalyptus , Grapefruit , Lemon , Lemon eucalyptus , Lemongrass , Lime , Mandarin , Peppermint , Petitgrain , Ravintsara , Scots pine , Spearmint , Sweet basil , Sweet orange , Tea tree
Middle note Black pepper , Cardamom , Cinnamon leaf , Clary sage , Clove bud , Coriander seed , Cypress , Geranium , Ginger , Juniper berry , Lavender , Manuka , Neroli , Niaouli , Nutmeg , Roman chamomile , Rose otto , Rosemary , Sweet fennel , Sweet marjoram , Turmeric , Ylang-ylang
Base note Cedarwood (Virginian) , Cistus , Frankincense , Helichrysum , Patchouli , Sandalwood , Vetiver

How this works

Every oil in the builder comes from our essential oil reference, with the note, pairings and safety flags shown on its page. The note balance compares your drops with the 30/50/20 starting guide explained in our guide to notes and blending, and calls a note heavy or light when it sits more than 10 points from the guide.

Carrier amounts count 20 drops to 1 ml, the same figure as the dilution calculator. For the skin check, each oil's strength in the finished blend is the blend's strength multiplied by that oil's share of the drops, and that figure is compared with the oil's own skin maximum. The safety summary takes the strictest level any chosen oil carries for pregnancy, children, dogs and cats, and names the oils that set it.

Assumptions and limits

  • Drops are counted at 20 to 1 ml. Droppers vary, so drop counts and carrier amounts are estimates.
  • The note balance counts drops, not scent strength. One drop of a strong oil can outweigh several of a gentle one, so adjust by smell.
  • "Blends well with" lists come from our oil pages and are a starting point, not a test of how the oils smell together.
  • Skin maximums are published limits for healthy adult skin. Children, pregnancy and broken or sensitive skin call for lower strengths.
  • Recipes opened from our blend pages load with their drops; diffuser recipes have no carrier, so their skin checks only matter if you turn them into a skin blend.

Questions

What is a good ratio of top, middle and base notes?
A common starting point is about 30% top notes, 50% middle notes and 20% base notes, counted in drops. For a 10-drop blend that is 3 drops of top notes, 5 of middle and 2 of base. It is a guide for a rounded scent, not a rule: strong oils such as ylang-ylang, patchouli or clove can fill a blend at a single drop.
How much carrier oil do I add to my blend?
It depends on the strength you want. Every 20 drops of essential oil is 1 ml, so 6 drops is 0.3 ml: that makes a 2% blend in 15 ml of carrier oil, a 1% blend in 30 ml and a 3% blend in 10 ml. The builder lists all three for the drops you choose.
Why is one oil flagged when the whole blend is only 2%?
Each oil has its own skin maximum, and some are very low: bergamot 0.4%, lemongrass 0.15%, ylang-ylang 0.18%. The builder works out each oil's strength in the finished blend from its share of the drops. Two drops of bergamot in a 6-drop blend at 2% is 0.67% bergamot, which is above its maximum, so use fewer drops of it, a lower strength, or keep that blend for a diffuser.
Do the safety flags apply in a diffuser?
Partly. Sunlight warnings and skin maximums are about skin, so they do not apply to scent in the air. The pregnancy, children and pet flags do: young children, cats and dogs breathe the same room air, and some oils are a concern for them in a diffuser too.

Sources

  1. Safety guidelines, Tisserand Institute. Accessed October 26, 2026
  2. Dilution for essential oils, Tisserand Institute. Accessed October 26, 2026
  3. Safety, National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA). Accessed October 26, 2026
  4. Aromatherapy and pregnancy guidelines, International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists (hosted by NAHA). Accessed October 26, 2026
  5. Updates on essential oils, Pet Poison Helpline. Accessed October 26, 2026