Sammycakes said:
Hazel said:
I agree that EOs smell much better blended. I started out using EOs such as peppermint, sweet orange, rosemary, lemongrass, clary sage, geranium, etc. I didn't get into FOs until much later. Of course, now I love them.
What EOs have you been using?
I have tea tree oil (ughh!), lavender, patchouli, and a jasmine/sandalwood blend. Come to think of it, the blended one did smell the best of the bunch.
Essential oils and herbs were originally the medicine for hundreds of years (if not thousands) so you have to take that into account when you consider some of the scents. Tea tree does smell medicinal to me and it does have antiseptic, antifungal and antibacterial properties. It has been shown in studies to have a beneficial effect on acne. A lot of EOs do smell nasty but they were used for health not for fragrance.
I find lemongrass too sharp unless it's blended with something else - like lavender. I really dislike patchouli but I know many people love it. However, I like sweet patchouli in a blend. I'm not a fan of jasmine or sandalwood but I have an EO blend with these in them that I've come to like over time. It took some getting used to the sweeter scent of the jasmine. I also dislike neroli. It really comes down to a personal preference. If you're not an aromatherapist (which I'm not), then I wouldn't worry about using essential oils. I'd stick with using FOs.
BTW, Nature's Garden has an awesome "Blood Orange" scent if you like citrus fragrances. Their "Smiley Face" scent is really good. too. I've also blended EOs with FOs and you can create some wonderful fragrances this way.
HTH