Essential oils for 'spa' smell?

[BoutrosBoutros]

For the past few months I've been mixing my own oils for skin and hair. Am really pleased with the results and enjoy pottering about with it all etc. I usually use one or two 'carrier oils' like almond or wheatgerm and blend a couple of essential oils too.

They smell yum but never quite as nice as that proper 'spa' smell like you get with elemis oils etc - I can't work out what oils I'm missing! Does anyone else blend their own oils? Any recommendations for getting the smell from nice to amazing?

[Mouthfulofquiz]

I've found that I really like spa things with clary sage oil in - do you use that one? Might be worth a go!

[BoutrosBoutros]

Oh thanks Mouthful I do have it. I think last time I used it was as part of my eviction regime for DS1 so hadn't thought to mix it much!!

[howtorebuild]

I just ordered some geranium and lavender, I would like some rose too alas my budget didn't stretch that far.

[FrustratedFrugal]

You need to leann some basic perfumery slkills. Mandy Aftel's book Essence & Alchemy has some recipes, or try googling.

[JeffsanArsehole]

Are you using enough? Just as an example cheap scented candles have about 4% essential oils, the posh ones like Jo Malone/white company/diptyque have up to 10%.

I experimented last weekend and made a 10% oil candle and it was so lovely and strong I could only have it on for a couple of hours.

I think in general the posh stuff is just much stronger.

[Doobigetta]

The classic "spa" smell you're looking for is probably geranium and clary sage. You should choose your blends based on what they'll do for your skin and hair though. I use rose, neroli, frankincense and sandalwood in my facial oil. They are pricy, but in a 1-2% blend a little goes a long way.

[Dowser]

I'd love some rose oil. Which company do you use doobi. I use amphora mainly.
Burts bees used to do a lovely jasmine cleavage cream which they discontinued. Smelled gorgeous. When the purse allows I must get some and recreate my own

I make my own frankincense face cream . That I love. Maybe put rose and jasmine oils on my Christmas wish list.

Do you not have to be careful with clary sage or Is that only when pregnant.

[howtorebuild]

I have some very old oils, I wonder if they would be ok to mix into candles?

[BoutrosBoutros]

Oh thanks everyone! Doo I have both geranium and clary sage, maybe I will try mixing them up. frugal that book sounds fab, will put it on my Christmas list - love a good craft book! Jeff I think you might be right I need to use more. Will experiment. Not tried candles yet but love the idea of doing my own, I'm really fussy about candles and only have one I really like so mixing it up could be fun!!

[MamaLazarou]

I have an oil blend by Madebyzen called 'spa'. It's ylang ylang, frangipani, jasmine and pine. You can't use it on your face but it's lovely in a vapouriser. I bought it from John Lewis.

[Doobigetta]

Dowser, I use Naturally Thinking. I ordered a new bottle of rose yesterday- £18 for 5ml. Really not cheap, but the last one lasted several months and probably contributed to about a dozen presents as well as stuff for myself.

Clary sage is a very powerful relaxing and sedating oil. It isn't good combined with alcohol because the two together can make you hallucinate (in theory- I suspect you'd need quite a lot of both). And it isn't safe to use in pregnancy, but then again there are only about half a dozen essential oils that are, you have to be very careful. Other than those restrictions, and maybe avoiding driving after using it because of the sedative effect, it's fine. Ordinary sage is toxic though, and shouldn't be used at all.