How to Appreciate the Aromas of Essential Oils

Tips for Appreciating Essential Oils

“Stop and smell the roses.” What does that mean, exactly? Well, by stopping to smell the roses we take time to appreciate the beauty of their aroma. Let’s do the same with our essential oils!

Did you know that smelling an essential oil right from the bottle doesn’t allow for a true appreciation of its aroma? Here are some tips and techniques to improve your aromatic experience.

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Appreciating the Aromas of Your Essential Oils

You just received a package from your favorite essential oils supplier! So exciting, right?! You immediately tear open the package revealing the carefully wrapped treasures inside. Anxious to examine your new acquisitions, you rip aside the wrappers and giddily line up the precious bottles. You crack open each bottle in turn, taking a big whiff of the glorious aromas!

Well, I don’t know if that’s how it is for you, but it’s exactly how it is for me!

A while back I learned that inhaling right from the bottle for purposes of appreciating and evaluating an essential oil’s aroma is not really the best way to do it.

I still do take a whiff immediately from the bottle—I can’t resist! But, I also take a few extra steps to experience each aroma fully, especially when the essential oil is a new one to me.

Both of the techniques described below allow the volatile aromatic compounds to naturally diffuse into the air. This gives you a better appreciation of the true aroma.

I find closing my eyes helps me focus on the aroma better.

Use a Dessert Glass

Place a drop of the essential oil in a small dessert glass or shot glass (I like the flared edge type). Then swirl slowly, and lift the glass towards your face, inhaling gently. Please don’t bury your nose in the glass! We aren’t sampling wine, here!

When I evaluate more than one essential oil, I jot down the name of the oil on an a sticky flag/tab with a permanent marker and stick it on the glass.

Use a Scent Strip

Another option is to use a scent strip (aka blotter).

First, write the name of the essential oil on the strip. Then make a bend about 2/3 up the strip. The angle will keep the testing end up off any surface you place the strip on. Apply a drop of essential oil to the tester end. Let it absorb for a moment. Then wave the scent strip softly under your nose, about 3-5 inches away. Inhale the aroma gently.

Next Steps

Upon first gentle inhalation, note the scents you detect and how you feel. Then take another gentle whiff. Is your experience different? Take a third. How about now? Any differences?

Set the glass/strip aside. You can put a piece of plastic wrap over the glass and place the scent strip in an envelop or zip-closure bag.

In 15 minutes, then again at an hour, and maybe even an hour after that, follow the same inhalation steps. How has the aroma changed?

Your Essential Oils Aroma Journal

If you like, you can create an Aroma Journal and record your experiences with each essential oil. Make notes on:

• common and botanical names
• supplier
• lot number
• date purchased
• technique used to evaluate aroma (from the bottle, dessert/shot glass, scent strip)
• what you smell and how that changes over time (use whatever descriptive words or phrases come to mind)
• what you think about as you smell the essential oil
• how you feel during and after the aroma session.

Use your Aroma Journal as your very own aromatica medica by including information such as:

• extraction method (steam distilled, cold pressed, CO2 extract, absolute)
• growing method (certified organic, organic, sustainable, wildcrafted)
• country of origin
• other notes specific to the essential oil (therapeutics, max dermal limit, etc).

Experiencing Aromatic Memories

Use this aromatic adventure as a way to explore memories, too! It’s amazing the deep-seated memories that come to the surface just through scent exposure. These aromatic memories can be extremely powerful.

For example, when I evaluated Rosewood for this blog, the aroma brought to mind a handcrafted chest of drawers that belonged to my Mom. That memory brought with it a fresh sense of loss.

I also had a profound memory experience with Valerian essential oil, of all things!

Listening to Scent

I learned even more about evaluating aromas after reading Listening to Scent by Jennifer Peace Rhind.

Reading this book and working through some of the “scentsory” experiments has enhanced my experience with essential oil appreciation. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to elevate their aromatic experience, whether it’s in Aromatherapy or Perfumery.

Read my full review of Listening to Scent.

Mom’s Recommended Suppliers

If you’re looking for to get started on your essential oils journey, a good place to start is Mom’s favorite essential oil suppliers below. And to make it easy, you can find the scent strips and Moleskine cahier journals in Mom’s Favorite Aromatherapy Containers & Tools list on Amazon.

• Aromatics International for ethically wildcrafted, organically sourced, and Certified Organic essential oils (Mom’s AI favorites)
• Plant Therapy for Certified Organic and sustainably sourced, conventional essential oils (Mom’s PT favorites)
  • Also at Plant Therapy on Amazon
• Edens Garden (on Amazon) for sustainably sourced, conventional essential oils (Mom’s EG favorites)