Diffusing essential oils is a great way to maximise their fragrance and therapeutic benefits. While you can use just one essential oil at a time, combining them opens up a whole new world of possibilities. The best essential oil blends have a synergistic effect and come together to give a different fragrance while combining the emotional attributes of individual oils.
Creating essential oil blends for diffusers can be a bit of an art form. Some oils definitely work better with others and if you would like to try it yourself, simply start with two or more oils and go from there.
One word on the recipes below. Each blend shows the relative number of drops for each oil which will be a suitable quantity for most diffusers. However, check the manufacturer’s directions for your diffuser before adding the oils. If necessary scale the recipe up for large diffusers or down to suit.
It is also possible to make up a larger batch of the blend and add the required number of drops to the diffuser. That way you will have a ready supply of your favourite essential oil blends ready to go.
I have listed below my top essential oil blend recipes to help get you started. These are all simple so try them as is at first, and then feel free to tweak them as you go. Use the best essential oil brands for maximum results.
Essential Oil Blend Recipes for the Mind and Spirit
All of the essential oil blends below can help to improve the mind or spirit in some way. They have a positive influence on emotions and will make you feel great.
Put the oils into your diffuser and enjoy the benefits.
Clean ‘Up’
A cleansing blend for when you need energy or fast thinking.
- 4 drops lemon
- 1 drop eucalyptus essential oil
Pep ‘Up’
Energizing blend that increases mental awareness.
- 4 drops orange
- 1 drop cinnamon
- 1 drop peppermint
- 1 drop spearmint
Good Morning
A great blend to start the day with.
- 2 drops lemon
- 2 drops orange
- 1 drop peppermint
Einstein
Promotes clarity of thought.
- 2 drops peppermint
- 2 drops rosemary
- 2 drops clary sage
Mint Condition
For stimulating memory and mind.
- 3 drops lemon
- 1 drop spearmint
- 1 drop peppermint
- 1 drop black pepper
- 1 drop rosemary
Get Moving
Stimulating and refreshing. Great during exercise.
- 2 drops eucalyptus
- 2 drops juniper
- 2 drops grapefruit
- 1 drop clary sage
- 1 drop ginger
Pick Me Up
A blend for the blues that will pick you up.
- 2 drops clary sage
- 2 drops ylang ylang
- 2 drops geranium
- 1 drop basil
- 1 drop sandalwood
Unwind
Great for relaxing kids (and adults) before bedtime.
- 5 drops lavender
- 1 drop roman chamomile
- 1 drop ylang ylang
Relaxing
Slow down with this special calming blend.
- 2 drops lavender
- 2 drops ylang ylang
- 1 drop sandalwood
- 1 drop marjoram
De-stress
A blend that helps with irritability, headaches and insomnia.
- 4 drops lavender
- 2 drops bergamot
- 1 drop ylang ylang
Tension Buster
Releases tension and irritability.
- 4 drops geranium
- 3 drops ginger
- 2 drops bergamot
Deep Relaxation
Stop, breathe and relax with this blend.
- 6 drops lavender
- 2 drops marjoram
- 1 drop mandarin
Mood Booster
An uplifting and relaxing blend that creates emotional balance.
- 3 drops lavender
- 1 drop bergamot
- 1 drop geranium
Anger Release
Perfect for cooling off, releasing any anger and restoring inner peace.
- 3 drops ylang ylang
- 5 drops lime
- 2 drops eucalyptus
Get Grounded
Helps you stay grounded and balanced when your mind is racing.
- 3 drops vetiver
- 3 drops cedarwood
- 4 drops geranium
Sleepy Time
Will help young and old get to sleep.
- 3 drops lavender
- 2 drops lemon
- 1 drop marjoram
Snooze Time
Another sleep essential oil blend recipe.
- 3 drops lavender
- 2 drops mandarin
- 1 drop roman chamomile
Be Calm for Kids
For kids who experience anxiety.
- 2 drops lavender
- 3 drops cedarwood
- 2 drops tangerine
Cool and Calm
A safe way to help calm anxious kids.
- 2 drops lavender
- 2 drops cedarwood
- 2 drops orange
Be Calm for Adults
The adult version to help with anxiety.
- 1 drop lavender
- 2 drops juniper
- 2 drops cypress
Memory Recall
When serious study and recall is needed during exams.
- 3 drops lemon
- 2 drops basil
- 1 drop rosemary
Office Blend
Uplifting, purifying and anti-stress blend that is ideal for the office or work.
- 3 drops lavender
- 2 drop lemon
- 1 drop geranium
- 1 drop bergamot
Merry Christmas
A warm, holiday blend.
- 4 drops pine
- 2 drops lavender
- 2 drops sandalwood
- 1 drop frankincense
- 1 drop nutmeg
- 1 drop mandarin
Traditional Christmas
Offers relaxation, warmth, happiness and spiritual awareness.
- 2 drops frankincense
- 1 drop myrrh
- 1 drop orange
- 1 drop clove
Meditation & Yoga
Stay focused and mindful during meditation or yoga.
- 3 drops frankincense
- 2 drops lavender
- 2 drops sandalwood
- 1 drop cedarwood
- 1 drop ylang ylang
Autumn Joy
Be transported to a joyous state of mind.
- 3 drops orange
- 2 drops lime
- 1 drop sandalwood
- 1 drop ginger
Essential Oil Blend Recipes for the Body
These blends have therapeutic benefits for the body and can help with a range of ailments. While helping physically, they will also have a beneficial influence on emotions. Put the oils into your diffuser and enjoy the benefits.
Heartburn Healer
Diffuse at mealtimes to prevent heartburn or indigestion.
- 2 drops lemon
- 1 drop lime
- 4 drops bergamot
Indigestion
Another blend to help with indigestion.
- 1 drop peppermint
- 1 drop rosemary
- 1 drop clary sage
- 3 drops lemon
Cold and Flu
Antibacterial, anti-flu and respiratory enhancing blend.
- 2 drops rosemary
- 2 drops peppermint
- 2 drops eucalyptus
- 2 drops lemon
Sniffs and Snuffles
Gentle enough to use for the whole family, including babies.
- 2 drops eucalyptus
- 2 drops tea tree
- 2 drops lavender
Clear the Air
For general antiseptic use, particularly when germs are prevalent.
- 3 drops lavender
- 2 drops eucalyptus
- 1 drop pine
Bug Off
Keeps the bugs away.
- 2 drops thyme
- 4 drops lemongrass
- 2 drops lavender
- 2 drops peppermint
Immune Boost
Stimulates your immune system and compensates for exposure to technology and stress.
- 2 drops geranium
- 2 drops rosemary
- 2 drops tea tree
- 2 drops lavender
Negative Plus
These oils will increase the effectiveness of negative ions. Perfect for the office.
- 2 drops cypress
- 2 drops lemon
- 1 drop orange
- 1 drop bergamot
- 1 drop cedarwood
Headache
Eases stress headaches.
- 2 drops lavender
- 2 drops chamomile
- 2 drops geranium
Night Time Cough
Will help with coughing during the night.
- 3 drops thyme
- 3 drops lavender
- 2 drops eucalyptus
Bacteria Buster
Perfect for killing germs, bacteria and viruses around the home or office.
- 2 drops eucalyptus
- 2 drops lavender
- 2 drops tea tree
- 2 drops cinnamon
Hormone Balance
Soothing, regulating and calming blend for PMS and menopause.
- 2 drops clary sage
- 2 drops geranium
- 2 drops chamomile
Conclusion
Diffusing essential oils is such a wonderful way to enjoy their fragrance and benefits. Grab any of the essential oil blends recipes listed above and pop them into your diffuser for immediate results.
All of the recipes above are great starting points and as you get to know what blends and oils you prefer, feel free to mix and match. Everyone has their own preferences and the beauty of essential oil blends is there really are no rules.
These are my tried and true essential oil diffuser blends. I hope you enjoy them too. Happy diffusing!
What is a good oil for menstrual cramps?
Hi Pat, the oil I always use is Clary Sage which has been very effective for me. Some other oils you can try are Chamomile (Roman), Lavender, Melissa, Marjoram and Rose.
A blend that works well is Clary Sage, Chamomile and Lavender. There is also the Hormone Balance Blend listed above.
We are all different so try these oils alone or in combination to see what works best for you. To use them, combine a few drops with some carrier oil and massage into your abdomen. Also diffusing and inhaling the oils will help. Good luck 🙂
I love these blends! If I could just decide which one to try first…
Glad you like them Virginia 🙂
What oils are the best for menopause?
Hi Tammy, there are lots of oils that can help and it is best to try a few and see what works best for you. The best are those that have a balancing effect both physically and emotionally. Some suggestions to try are:
Clary-sage (uplifting, relieves cramps/discomfort)
Geranium (hormone balancer, regulating, stabilizer)
Rose (nurturing, balancing, relieves emotions/stress)
Jasmine (uplifting, transforming, balancing for emotions)
Bergamot (anti depressant)
Lavender (comforting, relaxing, calming)
Neroli (restoring, calming, anti depressant)
Thanks for this reply. I find it very helpful.
All of your blends look great however, being a newbie in using essential oils, do any of the blends require a carrier oil? I didn’t open all of the blends but the few I did open up for the recipe didn’t say. Thank you!
Hi Mary, these blends are for using in the diffuser. However, they can also be used added to a carrier oil and applied to the body. Just be careful with photosensitive oils like bergamot, lemon, grapefruit, lime etc.
As a guide, when blending with a carrier oil use 3-6 drops of essential oils to 1 tablespoon of carrier oil. You can make up the blend first and then add it to the carrier oil, or just add the oils straight to the carrier oil.
Kristy 🙂
Great article and I love the Bug spray essential oil blend. I will be using this today as we will be out and about with the kiddos and the bugs are out in full force! 🙂
Hi there! These sound great!and I am glad I found them, but I am not clear on the amount of water you are basing these on. I have a 300 or 500 ml diffuser. Could you please claeify for me. I am new at this and love it!!!
Hi Billie, the recipes aren’t based on a particular size of diffuser. Each blend shows the relative number of drops for each oil. You need to check the manufacturers recommendations for your diffuser and see how many drops are suggested for its size. Then you can scale the recipe up or down to suit. Hope that helps. Kristy
I had a problem getting the info to show up about how to mix the oils.
Hi Virginia, if you click on the green ‘+” button to the right hand side of each blend, the recipe will drop down for you. I hope that helps 🙂 Kristy
I cannot get any of them to open
Kelly try clicking on the green ‘+” button to the right hand side of each blend. The recipe should open up for you.
I am a new user to Ess.Oils. I found the information and recipes
great. Do I mix with a CO before I put the oils in my diffuser? What type of diffuser do you use? Thanks for the information on CO amounts. I find that aspect of EO confusing
Hi Kathy, you don’t mix the essential oils with anything before putting them in the diffuser. Depending on the type of diffuser, you may add some water first and then the oils get added on top. I use ultrasonic diffusers mostly – this post will help you https://thenaturalmavens.com/best-essential-oil-diffuser/. Good luck and enjoy your oils. Kristy
Thank you for sharing the recipes.
A lot of these contain lavender. Please, before using in offices, ask co-workers if they have allergies. Also ask people who are visiting your home, or notify them before they travel. Some people are allergic to citrus, too…but I have met many people over the last year who are allergic to lavender. In fact, I can’t visit a friend in her home any longer because she insists on using a lavender blend pre-bedtime- we now visit at my home or out in community. -Lavender Allergy Sufferer
Hello, Thank you for the recipes. Can these also be put into an inhailer? I cant burn oils at work but I can sure use an inhailer.
Thanks!
Yes Kris, that would work.
Great list Kristy!
Thanks for sharing this great information!
My pleasure 🙂 Thanks for visiting.
Is there a mixture to help with snoring?
Try some of the essential oils listed here for snoring:
https://thenaturalmavens.com/essential-oils-for-snoring/
Hi Kristy,
In an older post you have mentioned essential oils mixing ratios to carrier oils : 6-8 drops of essential oils to 1tbs. carrier oil.
What is that in millilitres please? Eg. How many millilitres of essential oils per say 100 millilitres of carrier oils?
I am new to this, at present purchase ready made blends for our soaps and skin care ranges but I would like to compose my own scents as well.
Hi Gordana,
20 drops of essential oils is 1ml. When blending them in a carrier oil you can play around with the quantity depending on how strong you want the mixture to be. As a guide, you would make it up at a concentration of 1-2% essential oils. So, for 100 milliliters of carrier oil, use 20 drops (1%) to 40 drops (2%).
I have also written an article on how to blend essential oils to make your own scents. There are some good tips on how to combine different notes and some perfume recipes. https://thenaturalmavens.com/how-to-make-a-perfume-with-essential-oils/
Hope that helps and have fun experimenting.
I love dabbling with essential oils, but do have problems remembering the appropriate recipes for whatever I am trying to accomplish. Your posting the recipes and guidelines has helped me tremendously. Thank you for taking the time to provide these helpful pages. I am printing out a lot of them for reference when I am trying to recall which essential oil I need to mix with what.