Creating a New Blend

“Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties” - Erich Fromm

Time to get creative and blend!

A new blend was requested for massage oil to battle aches and pains. Thought I would try using this blog post as a way to think through and then create this new custom blend. After the request was made, lots of questions come to mind (very typical of me). I would hate to make assumptions and end up missing something important.

What I want to know...

-Overall health and wellness of the person including any allergies or sensitivities.

-What does ‘massage oil’ mean to this person? Oil like Jojoba, lotion or thick cream or a body butter? Having examples to show or test out was very helpful to narrow down the options.

-Next comes therapeutic value - is there a recent injury, sore muscles from exercise, tight shoulders from stress, etc.?  

-Last, but certainly not least is aroma. Are floral scents a favorite? or citrus? Maybe earthy and herbaceous or woody.

Next comes selecting the ingredients. Sometimes I already have an idea of what I want in a blend. It must be all of that information that I have stashed away and experience from every other blend I have created. Other times, I mull it over, research the chemistry of the oil, research what has been done, traditional uses, go back to the research, write some notes, etc. Then it’s time to see how everything smells together.

Since this blend will be used for massages to relax and to address sore spots from tension, the best texture is a really soft butter. It was a clear winner after some samples were tested. Butters to be used:

Beeswax to act as an emulsifier

Cocoa Butter, Coconut Oil and Jojoba Oil combine to provide a wonderful moisturizer for the skin

 Beeswax melting

Butter hardening

Next comes the therapeutic expectations - primarily relaxation, but also pain relief and anti inflammatory - and the aroma - floral.

I have narrowed the list of essential oils to Orange, Geranium, Neroli, Ylang Ylang and Vetiver because of their sedative and grounding effects.

Now it’s time to blend...

Wow! I love! Might have to make another batch and save some for myself! Hopefully it is used and enjoyed in the days to come.

Thanks for joining me on this blending adventure. Each one is always a bit different and geared toward the needs of those using the blend(s). Even if the same ingredients are used, the potency or strength of them might be tweaked. There are so many options.

Time to bottle up the blend!

For more blending fun, visit www.kristajean.com.