Ask this question before making your diffuser blends!

Before you drop in that lavender… pause.

Most people choose diffuser blends by scent.

Whatever smells nice, feels familiar, or sounds good on Pinterest… that’s what goes in.

But scent does more than make a room smell lovely. It affects your nervous system, your mood, and the way you move through your day (you can check it here).

That’s why this one question matters:
“How do I want to feel?”

Again:

“HOW DO I WANT TO FEEL??”

When you start with that, your blends become more than just a mix of oils.

They become intentional.

Grounding when you’re scattered. Uplifting when you’re flat. Calming when your chest feels tight….

Sounds good. Doesn’t it.

Let’s talk about how to create blends that support how you actually feel and not just what smells good.

Why scent isn’t just scent

It’s easy to think your diffuser is just for ambience.

Something nice in the background while you get on with your day…

But scent is processed in the part of your brain that deals with emotion, memory, and behaviour.

That means:

• The right blend can soothe your nervous system.
• The wrong blend can make you feel off, without knowing why.
• And using the same “favourites” over and over can numb your emotional response to scent completely.

Scent isn’t neutral.

It’s powerful.

It can relax, energise, comfort, clear, or even bring up things you didn’t know you were holding.

And that’s why intention matters — especially when you’re using a diffuser every day.

What goes wrong when you blend by scent

When you blend based only on what smells nice, a few things can happen (and not in a good way):

• You might create a beautiful-smelling room… but still feel anxious, flat, or wired.
• You could overstimulate your senses when your body actually needs rest.
• You might unconsciously reach for the same oils again and again, even if they’re no longer supporting you.
• You risk combining oils that pull in different emotional directions, like mixing a calming floral with a sharp mint that leaves you feeling neither here nor there.
• And you can end up missing what your body’s really asking for.

It’s not that blending by scent is wrong.

It’s just… incomplete.

Start with how you want to feel. Then build from there.

Start with the feeling. THEN choose your oils.

This is where everything shifts.
Not “What smells nice together?” but:
“What would actually help me today?”

Below is your go-to guide.
Use it to match essential oils to the feeling you want to create — whether you need to calm down, wake up, or just feel more like yourself again.

If you want to feel… CALM

For quieting the mind, softening tension, and slowing everything down.

• Lavender
• Roman chamomile
• Clary sage
• Sweet marjoram
• Sandalwood
• Ho wood
• Cedarwood
• Neroli
• Petitgrain
• Vetiver
• Bergamot (especially bergapten-free)

If you want to feel… UPLIFTED

For lightening your mood and shaking off emotional heaviness.

• Grapefruit
• Sweet orange
• Lemon
• Lime
• Bergamot
• Mandarin
• Spearmint
• Litsea cubeba
• May chang
• Green mandarin
• Eucalyptus radiata (gentler than globulus)

If you want to feel… GROUNDED

For when you feel scattered, disconnected, or overthinking everything.

• Frankincense
• Myrrh
• Vetiver
• Patchouli
• Cedarwood
• Spikenard
• Copaiba
• Sandalwood
• Amyris
• Elemi

If you want to feel… CLEAR

For foggy thinking, tension, or a blocked-up feeling — mentally or physically.

• Peppermint
• Rosemary
• Eucalyptus globulus
• Basil
• Lemon
• Pine
• Niaouli
• Black spruce
• Laurel leaf
• Tea tree (if not too drying for you)

If you want to feel… COMFORTED

For emotional overwhelm, sadness, or when you just need softness.

• Vanilla oleoresin
• Benzoin
• Sweet orange
• Ylang ylang
• Rose
• Peru balsam
• Jasmine absolute
• Neroli
• Cinnamon leaf (use in very small amounts)
• Chamomile

If you want to feel… INSPIRED or CREATIVE

For lifting stagnation, starting fresh, or inviting in new ideas.

• Cardamom
• Black pepper
• Lemon
• Bergamot
• Clary sage
• Frankincense
• Cypress
• Coriander seed
• Mandarin

If you want to feel… SEXY or OPEN

For sensuality, connection, and feeling present in your body.

• Ylang ylang
• Patchouli
• Jasmine absolute
• Rose absolute
• Ginger
• Sandalwood
• Cinnamon bark (very diluted)
• Neroli
• Vetiver

If you want to feel… SAFE or HELD

For emotional fragility, trauma recovery, or simply needing softness.

• Myrrh
• Rose
• Copaiba
• Ho wood
• Lavender
• Frankincense
• Roman chamomile
• Spikenard
• Sandalwood

Let one oil lead you first

When you’re choosing oils, it’s tempting to grab a handful.

A bit of this, a drop of that… hoping it comes together.

But blending works best when one oil takes the lead. Trust me.

Start with just one oil that matches how you want to feel.

One that speaks to your body right now.

Then, if it feels right, add one or two supporting notes to round it out.

This does three things:

• It keeps your blend emotionally focused.
• It helps you actually notice how your body responds.
• And it makes it easier to tweak and improve your blends over time.

A few examples:

• Feeling heavy and low? Start with grapefruit. Add a touch of clary sage or spearmint.
• Need calm but not sleepiness? Begin with sandalwood. Add lavender or bergamot.
• Want to feel grounded and safe? Lead with frankincense. Add myrrh or rose.

If your blend feels “off,” it’s usually because you’ve asked too many oils to do too many things.

One oil. One feeling. Build from there.

How to use this in your everyday life

This isn’t about planning the perfect blend.

It’s about checking in.

Each time you go to use your diffuser, ask:
“How do I want to feel?”

That’s it.

• In the morning, it might be: “I need energy but without the chaos.”
  → Try lemon with a drop of rosemary.
• In the evening: “I want to feel safe and let the day go.”
  → Think sandalwood and chamomile.
• On difficult days: “I don’t even know what I feel — but I want to feel better.”
  → Go simple. Maybe frankincense. Or orange. Something that feels kind.

Let your diffuser meet you where you are.

Scent isn’t about performance. It’s about presence.

And your blends don’t need to be fancy.

They just need to be honest.

Helpful references

1. Ali B, Al-Wabel NA, Shams S, Ahamad A, Khan SA, Anwar F. Essential oils used in aromatherapy: A systemic review. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine [Internet]. 2015 [cited 2025 May 27]; 5(8):601–11. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2221169115001033.

2. Brennan SE, McDonald S, Murano M, McKenzie JE. Effectiveness of aromatherapy for prevention or treatment of disease, medical or preclinical conditions, and injury: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis. Syst Rev [Internet]. 2022 [cited 2025 May 27]; 11:148. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9317467/.

3. Vora LK, Gholap AD, Hatvate NT, Naren P, Khan S, Chavda VP, et al. Essential oils for clinical aromatherapy: A comprehensive review. Journal of Ethnopharmacology [Internet]. 2024 [cited 2025 May 27]; 330:118180. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378874124004793.

4. Lakhan SE, Sheafer H, Tepper D. The Effectiveness of Aromatherapy in Reducing Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Pain Res Treat [Internet]. 2016 [cited 2025 May 27]; 2016:8158693. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5192342/.

5. Pezantes-Orellana C, German Bermúdez F, Matías De la Cruz C, Montalvo JL, Orellana-Manzano A. Essential oils: a systematic review on revolutionizing health, nutrition, and omics for optimal well-being. Front Med (Lausanne) [Internet]. 2024 [cited 2025 May 27]; 11:1337785. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10905622/.