The following list includes essential oils and the aroma scent properties generally attributed to them. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These oils are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Essential Oil General Safety Information: Essential Oils (EOs) are highly concentrated extractions of plants and can be harmful if not used carefully. Incorporating EOs into your lifestyle should not cause unnecessary work, but it is important to heed all safety precautions. Never take EOs internally, even if a label say it is safe for consumption by mouth. Never put undiluted EOs directly onto your skin (NEAT) to avoid sensitization of skin, and never apply NEAT to broken skin. Some EOs can cause irritation, sensitization or allergic reactions in some individuals. When using a new oil topically for the first time, perform a skin patch test on a small area of the skin. Some EOs are phototoxic and can cause irritation, inflammation, blistering, redness and/or burning when exposed to UVA rays of the sun. Discontinue using EOs immediately if you encounter any irritation, redness or reaction. Take care when adding EOs directly to bathwater. EOs do not stayed mixed in water, and can, therefore “pool” causing the EO to touch body areas in full strength with the potential for irritation. Some EOs should be avoided during pregnancy or by those with asthma, epilepsy, or other health conditions. Avoid using EOs near the genitals, mouth, nose, eyes and ears. Extreme caution should be used with children and elderly (due to medication mix). Care should be taken when using EOs near animals as not all EOs are safe to use on dogs, cats, birds, horses or other pets. EOs are flammable; keep them away from fire hazards.
Essential Oil Aromas: Why do They Smell Like?
| Description | Aroma |
| Allspice | Spicy, slightly sweet scent that works well for masculine colognes. It blends well with orange, ginger and patchouli oils as well as other oils within the spice group. Therapeutic benefits include lifting of mood and overall feeling of mental well-being |
| Amber (an accord) | Amber is a fossilized resin that is warm, lightly sweet fragrance that usually smells musky and rich, and may also have a hint of powder and/or spice. Usually, today in fragrances amber is an accord and the most popular components of the accord used in amber perfumes are a combination of essential oils including bergamot, cardamom, nutmeg, sandalwood, and orange. Other essential oils that are often included in the amber blend may be jasmine, neroli, and rose |
| Amyris – West Indian Sandalwood | This is a woody, balsamic scent with a slightly sweet overtone |
| Angelica Root | Angelica root is herbaceous, earthy, peppery, green, spicy. Typically used in small quantities. Angelica shows notes of earth, musk, celery, pepper, herbs, and just a hint of warm citrus. It is an ideal component to anchor bright, citrusy fragrances, as it provides an earthy core |
| Anise | Anise is sharp, and it possess an aroma that is reminiscent to licorice |
| Arborvitae | Native to the Pacific Northwest of North America, it has a woodsy, earthy scent that is refreshing and calming. Calming. This oil has a very grounding and calming aroma making it ideal for distressing or relieving anxiety. Of all the evergreens, the Malonyana Arborvitae smells the best. With its unique pineapple scent |
| Atlas Cedarwood | Atlas Cedarwood is a warm, woody scent. A woody scent with balsamic overtones. This oil promotes calm during emotional stress and anxiety. is especially effective in outdoor patio sprays where it blends well with citronella, lemon eucalyptus, geranium and other essential oils |
| Balsam | Balsam fir oil smells like Christmas. Fresh, crisp, balsamic, and green, the scent of the oil can invoke memories of Christmas past |
| Basil, Sweet | warm, spicy, uplifting, energizing, purifying. a sweet, floral scent with a lightly spiced aroma. It has therapeutic benefits which include an uplifting and energizing of mood. It blends well with Lime, Bergamot and Clary Sage |
| Bay Laurel | Bay Laurel essential oil has an herbaceous, woody fragrance with a eucalyptus facet. The slightly spicy character is reminiscent of the smell of cajeput. Fresh, strong but sweet, camphoraceous and spicy odor |
| Bay West Indies | Sweet, fresh and spicy. Intense fresh and spicy scent with a hint of cloves |
| Benzoin | smells like warm, creamy vanilla with balsamic undertones, sweet |
| Bergamot | uplifting, A fresh, sweet and fruity aroma with uplifting qualities that blends well with other citrus oils. Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) essential oil has a lively, sweet aroma and the capacity to both elevate the spirit and encourage a peaceful, grounded disposition. It blends well with many other essential oils, including coriander, cypress, geranium, lavender, jasmine, Roman chamomile, and neroli essential oils |
| Birch, Sweet | Doesn’t have the same “woody” aroma as other tree oils, is a balsamic aroma with a minty scent similar to that of Wintergreen |
| Black Pepper | Reminiscent of the dried spice, black pepper essential oil has a fresh, warm, spicy aroma |
| Black Spruce (Northern Lights) | fresh, crisp, woody and earthy. The effect of the fragrance is calming, clearing and elevating – a excellent essential oil for aerial dispersion and to enhance yoga and meditation |
| Blue Tansy in Joboba | Highly aromatic, warm, bitter-green, herbaceous aroma with softly penetrating camphor top notes; has a warm, woody-herbaceous dry down |
| Cajuput | has a strong, camphorous scent with subtle citrus notes |
| Camphor | White Camphor Essential Oil smells fresh, intense and woody. Its aroma is somewhat eucalyptus-like due to its high cineole content |
| Camphor | has a bright and clean aroma with rich and earthy undertones. Camphor features a distinct smell, but with pure camphor, that smell is additionally smooth. Adulterated camphor is strong, and it somewhat smells almost like vapor rub, if the smell itches your nose, it’s adulterated |
| Cardamon | A slightly camphor-like scent that is spicy with floral undertones, often used in mothballs as an insect repellent |
| Carrot Seed | earthy, woody, Sweet, earthy and woody, carrot oil provides an oriental feel to most blends |
| Cassia | is an evergreen with small flowers, usually white, that is a close cousin to cinnamon. Cassia is hot, spicy-sweet, very warm and spicy like its relative cinnamon, yet woodsy with earthy undertones |
| Cinnamon Leaf | revitalizing, aromatic, slightly sweet and spicy scent that blends well with bergamot, cinnamon bark, jasmine and frankincense |
| Cinnamon Bark | smells peppery, earthy, spicy, bright yet slightly woodsy |
| Cistus aka Rock Rose & Labdanum | intriguingly complex, fresh, rich, balsamic, woody, herbaceous and slightly spicy/floral |
| Citronella | fragrant Asian grass that got its name from the French word meaning “lemon balm,” due to its floral, citrus-like aroma |
| Clary Sage | balancing, herbal, floral. Spicy, bittersweet scent with hints of hay. It has a long-lasting aroma |
| Clove Bud | aromatically, possesses a strong, warm, comforting, spicy aroma that blends well with other spicy essential oils like Cinnamon Bark |
| Clove Leaf | warm, pungent, warm, very spicy, woody with a sub-note of leather |
| Coffee | smells just like a fresh brewed pot of coffee – it is both warming and invigorating |
| Copaiba | smells sweet, woody, resinous and earthy |
| Coriander | Sweet, peppery, slightly fruity smell. |
| Cypress | aromatically, strong hints of pine, refreshing, spicy, juniper and pine needle-like aroma. |
| Davana | fruity, floral, and a tad woodsy, is used as an aphrodisiac in some cultures |
| Dill | smells like fresh grass, slightly earthy, yet is sweet and spicy at the same time |
| Eucalyptus | distinct scent with a hint of menthol. Invigorating and purifying benefits |
| Eucalyptus, Blue Malle | an exotic alternative to Eucalyptus globulus. Blue Mallee Eucalyptus essential oil has a strong, sweet-camphoraceous aroma with a fresh, cooling effect |
| Fennel | peculiarly sweet, with the scent commonly compared to licorice |
| Fir, Balsam | distinctively woodsy aroma that conjures up the scent of the great outdoors as well as the winter holiday season, Balsam Fir Essential Oil not only makes a wonderful addition to holiday blends but also has many year-round uses |
| Frankincense | spicy, peppery, lemony and balsamic aroma that suits most masculine, floral and spicy blends. Frankincense essential oils and abstracts are extracted from Frankincense resin |
| Geranium, aka as Rose Geranium | Strong leafy rose scent with hints of fruit and mint |
| German Chamomile | German Chamomile has an extremely sweet, warm, herbaceous bouquet with tobacco-like undertones, unlike Roman Chamomile which smells like sweet, fruity scent similar to straw and apples |
| Ginger | powerful and pungent, earthy ginger is known as a warm, fortifying, energizing, spicy, lemon-like scent with woody overtones. lemon-like aroma |
| Grapefruit | fresh, fruity and clean aroma that’s nearly identical to the broken peel of fresh grapefruit. Bittersweet citrus scent that is refreshing and uplifting. |
| Helichrysum | rich and overwhelming, honeylike and deep, herbaceous and sweet, that it takes more than the average of imagination to appreciate the odor of this oil. The sweet-fruity and tea-like, delicate undertone is unique |
| Hyssop | a sweet, strong earthy, woodland herb scent with sweet and spicy overtones. fresh, earthy, fruity, woody, slightly sweet and camphorous, stimulates meditation and creativity |
| Jasmine | A honey-sweet floral oil that is very distinctive, calming, sensual, powerful, sweet, tenacious, floral, fruity, with herbaceous undertones. Evokes romantic moods. It is warming, connecting, and pacifying |
| Juniper Berry | Fresh and warm, juniper contains balsamic and pine wood aromas that blend well with citrus oils and spicy oils. Sharp green, woody conifer scent |
| Lavender | Sweet, balsamic sent with floral overtones. Lavender is renowned for its healing and calming properties. |
| Lemon | light, fragrant, zingy aroma, energizing and uplifting. Intense lemon citrus scent. |
| Lemon Eucalyptus | fresh and invigorating scent that has an aroma of grass and rose, but with a hint of citrus, energizing, uplifting but not too overpowering or stimulating |
| Lemongrass | fresh, lemony and slightly herbaceous, green, citrusy, and fresh, Lemongrass lifts the spirits |
| Lime | intense fresh-fruity, somewhat sweet, refreshing, citrusy, lemony-green aroma, strong citrus aroma |
| Mandarin Green Essence | intense, sweet, fresh citrus scent. Citrus scent with floral undertones that is uplifting and sensual |
| Manuka aka New Zealand Tea Tree Oil | earthy, yet fresh and pleasant. And does not have the medicinal smell as tea tree does |
| Maritime Pine aka Sea Pine | balsamic, coniferous, fresh, piney, resinous, slightly floral, woody, with a resinous undertone |
| Marjoram, Sweet | Warm and spicy scent with hints of nutmeg |
| May Chang | sharp and has a complex lemony aroma. With a warm and uplifting lemon aroma, cheerful May Chang is sunshine in a bottle. May Chang is a very uplifting and stimulating oil |
| Menthol, Liquid | strong, clean, crisp mint smell, leaves have a characteristic, sweetish, strong odor and an aromatic, warm, pungent taste, with a cooling aftertaste |
| Myrhh | Warm and spicy with a distinct balsamic scent, warm, earthy, woody and balsamic |
| Neroli | Neroli comes from the blossom of the bitter orange tree and has a strong, sweet, honeyed, green, spicy and somewhat metallic scent that is very refreshing. Calming and sensual. Neroli has a light sweet-floral fragrance with an element of citrus |
| Nutmeg | spicy, nutty, sweet aroma, with a spicy overtone. uplifting and energizing |
| Orange, Sweet | A very lively scent that is sweet and fruity. This oil works well in both masculine and feminine scents and is refreshing and uplifting |
| Orange Wild | citrusy and sweet with an aroma similar to that of orange peels, but is more concentrated |
| Oregano | herbaceous and sharp, very fresh, vibrant, warm, with a pungent, spicy/herbaceous, mildly woody undertone |
| Palmarosa | A rose floral scent mixed with fresh grass which is very refreshing |
| Patchouli | long-lasting scent which is quite exotic with earthy, woody and spicy tones. Intense rich, sweet balsamic scent that deepens over time and is both soothing and sensual |
| Pennyroyal | very strong fragrance similar to spearmint |
| Peppermint | powerfully sweet menthol scent, warm, spicy scent that has some medicinal undertones, uplifting |
| Petitgrain | smells of green, woody, and orange citruses |
| Pine, Hungarian | woodsy, typical pine aroma, grounding evergreen aroma, helps us reconnect us to the natural world |
| Pine, Scots aka Pine needle | is earthy and sometimes resembles that of balsam, smells like fir leaves, is woody. Pine has a fresh scent that’s similar to the smell of pine trees in a forest. It smells like Christmas trees |
| Ravintsara | similar to Eucalyptus, but greener. Its scent promises a fresh, clean, soft, peppery, earthy, woodsy, spicy aroma |
| Roman Chamomile | sweet, fruity scent similar to straw and apples, while German Chamomile has an extremely sweet, warm, herbaceous bouquet with tobacco-like undertones |
| Rose Absolute | rich, rosy-floral, warm, floral and delicate, with faint peppery and honey notes. A very deep, sweet and long-lasting floral scent with uplifting qualities |
| Rose Hip Seed Oil | subtle woody smell — it doesn’t have a rosy fragrance like you might expect since it’s not made from the flower |
| Rose Otto | A gentler fragrance than rose absolute it is still warm and intense |
| Rosemary | fresh, energizing, evergreen, citrus-like, herbaceous, often pungent scent with a slightly minty top note. |
| Sandalwood | Sweet, soft, earthy, woody and warm with a balsamic scent that increases with age. sensual and relaxing. |
| Spearmint | sweet, herbaceous, fresh, minty smell reminiscent of Peppermint that is sweeter, and not so sharp |
| Tangerine | extra sweet, tangy, and tart aroma, energizing and uplifting, clean and relaxing |
| Tea Tree | fresh, woody, earthy, herbaceous, astringent, acrid, camphorous, medicinal, the scent is similar to eucalyptus |
| Texas Cedarwood | reminiscent of fresh wood, pleasantly balsamic, smoky-‘pencil-woody’, sweet, somewhat tar-like, faintly oily aroma that becomes sweeter in the dry down, grounding properties and is known for encouraging focus and stabilization |
| Thyme Oil, White | Very diffusive, fresh, green, sweet herbaceous, clean, gentle aroma with a faint peppery undertone and a soft, woody-herbaceous dry down. Can have slightly medicinal aroma. |
| Vanilla (an infusion – not a “real” Essential Oil | sweet, rich, syrupy scent that exudes warmth, luxurious, sensual, elegant, and moody, sweet, nuzzleable, delectably comforting, warmth, softness and caring, purity, it’s kind of magic; ‘positive childhood associations’, with slightly smoky undertones. The oil is made by infusion of vanilla beans into an oil carrier. Vanilla planifolia is a species of vanilla orchid. It is native to Mexico and Central America, and is one of the primary sources for vanilla flavoring, due to its high vanillin content |
| Vetiver | Rich woody scent with hints of sweet earth. Closely related to other fragrant grasses such as lemongrass and citronella, it is a complex earthy, woody and slightly sweet, can have hints of bourbon, tobacco, and lemon |
| Wintergreen | crisp, fresh, woody, refreshing and sweet, very similar to that of peppermint oil. It possesses a potent birch-like aroma |
| Ylang Ylang | intense floral fragrance very similar to jasmine, sensual, uplifting, with strong aphrodisiac qualities |
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2
Til next time,
