Aromatic notes and colors of essential oils

There are several ways to classify essential oils: based on elements such as air, earth, water, and fire; based on a chromatic scale, often associated with the color of the oil itself or the plant from which it is extracted; but another interesting method of classification is based on the olfactory impression they evoke.

Three categories have been developed, called “aromatic notes”: Base note, Heart note, and Top note.

However, there are also two intermediate categories, Base-Heart and Heart-Top, which interpose between the three original notes.

The Base Note of Essential Oils

The BASE NOTE is attributed to essential oils extracted from bark, wood, roots, and resins. In a blend of essences, the base note is the last one perceived and it reveals the depth of the scent.

These are warm, rich, and heavy aromas. If compared to a musical scale, they would be placed on the note C, while on a color scale, they correspond to Violet-Brown.

These essential oils are connected to the Earth, with relaxing and calming actions.

The aroma can take up to 12 hours to completely evaporate and no longer be perceived.

Some examples of base notes are Cinnamon, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Cedarwood, Benzoin, Frankincense, Myrrh, Fir, Swiss Pine, Scots Pine, Helichrysum, Savory, Red Thyme, and Vetiver.

The latter is an essence native to India extracted from the root of Vetiveria zizanoides, belonging to the Graminaceae family, which represents the heaviest note among the base ones.

The Top Note of Essential Oils

The TOP NOTE includes the most volatile and light essential oils, the first ones that can be perceived but the quickest to fade away.

Characterized by their fresh and light fragrance, they are the essences that attract attention. Their action on the body is centered on the upper part, the head: they are activating, refreshing, stimulate clarity, concentration, and help mental fatigue.

Generally, these are the essential oils extracted from citrus peels, but they also include less intense aromatic herbs like Basil, an important mental stimulant.

In musical notes, these essential oils correspond to the note B, and the most representative color is certainly Yellow-Red, characteristic of citrus fruits.

Some examples include Bitter and Sweet Orange, Bergamot, Lemon, Mandarin, Cedarwood fruits, Grapefruit, Rosemary, Basil, Lippia, Mint, Eucalyptus, and Niaouli.

Grapefruit represents the highest note among all essential oils.

The Heart Note of Essential Oils

The HEART NOTE is the link between sharp and heavy elements, representing the dominant part of the olfactory perception of a perfume.

This class mainly includes essences extracted from flowers, some spices, and the most intense aromatic herbs.

These are often sensual, very feminine essential oils that act on the emotional and affective level, rebalancing psychic and physical energies.

In musical notes, they represent the note F, and in the chromatic scale, Green is associated with them.

Among these, we find Lavender, Chamomile, Bay Laurel, Camphor, Jasmine, Iris, Melissa, Myrtle, Neroli, Rose, Sage, Vanilla, and Ylang-ylang.

The so-called “aromatic notes” are very important because any blend of essential oils must contain all three to achieve a balanced compound in both scent and functionality.

When preparing your own blend of essences, a criterion to experiment with could be to start with the Base note, wait one or two days, add the Heart note, wait another day, and finally add the Top note. Before using the blend, wait another day for the aromas to balance each other out, and then proceed with diffusion.