Spring is in the air and the fragrant essences of freshly blooming botanicals are filling the atmosphere with the aroma of amour. In tribute to the neurochemical cocktail of positive feelings that the spring season kicks into high gear with its regenerative energy, and to the bountiful buds bestowing their beauteous breath all around us, this article explores how to make a love potion with some of NDAs most romantic essences.
While the subjective experience of any aromatic essence is highly personal, there are certain scents that are widely known to stir up a sense of sensuality, making their botanical sources almost synonymous with love and romance. As such, they have acquired a storied history of heartful uses and established a lush legacy in natural perfumery and aromatherapy. The essences we have chosen to guide our tips on how to make a love potion include the absolutes of Rose and Jasmine, and the essential oils of Sandalwood, Ylang-Ylang, Lavender, Clary Sage, and Patchouli.
Rose Absolute
Associated with love, passion and beauty since the time of the Ancient Greeks, Rose is heralded as the Queen of Flowers. Immensely popular in all varieties of fragrance and known to blend well with virtually all essences, the sweet scent of Rose Absolute works particularly well with Bergamot, Chamomile, Clary Sage, Geranium, Melissa, Rosewood, Sandalwood and Ylang-Ylang. As an additional benefit to its aromatic nature, Rose Absolute is known for emollient properties, which makes it a luxurious essence for the skin.
Jasmine Absolute
Symbolic of love, fidelity, hope, and beauty across cultures, Jasmine flowers are the ultimate adorning accent for an alluring appeal. In complement to Rose as queen, heady Jasmine Absolute is known as the King of Perfumery, holding a special position as its most widely utilized essence. While Jasmine Absolute is renowned as a universally compatible essence, lending support to other notes for a fuller-bodied fragrance, it is known to blend especially well with Sandalwood and Ylang-Ylang. Jasmine Absolute is also known for the love it shows to skin with cleansing and moisturizing properties that help promote a rejuvenated appearance.
Sandalwood Essential Oil
The transcendent scent of Sandalwood has long been considered a gateway to the divine, captivating the senses with its serenely sensuous silage. Soft, sweet and wonderfully rich, Sandalwood Essential Oil can be found at the base of many a famed Oriental perfume, renowned for its entrancing aroma and sensual mystique. A versatile base note often featuring as a fixative, Sandalwood is known to blend beautifully with Ylang-Ylang, Rosewood, Patchouli, Vetiver and Rose. On top of its finely fragrant personality, Sandalwood Essential Oil is known to lavish luxury on the skin and hair with gently cleansing and hydrating properties.
Ylang-Ylang Essential Oil
Seductive Ylang-Ylang is traditionally strewn on the beds of newlyweds in Indonesia to enhance their synergistic sensuality. An exotically scented floral beauty with a sweet and resplendent heart, Ylang-Ylang Essential Oil is known for its luscious influence in white floral perfumes and its tethering influence in a wide variety of blends. Ylang-Ylang is known to blend best with Bergamot, Grapefruit, Lavender, Rosewood and Sandalwood. This oil comes with the added cosmetic benefits of cleansing, moisturizing and balancing oil production when used topically on the skin and hair.
Lavender Essential Oil
Beloved Lavender is one of the most popular essential oils around, known for its sweetly soothing and uplifting fragrance. However, it also has a sensual side, as it is believed to have been one of Cleopatra's signature seduction secrets! The versatility of Lavender in diverse fragrances makes it a frequent ingredient in sensual blends and its mood enhancing ability can be leveraged to boost amorous feelings. Lavender blends especially well with Bergamot, Chamomile, Citronella, Clary Sage, Geranium, Jasmine, Lemon, Mandarin, Orange, Palmarosa, Patchouli, Pine, Thyme, Rosemary, Rosewood and Ylang-Ylang. In addition to its soothing scent, Lavender pampers the skin with a gently cleansing and soothing touch.
Clary Sage Essential Oil
The fresh and herbaceous essence of Clary Sage offers a stimulating scent for the senses while extending a wonderfully calming influence on the mind. Known to facilitate feelings of deep relaxation, this oil sets the stage for a sensual mood. Clary Sage Essential Oil blends best with Bergamot, Cedarwood, Chamomile, Geranium, Jasmine, Lavender, Neroli, Orange, Rosewood, Sandalwood and Ylang-Ylang. Additional benefits of Clary Sage Essential oil include a comfortingly cooling touch and a balancing influence on the skin's oil production when used topically.
Patchouli Essential Oil
Long standing associations with tantric coupling paint Patchouli's incomparably earthy essence in a particularly intriguing light. A grounding and harmonizing aromatherapy oil, Patchouli is known to stimulate feelings of intense pleasure and relaxation. Patchouli Essential Oil blends beautifully with Bergamot, Cassia, Cedarwood, Myrrh, Opoponax, Orange, Rose and Sandalwood. On top of its aromatherapy benefits, it is also known to cool, cleanse, and tighten the skin when used in massage.
The table below illustrates the key details, aromatic characters and reputed benefits of each of our selected romantic essences.
| ESSENCE AND BOTANICAL NAME | COUNTRY OF ORIGIN | MAIN CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS | PERFUMERY NOTE AND AROMATIC CHARACTER | REPUTED AROMATHERAPY BENEFITS |
| Rose Absolute(Rosa damascene) |
Bulgaria |
|
Middle note
|
|
| Jasmine Absolute (Jasminum grandiflorum / Jasminum sambac) |
India |
|
Middle note
|
|
| Sandalwood Essential Oil (Santalum spicatum / Santalum album) |
Australia / India |
|
Base note
|
|
| Ylang-Ylang Essential Oil (Cananga Odorata) |
Madagascar |
|
Base note
|
|
| Lavender Essential Oil(Lavandula angustifolia) |
France |
|
Top note
|
|
| Clary Sage Essential Oil (Salvia sclarea L.) |
Moldova / France |
|
Middle note
|
|
| Patchouli Essential Oil (Pogostemon cablin) |
Indonesia / India |
|
Base / Middle note
|
|
The following table serves as a guide to concoct a potent love potion with the featured essences. While the oils we have selected are known to combine well with a wide variety of other essences and preferences are highly personal, this guide outlines which oils are generally considered to be the most compatible and offers some suggestions for optimally compatible blends.
Essence Plant Part Note Most Compatible Romantic Oils Other Compatible Oils Suggested Blends| ESSENCE | PLANT PART | NOTE | COMPATIBLE ROMANTIC OILS | OTHER COMPATIBLE OILS | SUGGESTED BLENDS |
|
Rose Absolute |
Flowers |
Middle |
|
|
Top |
|
Jasmine Absolute |
Flowers |
Middle |
|
|
Top |
|
Sandalwood Essential Oil |
Wood |
Base |
|
|
Top |
|
Ylang-Ylang Essential Oil |
Flowers |
Base |
|
|
Top |
|
Lavender Essential Oil |
Flowers |
Top |
|
|
Top |
|
Clary Sage Essential Oil |
Leaves and Flowers |
Middle |
|
|
Top |
|
Patchouli Essential Oil |
Leaves |
Base / Middle |
|
|
Top |
You can make a romantic diffusion or inhalation with any of the essences featured in the tables above, either on their own or in combination. The simplest way to make an inhalation is by adding a few drops of your preferred oil – or a drop of each oil listed in the suggested blends – to a tissue and keeping it close to sniff throughout the day. Not only will this help you keep a dreamy mood, but it will also leave a sensual scent trail in your wake that might just spark someone's interest. To make a steamy inhalation, add a few drops of your preferred oil - or a few drops of each oil in your preferred blend - to a bowl of hot water, hold a clean towel over your head and and breathe in the vapors. This is a great way to set the mood for a date night. You can also add a few drops of an oil or blend to a diffuser of your choice to infuse a larger space with your preferred potion and invite amorous feelings when your special someone walks in.
In addition to the blends mentioned in the guide, you can make a delicate floral water love potion by blending 8 drops of Rose Absolute with 35 drops of Bergamot, 2 drops of Cardamom, 10 drops of Grapefruit, 20 drops of Lavender, and 20 drops of Orange essential oils in 50 ml of Rose Floral Water and 50 ml of Orange Floral Water. For another sensory stimulating water-based potion, try blending 25 drops of Lavender Essential Oil with 20 drops each of Bergamot and Petitgrain, 10 drops each of Clary Sage, Lemon, and Rosemary, and 5 drops of Lime in 100 ml (3.3 oz) of distilled water. These blends can be sprayed throughout a room and on linens for a lingering kiss of fragrance, or they can be vaporized to facilitate diffusion if desired.
To make any of the featured essences into a luxurious massage oil, simply blend 4-6 drops with 10 ml (2 teaspoons) of a preferred carrier oil. This concentration will yield a mild yet beautifully scented blend that you can use all over the body to foster richly sensuous feelings at the same time as pampering your skin with the oils' many additional beneficial properties. If you prefer a lighter texture for your massage oil, we recommend a non-greasy carrier oil such as Rosehip Seed, Jojoba or Meadowfoam. You can also experiment with different combinations of the oils mentioned in the tables or with the suggested blends by blending them in a concentration of about 12 drops with 20 ml (1 tablespoon) of carrier oil. To make a larger quantity of oil that you can keep as a go-to mood enhancer for special occasions, you can blend 40-60 drops of your preferred oils in 100 ml (5 tablespoons) of carrier oil.
Another romantic massage oil that you can use with your partner is a blend made with 5 drops of Jasmine Absolute and 5 drops each of Rosewood and Cedarwood essential oils diluted in 15 ml (about 1 tablespoon) of carrier oil. Take turns massaging this blend into each other's back, neck and shoulders for a blissful bonding experience. For a similar blend with a rich floral note at its base, try combining 13 drops of Rosewood Essential Oil with 4 drops of Jasmine Absolute and 8 drops of Ylang-Ylang Essential Oil. Dilute this blend in 50 ml of carrier oil before using in a massage.
For a sensually scented self-massage blend, try combining 16 drops of Ylang-Ylang Essential Oil with 9 drops of Geranium (and if desired, a few drops of Rose) in 50 ml of a preferred carrier oil. Massage into the chest in the morning and at night to evoke a confident mood and a sense of body positivity.
Another soothingly sensual blend to try is composed of 4 drops each of Lavender and Clary Sage essential oils and 1 teaspoon of Borage essential oil diluted in 115 ml (½ cup) of Grapeseed Carrier Oil. In addition to the mood enhancing influence of this blend, it is also believed to be calming, to promote feelings of relaxation, and to support the body's natural detoxification processes.
To fill your bath with romantic redolence, simply combine a few drops of your preferred oil, or a few drops of each of the oils in your preferred blend, with a couple teaspoons of carrier oil and add to a bathtub full of warm water. If desired, you can combine your preferred oil or blend with some bath salts and then dissolve under warm running water before entering the bath. You can also dilute your preferred oil or blend with your favorite foam bath for some fragrant and fluffy fun that will delight your senses.
In addition to the ideas that you can take from the tables, you can make another romantic bath blend by combing 2 drops each of Lemon, Rose and Ylang-Ylang essential oils. Dilute with 20 ml (1 tablespoon) of carrier oil before entering the tub. The cleansing and balancing influence of Ylang-Ylang makes this blend particularly suitable for pampering oily skin.
For a blend that is both superbly sensuous and deeply centering, combine 5 drops each of Lemon, Geranium, and Sandalwood essential oils in 5ml (1 teaspoon) of carrier oil and add to a warm bath. This blend has the additional benefits of cleansing and hydrating the skin so you can maintain a lingering soft and sensual sensation.
If you would like to learn more about the romantic essences featured in this article, have a look at our in depth articles on Rose Absolute, Jasmine Absolute, Clary Sage Essential Oil, Lavender Essential Oil, Patchouli Essential Oil, Sandalwood Essential Oil, and Ylang-Ylang Essential Oil. These articles provide a detailed profile of each essence, including their history and socio-cultural significance, main constituents, benefits, and uses. To discover more aromatic essences to enhance your many moods and preferences, check out our product pages and explore our wide selection!
As with all other New Directions Aromatics products, our essential oils and absolute oils are for external use only. Due to the highly concentrated nature of these oils, they must be diluted with a carrier oil prior to topical use. It is recommended to seek the guidance of a medical practitioner before using any essential oils or absolutes if pregnant, nursing or on medication, for those who have recently undergone surgery, or for those with a pre-existing health condition of any kind.
Potential adverse reactions from use of essential oils or absolute oils include headaches or nausea from inhalation, and skin irritation or allergic reaction from topical use. To minimize the risk of such reactions, it is recommended to perform a skin patch test prior to topical use and not to exceed recommended concentrations for aromatherapeutic use. For inhalation, make use of intermittent exposure that lasts not more than fifteen minutes each.
To perform a skin test, mix 1 drop of an oil with 4 drops of carrier oil and apply a dime-sized amount of the blend to a small area of skin that is not known to be sensitive. In the event of an adverse reaction, discontinue use of the product and see a medical healthcare professional for appropriate remedial action. Always read the health and safety guidelines of each oil even when there is no safety information on individual bottles. Visit our resources for a thorough understanding of each product.
Essential oils and absolute essential oils must not be used near the eyes, inner nose, ears or on any areas of the skin that are known to be sensitive. They should always be stored in an area that is inaccessible to children, particularly those under the age of 7.