Aromatherapy Love Notes

We have all contemplated the concept of love at some point in our lives. During this time of year, some people find themselves thinking about romantic love because of Valentine's Day. While this may be true, the reality is that love presents itself in numerous ways. Reminiscent of a previous love, a love that you know exists but is not yet there, or a love that you know exists but has not yet arrived.

Hellen Keller could not have expressed it better for perfumers and aromatherapists; “Love is like a beautiful flower which I may not touch, but whose fragrance makes the garden a place of delight just the same,." Hellen Keller

The plant kingdom has provided us with a plethora of scents that have served as symbols of love and sensuality throughout history and literature.

Plants allow us to use their natural smells to describe our emotions and moods. Some of the most famous love stories in history have inspired these natural scent compositions.

An old medieval love song, Scarborough Fair, is one of my personal favorites when it comes to love songs. Simon and Garfunkel sang it in the 1960s.

"Are you going to Scarborough Fair? Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme, Remember me to one who lives there, For once she was a true love of mine."

These verses were created to express these plants, which not only rhymed with the phrases but also had hidden meaning at the time.

Thyme: It was once thought that a woman wearing thyme was alluring, and I am yours. 

Sage: It related to wisdom and was used to aid fertility and conception. It was also used to commemorate marriages and maintain home peace.

Rosemary: symbolized love and devotion;

Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet, "there is rosemary for recollection." It was common to use rosemary in love potions.

Renaissance Perfume Body Oil

(Inspired by the ballad of Scarborough fair)

• 1 drop of Clary Sage essential oil
• 1 drop Rosemary essential oil
• 1 drop Sweet Thyme essential oil
• 5 drops of Rose absolute
• 50 mls of Jojoba
• Blend ingredients and put into a perfume bottle.  Use as perfume body oil 

When Cleopatra used the Jasmine aroma on her body to seduce Anthony, she was known for her seductive ways and art of seduction.

The jasmine blossom emits perfumes at night, which is especially noticeable around the full moon. Jasmine's ethereal aroma has long been connected with enlightened sensuality between partners.

Feminine Seduction Body Oil   

Inspired by myths about Cleopatra and her seduction of Anthony)

• 60 mL of Argan
• 6-8 drops of Jasmine Sambac
• 1 drop of Myrrh

Blend argan oil and essential oils and pour into a glass bottle. Massage on the entire body after shower or bath. (If you have sensitive skin cut the dilution of essential oils in half)

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." William Shakespeare

This great passage from Romeo and Juliet showed how love is expressed through the fragrance of nature's most beautiful creation, "The Rose." "Not every rose is created equal." The Bulgarian Rose Otto essential oil is the result of distillation and has a mature sensuous smell. The Rosa Centifolia, on the other hand, transcends a gentle full-bodied innocence.

Putting together a bouquet of the two types of roses will highlight each aroma.

Rose Oil Perfume Body Oil

• 3 drops of Rose Otto
• 2 drops of Rose Absolute
• 60 mls of Jojoba
• Allow to sit for a few days
• Blend and use as the perfume. Anoint the pulses.