Scent or aroma surround us everyday and everywhere. Our sense of smell is one of the most subjective ways we perceive our world. We associate scents with our feelings and memories as much as we often try to replicate them to create environments that bring us to a place that resonates with our personal happiness or wellbeing. This is a very individual experience. Trying to describe a scent is a difficult task. We can of course reflect on nature and the myriad of scents plants and natural environments provide, but when it comes to crafting aroma, developing blends for wellbeing or trying to describe them, it gets complicated.
Aromatherapists and perfumers use a time-honoured tradition in establishing the elements of scent. It may appear a simple guideline but true craft and expertise lie in the ability to recognise the elements and understand the impact on our wellbeing through our uptake of these elements through our nose and our skin.
Borrowing from another sensory element music, and in particular from the musical framework of a chord where three musical notes are played in unison to make a sound, Aromatherapists apply the concept of “notes” to define fragrance or scent. In particular, this is expressed as three notes, “top” , “middle” and ‘base”. The top notes are the most fleeting in a scent and disappear quickly, it always makes the first impression. The middle and the base notes then work together to deepen the top note, creating a multidimensional aroma before finally leaving us with a lasting impression of scent.
WHAT ARE TOP NOTES?
Top notes are the first impression of an aroma. They are usually light and sharp, and evaporate quickly, sometimes within 5 to 10 minutes. This is what you can smell the moment you open your essential oil cap. Citrus Oils are one group of essential oils that are considered top notes. Particularly orange, lemon, grapefruit, and also neroli, peppermint, and eucalyptus.
WHAT ARE MIDDLE NOTES?
Once you have experienced the initial impression of an oil, the next aroma that you experience is referred to as middle note or what can also be considered the body of the oil or blend. These middle notes are the main part of the aroma and may last up to 2 hours. Popular middle note essential oils are clary sage, geranium, tea tree, and juniper.
WHAT ARE BASE NOTES?
The final note to an aroma is the base note. This note is sometimes referred to as the fixative, or bottom of the aroma. These will start to appear within a couple of hours of using an oil/blend and can sometimes last for up to a day. Classic base notes come from vetiver, cedarwood, patchouli, and ylang ylang.
It is important to understand that every aroma combination or single essential oil has elements of all three notes (top, middle, and base). A particular oil may be classified as a top note, but will still contain some characteristics of the other two, all working together in harmony, like a musical chord. The art for Aromatherapists lie in understanding the notes of oils and how they best blend together to just for wellbeing but also the olfactory impact on our minds.
