A short guide to 6 essential oil groups, their properties, and aromas
When shopping for essential oils, there are two main factors to consider: therapeutic benefits and the scent.
Both factors will weigh into your decision-making, sometimes one having more influence than the other. Maybe you’re looking for a light summery aroma for your home, in which case scent will take the lead, or maybe you’re in need of a serotonin boost, so therapeutic properties matter most to you.
Most of the time, however, you want an essential oil that ticks both boxes. You may have been told a certain essential oil will, for example, help you sleep. But, since our sense of smell is very closely linked to our memories, if you don’t like the smell of that particular oil, it’s less likely to help you nod off.
Fortunately, essential oils from the same part of a plant or group often have similar therapeutic properties. By looking at these different essential oil groups, you can easily find an essential oil with a scent you love and the benefits you need.
Let's take a look at the key properties and aroma of each of these groups and some pre-prepared blends that boost the benefits.
Properties: Soft, warm, and comforting, wood and resin essential oils help us feel supported and strong, much like the trees they come from. They’re considered grounding and strengthening and are often skin tonics too.
Essential oils:
Sandalwood – sweet, woody, soft.
Frankincense – warm, oriental.
Myrrh – swarm, spicy, woody.
Cedarwood – warm, woody, sweet.
Blend: Comforting Bergamot and Sandalwood
Properties: Like the wood group, leaf essential oils have emotionally strengthening properties. Their fresh green aromas make them naturally energising. Their overriding therapeutic property is supporting the respiratory system. Many of the leaf essential oils are decongestants, anti-microbial, and expectorants (which clear mucus).
Essential oils:
Cypress – warm, sweet, smoky.
Eucalyptus – sharp, clearing, green.
Tea Tree – fresh, medicinal, strong.
Blend: Happy Vibes
Properties: The flower essential oils are usually more expensive, but because most are ‘base notes’, you only need a drop or two for the floral note to shine through. They’re known to reduce states of anxiety and are often cited as euphoric, balancing, and calming. They’re all nourishing for the skin too.
Essential oils:
Lavender – floral, fresh, powdery.
Rose – floral, musky, rich.
Jasmine – heady, exotic, sensual.
Neroli – rich, floral, citrusy.
Blend: Real Calm
Properties: All spice essential oils bring warmth to the body, which makes spice-based blends helpful for muscular aches and pains. Similarly, they’re supportive of the digestive system, bringing warmth to an uncomfortable tummy when a blend is applied to the abdomen. Emotionally, they tend to be stimulating and invigorating.
Essential oils:
Black Pepper – warm, pungent, spicy.
Ginger – spicy, rich, sharp.
Nutmeg – spicy, earthy, pungent.
Blend: Muscle Ease
(Note: Some of the spices may be irritating to sensitive skin, so always check the ‘safety notes’ on each individual essential oil.)
Properties: The root essential oils are emotionally sedative, bringing a state of calm and relaxation to most situations. This is beautifully reflected in the actual part of the plant, dark and secret, doing its work under the ground but vital to the strength of the entire plant. The root oils bring our energy down away from our busy heads, instilling a sense of peace and quiet.
Essential oils:
Vetiver – rich, earthy, smoky.
Blend: Restore Balance
Properties: Bright, sweet, and uplifting; all the citrus essential oils fall into this category. With their sunshine and summer holiday vibes, they’re the perfect essential oils to bring joy to your day. Some are zingy and sweet, whilst others have a drier, more mellow aroma – there’s sure to be one you love.
Essential oils:
Bergamot – citrusy, soft, sweet.
Orange – light, soft, citrusy.
Lemon – zesty, bright, sharp.
Grapefruit – zesty, sharp, sweet.
Blend: Energy Boost
Key Takeaway
When choosing your essential oils for a blend, always look at both the properties, what it can achieve, and a scent that resonates with you. Finding an essential oil with an aroma you like will potentially give you a better result.
Let us know in the comments your favourite essential oil! Is it the aroma, properties, or both you like?
About Jo Kellett
Our essential oil expert, Jo Kellett TIDHA MIFPA CIMI, graduated from the Tisserand Institute of Holistic Aromatherapy in 1996. She returned to the college in 1999 as an Essential Oil Therapeutics Tutor, where she taught until the college closed. Jo runs a successful private Aromatherapy practice in Brighton, specialising in Women’s health. Jo is also an internationally published author and has lectured on the subject of Aromatherapy both in the UK and abroad.
For more information on Jo Kellett, check out her website or Instagram.
Both factors will weigh into your decision-making, sometimes one having more influence than the other. Maybe you’re looking for a light summery aroma for your home, in which case scent will take the lead, or maybe you’re in need of a serotonin boost, so therapeutic properties matter most to you.
Most of the time, however, you want an essential oil that ticks both boxes. You may have been told a certain essential oil will, for example, help you sleep. But, since our sense of smell is very closely linked to our memories, if you don’t like the smell of that particular oil, it’s less likely to help you nod off.
Fortunately, essential oils from the same part of a plant or group often have similar therapeutic properties. By looking at these different essential oil groups, you can easily find an essential oil with a scent you love and the benefits you need.
Essential oil groups
Let's take a look at the key properties and aroma of each of these groups and some pre-prepared blends that boost the benefits.
- Wood & Resins
- Leaves
- Flowers
- Spices
- Roots
- Fruits
1. The Woods & Resins
Properties: Soft, warm, and comforting, wood and resin essential oils help us feel supported and strong, much like the trees they come from. They’re considered grounding and strengthening and are often skin tonics too.
Essential oils:
Sandalwood – sweet, woody, soft.
Frankincense – warm, oriental.
Myrrh – swarm, spicy, woody.
Cedarwood – warm, woody, sweet.
Blend: Comforting Bergamot and Sandalwood
2. The Leaves
Properties: Like the wood group, leaf essential oils have emotionally strengthening properties. Their fresh green aromas make them naturally energising. Their overriding therapeutic property is supporting the respiratory system. Many of the leaf essential oils are decongestants, anti-microbial, and expectorants (which clear mucus).
Essential oils:
Cypress – warm, sweet, smoky.
Eucalyptus – sharp, clearing, green.
Tea Tree – fresh, medicinal, strong.
Blend: Happy Vibes
3. The Flowers
Properties: The flower essential oils are usually more expensive, but because most are ‘base notes’, you only need a drop or two for the floral note to shine through. They’re known to reduce states of anxiety and are often cited as euphoric, balancing, and calming. They’re all nourishing for the skin too.
Essential oils:
Lavender – floral, fresh, powdery.
Rose – floral, musky, rich.
Jasmine – heady, exotic, sensual.
Neroli – rich, floral, citrusy.
Blend: Real Calm
4. The Spices
Properties: All spice essential oils bring warmth to the body, which makes spice-based blends helpful for muscular aches and pains. Similarly, they’re supportive of the digestive system, bringing warmth to an uncomfortable tummy when a blend is applied to the abdomen. Emotionally, they tend to be stimulating and invigorating.
Essential oils:
Black Pepper – warm, pungent, spicy.
Ginger – spicy, rich, sharp.
Nutmeg – spicy, earthy, pungent.
Blend: Muscle Ease
(Note: Some of the spices may be irritating to sensitive skin, so always check the ‘safety notes’ on each individual essential oil.)
5. The Roots
Properties: The root essential oils are emotionally sedative, bringing a state of calm and relaxation to most situations. This is beautifully reflected in the actual part of the plant, dark and secret, doing its work under the ground but vital to the strength of the entire plant. The root oils bring our energy down away from our busy heads, instilling a sense of peace and quiet.
Essential oils:
Vetiver – rich, earthy, smoky.
Blend: Restore Balance
6. The Fruits
Properties: Bright, sweet, and uplifting; all the citrus essential oils fall into this category. With their sunshine and summer holiday vibes, they’re the perfect essential oils to bring joy to your day. Some are zingy and sweet, whilst others have a drier, more mellow aroma – there’s sure to be one you love.
Essential oils:
Bergamot – citrusy, soft, sweet.
Orange – light, soft, citrusy.
Lemon – zesty, bright, sharp.
Grapefruit – zesty, sharp, sweet.
Blend: Energy Boost
Key Takeaway
When choosing your essential oils for a blend, always look at both the properties, what it can achieve, and a scent that resonates with you. Finding an essential oil with an aroma you like will potentially give you a better result.
Let us know in the comments your favourite essential oil! Is it the aroma, properties, or both you like?
About Jo KellettOur essential oil expert, Jo Kellett TIDHA MIFPA CIMI, graduated from the Tisserand Institute of Holistic Aromatherapy in 1996. She returned to the college in 1999 as an Essential Oil Therapeutics Tutor, where she taught until the college closed. Jo runs a successful private Aromatherapy practice in Brighton, specialising in Women’s health. Jo is also an internationally published author and has lectured on the subject of Aromatherapy both in the UK and abroad.
For more information on Jo Kellett, check out her website or Instagram.
