What do the terms top/head, middle/heart and bottom/base notes mean?
Essential oils are volatile. Therefore, when exposed to air an aroma profile begins to develop and change. There are three main characteristics used to describe these stages of volatility: Top/head notes dissipate the fastest and are the shortest lingering. They are the first to reach our sense of smell and emit a light fresh fruity scent that is sometimes biting. Examples are eucalyptus, grapefruit, lemon, lemongrass and mint. Middle/heart notes are the soft, flowery scents. They are balancing and energizing, and are the heart of the perfume or fragrance. Examples are clary sage, Roman chamomile, lavender, myrtle, rose and ylang ylang. Bottom/base notes linger and do not evaporate quickly. Usually prepared from herbs or trees and often used as fixatives to prolong a scent’s presence. Examples are cedarwood, cinnamon, frankincense, patchouli, pine, rosewood and vanilla. Some oils, in and of themselves, have constituents that will fall into more than one stage. When blending your own es
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- What do the terms top/head, middle/heart and bottom/base notes mean?
