Essential Oils Aroma Families Report

If you are a fan of essential oils, there might come a time when you want to make your 
own blends. One of the most important things to remember when making blends is that 
you need the scents to complement each other. An easy way to figure this out is by 
choosing essential oils based on the aroma family.

This report provides information about the most popular essential oils and what family 
they belong in, such as:

Citrus 
Floral 
Earthy 
Woody 
Spicy 
Herbaceous

Keep reading to find out more about these main 6 aroma families and what essential 
oils are included in each one.

1. Citrus

The first aroma family available with essential oils is the citrus family. Naturally, this is 
the aroma family with scents like lemon and orange. The citrus essential oils tend to 
have a bright and clean aroma, many of which are added to blends to help with 
deodorizing or working as an antiseptic. They also can be added to blends with other 
aroma families, such as the woody or floral families.

Lemon

Lemon is definitely one of the more popular essential oils in the citrus aroma family. It is 
unique that it is not from a flower or plant, but the actual rinds of the lemons. The 
essential oil is extracted through a cold process, which is how it smells just like ripened 
lemon fruit.

Orange

Orange and sweet orange essential oils are favored by many people. They are also 
extracted from the rinds of the oranges, as well as from parts of the plants they grow on. 
Sweet orange is often used in seasonal blends, including fall and winter blends. 
Traditional orange essential oil also provides a variety of health benefits, including being 
a sedative, antiseptic, and tonic.

Lemongrass

The next essential oil to consider is lemongrass, which is also in the citrus aroma family. 
Lemongrass is more frequently used in aromatherapy, though some blends also use it 
for its sweet and slightly sour aroma. Lemongrass is really great for reducing muscle 
pain and also killing bacteria in the body. It can be used as flavoring, as well as for its 
aroma.

Bergamot

Bergamot is one of those essential oils you see mentioned in blends, but you might not 
know what it is. This is actually in the citrus aroma family, as it comes from the rind in 
the bergamot orange fruit. This is often combined with more woody and masculine 
smells, though it has a fruity, sweet scent that works with many other blends as well.

Grapefruit

Grapefruit is not only a popular citrus fruit, but high on the list of citrus essential oils as 
well. The grapefruit oil is not used for its aroma quite as often as its health benefits. This 
oil works great as a disinfectant, antidepressant, and diuretic. Like many citrus fruit 
essential oils, it is extracted through a cold-pressed process of the rinds of the 
grapefruit.

Tangerine

This is a more subtle citrus scent, and one that can be placed in a diffuser or combined 
with other scents. The tangerine essential oil is excellent for its aroma, or to be used as 
a sedative or help ease stomach upset.

2. Floral

Floral is definitely one of the more popular aroma families not just for essential oils, but 
for other scented and perfumed products as well. This is the aroma family with the 
popular lavender and beautiful jasmine scents.

Geranium

First up is your geranium essential oil. This is extracted from the geranium plant, a type 
of perennial shrub with leaves that come to a point and delicate pink flowers. Geranium 
essential oil naturally has a pretty, floral scent. It is often combined with other floral 
scents in blends, and has some benefits including helping to balance out hormone 
levels and reduce inflammation. It is often frequently used in essential oil blends to help 
with mental health, such as anxiety and depression.

Jasmine

Another of the essential oils in the floral aroma family is jasmine. The jasmine essential 
oil comes from the exotic jasmine plant with its large, white flowers. This is also used in 
many floral essential oil blends, helping with things like depression, uterine conditions, 
and working as an aphrodisiac.

Lavender

Who doesn’t love lavender? This is probably at the very top of the list for most people in 
terms of which essential oils they use the most. The reason is not only the scent of 
lavender, but the many health benefits. Lavender has such a subtle, sweet scent that 
reminds you of your favorite flowers. It is often used in beauty and skin care products, 
as well as bath salts, bath bombs, candles, and much more. It is great for your skin, 
soothing enough to help you sleep, and is wonderful for anxiety and depression.

Rose

Another popular essential oil that is naturally in the floral aroma family is rose essential 
oil. Rose can also be used for various health remedies, including as a laxative, uterine 
treatment, antiseptic, antiviral, and antidepressant. You might find rose in blends with 
other florals, but sometimes even with woody or earthy scent blends as well. This is a 
very versatile floral scent.

Vanilla

Believe it or not, vanilla essential oil is actually in the floral family of aromas. This is not 
a typical pure essential oil like others, as it is not extracted from a plant or fruit, but from 
fermented vanilla beans. However, it still has many health benefits with a wonderfully 
fragrant aroma. You will find this in fruity, floral, and seasonal essential oil blends.

Ylang Ylang

The last floral family scent on the list is ylang ylang. You might recognize the name of 
ylang ylang if you are accustomed to using essential oils, but had no idea what aroma 
family it belonged to. This is extracted from the ylang ylang tree which is a type of exotic 
tree that has star-shaped flowers. It is wonderful for beauty and health, including helping 
to promote relaxation and improve your skin and hair.

3. Earthy

The earthy aroma family is one of those categories that isn’t as easy to figure out. This 
is where you are going to get a lot of the more masculine scents, as well as fragrances 
used in blends for home use and sometimes personal perfume. Here are the essential 
oils included in the earthy aroma family:

Patchouli

The first essential oil in the earthy aroma family is patchouli, which should not be too 
much of a surprise. Patchouli essential oil comes from a tropical plant also called 
patchouli. It is extracted from various parts of the plant, and still has quite a strong 
aroma. This is used in men’s or unisex perfumes, as well as many wonderful blends. 

Vetiver

The vetiver essential oil is also known as an earthy aroma. You may sometimes see this 
essential oil labeled as ‘khus’, which is another name for the type of plant oil. Vetiver is 
often combined with patchouli in blends since they both smell very similar, but vetiver 
has a bit of a lemon scent as well. This is a calming and grounding scent, so it has 
some healing benefits as well.

Valerian

Valerian root is a very popular herb used in natural medicine, so naturally the same 
herb provides an amazing essential oil. Valerian essential oil is one of the earthy 
aromas with a long list of health benefits. This is often used alone or in blends to help 
with heart palpitation, skin conditions, blood pressure, anxiety, and sleep disorders.

Angelica Root

The last of the earthy scents in this aroma family is angelica root. You might not see this 
essential oil quite as often because it isn’t used for its aroma quite as much as its 
healing abilities. It is extracted through steam distillation of the root, herbs, and seeds of 
the rhizome plant. It provides healing benefits like reducing digestive discomfort, 
calming the body, and working as a stimulant.

4. Woody

If you have ever used essential oil blends with sandalwood or cypress, you probably 
know some of the oils included in the woody aroma family. However, some might 
surprise you. Here are the essential oils included in the woody family.

Frankincense

The first two essential oils that are considered woody aromas are frankincense and 
myrrh, which are often put together. Frankincense comes from the boswellia tree, and is 
used very frequently in aromatherapy. Not only does this woody aroma work great in 
blends, but it helps with things like digestive issues and working as an antiseptic.

Myrrh

The next is myrrh, another essential oil in the woody aroma family. There is a tree that 
grows in Africa and the Middle East called the commiphora myrrha, where myrrh 
essential oil is extracted. This works very closely with frankincense and is often used in 
the same blends.

Sandalwood

You may also be interested in the sandalwood essential oil, which is another woody 
aroma. This oil is extracted from sandalwood trees, the older the better. It can come 
from trees as young as 40 years old, but those 80 years old or older are preferred. This 
is typically done through a steam distillation process of wood from this tree. With the 
older trees, the aroma of sandalwood essential oil is typically stronger.

Fir

Fir or fir needle essential oil is not only often in blends with other woody and earthy 
scents, but frequently in Christmas and holiday blends as well. This has a fresh scent, 
so it is a little lighter than traditional woody aromas. The fir essential oil can also help 
with conditions like fatigue and arthritis.

Cedarwood

Another woody essential oil in this aroma family is cedarwood. The cedarwood is of 
course a type of tree, and one that grows better in colder climates. Cedarwood essential 
oil can be used for its scent in blends, but is most often used when trying to help with 
certain health issues like for oral health and helping with hair growth.

Cypress

The cypress essential oil is another woody aroma family scent. With cypress, it can be 
used in aromatherapy or applied topically to help with skin conditions and calming the 
skin. You will find it in various blends, often with ylang ylang, chamomile, bergamot, and 
cedarwood oils.

Juniper

The last of the woody scents is juniper essential oil. Juniper oil comes from the juniper 
tree, which is a type of evergreen shrub growing mostly in Europe. It helps with stomach 
issues, digestive problems, and can work as an antiseptic.

Eucalyptus

Another essential oil in the woody aroma family is eucalyptus. This has many healing 
properties and is often found with other woody, spicy, and floral scents. It is an anti-
inflammatory, antiseptic, and decongestant.

5. Herbaceous

The second to last aroma family we are going to discuss is the herbaceous family, or 
the herbs. These are versatile essential oils used for their scent, flavor, and their healing 
benefits.

Oregano

As you might have guessed, the herbaceous aroma family is used often for its flavor, 
unlike many other essential oils. This is true for the oregano essential oil, which comes 
directly from the oregano herb. However, it can also be diluted with a carrier oil and 
applied to the skin. Some of the health benefits of oregano oil include antibacterial and 
anti-inflammatory properties.

Thyme

Thyme is another essential oil you might see used often, which is of course in the 
herbaceous category. This can be used for cooking with other herb or floral blends, 
used for antiseptic in mouthwash and various other personal care products, and also 
used in cooking.

Clary Sage

The clary sage essential oil is sometimes confused with being a floral essential oil, but 
this is another type of herb. It is wonderfully healing and used for so many things, from 
health to beauty. It can help work as a natural deodorant and deodorize your home, 
help with cleansing and anti-bacterial purposes, and work as a mild sedative along with 
other oils.

Rosemary

Rosemary essential oil is another one that some people put in the floral aroma family, 
but this is not the same thing as rose. Rosemary is actually a type of fragrant and 
delicious herb. This oil might be used for cooking, but also for its healing powers and 
aromatherapy. Rosemary essential oil helps with stimulating hair growth, dry scalp, and 
various other benefits.

Marjoram

Marjoram is an essential oil that is on the sweeter side and is also considered an 
herbaceous aroma. It also comes from a type of herb called the sweet marjoram, 
though some marjoram oils are from the Spanish marjoram herb. 

Basil

Basil essential oil comes from the basil herb, and can be used in cookies when you 
don’t have dried or fresh basil herb available. The aroma of basil also helps with fatigue 
and muscle pain.

Tea Tree

Last but definitely not least is tea tree essential oil, which is probably an oil you know 
well. Tea tree oil is a type of volatile essential oil that comes from the melaleuca plant 
found in Australia. Tea tree oil is not a pure essential oil, similar to vanilla, but still has 
many healing powers.

6. Spicy

The last aroma family of essential oils is the spicy category. Don’t let the name fool you 
– we are not talking about spicy as in jalapenos and peppers. This is more for the 
‘spices’ that you find in seasonal blends, such as those for fall and winter. Here are the 
essential oils in the spicy aroma family.

Nutmeg

Nutmeg is one of the more popular essential oils in the spicy aroma family. Nutmeg is 
often found in spice blends to smell like seasonal things such as fall treats like pumpkin 
pie and snickerdoodle cookies, or in blends for the holiday season, such as Christmas 
blends. It goes great with cinnamon, ginger, clary sage, orange, and lavender.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is very similar to nutmeg and often found in the same seasonal blends. This 
is unique in that it is sometimes found not as a pure oil, but one in a dropper where you 
can use it directly on your skin for various healing benefits. As an essential oil, you can 
use it alone or with blends.

Clove

The next essential oil in the spicy aroma family is clove. Clove essential oil has a lot of 
antioxidants, so it is used for many healing powers. You can also use clove oil to help 
with toothaches and other oral health issues. 

Ginger

Like many essential oils, ginger is very versatile. It can be used as medicine to help with 
pain and menstrual disorders, or used for its scent in seasonal and specialty blends. 
Ginger, like others on this list, is a type of spice.

Cardamom

The last essential oil that is in the spicy aroma family is cardamom. This is most often 
used for its healing benefits as opposed to its aroma. It can help reduce nausea, work 
as an antiseptic, and help with chemotherapy side effects.
You now understand what the 6 aroma families are, and what essential oils go in each 
one. Use this information to figure out what scents go well together in various blends.
