When substituting an essential oil purely for aromatic blends and not therapeutic emotional or physical purpose you can select an oil from the same family of oils (i.e. citrus, floral, spicy, earthy, etc.) as the oil you are substituting for.

For instance, if you need a substitute for the essential oil of mandarin, the essential oil of sweet orange will provide a similar aroma. If you need to substitute for rose otto (steam distilled rose essential oil), rose geranium or rosewood (bois de rose) is not perfect, but it can give a similar result.

Below are a few oils that will give you examples for aromatic substitutions. Even for aromatic blending, you still need to be aware and follow all safety precautions for the oils that you choose.

Lemon - Grapefruit

Tangerine - Orange - Mandarin

Peppermint - Spearmint

Bergamot - Grapefruit

Melissa - Lemon

Aniseed - Fennel

Cinnamon - Clove

Achieving great-looking healthy hair with aromatherapy is not difficult, nor does it need to be expensive. With a few drops of essential oils you can create a variety of hair treatments that your hair will respond to quickly.

The following recipe is design just for your hair to make it healthy:

Use this aromatherapy blend before you rinse your hair.

Aromatherapy hair blend  for Soothing and Refreshing to Scalp:

2 drops Tea tree essential oil
2 drops Lavender essential oil
2 drops Clary sage essential oil
2 drops Ylang ylang essential oil
10ml base oil (Avocado or sweet almond) - Approx 1 table spoon

Aromatherapy hair blend for relaxing and conditioning:

2 drops Roman chamomile essential oil
2 drops Lavender essential oil
2 drops Sandalwood essential oil
2 drops Ylang ylang essential oil
10ml base oil (Avocado or sweet almond) - Approx 1 table spoon

Aromatherapy hair blend for Scaly Scalp and Dandruff-Prevention Blend:

2 drops Tea tree essential oil
2 drops Lavender essential oil
2 drops Rosemary essential oil
2 drops Ylang ylang essential oil
10ml base oil (Avocado or sweet almond) - Approx 1 table spoon

Method:

Combine base oil and essential oils and mix well. Double the amounts for long hair so oil will cover all of the hair. Apply the oil gently throughout hair. Cover your head with a plastic cap or towel and leave the oil on the hair for at least 1 hour. To rinse, add shampoo directly to the oiled hair before you rinse or wet it. The shampoo emulsifies the oils, resulting in a much more thorough rinse.