Table of Contents
- What Is Essential Oil Synergy?
- What Are the Different Types of Lavender Essential Oil?
- What Is Your Goal for the Blend?
- What Blends Well With Lavender Essential Oil?
- Top 8 Lavender Essential Oil Pairings
- Quick Picks by Mood
- Featured DIY Recipe: Lavender Buds Body Oil
- More About Mixing Lavender Essential Oil
- More Lavender Pairings
- FAQs
Updated November 2026
Wondering what mixes well with lavender essential oil? Citrus oils like sweet orange and bergamot, mints like peppermint, woods like cedarwood, resins like frankincense, and earthy base notes like vetiver and patchouli. Lavender gets along with almost everything, which makes it a good first oil to learn blending with.
Below are my eight favorite pairings, a quick chart, mood picks, and a body oil recipe that blends two lavenders. For more lavender ideas, see my lavender diffuser blends and essential oil guide. Jump to the pairings chart.
Scent is personal, so what smells lovely to me may not smell lovely to you. Keep an open mind, though. Two oils mixed together can smell completely different from either one alone.
What Is Essential Oil Synergy?
Synergy is the word aromatherapists use when two or more oils work together in a blend. You notice it most in the scent. Lavender softens a sharp oil like rosemary, and a citrus oil brightens a heavy one like vetiver. A good blend smells like one new scent instead of two separate ones.
What Are the Different Types of Lavender Essential Oil?
Before you blend, check which lavender you have. The botanical name on the label tells you, and three types are common.
- True lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) has a soft floral and herbal scent. It's the lavender used most in aromatherapy, and the one this post is about.
- Spike lavender (Lavandula latifolia) is high in 1,8-cineole and camphor, so it smells more like eucalyptus. It's for ages 10 and up.
- Lavandin (Lavandula × intermedia) is a cross between true lavender and spike lavender, and its scent falls somewhere in between.
Read More: Types of Lavender
What Is Your Goal for the Blend?
I think lavender goes with almost anything, but it helps to start with what you want the blend to do. For bedtime, pair it with another calming oil like vetiver or Roman chamomile. For a fresh, wide-awake blend, try lavender with peppermint.
What Blends Well With Lavender Essential Oil?
Lots of oils pair well with lavender, and the best match depends on how you'll use it and which scents you enjoy. These are my favorites, so yours may be different. Whatever you choose, buy oils with the botanical name on the label.
| Lavender plus | Scent together | Ages | Best way to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peppermint | Cool, fresh, herbal | 6+ | Diffuser, massage oil |
| Sweet orange | Floral and juicy | 2+ | Diffuser, lotion, roller |
| Lemongrass | Lemony, green | Diffuse 6+; skin adults only | Diffuser, room spray |
| Bergamot | Sweet citrus, floral | 5+ | Diffuser; roller with bergamot FCF |
| Frankincense | Warm, resinous | 2+ | Skin care, inhaler |
| Patchouli | Earthy, rich | 5+ | Diffuser, perfume roller |
| Vetiver | Deep, earthy, floral | 5+ | Bedtime diffuser |
| Rosemary ct. cineole | Sharp, herbal | 6+ | Daytime diffuser, massage oil |
Ages are for the pair, set by whichever oil has the higher age.
Top 8 Lavender Essential Oil Pairings
1. Lavender and Peppermint Oil
- These two always live in my home. I'm never without them, and I recommend them to everyone starting out with oils.
- Together they make a cool, fresh scent for a foggy afternoon, and they're a favorite pair in massage oil for sore muscles. Peppermint (Mentha × piperita) is for ages 6 and up.
- Read More: Peppermint and Lavender, or add lemon for my lavender, lemon, and peppermint blend
2. Lavender and Sweet Orange Oil
- Lavender pairs well with citrus, and sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) is my favorite citrus, so this is one of my top floral and citrus combos. Together they're relaxing and just leave me smiling.
- Read More: Lavender and Orange
3. Lavender and Lemongrass Oil
- Lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus or C. citratus) has a fresh, lemony, grassy scent that brightens lavender's softer floral. Both are affordable essential oils, so this is an easy pair to try.
- Lemongrass is strong on skin, so I keep it at 0.7% or less (1 drop in a 10 ml roller) and use it on skin for adults only. It's fine to diffuse around kids 6 and up.
- Read More: Lemongrass and Lavender
4. Lavender and Bergamot Oil
- Pleasant… relaxing… uplifting… aaahhh. Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) has a sweet citrus scent with a floral edge, and it brightens lavender without taking over. It's a lovely pair for a stressful day.
- If you use it on skin, buy bergamot FCF. Regular bergamot can cause a skin reaction in the sun.
- Read More: Lavender and Bergamot
5. Lavender and Frankincense Oil
- Lavender and frankincense (Boswellia carterii) are a classic pair in skin care blends. The warm, resin scent also makes them good company for quiet moments, like a few minutes of meditation or slow breathing.
- Read More: Frankincense and Lavender Roller Recipes
6. Lavender and Patchouli Oil
- Nice combo! They complement each other well, and lavender tones down patchouli's strong, earthy smell. I use fewer drops of patchouli (Pogostemon cablin) than lavender, or the patchouli takes over.
- Add sweet orange to the mix for an extra-pleasant blend. Diffuse it during yoga or a stretch to help you settle in and breathe deep.
- Read More: Patchouli Diffuser Blends
7. Lavender and Vetiver Oil
- Need a chill-out blend? This one is for you. Vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanioides) is a base note like patchouli, so use fewer drops of it than lavender.
- Earthy with a floral kick, this is a favorite bedtime blend. Diffuse it as the house quiets down for the night.
- Read More: Lavender and Vetiver
8. Lavender and Rosemary Oil
- Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis ct. cineole) is sharp and herbal, and lavender softens it. Diffuse this pair when your head feels foggy, or add it to a massage oil.
- Rosemary is for ages 6 and up. If you're pregnant, use only a bottle labeled ct. cineole or ct. verbenone.
- Read More: Uplifting Lavender and Rosemary
Quick Picks by Mood
| For | Mix lavender with | Why I like it |
|---|---|---|
| A happy blend | Bergamot | Bright, sweet citrus over soft floral |
| Meditation | Cedarwood Virginian (Juniperus virginiana) | Soft, woody, and grounding |
| Focus | Rosemary ct. cineole (6+) | Fresh and herbal for staying on task |
| Sore muscles | Peppermint (6+) | A cooling pair in a diluted massage oil |
| Sleep | Vetiver | A deep, earthy base at bedtime |
| Relaxation | Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) | Soft and apple-like; both fine for kids 2+ |
Featured DIY Recipe: Lavender Buds Body Oil
Two lavenders blend well together, too! Give this one a try and see what you think.
Lavender Buds Body Oil
Body oil · Ages 12+ · 2%
Two lavenders in one bottle. Smooth it on after a shower, or rub it into sore legs after a workout or hike.
- 6 drops lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
- 6 drops spike lavender (Lavandula latifolia)
- 1 oz (30 ml) jojoba oil
- 1 oz glass dropper bottle
Directions: Add the essential oils to the bottle, fill with jojoba, cap, and shake.
More About Mixing Lavender Essential Oil
What other essential oils mix with lavender?
Lavender also blends well with grapefruit, lemon, lime, tea tree, ylang ylang, ginger, geranium, jasmine, neroli, sandalwood, myrrh, clary sage, cinnamon, and clove. A few of these come with limits. Clary sage, myrrh, clove, and cinnamon are for ages 12 and up and are skipped during pregnancy, and cinnamon bark goes in a diffuser only.
Tips for Creating Your Own Lavender Blends
Start small. Mix two oils at a time, a few drops at once, and write down what you used so you can make it again. Let the blend sit a few minutes before you judge the scent. For skin, always dilute in a carrier oil like jojoba, and use my dilution chart to find the right number of drops for each age.
How to Store Lavender Blends
Keep bottles in a cool, dark place with the caps on tight, up high where kids and pets can't reach them. Heat, light, and air all age essential oils faster, so skip hot cars and sunny windowsills. Label every homemade blend with what it is, the date you mixed it, the dilution, and who it's for.
An opened bottle of lavender is best used within 2 to 3 years. A blend in carrier oil only lasts as long as its carrier, so give it a sniff now and then. A carrier that smells like old crayons or stale nuts has gone rancid. If a blend or bottle smells off, retire it from skin use, since old oil is more likely to irritate skin. It still works for shower drops or cleaning.
A Few Safety Basics
• Keep essential oils away from babies under 2, including diffusing in a room they're in.
• Always dilute oils before they touch skin, and patch test a new blend on your inner forearm for 24 to 48 hours.
• Check the age on each recipe. Kids 2 to 4 use only six starter oils at 0.5%, after checking with your pediatrician. Kids 5 to 11 stay at 0.5 to 1%, and their inhalers use half the drops.
• If you're pregnant, check with your doctor or midwife first. For the first 16 weeks I use only six oils, and only in a diffuser or inhaler: lavender, sweet orange, lemon, ginger, cedarwood (Virginian), and frankincense. After that, skin blends stay at 0.5 to 1%, and inhalers use half the drops.
• Diffuse for 30 to 60 minutes with a door open so pets can leave the room, and never put oils on pets. Cats are especially sensitive to citrus oils.
• Never swallow essential oils. If someone does, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
More Lavender Pairings
- Lavender diffuser blends and essential oil guide
- Lavender and orange essential oil blend
- Lavender and bergamot essential oil blend
- Lavender and lemongrass essential oil blend
- Lavender, lemon, and peppermint blend
- Rose and lavender essential oil blend
- Lavender and cedarwood essential oil blend
- Lavender essential oil types
Shop my aromatherapy supply kits and grab one of my free essential oil guides.
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Essential Oil Guide for Beginners - Getting Started
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Beginner's Essential Oil Guide - Download/Printable Learn how to safely and effectively make essential oils a part of your everyday life. Everything you need to know about essential oils. If you have ever been around anyone who loves using essential… Read More
