Looking for a painless way to dip into the world of aromatherapy? Before you buy a dozen bottles of this and a dozen boxes of that, grab an aromatherapy kit. These handy collections are geared for different levels of experience and projects. You'll save money and time.

An aromatherapy kit can take several different forms depending on what you need most. We'll go over the basic types below:

Starter Kits

These kits typically contain three to twelve essential oils, including some of most popular ones like rose, tea tree, geranium, and lavender oils. A well-stocked aromatherapy kit would also have carrier oils - look for jojoba and coconut - for dissolving a few drops of the essential oils, and a couple dark glass bottles to store your blends away from sunlight.

Avoid kits that use artificial oils or rubber-topped bottles. Synthetic fragrances don't offer the same therapeutic benefits as the natural alternative. Undiluted essential oils are so strong that the rubber top will dissolve and contaminate the oil.

Finally, if you can, get a starter aromatherapy kit that includes an introductory guide to the oils and how to use them safely.

Blending Kits

A miniature version of a scientific laboratory, a blending aromatherapy kit concentrates on the tools needed to mix essential and carrier oils together. You'll want a kit that contains dark glass bottles, glass stirring rods, beakers, funnels, pipettes, and droppers. Avoid plastic, which can absorb the scents of essential oils, leading to accidental mixing.

Other necessities include labels for the bottles and strips of paper to test the aromas of each blend. Rubbing alcohol should be on hand to clean the equipment every time you switch essential oils. You might want to include a notebook for recording the steps taken to create each mixture.

A blending aromatherapy kit may also be sold for a specific purpose, such as a healing kit or a relaxation kit. Check which oils are included before buying one of these to make sure that the oils are actually suitable for the stated use.

Samplers

A sampler aromatherapy kit holds essential oils from different species of the same plant. The aromatic and therapeutic quality of each species is unique, so these kits are a good way to find out which one of the eight species of lavender you prefer. Look for sampler kits that identify the geographical origin of each species.