A refillable inhaler is open architecture. You can put almost any essential oil in it, in almost any combination. Which is genuinely useful — and also a bit overwhelming if you're new to it.
The fastest way to learn is to start with a recipe someone else has built, run it for a week or two, then start adapting. Here's a small collection of starter blends that work in an Inhale Club inhaler, organised by what you're trying to do.
A few notes before you start.
The basics, briefly
Each cotton wick holds enough oil for one to two weeks of regular use. Five to six drops total is the right amount for a standard refill — enough to saturate the wick without overfilling it. More than that doesn't make the scent stronger; it just leaks.
If a recipe below uses three or four oils, the total still adds up to around five drops. So a recipe of "2 eucalyptus, 2 menthol crystals, 1 peppermint" means two drops of the first, two of the second, one of the third.
Quality matters more than the recipe. A great recipe with poor oils is worse than a simple recipe with pure ones. We use pure essential oils — no synthetics, no fillers — in our own blends because the alternative tastes the way it sounds.
For focus
The classic (our Focus Blend, essentially)
- 2 drops eucalyptus
- 2 drops peppermint
- 1 drop camphor
Crisp, cooling, attention-resetting. Best for desk-side use during work. Pre-made as our 30ml Focus Blend if you'd rather not assemble it yourself.
The herbaceous focus blend
- 2 drops rosemary
- 2 drops peppermint
- 1 drop lemon
Slightly more aromatic and less medicinal than the classic. Rosemary has been studied for its association with cognitive task performance — a useful addition during study sessions.
The citrus pick-me-up
- 2 drops grapefruit
- 2 drops orange
- 1 drop peppermint
Brighter, more uplifting, less intense. Best for the post-lunch slump when you want a lift without the sharp medicinal hit of pure eucalyptus.
For calm
The simple wind-down (our Calm Blend, essentially)
- 3 drops lavender
- 2 drops Roman chamomile
Soft, balanced, subdued. Available as our 15ml Calm Blend ready-made. Ideal for the hour before bed or the moment you sit down after a tense day.
The grounded blend
- 2 drops lavender
- 2 drops cedarwood
- 1 drop bergamot
A bit more present than pure lavender — the cedarwood adds depth, the bergamot adds a citrus note that stops it tipping into sleepy territory. Good for mid-afternoon tension.
The slightly floral wind-down
- 2 drops lavender
- 2 drops geranium
- 1 drop ylang ylang
More overtly floral. Some people love it, some find it too much. Try the $2 sample of one of the florals first if you're unsure.
For travel
The long-haul flight blend
- 2 drops eucalyptus
- 2 drops peppermint
- 1 drop tea tree
Long-haul cabins are dry, recycled-air environments. This blend cuts through that — the eucalyptus and peppermint give the sensation of fresh air, the tea tree adds a slightly cleansing note. Cabin attendants notice it, but politely.
The motion-sickness blend
- 3 drops peppermint
- 2 drops ginger
For car trips, boats, anyone prone to motion-related queasiness. Peppermint is the workhorse here; ginger is the supporting cast. Pure aromatic use only — nothing about this involves ingesting or applying anything.
For exam season and study
The morning study blend
- 2 drops rosemary
- 2 drops lemon
- 1 drop peppermint
Brighter than pure Focus Blend, useful for early-morning study sessions when you need to wake up alongside the focus boost.
The late-night study blend
- 3 drops peppermint
- 2 drops eucalyptus
When you're past the point where coffee is a good idea but still need to push through. The cooling sensation is more useful at midnight than a stimulant would be.
For seasonal sniffles
A note up front: these are aromatic-use blends, not treatments. Inhale Club doesn't make therapeutic claims. The crisp sensation of certain oils is genuinely useful for the subjective feeling of "clearer head" — see our menthol post for the research on why — but if you're actually unwell, see a pharmacist or GP.
The hay fever season blend
- 2 drops eucalyptus
- 2 drops peppermint
- 1 drop tea tree
The aromatic equivalent of a slightly clearer head. Best kept in a desk drawer during spring.
The cold weather blend
- 2 drops eucalyptus
- 1 drop peppermint
- 1 drop camphor
- 1 drop tea tree
Sharper, more medicinal, harder-working. The blend you reach for when winter is doing its worst.
Cautions worth knowing
- Aromatic use only. Don't ingest essential oils. Don't apply them directly to skin without a carrier oil.
- Not recommended for children under five, and avoid peppermint and eucalyptus around babies and toddlers entirely.
- If you're pregnant, breastfeeding, on medication, or managing a medical condition, check with your GP or a qualified aromatherapist before regular use.
- Keep the inhaler out of direct sunlight and below 30°C to preserve the oil.
- A wick lasts one to two weeks of daily use. Replace it when the scent noticeably fades — don't just keep adding more oil to the same wick.
The point
The recipes above are starting points, not rules. Once you've tried two or three and noticed which ones genuinely work for you, the next step is building your own. That's the whole reason the system is refillable — personalisation comes with the format.
If you'd rather not assemble blends yourself, the Focus Blend and Calm Blend are pre-made in pure essential oil form, designed to slot straight into the inhaler with no thinking required.