You want to get the scent right before you start mixing with lotions, almond oil, or other carriers. For one thing, it takes too long to mix each EO separately.

Essential oils are easy to mix with each other. Then you can adjust the scent if needed. But it takes much longer to thoroughly blend them with lotions, bath salts, or whatever.

Once the EO mixture smells the way you want it to, you have an EO blend that you can use for many purposes. You can float a few drops on a teaspoon of water in a diffuser, for example.

Or you can add some to a lotion for skin care or to a carrier oil for massage. You can add some of the EO blend to alcohol to make a cologne or to water to make a body spritzer.

Or you can blend some of the EO mixture with epsom salts to make bath salts or with vegetable oil or lanolin to make bath oil.

The possibilities are almost endless, but you start by mixing the essential oils to get the scent just right. Then you can blend the appropriate amount of the mixture with whatever carrier you choose.