Antonio Mcgowan
Making perfume is a fun activity for kids, and lavender is a great scent to start with. Lavender is long-loved for its delightful fragrance, and it's easy to create a simple perfume using lavender oil and a few basic ingredients. Kids will love picking and crushing the lavender, mixing their own unique scent, and bottling their creation. With a little adult supervision, they can learn about the creative process and take pride in making their own special fragrance.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Lavender, carrier oil (jojoba oil, fractionated coconut oil, apricot kernel oil, avocado oil, etc.), essential oils, vodka, water, rose geranium leaves |
| Tools | Jars, sticky labels, teapots, jugs, tweezers, small measuring spoons, recycled scoops, pestle and mortar, glass bottle with a screw cap, pan, paper bag |
| Process | Clean and crush lavender, submerge in distilled water for 4 hours, strain into a container, add oil, shake, add vodka, leave for a few days, add hydrosol, shake, transfer to a spray bottle |
| Time | At least 2 days, preferably a week |
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What You'll Learn
Collecting lavender
Growing Lavender
If you have lavender plants in your garden, you can start by cutting the stems. Cut the stems so they are about 6 inches (15 cm) long. Make sure to cut the stems from the top and avoid the thick, woody stems near the base of the plant. The best time to pick lavender flowers is just before they are about to open. This ensures you capture the full fragrance of the flowers.
Drying Lavender
Once you have cut the lavender stems, you can dry them to preserve their fragrance. Tie the sprigs of lavender with rubber bands or string and hang them upside down in a dry and warm area. Leave the lavender to dry for up to two weeks. Dried lavender can be purchased if you don't have access to fresh lavender or prefer a quicker method.
Storing Lavender
After drying, you can store the lavender in airtight containers or jars until you are ready to use it. Label the containers with the date and the contents. Dried lavender can be stored for several months if properly stored.
Selecting Lavender
When you are ready to make your perfume, select the dried lavender flowers and leaves that you want to use. Avoid using the stems, as they may not infuse as well. You can also mix and match different types of lavender, such as English, French, or Spanish lavender, to create unique scent profiles.
Measuring Lavender
Measure the desired amount of lavender using small measuring spoons or scoops. This step helps ensure that your perfume has the right proportion of lavender to the carrier oil. It also allows for consistency if you want to recreate the same scent.
By following these steps, kids can safely and effectively collect lavender, preparing them for the next stages of making their own natural lavender perfume.
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Choosing a carrier oil
When making perfume, choosing the right carrier oil is an important step. Carrier oils, also known as base oils, are used to dilute and carry the concentrated essential oils. They ensure that the fragrance is safe to apply to the skin and can influence the depth, longevity, and balance of the scent. The right carrier oil can also enhance the intensity of the perfume.
There are several factors to consider when choosing a carrier oil, such as skin compatibility, scent, and viscosity. It is also important to select a carrier oil that complements the desired intensity and longevity of your perfume. For example, jojoba oil is a popular choice among perfume enthusiasts because it closely resembles the skin's natural sebum, ensuring excellent absorption and compatibility with various skin types. It is also highly stable, which helps the fragrance maintain its integrity over extended periods.
Fractionated coconut oil is another excellent choice for a carrier oil. Unlike regular coconut oil, which solidifies at lower temperatures, fractionated coconut oil remains liquid at all times. This makes it a versatile option for blending essential oils, ensuring a non-oily finish and leaving the skin feeling fresh and fragrant.
Sweet almond oil is another option that is cherished for its light and easily absorbable nature. It is rich in essential fatty acids and vitamins, making it nourishing for the skin. Perfumes formulated with sweet almond oil are often celebrated for their soft and subtle scent, making it an ideal choice for individuals with sensitive skin.
When selecting a carrier oil, it is also worth considering the range at which you want your perfume to be detectable. Oil-based perfumes tend to stick closer to the body, with the scent increasing as your body heat rises. Alcohol-based perfumes, on the other hand, can carry the scent further as the alcohol evaporates and takes some of the fragrance with it. However, alcohol can dry out the skin, whereas oil-based perfumes are moisturizing.
Ultimately, the choice of carrier oil depends on your specific requirements and preferences. Each carrier oil has unique characteristics, allowing you to create diverse perfumes that cater to different skin types and scent preferences.
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Adding essential oils
Next, they can add the essential oils. For a stronger scent, they can add up to 40 drops of lavender essential oil, but for a milder fragrance, 20-30 drops should be enough. They can also experiment with adding other essential oils to create unique blends and personalised scents.
Once the essential oils have been added, kids should put the lid on the bottle and shake it vigorously for a few seconds. Then, they can test the fragrance to see if it is too heavy or too light and adjust accordingly by adding more carrier oil or essential oil.
Finally, they can add some vodka to the mixture, shake again, and let the bottle sit for about a week before transferring the perfume to its final container. This is usually a dark or opaque glass bottle with a spray applicator.
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Bottling the perfume
Bottling your perfume is an important part of the process. Once you have made your lavender perfume, you will need to decide on a bottle. A glass bottle with a tight-fitting screw cap is a good option, but you can use any bottle with a lid. If you are giving the perfume as a gift, you might want to choose a pretty bottle, or decorate it with stickers, glue, and ribbons. You could even make your own labels to stick on the bottle.
When it comes to filling the bottle, you will need to use tools such as tweezers and small measuring spoons to fill the bottle with your perfume. This can be a fun challenge for kids, as they will need to use their hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness skills to carefully fill the bottle without spilling anything.
Once the bottle is filled, make sure the lid is on tightly, and give it a good shake. You can then store the perfume in a cool, dry place, and it will be ready to use whenever you want. You can also make scented bags with leftover lavender to put under your pillow for a good night's sleep.
If you want to make a cologne instead of a perfume, you can follow a similar process. Use 30 drops (1.5 ml) of lavender essential oil, 6 tablespoons of alcohol, and 3 tablespoons of hydrosol. Mix these ingredients together, and then transfer them to your chosen bottle.
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Using the perfume
Once you've made your lavender perfume, there are several ways to use it. Firstly, you can use it as a traditional perfume, dabbing or spraying it onto your wrists and behind your ears. You can also use it to create scented items, such as scented bags to put under your pillow for a relaxing sleep. If you want to get creative, you can even use your perfume as a base to experiment with different essential oils, creating unique blends and personalised scents.
If you're giving your perfume as a gift, you can decorate the bottle with labels, stickers, or bows. This adds a personal touch and makes it a lovely present. You could also consider the type of bottle you use; dark or opaque glass bottles with spray applicators are commonly used for perfumes.
When applying your perfume, it's important to consider the intensity of the fragrance. Perfumes with a higher concentration of essential oils tend to be more expensive and have a stronger scent. If you're looking for a more subtle fragrance, you might prefer a cologne, which has a lower concentration of essential oils and a higher alcohol content, giving it a cooling effect on the skin.
Lavender is one of the few essential oils that can be applied directly to the skin. However, it is usually reserved for treating burns and insect bites. When using your lavender perfume, be mindful of any skin sensitivities or reactions, and always do a patch test before applying it to larger areas.
Lastly, remember that perfume is a personal choice, and the most important thing is that you enjoy the scent you've created. Whether you use it sparingly or liberally, the process of making your own perfume is a fun and rewarding experience.
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Frequently asked questions
You will need dried lavender, a carrier oil (jojoba oil, fractionated coconut oil, apricot kernel oil, or avocado oil), a glass bottle with a tight-fitting screw cap, and some sticky labels to decorate.
First, fill the glass bottle with a little less than 1 oz of carrier oil. Then, add 20-30 drops of lavender essential oil, depending on the desired intensity of the fragrance. Put the lid on the bottle and shake for a few seconds. Finally, decorate the bottle with sticky labels and perhaps some ribbon.
The process of making lavender perfume is quite quick, but it is recommended to leave the bottle to sit for at least two days after shaking to allow the fragrance to develop.
Perfume can contain up to 40% essential oils, whereas cologne has a much lower percentage (around 5%) and a higher alcohol content. Cologne has a more subtle fragrance and a cooling effect on the skin.
Yes, absolutely! Lavender perfume makes a lovely gift, especially if you decorate the bottle with a personalised label. You could also make scented bags filled with dried lavender to give as gifts.
