Seamus Hammond
The art of making perfume has existed for thousands of years, with ancient cultures like the Egyptians using scented oils and perfumes for various purposes, including religious rituals and embalming. Today, the process of creating perfume oil involves distilling or extracting scented oils from natural sources such as flowers, fruits, spices, and herbs. These oils are then blended together to create unique fragrances, with different notes that unfold over time. While mass-produced perfumes often contain synthetic chemicals and alcohol, DIY perfume makers can create their own fragrances using natural oils, vodka, and distilled water. The process of making perfume oil requires experimentation and creativity, allowing individuals to design their own unique scents.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Essential oils, synthetic chemicals, alcohol, distilled/spring water, glycerine, flowers, fruits, spices, scented leaves, etc. |
| Process | Dilute fragrance concentrate in a carrier, age in a cool, dark location, test and adjust, cool and filter, fill into bottles, protect from oxygen and light |
| Equipment | Vessel to heat water, source of heat, gauze/muslin, thread, delivery tube, receiving vessel, ice, pretty bottle, funnel, pipette/dropper |
| Time | Maturing: up to a month, Aging: several months to a year |
| Cost | Synthetic chemicals are cheaper than natural oils, brand name perfumes cost $50-100 |
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What You'll Learn
Sourcing materials
If you are looking for a specific scent, you may be able to find it as a fragrance oil, which is a premade scent intended for candles or lotions. These are different from fragrance concentrates, which are perfume scents that you dilute into a carrier to make the final product.
For synthetic bases, you can try companies like Givco, which offers black agar. For more niche and esoteric materials, you can try Harrison Joseph. If you are looking for natural ingredients, you can find them on websites like perfumersapprentice.com.
In terms of equipment, you will need a vessel to heat water in, a source of heat, gauze or muslin, thread, a delivery tube, a receiving vessel, and ice. You will also need a bottle to store your scent. This could be anything from a conical flask to a film canister. If you are blending oils, you will need a dropper pipette for each raw oil you use.
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Blending oils
Firstly, it is important to understand the different notes of a perfume. A good perfume should have three distinct notes: a top note, a central or heart note, and a base note. The top note is fleeting, with an explosive scent that evaporates quickly. The heart note bridges the top and base notes, and the base note grounds the scent.
When blending, it is recommended to add the base note first, then the heart note, and finally the top note. Oils in the same category generally blend well together. For example, floral oils blend well with spicy, citrusy, and woodsy oils. Woodsy oils are particularly versatile and blend well with all categories. Spicy oils blend well with florals, orientals, and citrus oils, but be careful not to overpower the blend with too much spice. Minty oils blend well with citrus, woodsy, green, and earthy oils.
It is a good idea to start with familiar fragrances and experiment with different combinations. Blotter strips can be used to test out different blends and train your nose to pick out the notes. You can also refer to the fragrance wheel for inspiration and guidance on pairings, but these are just suggestions, not strict rules.
When creating your own blends, it is important to take detailed notes on the scent combinations, ratios, and any other relevant information. Allow your blends to mature and give the oils time to fuse into a harmonious scent. After a few days, you can decide if you like the blend or not, as the aroma can change and round out over time.
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Adding alcohol
While perfume oil is alcohol-free, the process of making perfume involves adding alcohol to the fragrance concentrate to create the final product. This is done to dilute the concentrate and create a perfume with a longer-lasting scent.
The first step in adding alcohol is to obtain the appropriate type of alcohol. Denatured alcohol, also known as perfumer's alcohol, is commonly used in perfumery and can be purchased from specialty suppliers. This type of alcohol is odourless and will not interfere with the scent of the perfume.
Once the alcohol is acquired, it is added to the fragrance concentrate. The concentrate is typically a blend of essential oils and other aromatic compounds. The ratio of alcohol to concentrate can vary depending on the desired strength and longevity of the perfume. A higher proportion of alcohol will result in a lighter, less concentrated perfume, while using less alcohol will create a more potent fragrance.
After combining the alcohol and concentrate, the mixture is left undisturbed in a cool, dark place for maturation and ageing. This process can take anywhere from 48 hours to several months, or even up to a year for more complex perfumes. During this time, the alcohol and oils permanently bond, and the scent becomes stronger and more blended.
Once the ageing process is complete, an expert perfumer will test the scent. Adjustments can then be made, such as adding more of the fragrance concentrate or doing additional blending to perfect the scent. This step ensures that the final product has the desired fragrance profile, with distinct top, heart, and base notes.
Finally, the aged perfume mixture is cooled and filtered before being bottled. To preserve the quality of the perfume, it is essential to protect it from oxygen and light by using opaque bottles and storing them in cool, dark conditions.
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Maturing and ageing
Maturing a fragrance begins once the perfume concentrate has been completely diluted in alcohol, which can take up to a month. The ageing process then takes place over several months to a year. During this time, the perfume is stored undisturbed in a cool, dark place, allowing the alcohol and essential oils to permanently bond. This process makes the scent stronger, and an expert is brought in to test it at the end of the ageing period. If the perfume passes the test, it may be adjusted with additional blending before it is cooled, filtered, and bottled.
Ageing the perfume in a dark, cool place reduces the damaging effects of time. The perfume is typically cooled and filtered before being filled into bottles or flacons. Exposing the perfume to oxygen or higher temperatures can be detrimental to the scent, so these factors are minimised during the bottling process.
The ageing process allows the perfume's scents to mingle and strengthens the overall fragrance. It is important to allow the perfume to age for a sufficient amount of time, as the mingling of scents may alter the overall fragrance. Once the desired ageing time has passed, the perfume's creator can smell it again and make any necessary adjustments by adding a few more drops of scent. However, if more scent is added, the perfume must be aged again.
The end result of the ageing process is a fine perfume with three distinct notes: a top note, a central or heart note, and a base note. The ageing allows the top note, which is the most fleeting and evaporates quickly, to melt into the heart and base notes, creating a subtle and beautiful transition over time.
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Bottling and storing
Once the perfume oil is ready, it needs to be bottled and stored correctly to preserve its fragrance. The perfume should be poured into a bottle using a funnel to avoid spillage. If using clear bottles, cover them with aluminium foil or wrapping paper to protect the fragrance from light.
It is important to store the perfume oil in a cool, dark location, reducing exposure to oxygen and keeping it at low temperatures to prevent deterioration over time. The ideal storage conditions are similar to those during the ageing process, which can last from 48 hours to one month or more, depending on the desired strength of the scent.
During the ageing process, the perfume is undisturbed in a cool, dark area, allowing the alcohol and essential oils to bond permanently. This process enhances the scent by making it stronger and more blended. After ageing, an expert may be consulted to test and approve the perfume before final adjustments are made.
Proper storage is crucial to maintain the quality of the perfume oil. The use of airtight containers and protection from light and heat are essential to preserving the fragrance and preventing deterioration.
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Frequently asked questions
Perfume oil is a type of perfume that contains no alcohol, only skin-loving oils such as jojoba or sweet almond oil.
Natural ingredients such as scented leaves (e.g. lavender, mint, thyme), flowers (e.g. roses, violets), fruits (e.g. citrus, apple peels), spices (e.g. cinnamon stick, liquorice root), and nuts are used to make perfume oil.
To make perfume oil, you need to blend different scents to achieve the desired fragrance. This can be done by diluting fragrance oils in a carrier oil or by adding drops of essential oils to alcohol.
Making perfume oil can take a long time as it requires a lot of experimentation. The process of maturing and aging a fragrance can take up to several months or even a year.
Perfume oils are longer-lasting than regular alcohol-based perfumes, with a duration of 5-12 hours depending on the strength of the ingredients. They are also better for those who are prone to headaches.
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