Enhancing Your Moisturizer: Adding Fragrance To Your Cream

Adding fragrance to cream is a great way to create a personalised scented body lotion. You can use a plain body cream or lotion base and add your favourite fragrance to it. It's important to be careful not to add too much fragrance, as this can irritate the skin. It's also recommended to mix the fragrance and cream in your hand immediately before applying, rather than making a big batch, as this could cause the lotion to separate or go bad.

How to mix fragrance oils with lotion/cream bases

When mixing fragrance oils with lotion or cream bases, it's important to follow the manufacturer's instructions. If they state a maximum percentage of fragrance, don't exceed this, as a large ratio of fragrance oils can irritate the skin. For example, if you're making 100ml of lotion, you shouldn't add more than 3ml of combined fragrance.

It's recommended to make your fragrance oil blend first and test out different formulas until you find one you like. Write down your formulas, even the ones that don't work, so you can keep track of your progress. Once you have a fragrance blend you're happy with, add it to your lotion base.

If you're using a pre-made lotion or cream base, make sure it's unscented. You can then add your desired ratio of fragrance oils to the base and mix until combined.

Some people prefer to mix their fragrance and lotion in their hands immediately before applying, rather than making a batch. This helps to prevent the lotion from separating or becoming watery, and it also reduces the risk of microbial growth.

How much fragrance to add to lotion

To add fragrance to a cream, you should use a lotion base without fragrance and add the appropriate ratio of oils into the base. You can add 1% to 4% fragrance oil to your lotion base, but this will depend on the potency of the fragrance oil. For example, for every ounce of lotion, you would need 0.5 to 0.75ml of fragrance oil. If you are making 100ml of lotion, you should add no more than 3ml of combined fragrance to your lotion base.

It is recommended to mix the fragrance and lotion in your hand immediately before applying, rather than making a bottle, as adding perfume to a lotion could break the emulsion and make your lotion separate, affect the viscosity and make it watery, or affect the preservative system and allow it to grow microbial contaminants.

Mixing perfume with unscented body lotion

When mixing perfume with unscented body lotion, it is important to use the appropriate ratio of perfume to lotion. If you are making 100 ml of lotion, you should add no more than 3 ml of combined fragrance to your lotion base. This is because a large ratio of fragrance oils can irritate the skin. It is recommended to test out different formulas for fragrances until you find one you like, always writing down your formulas, even the failed ones. This way, you can avoid wasting lotion base on scents you may not like.

To mix the perfume and lotion, simply take a handful of unscented body lotion and mix it with a few drops of perfume. You can also use a rollerball top to add a drop of perfume oil to your palm, then take a pump of lotion and mix it together in your hands before applying. It is recommended to make this mix fresh for each application, rather than making a bigger batch, as it could go bad.

How to avoid lotion separation

To add fragrance to a cream, you can use a fragrance oil or perfume. If you are using a fragrance oil, make sure it is not pre-diluted and add the appropriate ratio of oil to your unscented lotion base. If you are using perfume, take a handful of unscented body lotion and mix it with some spritzes of perfume.

If you are making your own lotion, separation can occur when the lotion mixture cannot emulsify or does not have a stable emulsion. To avoid this, make sure you are using the right emulsifying wax and that you are allowing it enough time to bind the oil and water together. You can also use a blender to mix everything together. If your lotion does separate, you can try warming it in a double boiler or giving it short bursts in the microwave. Be careful not to simmer or boil the lotion.

It is also important to note that adding perfume to a lotion could break the emulsion and cause separation. Therefore, it is recommended to mix your fragrance and lotion in your hand immediately before applying, rather than making a bottle.

Additionally, if you are making a large batch of lotion, it is a good idea to test out different formulas and write down your recipes, even the ones that don't work. This will help you avoid wasting ingredients and ensure that you are creating a stable product.

How to avoid skin irritation

To add fragrance to a cream, you can use a fragrance oil or perfume. It is recommended that you mix the fragrance with the cream in your hand immediately before applying it, rather than making a bottle. This is because adding perfume to a lotion could break the emulsion and make your lotion separate, affect the viscosity and make it watery, or affect the preservative system and allow it to grow microbial contaminants.

If you are making a large batch of cream, you should be careful not to add too much fragrance, as this can irritate the skin. If you are making 100ml of lotion, you should add no more than 3ml of combined fragrance to your lotion base.

To avoid skin irritation, it is important to be aware of the ingredients in the products you are using. Fragrances and parfum are commonly used terms, and there are also a number of essential oils that can cause problems, such as rose, lavender, orange, geraniol and eucalyptus. Look out for ingredients like linalool, eugenol, cinnamal, citronellol, and limonene, as these are common irritants.

It is also a good idea to spritz fragrance onto your clothes, rather than your skin, as this will reduce the likelihood of a skin reaction. If your skin does react badly to a product, stop using it immediately and consider using an over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream to help ease inflammation.

Frequently asked questions