Creating Unique Scents: Homemade Fragrance Guide

Creating your own fragrance at home is a fun and rewarding process that allows you to design a unique scent that reflects your personality and preferences. Whether you're crafting a natural perfume, an oil-based fragrance, or a room spray, the basic principles of perfumery remain the same. The art of perfumery involves careful selection and blending of ingredients, a good understanding of fragrance categories, and patience to experiment and refine your creations. In this guide, we will explore the steps to make your own fragrance at home, from sourcing ingredients to blending and diluting them to create a signature scent.

Learn your materials

Learning your materials is an important step in creating your own fragrances. It is important to study and deeply understand the characteristics of different materials to be able to create a balanced fragrance. Start by categorising natural materials into categories such as citrus, floral, spicy, woody, etc. Get a notebook and set aside time every day to smell 2-3 materials, writing down your observations immediately and at intervals throughout the day. Carry the smelling strips with you if you need to go out. Once you have a collection of materials, organise them into fragrance categories and compare them side by side to understand the different characteristics within the same family.

Creating accords is an important step in learning your materials. An accord is a harmonious blend of two or more materials that creates a new scent. Start with creating simple accords and recording your results and formulas. Accords are the building blocks of perfume and will help you understand how materials interact with each other. When creating accords, try to stick to using 3 materials, especially if using naturals, to avoid creating a muddled scent. You can create accords from materials in the same family, such as all citrus or all woody, or from different families, such as woody/spicy or floral/green. You can also create accords with the same level of volatility, such as all top, mid, or base notes.

Once you have a good understanding of the characteristics of different materials and how they interact with each other, you can start combining accords into finished fragrances. This step requires a plan or a brief. Think about the purpose of the fragrance, who it is for, and the story or theme you want to convey. The story behind the fragrance is what makes it great rather than just a nice smell.

Source ingredients from reliable companies

Sourcing ingredients for your fragrance is a crucial step in the perfume-making process. It is important to obtain your materials from reliable companies to ensure the quality and purity of your final product. Here are some tips to help you source ingredients effectively:

Research and Compare Suppliers:

Start by researching and comparing different suppliers of perfumery ingredients. Look for companies that specialise in providing high-quality, industry-grade perfumery materials. Reputable suppliers will often have a good reputation in the industry and may be recommended by perfumers or fragrance creators. Check reviews and testimonials to gauge the reliability and quality of their products.

Small Quantity Challenges:

Keep in mind that industry-grade standard perfumery ingredients can be challenging to source in small quantities. Most fragrance ingredient suppliers typically deal with companies and require bulk orders. However, some companies cater to end consumers and sell pure raw materials in smaller amounts. For example, Pellwall is recommended as a source for high-quality raw materials.

Natural vs. Molecular Ingredients:

There is a growing focus on using natural ingredients in perfumery. While exploring natural options, don't neglect to investigate molecular alternatives as well. Natural extracts and molecules are both essential components of a perfumer's palette, offering unique advantages and characteristics.

Storage and Longevity:

To ensure the longevity of your ingredients, consider storing them in a refrigerator or a cool, dark place. Some ingredients, especially natural ones, may degrade more quickly at room temperature. Chilling your ingredients can help maintain their freshness and potency.

Sample and Test:

Before committing to large quantities, consider purchasing small samples or ingredient sets from different suppliers. This will allow you to test and compare the quality of the materials before investing in larger amounts. It also helps you familiarise yourself with the ingredients and their characteristics.

Dilution and Pre-Diluted Ingredients:

Some suppliers may offer pre-diluted ingredients, which can be beneficial for beginners. Pre-dilution in perfumer's alcohol can make the blending process more approachable and help you waste fewer ingredients. However, if you prefer to dilute your ingredients yourself, ensure you have the necessary materials, such as perfumer's alcohol or a suitable alternative.

Remember, creating your own fragrance is a journey of experimentation and discovery. Take the time to explore different suppliers, ingredients, and options to find what works best for your creations. Enjoy the process of crafting your unique fragrances!

Create a story for your perfume

Creating a story for your perfume is an important step in the fragrance-making process. It gives your perfume a purpose and a clear direction, helping you choose the right materials and ultimately resulting in a more successful scent.

Think about what you want your perfume to represent and the feelings you want to evoke. Do you want to create a fantasy, a story that takes the person wearing it on a journey? Or do you want to create a therapeutic fragrance that makes the wearer feel uplifted, exotic, and enlivened?

Consider the purpose of the fragrance and who it is for. Is it a fine fragrance meant to be sprayed on the skin or into the air, or is it a skincare fragrance designed to support the claims and enhance the perception of the product?

By creating a story for your perfume, you give it a unique identity that sets it apart from other fragrances. This story will guide your choices in terms of materials and scents, ensuring that your final product is cohesive and well-thought-out.

For example, let's say you want to create a perfume that evokes the feeling of a sunny day at the beach. Your story could be about capturing the essence of a carefree summer day spent by the sea. To achieve this, you might choose materials with fresh and aquatic notes, such as citrus fruits, sea salt, and coconut. The story sets the tone and provides a clear direction for the type of scent you want to create.

Alternatively, your story could be inspired by a specific place or memory. For instance, you might want to create a fragrance that captures the essence of a stroll through a lush, green forest. In this case, you would choose materials with woody and earthy notes, such as moss, pine, and cedarwood.

Creating a story for your perfume is a crucial step that will guide your creative process and ensure a more satisfying and successful outcome. It gives your perfume a clear purpose and helps you choose the right materials to bring your fragrance to life.

Dilute your ingredients

Diluting your ingredients is an essential step in fragrance-making. It makes the scent more approachable, preventing it from being too overwhelming or compact. Here are the steps you can follow to dilute your ingredients for a homemade fragrance:

Ingredients and Equipment

To dilute your fragrance, you will need perfume alcohol, also known as perfumer's alcohol or a solvent. You can use Mistral's perfumer's alcohol, or you could opt for vodka, though this is not considered a professional medium. If you are creating an oil-based fragrance, you can use jojoba or fractionated coconut oil as your base. Additionally, you will need a scale to measure your ingredients accurately. A small 0.01-gram precision scale is a good starting point, but you can also use a 0.001-gram precision scale for greater accuracy.

Dilution Ratios

When diluting your fragrance, you will need to determine the desired concentration. For a perfume strength, you can opt for a 10% or 15% fragrance concentration. To achieve a 10% concentration, mix 1 gram of your fragrance with 9 grams of alcohol, resulting in a total of 10 grams. If your fragrance has very potent ingredients, you may want to dilute it further, such as diluting 0.1 grams of your fragrance with alcohol to reach a total of 10 grams.

For a body oil strength, you can use a lower concentration, such as 1% or 2%. For a 1% concentration, mix 0.1 grams of your fragrance with 9.9 grams of alcohol, resulting in a total of 10 grams.

Mixing Process

Start by measuring your base oil or alcohol. Then, add your aromatic materials, beginning with the base notes and working up to the top notes. As you add each material, swirl it into the oil or alcohol and smell the mixture to observe how the scent is developing. Record your formula as you go to ensure you can recreate it accurately. Once you've added all your ingredients, give the mixture a final swirl or gentle shake to combine everything.

Storage and Ageing

Always date and label your creations. Store your diluted fragrance in small glass bottles, and remember to leave your fragrance to settle and mature for at least a day. Some fragrances may change colour over time, but this is normal and usually won't affect the scent.

Evaluate and rework your formula

Once you've weighed your ingredients, give your fragrance a gentle shake and evaluate the result. Use scent strips (the type you find in fragrance retailers) to assess the good and the bad. Scent strips come in all shapes and sizes: the most common ones have square ends, which are good for smelling ingredients, or pointy ends, which are good for smelling perfumes. If you use pointy scent strips, dip the pointy end into your fragrance and smell it without touching your nose.

Once you've assessed what works and what doesn't, you can rework your formula by tweaking the ingredients. It can take hundreds of trials to get it right, so be patient!

If you're creating an oil-based perfume, add your aromatic materials starting with the base notes and working up to the top notes. As you add each material, swirl it in the oil so that it blends, smelling as you go. Record your formula as you go along so that you don't forget anything. Always date and label your creations and store them in small glass bottles.

If you're creating an alcohol-based perfume, dilute your ingredients or composition. You'll need perfume alcohol (the solvent). If you don't have an alcohol license, you can use Mistral's perfumer's alcohol, which is reliable and of high quality. For beginners, pre-dilute your ingredients at 10% to make things easier. Dilution in alcohol is essential as it makes the fragrance more approachable; smelling a blend of pure ingredients can be overwhelming and compact.

Frequently asked questions