Lance Carson
Creating your own perfume is a fun and rewarding process that allows you to develop a unique fragrance that suits your taste. By mixing essential oils, fragrance oils, and other ingredients, you can craft a personalised scent that reflects your personality and style. Whether you're looking to create a body mist, roll-on perfume, or cologne, the process involves combining aromatic elements with a carrier, such as alcohol or oil, to create a harmonious blend. With patience, experimentation, and creativity, you can design a signature fragrance that stands out from the crowd and expresses your individuality.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Essential oils, fragrance oils, infused oils, flavour extracts, alcohol, distilled/spring water, vegetable glycerine, witch hazel, coconut oil, sweet almond oil, beeswax |
| Scents | Coriander, palmarosa, marjoram, basil, rosemary, rose geranium, pettitgrain, lavender, patchouli, vetiver, frankincense, cedarwood, sandalwood, amber, oakmoss |
| Notes | Top, middle, base |
| Families | Floral, oriental, woody, fresh |
| Equipment | Spray bottle, glass bottle, funnel, measuring cup, crock pot/saucepan, coffee press, wire strainer |
| Time | 72 hours to a week |
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What You'll Learn
Choosing a base
The base of a perfume is its bottom note, which appears after the middle note. Common base notes include patchouli, vetiver, frankincense, cedarwood, sandalwood, amber, and oakmoss.
When choosing a base, it's important to consider the scent's family. Scents can be divided into different families, such as floral, oriental, woody, and fresh. Adding scents from neighbouring families can create harmony in your perfume. For example, if you're making a woody perfume, you might want to add a fresh note like citrus.
Another thing to consider when choosing a base is the type of perfume you want to make. The ratio of the fragrance base to the carrier determines whether it's a cologne, eau de toilette, or pure parfum. Alcohol-based perfumes typically consist of essential oils, fragrance oils, and alcohol. The amount of each ingredient can vary depending on the desired strength and type of perfume. For example, a perfume with a higher percentage of essential oils will be more potent and have a longer-lasting scent.
If you're making an oil-based perfume, you can use a carrier oil like jojoba oil, vegetable oil, or sweet almond oil. You can also infuse herbs and flowers in oil to create a unique scent. However, it's important to note that not all essential oils are skin-safe, so be sure to look up any health advisories before using them.
When mixing your perfume, it's generally recommended to start by adding your base notes, followed by the middle and top notes. This allows you to build the scent gradually and ensure that the base note, which is the foundation of your perfume, is well-represented.
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Adding essential oils
When selecting essential oils, it is important to consider both the scent and any health advisories associated with the oils, as not all essential oils are skin-safe. Popular essential oil options include coriander, palmarosa, marjoram, basil, rosemary, rose geranium, petitgrain, and lavender. These oils can be purchased from affordable suppliers, such as Brambleberry.
The number of drops of essential oil required will depend on the desired strength of the perfume. A good starting point is approximately 25 to 30 drops of essential oil, and more drops can be added for a stronger scent. It is also important to consider the different notes of the essential oils, as they will have top, middle, and base notes that develop over time.
To blend the essential oils, it is recommended to use a funnel and measuring cup. Pour the desired amount of alcohol into the measuring cup, and then use the funnel to pour the alcohol into the bottle of essential oils. This method minimises mess and ensures an accurate measurement. After adding the alcohol, seal the bottle tightly and shake it well.
Once the essential oils and alcohol are combined, the blend should be left in a dark place for a week before moving forward. This allows the oils and alcohol to combine and mature. After a week, the perfume can be diluted with distilled or spring water and glycerine, which helps preserve the fragrance.
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Diluting with alcohol
When creating your own perfume, you can use a variety of alcohols as your base. The recommended alcohol is 190-proof grain alcohol, with Everclear being the best option for homemade perfume. However, due to its restricted availability, you can also use grape alcohol or vodka as an alternative. If you're serious about perfumery and want to invest in high-quality ingredients, purchasing 190-proof alcohol is a good option. On the other hand, if you're experimenting or having fun, you can simply use easily accessible vodka from your local store.
The amount of alcohol used in your perfume will depend on the desired concentration of your fragrance oils and essential oils. A typical ratio for an alcohol-based perfume is 70% alcohol, 20% essential oils, and 10% distilled water. This translates to approximately 140 drops of alcohol, 40 drops of essential oil, and 20 drops of distilled water for a 200-drop perfume mixture.
Before adding the alcohol, it's important to let your fragrance oils and essential oils blend sit for a week in a dark place. This allows the scents to meld and develop. After the week has passed, you can then add the alcohol to your blend. A funnel can be used to facilitate this process and minimize mess.
Once the alcohol is added, seal the bottle tightly and shake it well. Over the next 72 hours, shake the bottle once or twice a day to ensure that the oils and alcohol have completely combined, creating a harmonious and well-blended perfume.
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Blending and storing
Blending your perfume is a creative process, and you can experiment with different combinations of essential oils, fragrance oils, and aromachemicals to create your desired fragrance. When choosing essential oils, be sure to look up any health advisories, as not all are safe for the skin. You can use a combination of base, middle, and top notes to create a harmonious blend. Start by adding your base notes, then middle notes, and finally your top notes.
The ratio of fragrance oils to carrier oils or alcohol will determine the type of perfume you are making—whether it be a cologne, eau de toilette, or pure parfum. A typical ratio for an alcohol-based perfume is 20% essential oils, 70% alcohol, and 10% distilled water. You can adjust the number of drops of essential oils to create a stronger or weaker scent.
Once you have measured out your ingredients, combine them in a bottle and seal tightly. If you are using clear bottles, cover them with aluminium foil or wrapping paper to protect the fragrance from the light. Shake the bottle well to mix the ingredients. Over the next 72 hours, shake the bottle 1-2 times a day to ensure the oils have completely combined.
If you are using a fragrance oil, it may already be diluted in a carrier oil, so you may not need to add additional carrier oils or alcohol. However, if you are using essential oils, you will need to add a carrier such as vodka, jojoba oil, or another type of oil or alcohol.
To make an oil-based perfume, you can infuse the oil with plant material such as flowers or herbs. Heat the oil in a crock pot or saucepan, add the plant material, and simmer until the flowers are dry and crunchy. Then strain out the plant material using a coffee press or wire strainer. You can also add grated beeswax to make a solid perfume.
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Using and preserving
Using your homemade perfume is just like using any other fragrance. Spray or dab it onto your pulse points, such as your wrists, neck, and behind your ears, and enjoy your unique scent!
If you've made a solid perfume, a little goes a long way, so you only need a small amount on your pressure points.
To preserve your homemade perfume, there are several steps you can take. Firstly, store your perfume in a cool, dark place. Light and heat can cause fragrances to spoil more quickly, so using a dark bottle or wrapping clear bottles in foil will help protect your perfume. You should also ensure that your bottle has a tight-fitting lid or seal to prevent leakage and evaporation.
To extend the life of your perfume, you can add a natural preservative like vitamin E or grapefruit seed extract. Another option is to add glycerine, which helps to preserve the fragrance and can also act as a solvent. If you're using alcohol as a base, this also helps with preservation as alcohol is not susceptible to microbial growth.
Finally, allow your perfume to age before use. Place it in a cool, dark location for a minimum of 48 hours, or up to a month. Aging your fragrance allows the scents to mingle and become stronger.
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Frequently asked questions
You will need essential oils, fragrance oils, alcohol, distilled water, and a spray bottle. You can also use aromachemicals, but these can be difficult to source in small amounts.
First, add your base notes, then your middle notes, and finally your top notes. You can experiment with different oils to create your desired fragrance. Once you are happy with your blend, dilute the fragrance with distilled water and add glycerine to preserve the scent. Pour the perfume into your bottle and cover it with foil if the bottle is clear.
Some common base notes include patchouli, vetiver, frankincense, cedarwood, and sandalwood. Coriander, palmarosa, marjoram, basil, and lavender are often used as middle or top notes.
