Seamus Hammond
Making your own orange perfume oil is a fun and rewarding project. Not only is it more cost-effective than buying commercial perfume, but it also allows you to create a unique, natural fragrance that suits your personal preferences. With just a few simple ingredients and some patience, you can craft a signature scent that's perfect for daily use or for gifting to loved ones. In this guide, we'll explore the steps to make your own orange perfume oil, from preparing the essential orange oil to blending it with other scents to create a delightful fragrance.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To create a natural, cost-effective, and personalised orange perfume |
| Ingredients | Orange peel, olive oil, water, pure alcohol, jojoba oil, sweet almond oil |
| Equipment | Saucepan, glass jar, glass/ceramic bowl, pipette/glass dropper, diffuser |
| Method | Dry orange peel, simmer with oil and water, store in a dark place, add alcohol, combine with other oils |
| Tips | Remove pith from peel, use thin strips, shake jar regularly, strain through muslin, store in a cool, dark place |
| Uses | Perfume, candles, soap, lotion, scrub, natural cleaner, hand sanitiser |
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What You'll Learn
Use orange peel and olive oil
To make orange perfume oil using orange peel and olive oil, you will need:
- Oranges
- A knife or peeler
- Paper towels or a drying rack
- A food processor (optional)
- A glass jar with a tight seal
- Olive oil
- Water
- A saucepan
- A dark storage place
Firstly, peel the oranges. You can either cut the peel off with a knife or use a peeler, zester, Microplane, or paring knife to grate it off. Try to avoid cutting off any of the pith (the white part), as this will make your oil bitter.
Once you have removed the peels, place them on a paper towel or drying rack and leave them to air-dry for at least five days. The peels should be completely dry before moving on to the next step.
After the peels have dried, use a food processor to coarsely grind them. If you don't have a food processor, you can snap or crumble the peels with your hands.
Next, put the ground peels into your glass jar. Pour olive oil into the jar, covering the peels completely. Seal the jar tightly.
If you have a sunny windowsill available, place the jar there for 48 hours. Shake the jar every 12 hours. If you don't have a sunny spot, you can place the jar in a pan of cold water and slowly heat it until it is warm but still comfortable to the touch. Keep the oil at this temperature for 10 minutes once a day, and remember to strain and replace the orange peel every three days.
Continue this process until the oil reaches your desired fragrance level.
Once you are happy with the fragrance, it's time to make the perfume. Put the oil and a little water in a saucepan and simmer for about six hours. Keep an eye on the water level and refill if necessary.
After simmering, transfer everything to a glass container and add a little more olive oil. Store the container in a dark place for about five days, shaking it slightly at least once a day.
Your orange perfume is now ready to use! Remember to keep it stored in a dark place to prevent deterioration and loss of fragrance.
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Simmer for 6 hours, then rest in a dark place
To make orange perfume oil, you'll need to simmer the mixture for about six hours. This process will fill your home with a delightful orange fragrance. The longer you simmer the orange peels, the stronger the aroma will be. However, it's important to keep the heat low to prevent the water from boiling and spilling. Adding spices or herbs like cinnamon, cloves, rosemary, or lavender can enhance the scent and create a delightful aroma.
After simmering, the next step is to let the mixture rest. Transfer the mixture to a glass container and add a little more oil. Place the container in a dark place for about five days, shaking it slightly at least once a day. Keeping the perfume in a dark place is crucial, as exposure to light will cause the oil to deteriorate and lose its fragrance.
If you're using the perfume for air freshening purposes, you can skip the resting step and use the orange-scented water as a natural air freshener or pillow spray. You can also use a reed diffuser to fill your space with the refreshing orange scent.
Alternatively, if you're using olive oil or another base oil to create a perfume oil, allowing the mixture to rest in a dark place is essential. During this time, the oil will continue to infuse with the orange scent, and shaking the container daily helps to enhance this process. After resting, you can use your homemade orange perfume oil in various applications, such as aromatherapy, homemade lotions, or natural cleaners.
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Use safflower oil, seal, shake, and strain
To make orange perfume oil, you can use safflower oil, which is a common substitute for other carrier oils such as olive oil. Safflower oil has a longer shelf life than other oils, making it a good choice for perfume-making.
Use Safflower Oil:
Start by peeling six thin strips from an orange. Be sure to remove as much of the white pith as possible, as this can affect the final fragrance.
Seal:
Place the orange peelings into a clear glass jar. Measure and pour 8 ounces of safflower oil into the jar. Seal the lid on the jar tightly.
Shake:
If you have access to a sunny windowsill, place the jar there for 48 hours, shaking it every 12 hours. If a sunny windowsill is not available, you can use an alternative method to heat the oil. Place the jar of oil and orange peel into a pan filled with cold water. Slowly heat the water until it is warm but not hot. Keep the oil at this temperature for 10 minutes once a day.
Strain:
After 48 hours, strain the contents of the jar through muslin into a bowl. You can also use a cheesecloth or coffee filter for this step.
Your homemade orange perfume oil is now ready to use! Be sure to store it in a dark place to prevent deterioration and preserve its fresh, natural fragrance. Enjoy your special, ecological perfume and feel free to experiment with different ratios of ingredients to create a personalised scent.
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Heat oil in a pan of water
Heating oil in a pan of water is a method of making orange perfume oil, also known as maceration, which speeds up the process of developing the fragrance. To do this, first peel an orange, leaving six thin strips of peel. Then, place the peelings into a clear glass jar. Next, measure and pour eight ounces of safflower oil, or olive oil, into the jar. Seal the lid tightly.
If a sunny windowsill is available, place the jar there for 48 hours, shaking the jar every 12 hours. If not, heat oil in a pan of water on the stove. To do this, fill a pan with cold water and place the jar of oil and orange peel into it. Heat the water slowly until it is warm, but not hot. You should be able to touch the water comfortably with your hand. Keep the oil heating at this temperature for 10 minutes, once each day.
After 48 hours, strain the contents of the jar through muslin into a bowl. Then, place the strained orange peel and oil into a saucepan and add a small amount of water. Simmer for about six hours, refilling the water if it evaporates. After this, put everything in a glass container and add a little more oil. Place the container in a dark place for about five days, shaking it slightly at least once a day.
At this point, you will have created an essential orange oil. To turn this into a perfume, you will need to add water and pure alcohol. Mix these ingredients in a bowl and add the essential oil in small quantities, shaking well and adjusting the aroma as you go. Leave the mixture to macerate in a dark place for a month. After this, freeze the mixture, let it thaw, and filter it with a paper filter. Finally, pour the perfume into a container with a diffuser.
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Use alcohol to make perfume
Creating your own perfume using alcohol is an art. It allows you to express your personality in a unique and fragrant form. Whether you’re crafting a signature scent for personal use or as a thoughtful gift, the process is creative, fun, and surprisingly simple!
The base of your perfume will be perfumer's alcohol, which is ideal because it’s formulated specifically for making perfumes. It evaporates quickly and carries the fragrance beautifully without altering the scent profile. Make sure you’re choosing pure undenatured ethanol specifically for use in perfume. Denatured ethanol is widely available and often significantly cheaper, however, it is usually mixed with methanol, which can cause adverse reactions when applied to some people's skin.
For a standard mixture, use about 10-30% of essential oil or fragrance oil in total. Here’s a simple breakdown: Finish with 10 drops of top notes to 30 ml of perfumer’s alcohol. If you are using fragrance oil, you can start with a ratio of 3 ml of fragrance to 30 ml of perfumer’s alcohol – this is a 10% fragrance usage rate. You can use more or less depending on the strength desired. Swirl gently to mix.
Let your perfume sit in a cool, dark place for at least 48 hours, up to a month for perfumes made with essential oils. This aging process allows the oils to meld perfectly with the alcohol, enhancing the depth and longevity of your fragrance. Once your perfume has matured, it’s time to filter out any sediment. Use a coffee filter or a fine mesh strainer and funnel the liquid into your final storage bottle—preferably dark glass to protect the oils from light.
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Frequently asked questions
You will need orange peel, a carrier oil (such as safflower oil, jojoba oil, or sweet almond oil), and a glass jar with a lid. You may also need pure alcohol or olive oil.
First, dry out your orange peel. This can be done by leaving the peel on a wire rack for a few days. Next, place your dried peel in a glass jar and cover it with your chosen carrier oil. Seal the jar and place it in a sunny spot for 48 hours, shaking the jar every 12 hours. Finally, strain the oil through muslin or cheesecloth into a bowl.
To make a roll-on perfume oil, add 12-15 drops of your orange oil blend to a 10ml rollerball and fill the rest of the bottle with your chosen carrier oil. You can also add pure alcohol to your oil blend to make an alcohol-based perfume.
